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Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30 sets human limits beside God’s flawless words, tracing wisdom through contentment, close observation, and restraint.

Agur son of Jakeh speaks to Ithiel and Ucal, confessing how little he understands before the God who rules creation. He affirms the purity of God’s words and asks for truthfulness and enough food to live without denying or dishonoring God. The chapter then gathers warnings about pride and contempt, alongside numbered sayings drawn from human life and animals. It ends with a command to restrain self-exaltation and anger before they produce conflict.

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2“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
5“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
10“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.
12There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.
15“The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’
17“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.
18“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:
20“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
22For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,
23for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
24“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
29“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:
30The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
32“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Proverbs 30:5After confessing his lack of understanding, Agur locates trust in God’s flawless words and protection.
Proverbs 30:12This warning exposes the gap between a generation’s claim to purity and its actual uncleanness.
Proverbs 30:17The graphic image of scavenging birds underscores the gravity of mocking a father and scorning a mother.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm shares the language of God’s flawless words and his protection as a shield, while Deuteronomy shares the command against adding to God’s words. Agur’s request for needed food connects with the prayers for daily bread in Matthew and Luke.

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After reading the whole chapter

What hopes or fears surface when you read Agur’s request for neither poverty nor riches?

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Which small creature’s way of living most challenges your assumptions about wisdom, and why?

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Questions people ask about Proverbs 30

Who was Agur in Proverbs 30?

The opening identifies Agur as the son of Jakeh and presents his words as a revelation addressed to Ithiel and Ucal. His identity and historical setting remain uncertain, and the opening Hebrew wording is difficult. The chapter foregrounds his confession of limited understanding and his confidence in God’s words.

Why does Proverbs 30 say three things and then four?

The repeated pattern introduces numbered sayings, with the second number giving the full count. It builds expectation and gathers examples around a shared feature, such as insatiable desire or things Agur cannot understand. The final item often receives emphasis, though each list needs to be read on its own terms.

Why does Agur ask for neither poverty nor riches?

Agur explains his request in verses 8–9: abundance could lead him to deny God, while poverty could tempt him to steal and dishonor God’s name. He asks for the food he needs. The prayer names dangers he fears in both conditions; it does not declare every rich or poor person guilty.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).