VI. The Words of Agur. Chap. 30 The Collection of proverbs in this chapter is ascribed to a philosopher, or teacher, named Agur, the son of Jakeh, and is addressed by him to Ithiel and Ucal, presumably his scholars or disciples. The name Ithiel occurs again as that of a Benjamite in Nehemiah 11:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the prophecy_ Lit. THE BURDEN, as the word is frequently rendered (e.g. Zechariah 9:1; Malachi 1:1, where see notes in this Series). It may mean either _burden_from its weighty character, as a Divine announcement, or _oracle_, or _prophecy_, as being "taken up" (comp. Numbers 23:18) by the speaker.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the holy_ Rather, THE HOLY ONE. See Proverbs 9:10 note.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ascended … descended_ That he should go there and learn, and come back again to earth and tell what is done there. Comp. John 3:13: "No man hath risen into the region of absolute and eternal truth, so as to look upon it face to face, and in the possession of that knowledge declare it to men." Bp We... [ Continue Reading ]
_pure_ Heb. PURIFIED. The image "hinted at" here is "expanded" (Bp Perowne) on Psalms 12:6 [Hebrews 7]: "The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried (same Hebrew word as here) in a furnace of (or, on the) earth, purified seven times.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Add thou not_ Do not mix with the pure silver of His words the dross of human speculations. "Noli investigare res quæ mentem humanam transcendunt (Proverbs 30:4), ut doctrinam divinitus patefactam inde compleas." Maurer. Proverbs 30:7. To the profitable reception of this word of God two things are... [ Continue Reading ]
_food convenient for me_ Heb. THE BREAD OF MY PORTION, i.e. that is needful for me. The Heb. word is used of an appointed portion of labour, or a task, Proverbs 31:15; Exodus 5:14. Comp. "Give us this day our daily bread.... [ Continue Reading ]
_take_… in vain] _use profanely_, R.V. Lit. TAKE HOLD OF, or HANDLE, sc. lightly or profanely. Lest I be moved in the bitterness of distress to blaspheme, or charge God foolishly. Comp. Job 1:22; Job 2:9; Isaiah 8:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Accuse not_ Lit. TONGUE NOT; i.e. use not thy tongue against. Comp. Psalms 101:5, where the same Heb. word is used in the same sense. _lest he curse thee_&c. lest thy charge against him being not truth but "slander," he imprecate upon thee a curse, which being not "causeless" (Proverbs 26:2) will... [ Continue Reading ]
_generation_ i.e. a _class_, or _company_, as the word is used in Psalms 14:5; Psalms 24:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
Four _generations_, or classes of men that are DETESTABLE.... [ Continue Reading ]
Comp. Psalms 57:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The horseleach_ βδέλλα, LXX.; sanguisuga, Vulg. The Heb. word occurs only here, and its derivation is doubtful, but as Maurer points out, the rendering _leach_has the sanction of the ancient interpreters, and accords with the sense of cognate Arabic and Aramaic roots. It gives moreover an excellent... [ Continue Reading ]
Four things that are INSATIABLE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the grave Sheol_or _Hades_. See Proverbs 27:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the valley_ Or, _brook_. It is implied that his corpse will lie unburied and exposed. Maurer and others quote here, in illustration of the fact that birds of prey attack principally the eyes, Catullus 107, 3: "Effossos oculos voret atro gutture corvus.... [ Continue Reading ]
Four things that are INSCRUTABLE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_too wonderful_ The wonder consists in these things leaving no trace behind them. Two of the four are used as illustrations of the transitoriness of a vicious life in Wis 5:10-11 (R.V.): "As a ship passing through the billowy water, Whereof, when it is gone by, there is no trace to be found, Neit... [ Continue Reading ]
The "four things" of the two preceding verses find their moral in this verse. So lightly does the abandoned woman think of the consequences of her sin; so does it pass away when committed and leave no mark behind. It is but to eat and wipe the lips, and all trace of the food is gone.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ "or _Under_," R.V. marg.... [ Continue Reading ]
Four things that are INTOLERABLE. Two of them are drawn from each sex, and in each case they are unbearable because they are _out of place, in a false position_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_reigneth_ Better, IS, or BECOMES KING. _filled_with _meat_ i.e. is rich and prosperous. See Proverbs 30:8 above.... [ Continue Reading ]
_odious_ Lit. HATED, as in Deuteronomy 21:15; Isaiah 60:15. Her disposition is such as always to secure for her aversion and dislike. _when she is married_ and so has both power and opportunity, which she lacked before, to display her true character, and cause misery. See Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 21... [ Continue Reading ]
Four things which though little are WISE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the ants_ See Proverbs 6:6-8 notes. _a people_ Comp. Joel 1:6, where the locusts are called a "nation." So we have in Homer, ἔθνεα χηνῶν, μελισσάων, χοίρων, flocks of geese, swarms of bees, herds of pigs; and in Virgil, gentes equorum, droves of horses; lit. in each case "nations.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The conies_ The Heb. word means _the hiders_, so called from their "making their houses," hiding themselves, "in the rocks." It is now generally agreed that the animal in question is not, as the name _coney_, by which it is called also in Leviticus 11:5; Psalms 104:18, implies, a rabbit, but belon... [ Continue Reading ]
_by bands_ Lit. DIVIDED, i.e. not jostling one another like an unorganised rabble, but arranged in well-ordered ranks. Comp. the description of the ordered march of the locusts: "They break not their ranks, neither doth one thrust another." Joel 2:7-8.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the spider_ Rather, THE LIZARD. The Heb. word occurs here only. _taketh hold with her hands_ If this rendering be retained, the reference may be to the animal "taking hold of," catching its prey ("Quid, cum me domi sedentem stellio, muscas captans vel araneas retibus suis implicans, sæpe intentum... [ Continue Reading ]
_go well … are comely in going_ Lit. DO WELL IN MARCHING … DO WELL IN GOING, i.e. _are stately in march, and stately in going_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Four things that are STATELY.... [ Continue Reading ]
_A greyhound_ The Heb. word, which occurs nowhere else, and means literally, _well-girt_(or, _well-knit) in the loins_(R.V. marg.), has been variously rendered, _war-horse, cock_(ἀλέκτωρ ἐμπεριπατῶν θηλείαις εὔψυχος, LXX.; gallus succinctus lumbos, Vulg.), _wrestler_, Maurer. The R.V. retains _greyh... [ Continue Reading ]
_done foolishly … thought evil_ Whether the evil has passed already into outward exhibition, or is still only in thought, check it promptly. Lay thine _hand upon thy mouth_ Comp. Job 21:5; Job 29:9; Job 40:4, in all which places it denotes "a gesture of awe-struck silence." Here it rather denotes s... [ Continue Reading ]
The oracle of the sage closes with a practical admonition against strife and contention.... [ Continue Reading ]
_churning … wringing … forcing_ The Heb. word, PRESSING, is the same in each case, but its shade of meaning varies with the process described.... [ Continue Reading ]