Agur's Humble Prayer
Study note
Agur begins by admitting he feels foolish and lacking in understanding. He asks a series of rhetorical questions about who has gone up to heaven, controlled the wind, or wrapped up the waters, pointing to God's supreme power. He affirms that every word of God is pure and trustworthy. His prayer in verses 7-9 is beautiful in its simplicity: give me neither poverty nor riches, just enough so I do not forget God or dishonor Him.
1 These are the words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, a message given by inspiration. He spoke to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 "I am honestly the most unlearned person you will find. I do not have the basic understanding that most people seem to have. Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3 I never mastered wisdom, and I do not claim to know the Holy One. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4 Who 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? Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
5 Every word from God has been tested and proven true. He stands like a shield in front of everyone who takes refuge in him. Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Do not tack anything extra onto what God has said. If you do, he will call you out and prove you to be a liar. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 I am asking you for just two things, Lord. Please do not say no before my life is over: Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8 Keep dishonesty and lies far from me. Do not give me too much or too little; give me enough food for the day. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Because if I have too much, I might push you away and say, 'Who needs the Lord?' And if I have too little, I might end up stealing and dragging God's name through the dirt. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Warnings About Wicked Generations
Study note
Agur describes four types of wicked people: those who curse their parents, those who think they are pure but are not, the proud, and the greedy who devour the poor. The leech crying 'Give! Give!' represents insatiable greed. Four things are never satisfied: the grave, a barren womb, dry land, and fire.
10 Never bad-mouth a worker to their boss, or that worker will curse you and you will be the one in trouble. Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 There are people out there who curse their own father and refuse to speak a blessing over their mother. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 There are people who are convinced they are clean, even though the filth has never been washed off them. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13 There are people whose eyes are filled with pride and whose gaze drips with arrogance. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There are people whose teeth are like swords. Their jaws are like knives. They are ready to chew up the poor and needy until none are left. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters that keep screaming, 'More! More!' Three things are never satisfied, and four never say, 'That is enough!': The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16 The grave always wants one more body. A womb longs for a child. Dry ground craves water. Fire never stops burning. The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
17 Anyone who mocks their father or scorns their mother will pay a grim price. Ravens will pluck out their eyes. Vultures will eat them. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
Four Things Too Wonderful to Understand
Study note
Agur marvels at four things that leave no trace: an eagle in the sky, a snake on a rock, a ship in the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. These represent movements that are graceful, mysterious, and impossible to fully track or understand.
18 Three things fill me with wonder, and four are beyond my ability to understand: There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 How an eagle glides through the sky. How a snake moves over a rock. How a ship sails the open sea. How a man wins a young woman's heart. 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.
20 And then there is the unfaithful woman: she does what she wants, wipes her mouth clean, and says, 'I did not do anything wrong.' Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
Things That Shake the Earth
Study note
Four things make the earth tremble because they represent situations that are out of their proper order: a servant who becomes king, a fool who has plenty to eat, an unloved woman who gets married, and a servant girl who takes over from her mistress.
21 Three things make the ground shake, and four are more than it can handle: For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22 a servant who suddenly becomes king, a fool who has more food than they know what to do with, For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 a woman full of bitterness who lands a husband, and a servant girl who takes her mistress's place. For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
Four Small but Wise Creatures
Study note
Agur observes four small animals that display remarkable wisdom: ants store food despite being weak, rock badgers build homes in cliffs despite being fragile, locusts march in formation despite having no leader, and a lizard can be caught by hand yet lives in king's palaces. Size does not determine wisdom.
24 Four creatures on this earth are tiny, but they are exceedingly smart: There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25 Ants are not powerful at all, but they spend the summer getting their food ready for later. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 Rock badgers are small and weak, but they are clever enough to build their homes in the safety of the rocks. The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 Locusts have no one in charge of them. Yet they organize themselves and move forward together like a trained army. The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 A lizard is small enough to grab with your bare hands. Yet it still finds its way into royal palaces. The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
Four Stately Creatures and a Final Warning
Study note
Four things are stately in their stride: a lion, a rooster, a male goat, and a king with his army. The chapter ends with a practical warning: if you have been foolish or have plotted evil, stop immediately. Stirring up anger, like churning milk produces butter or twisting the nose produces blood, will produce conflict.
29 Three things move with impressive authority, and four walk with a commanding presence: There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 the lion, the most powerful animal alive, who backs down from nothing, A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 a rooster strutting proudly, a billy goat, and a king with his army assembled around him. A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 Have you been acting like a fool? Have you been bragging? Have you been plotting in secret? Stop right now. Cover your mouth. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
33 Churning milk turns it into butter. Twisting someone's nose makes it bleed. And stirring up anger always leads to a fight. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.