Proverbs 30

— the way of a man &c.] In the Latin translation, the words are rendered with a very different sense, “The way of a man in his youth,” alluding to the secret and imperceptible manner in which he advances from the feebleness, mental and bodily, of childhood, to the strength and stature of manhood. Calmet.

Proverbs 30:2

2. Surely I am more brutish &c.] It would appear that his scholars came to him admiring his wisdom, and desiring to be resolved in many difficulties; to whom Agur modestly and humbly replied, Do not call me wise, for I am so far from that acuteness which is natural to one excelling in wisdom, that I am stupid in comparison with such a person: nay I cannot arrogate to myself the understanding of a common man. Bp. Patrick.

3. What, my son? &c.] “What terms shall I employ, my son? &c.” To shew her son what anxiety she feels to see him wise and happy, she expresses that she knows not how to begin to point out to him his duties, and the dangers he ought to avoid. Calmet.

Proverbs 30:3

3. — nor have the knowledge of the holy.] The knowledge of Divine things, of heavenly truths. Calmet.

Proverbs 30:4

4. Who hath ascended, &c.] Indeed what can man do? How poor and impotent creatures we all are! Is any of us able to ascend up into heaven, and to descend thence again? Have we power to command any thing in these lower regions? Have we the rule of the winds, the waters, or the earth? Shew me the man who can or dares arrogate this power to himself. Bp. Hall. — in his fists? The Hebrew word seems to mean the two hands considered as joined together and capacious, forming a hollow to enclose any thing. Parkhurst. — who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who can confine the waters of the sea within their proper limits, as if he had tied them “in a garment?” Calmet.

Proverbs 30:6

6. — thou be found a liar.] Be found guilty of the worst of forgeries in counterfeiting Divine inspiration. Dr. Wells.

7. Give strong drink &c.] Rather, give strong drink to the man that is dejected in spirits, and near to perishing, through extremity of affliction. Bp. Hall.

Proverbs 30:7

7. Two things have I required of thee; &c.] Agur seems here to answer a question of his scholars respecting prayer, and enjoins them to pray as he himself was wont to do: I humbly beg only two things of Thee, O God, which I most earnestly beseech Thee I may not want, as long as I remain in this world. Bp. Patrick. 8. — give me neither poverty nor riches; We must not consider Agur as praying absolutely against riches, or absolutely against poverty; for poverty and riches are of themselves things indifferent, and the blessing of God may go with them both; but it is a prayer of choice, or a comparative prayer: as if he had said, Give me, O God, if it be thy will, the middle between both, and feed me with food convenient for me. For though all the three conditions be so far indifferent that a man thee; † deny me them not before I die:

Proverbs 30:8

8. Open thy mouth &c.] Speak thou for them that are not able to speak for themselves, and plead thou for them that are undeservedly marked out for destruction. Bp. Hall. 10. Who can find a virtuous woman? The instructions of Lemuel seem to end here; and a lesson for daughters begins, ranged in verses according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with which each verse successively begins, for the convenience of the memory. in the cause of all † such as are appointed to destruction.

Proverbs 30:9

9. Lest I be full, &c.] That is, lest too much plenty make me worldly-minded, profane, and irreligious. To say in a contemptuous manner, Who is the Lord? is to deny the being or the providence of God. We may deny these by our words, or by our behaviour. To deny them by words, is to utter a lie; and to deny them by behaviour, may be called to act a lie, and a lie of the most detectable kind. Dr. Jortin. — take the name of my God in vain.] That is, have recourse to perjury to clear myself from the charge of theft. Dr. Wells. Lest poverty tempt me to steal, and stealth involve me in perjury. Abp. Tillotson. It will illustrate this expression to mention, that the danger of perjury, or committing a theft, was greater among the Jews than among us, by reason of a custom or law amongst them, to tender an oath to those who were suspected of theft, and who were thus to clear themselves. Dr. Jortin.

Proverbs 30:10

10. — lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.] Lest in the bitterness of his soul he curse thee, and God hearing him should punish thy guiltiness. Bp. Hall.

Proverbs 30:11

11. There is a generation &c.] There are four descriptions of men (ver. 11—14,) worthy of our avoidance and detestation: the first is of gracieless children who curse their parents, the next of false hypocrites and selfpleasers, the third of proud men who are exalted in their own opinions, the fourth of cruel oppressors who kill and devour the poor, &c. Bp. Hall. 13. — O how lofty are their eyes! Who superciliously overlook other men, as if they were not worthy of the least regard from them. Bp. Patrick. Before CHRIST about 700. hold not from me. c Matt. 6. 11. allowance. f Deut. 32. 15. thee. not with thy tongue. Four things insatiable. Four things exceeding wise. Before CHRIST about 700. h Ps. 52. 2. & 57. 4. Job 29. 17.

