CHAPTER 30 Apr. 20 
The Words of Agur
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle: the man said to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal: 2Surely 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?  5Every 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.  7Two 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 Yahweh?’, or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.  10Don’t accuse a servant along with 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 proud 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. 

Four Things Never Satisfied
15The leach 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’.  17The 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.

Four Things too Amazing
18There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand: 19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden.  20So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong’.

Four Intolerable Things
21For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up: 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 handmaid who is heir to her mistress. 
Four Amazing Things
24There 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. 26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. 27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks. 28You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

Four Dignified Things

29There 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 also; and the king against whom there is no rising up.  32If 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 brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the churning of wrath brings forth judgment. 

Commentary

30:6 Although we may accept that the Bible is indeed inspired by God, we have a tendency to add to God’s word in that we are tempted to look elsewhere for truth. Because God’s word is true (“flawless”, :5) any other word is relatively speaking untrue, a lie. Having stated that he himself is ignorant, Agur is directing his pupils to God’s word; he recognized that wisdom cannot come from within a teacher, but only from God’s word which is taught by the teacher.
30:8 Feed me with the food that is needful for me- Maybe Jesus was influenced by this in commanding us to ask God each day to give us the food necessary for the day (Mt. 6:11).
30:10 Along with his master- Household servants were considered as one with their master. But Agur is teaching that we shouldn’t operate guilt by association, but instead recognize that even the humblest member of a community is still an individual and independent person both before God and ourselves.
30:10,11 Curses... doesn’t bless- Note how sins of omission [to not bless, in this case] are parallel with sins of commission [to curse].
30:12 The fact we may feel no conscience for sin isn’t any cleansing from it; the only effective washing from sin is through baptism into Christ, not playing mind games with ourselves whereby we don’t feel bad about our sins.
30:20 There’s a connection between the things of :18,19 and the adulterous woman who thinks she has done no wrong. Those things of :18,19 leave no visible trace. Because there is at times no trace of sins like adultery, they fade away as the path of a ship through the sea does, we aren’t to think that God doesn’t notice and that they will not be brought to judgment.
30:32,33 Just as the things of :30,31 are inexorable in their march and will not be deflected by anything, so just as surely judgment will come for sin, and we must repent rather than continuing to churn up Divine judgment against us.