Proverbs 30:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

NIV: Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

NASB: Do not add to His words Or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

CSB: Don’t add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

NLT: Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

KJV: Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

NKJV: Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Agur (Proverbs 30:1) has expressed the limits of his own understanding (Proverbs 30:1–4) and pointed to God's written Word as the ultimate source of truth (Proverbs 30:5). If Scripture is the Word of God, trying to modify those words means overriding the Lord's own message. It is wrong to add human speculation to what God has said. No one can improve on God's Word. It does not need to be amended. It should be believed and obeyed! The Lord told Joshua: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" (Joshua 1:8).

Agur's caution here is relatively mild. Those who warp God's Word can anticipate His rebuke and correction, as well as being outed as liars. In the New Testament, the apostle John provides a more dire notice: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book" (Revelation 22:18).

What we see in nature and experience is meant to point us towards God (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1). However, only the influence of the Holy Spirit can bring us to full understanding of truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). We are meant to seek more about God based on what we see in everyday life (Matthew 7:7–8). Where we seek that information is key: it is imperative to ground knowledge of God and His will from His Word, not from the opinions or preferences of man.

Proverbs 30:5–14 continues the "oracle" attributed to Agur. He begins by praising God's Word as true. He warns against adding to what God says. Agur then prays asking for God's protection from certain spiritual errors. He then begins making wise observations about life and certain kinds of bad behavior. Several comments in this passage include the phrase "there are those," commenting on various common sins. Agur's humility and desire for honesty shine through in this passage of Scripture.

This chapter contains the teachings of Agur, who is only known through this passage. Humility and a sense of one's own limitations are key themes in this section. Agur prays for God's providence and warns about the sins of arrogance, greed, and rebelliousness. He marvels at how the ungodly can sin without care, not realizing their fate. He then notes the way some insignificant animals accomplish great things and comments on the effects of confidence. The chapter ends with a reminder that stirring up anger leads to trouble.

This chapter falls between a collection of Solomon's wise sayings (Proverbs 25—29) and King Lemuel's proverbs (Proverbs 31). Chapter 30 contains the wise sayings of Agur, who is otherwise unknown. He may have been the son of Jakeh. His teachings are called an oracle: a weighty message from God. Humility and warnings about arrogance are recurring themes in this chapter.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.