Proverbs 30:13

13. She seeketh wool, &c.] She loves to be always employed in some piece of useful housewifery suitable to her condition. Dr. Wells. This description of a virtuous woman consists of twenty-two verses. It is well worthy of observation, that eleven of these verses, half the number, are taken up in setting forth her industry, and the effects of it. A variety of magnificent language is made use of to describe her different employments, to recommend simplicity of manners, and make good housewifery and honest labour to be admired in the rich and noble, as well as in the poor and obscure among women. In works of the several kinds here mentioned, queens and prone cases of old time disdained not to be occupied. Bp. Horne.

Proverbs 30:14

14. She is like the merchants’ ships;] By exchange of what is made by her own care at home, she procures such foreign goods as her family needs, and her own country does not afford. Dr. Wells.

Proverbs 30:15

15. The horseleach &c.] This verse has considerable difficulty in it. It seems to contain an answer to a question which the disciples of Agur had propounded to him, after the manner of enigmatical discourses or riddles. What is most insatiable? to which he answers, The horseleach, which sucks the blood of other creatures till it bursts, as those wicked men mentioned at ver. 14.) do the livelihood of the poor, till they ruin themselves. And as to this perpetual craving of more, the “horseleach has two daughters;” that is, there are two things so like to her in this, that they may be called her daughters, as they always cry, Give more. Bp. Patrick, Dr. Wells.

— There are three things &c.] This he expresses after the manner of the Hebrews, who often, when intending to mention several things, separate them at first, beginning with a lesser number, and proceeding then to the greater. There are examples of this at Amos i. 3. 6. 9, &c. and also at Prov. vi. 16, and in this chapter, ver. 18. 21, &c. Bp. Patrick.

Proverbs 30:17

17. — the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, &c.] Meaning, they shall come to an infamous end, and their dead bodies shall be exposed, and become a prey to the ravens and eagles. Bp. Patrick.

Proverbs 30:18

18. There be three things &c.] In these words he resolves another riddle, which it appears had been proposed to him, namely, what things are most obscure and unaccountable, though ordinary and common. Bp. Patrick.

19. — the way of a serpent upon a rock; A serpent seems here to be specified rather than any other animal, because he would be more likely to discover himself by the marks left behind him on the dust; but upon a rock he leaves no more trace than the eagle in the air, or the ship in the sea. Dr. Durell.

Proverbs 30:20

20. — she eateth, &c.] A modest way of expressing her unlawful commerce. Dr. Durell.

21. — a fool when he is filled with meat; A man of no principles, when pampered and brought into affluent circumstances. Dr. Durell.

22. — an odious woman! A woman whose moroseness, bad qualities, and passions, make her hated by every body. Bp. Patrick.

23. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;] This is another good effect of her economy and management. She is not only able to provide plentifully for her household, but has always something in store for the poor. A charitable disposition avails little, where vanity, folly, and extravagance, have taken away the power to exert it. Bp. Horne.

Proverbs 30:21

21. She is not afraid of the snow &c.] She is careful Before CHRIST about 1015. sum of destruction. b Lev. 19. 15. Deut. 1. 16. c Chap. 12. 4. tauteth. spreadeth. garments.

Proverbs 30:26

26. The conies &c.] See note at Lev. xi. 5. That the animal meant is “Israel’s lamb,” otherwise called Ashkoko, is confirmed by this passage in Proverbs, where they are described to be “a feeble folk,” an expression probably alluding to their feet, which appear very inadequate to the work of digging holes in the rock; these feet are frequently round, very pulpy or fleshy; notwithstanding which, they build houses on the very hardest rocks, more inaccessible than those of the rabbit, in which they abide in greater safety, not by exertion of strength, (for, in Solomon’s words, they are altogether “a feeble folk,”) but by their own sagacity and judgment. Bruce.

Proverbs 30:27

27. The locusts &c.] See the notes on Exod. x. 4, and 15; and on Joel ii. 2, &c.

28. A greyhound; The words in the Hebrew signify literally, “girl or narrow in the loins.” Some suppose a horse to be meant. Bochart applies it to the greyhound. Dr. Russell says, that the greyhounds at Aleppo are of a very light slender make, and remarkably fleet. It is probable they had the same breed in Judea. Parkhurst.

Lemuel’s lesson of chastity. The praise Before CHRIST about 700.

Proverbs 30:32

32. If thou hast done foolishly &c.] If thou hast felt the emotions of pride, or entertained a wicked thought, add not to thy sin by uttering it.

Proverbs 30:33

33. — butter.] See note at Judges v. 25. — so the forcing of wrath &c.] So the earnest provection of anger is the occasion of quarrels and much strife. Bp. Hall. Chap. XXXI. ver. 1. The words of king Lemuel.] See the Introduction.