Reflections on Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30 (Contemporary English Version)


1. These are the sayings and the message of Agur son of Jakeh. Someone cries out to God, "I am completely worn out! How can I last?
   
2. I am far too stupid to be considered human.
   
3. I never was wise, and I don't understand what God is like."
   
4. Has anyone gone up to heaven and come back down? Has anyone grabbed hold of the wind? Has anyone wrapped up the sea or marked out boundaries for the earth? If you know of any who have done such things, then tell me their names and their children's names.
   
5. Everything God says is true-- and it's a shield for all who come to him for safety.
   
6. Don't change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar.
   
7. There are two things, Lord, I want you to do for me before I die:
   
8. Make me absolutely honest and don't let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need.
   
9. If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you; if I don't have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.
   
10. Don't tell a slave owner something bad about one of the slaves. That slave will curse you, and you will be in trouble.
    
11. Some people curse their father and even their mother;
    
12. others think they are perfect, but they are stained by sin.
    
13. Some people are stuck-up and act like snobs;
    
14. others are so greedy that they gobble down the poor and homeless.
    
15. Greed has twins, each named "Give me!" There are three or four things that are never satisfied:
    
16. The world of the dead and a childless wife, the thirsty earth and a flaming fire.
    
17. Don't make fun of your father or disobey your mother-- crows will peck out your eyes, and buzzards will eat the rest of you.
    
18. There are three or four things I cannot understand:
    
19. How eagles fly so high or snakes crawl on rocks, how ships sail the ocean or people fall in love.
    
20. An unfaithful wife says, "Sleeping with another man is as natural as eating."
    
21. There are three or four things that make the earth tremble and are unbearable:
    
22. A slave who becomes king, a fool who eats too much,
    
23. a hateful woman who finds a husband, and a slave who takes the place of the woman who owns her.
    
24. On this earth four things are small but very wise:
    
25. Ants, who seem to be feeble, but store up food all summer long;
    
26. badgers, who seem to be weak, but live among the rocks;
    
27. locusts, who have no king, but march like an army;
    
28. lizards, which can be caught in your hand, but sneak into palaces.
    
29. Three or four creatures really strut around:
    
30. Those fearless lions who rule the jungle,
    
31. those proud roosters, those mountain goats, and those rulers who have no enemies.
    
32. If you are foolishly bragging or planning something evil, then stop it now!
    
33. If you churn milk you get butter; if you pound on your nose, you get blood-- and if you stay angry, you get in trouble.
    

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These last two chapters of Proverbs (30 & 31) are an appendix to the book whose author is one known as Agur. We know nothing of this writer other than what we have in these chapters. Though he claims to have no knowledge of God, his point seems rather to be that compared to all there is to know about God his knowledge is nothing. Then he proceeds to tell us a few things about God. For instance, he mentions things God can do that are impossible for us. He also says that God is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Furthermore, he tells us that God's words are pure and we are not to add to them for we will be proved a liar.

From there, the writer launches into several lists. What is his point in these lists? It would seem that he has condensed his knowledge and wisdom down to these key things:

• Two things he asks before he dies - Keep falsehood far from him and give him neither poverty nor wealth. Little or no explanation is offered with this list or any of the others as to why they are significant. Concerning poverty and wealth in this list, he does say that if he had too much he might deny his need for God, and if he had nothing he might be tempted to steal. What about the need for honesty instead of falsehood and deceit? Honesty represents reality. Life itself becomes a falsehood if we do not know reality or refuse to accept.


• Four kinds of undesireable behavior - He finds most undesirable a generation that does not respect its parents, that is hypocritical, that is arrogant, and that is oppressive. What is meant by generation? It could refer to an age as with a time period. For instance, he could be speaking of the age in which he lived or to a time period that was to come later, say at the end of time. It could also refer to an age group such as the young or old. Our natural inclination would be to interpret this as a reference to the young, particularly when it refers to disrespect for parents. I suspect he lists these particular behaviors as undesirable because they are roots of all bad behavior. In keeping with the language of Proverbs it might be better said that these behaviors are the root behaviors of all wickedness.


• Four things that are never satisfied - In this list he includes Sheol, or the grave, a barren womb, the earth that is never satisfied with water, and fire. We readily understand that death never takes a break, so the grave is never satisfied. It is always taking more. Also concerning the earth, no matter how much rain falls, it can always absorb more. And fire, obviously, will consume all that comes in its path, and will never burn out as long as it has consumable material. But what about the barren womb? I think it must speak of the desire for motherhood that is never satisfied when the womb is barren. That desire does not go away and there is an unwillingness to accept such a condition.


• Four things he doesn't understand - Things he doesn't understand are the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. I wonder if the main point in this list is the last item - the way of a man with a woman. If so, he would be saying, "As I don't understand the eagle, the snake, and the ship, neither do I understand the way of a young man with a young woman and the instinct of courtship." But he may also simply be pointing out the marvel of flight for the eagle, the movement of a snake without benefit of legs, arms, or wings, and the ability of a ship to float on the water and move about with the power of the wind, being guided by a relatively small rudder, along with the instinct of courtship. How is it that a man and woman are attracted so strongly? Why is it that at the mere sight of the other one can feel so strongly and be so moved? It is a marvel.


• Four things under which the earth trembles - The earth trembles at a servant that becomes king, a fool stuffed with food (that is prosperous), a hateful woman that marries, and a serving girl who succeeds her mistress. The servant who becomes king or the serving girl who succeeds her mistress are stuff of fairy tales, but in real life rarely happen and even more rarely turn out well. The servant who becomes king neither knows how to rule nor can his pride handle it. The fool who is stuffed is one who has experienced some prosperity, and as the English writer,  Thomas Tusser, wrote, "A fool and his money are soon parted." A fool and prosperity are not a safe combination, one under which the earth trembles. The hateful woman will only bring grief to a marriage. Whatever her attractions that might cause a man to be drawn to her, the man needs to beware. Her attractions may not offset her hatefulness. The serving girl who succeeds her mistress will be much like the servant who becomes king, unable to fill the role and with a tendency to possess unwarranted pride.


• Four things on earth that are small but extremely wise - The small things listed here are the ant, the rock badger, the locust, and the lizard. What is the point? It seems to be that wisdom triumphs over physical strength. Physical strength is primarily a gift with which a person is endowed at birth. It is not something one has any power to choose. If strength were the primary determinate of success, many would have no hope. But the primary determinate is wisdom, and this is an acquired attribute. We can choose to seek wisdom and better our situation. On the other hand, we may not choose to seek wisdom and better our situation, but we at least have the choice. Each of the insects or animals wisely choose a strategy that overcomes their weakness. Wise people will do the same. They may have weaknesses over which they have no choice, but they can choose a strategy in life that will overcome or offset the weakness.


• Four things that are stately in their walk - Stately in their walk is the lion, a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army. These all contrast the four small things. As with a previous list, I suspect one of these four are really the main focus of this list, and the other three are comparisons. The one that is the focus, I believe, is the king moving out at the head of his army. I believe the writer is saying, "As the lion, rooster, and goat strut or walk stately, so goes the king at the head of his army. It is a regal thing to watch. It represents strength and confidence of victory. However, it is a misplaced confidence. I believe the closing two verses are a follow up of this stately list, saying to us that it is foolish to exalt yourself, and if you are tempted to do it you should "put your hand over your mouth," and stop it.