Proverbs 30:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,

NIV: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

NASB: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion,

CSB: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.

NLT: First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

KJV: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

NKJV: Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me;

In the prior verse, Agur (Proverbs 30:1) indicated he would make two requests of God (Proverbs 30:7). Here, those are described, and in the next verse, he will explain their importance (Proverbs 30:9). In literal terms, Agur asks to be kept from deceptive attitudes. He also requests a balanced lifestyle: free from the hardship of poverty and the risks of wealth. In a more general sense, he prays for God's provision of spiritual guidance and material needs.

The Lord detests deceitful attitudes. Proverbs 12:22 tells us that a lying lips are an abomination to Him, and the ninth commandment explicitly forbids giving false testimony (Exodus 20:16). The apostle Paul commanded the Colossian believers, "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices" (Colossians 3:9). Scripture repeatedly contrasts godliness with a lying, crooked lifestyle (Proverbs 2:15; 11:20; 12:20). Those who struggle with poverty—or perceived poverty—may be tempted to lie, cheat, or steal to improve their situation (Proverbs 30:9).

Agur also asks the Lord to keep him from the extremes of poverty and wealth. That he would pray not to be poor seems obvious: few people desire to struggle to meet their daily needs. However, Agur also asks to be kept from excessive wealth. This reflects understanding that money brings unique temptations (Matthew 19:23). Among these are spiritual numbness (Proverbs 30:9). So, he puts his needs in God's hands. The writer to the Hebrews echoes Agur's sentiment: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5–6).

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.