F1 30:1-33. The words of Agur. F2 31:1-31. The words of king Lemuel.
F1 G 1-3. Confession. Himself.
H J1 4. Address. God.
K1 5. Declaration. "
J2 6. Address. "
G 7-9. Prayer. Himself.
H J3 Address. Man.
K2 11-31. Declaration. "
J4 32,33. Address. "
Proverbs 30)
1 The words of Agur (= I shall fear. Probably a master of assemblies, as in Ecc. 12:11. Nothing is known of him, but we accept all that was in the Scriptures which the Lord Jesus referred to. We know as little of some of the Minor Prophets) the son of Jakeh, even the oracle (or burden):
The man spoke to Ithiel (= El [is] with me), even to Ithiel and Ucal (I shall be able),
2 [True is it] that I am more brutish than any educated man (or peer),
And have not the understanding of a man (a commoner).
3 I neither have been taught wisdom,
Nor yet have I the knowledge of the holy ones (or, the Most Holy One).
4 Who (could it mean that the speaker here is the speaker of ch. 8? namely the "son' of the last clause of this verse?) has ascended up into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name, if you can tell?
5 Every saying (or utterance) of GOD (Eloah) is tried [in a furnace]: (Cp. Ps. 12:6.)
He is a shield to all them that flee for refuge in Him.
6 Add you not to His words, (A solemn warning based on Deut. 4:2; 12:32. Cp. Gal. 1:8,9. Rev. 22:18,19.)
Lest He send a special reproof you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things have I required of you;
Withhold me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and word of falsehood:
Give me neither need nor riches;
Cause me to be fed with allowance of food for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or lest I be poor (i.e, from being dispossessed), and steal,
And assail my God (Elohim) in vain. (Not a reference to the 2nd Commandment.)
10 Get not a servant accused to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
K2 L 11. Parents. Cursing of.
M N1 12. Impurity. 4 fold enumeration.
N2 13. Pride. "
N3 14. Violence. "
N4 15,16. Insatiableness. "
L 17. Parents. Mocking of.
M N5 18-20. 4 things insrutable. 4 fold enumeration.
M6 21-23. 4 things disquieting. "
N7 24-28. 4 things little and wise. "
N8 29-31. 4 things graceful. "
11 There is a generation that curses their father,
And does not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,
And yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives,
To devour the needy from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The horse-leach (It is like the flesh in man. In the natural and spiritual spheres "the dose has to be increased".) has two daughters, crying, "Give, give."
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Yes, four things say not, It is enough:
16 Sheol; and the barren womb;
The earth that is not filled with water;
And the fire that says not, "It is enough."
17 The eye that mocks at his father,
And despise obedience to his mother,
The ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
And the young eagles shall eat it. (These birds of prey always begin with the eyes of a carcass.)
18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the air;
The way of a serpent upon a rock;
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea;
And the way of a man with a maid. (See Gen. 24;43. Refers here probably to seduction.)
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman;
She eats, and wipes her mouth,
And says, "I have done nothing." (or, as we say, "no harm".)
21 For three things the earth is disquieted,
And for four which it cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigns;
And a fool (= a vulgar churl) when he is filled with meat;
23 For an odious woman when she is married;
And an handmaid that is become heir to her mistress.
24 There be four things which are earth's little ones,
But they are exceeding wise (wiser than the wise):
25 The ants are a people (so are those "made wise" [2 Tim. 3:15] who are God's People [Ps. 100:3]) very weak, (Rom. 5:6 [cp. Isa. 40:29; 45;24. Job 12:13].)
Yet they will prepare their meat in the summer; (Hence 10:5. The word "people" in Hebrew is: Strong's H5971 - `am – …as used in Hosea when God called "My people", "ammi" or "not My people", "lo-ammi." He is showing you that He is using this as an example of a people. Ants not only store their food in reserves, but if it gets damp some colonies will even carry it out and dry it in the sun and then put it back. They have different ranks that have separate duties and when a load is too heavy they get together and share the burden to accomplish their job. For their size they are extremely strong.)
26 The conies (about the size of a rabbit. Inhabit clefts in the rocks; because, having soft feet, they cannot burrow as a rabbit can. So God's People abide in Christ, their Rock) are but a feeble folk,
Yet make they their house in the rock;
27 The locusts have no king, (So we have no visible king, yet when "made wise" we see Him Who is invisible [John 14:19. Cp. 1 Pet. 1:8].)
Yet go they forth all of them gathered together; (So will God's People. Locusts (grasshoppers) are driven on the wind. The prevailing winds blow bands of locusts into areas where they ravage the land. To take it a step further in this analogy the "ruach" which is the Spirit drives them wherever God wishes them to go. They are like a ready-made chain saw, such as was used on the Egyptians, unlike the ants, who are survivors.)
28 The spider takes hold with her hands,
And is in kings' palaces. (So we by the hands of faith, shall be found in the palace of the King of kings.)
29 There be three things which go well,
Yes, four are comely in going:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts,
And turns not away for any;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also;
And a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If you have done stupidly in lifting up yourself,
Or if you have meditated [with evil intent],
Lay your hand upon your mouth.
33 Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter,
And the wringing of the nose brings forth blood:
So the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.