Proverbs 30:33

Surely, the churning of milk— This verse is connected with that preceding, and may be thus paraphrased: For from little things there is an easy progress unto greater; and just as you see milk is first pressed out of the cow's udder, and then, being agitated in the churn, is forced into butter; and as the nose, being wrung, though at first it only purify itself, yet if it be harder pressed, issues forth blood; so words passing to and fro raise a heat, and that, if continued, stirs up anger, which frequently ends in broils and irreconcileable quarrels." Patrick.

REFLECTIONS.—Who this Agur was, is immaterial for us to inquire; it is enough that he wrote under prophetic inspiration, either directing his discourse to Ithiel and Ucal, his children or his disciples; or speaking concerning Ithiel and Ucal; (as many suppose) names applicable to the great Messiah, God with me, and the mighty one, able to save to the uttermost; or addressed to him as the Saviour and Deliverer of his faithful people, who hears their prayers, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

1. He humbly confesses his sin and ignorance. Surely I am more brutish than any man, or a brute rather than a man; such blindness and ignorance is in man's fallen nature, such perverseness and corruption in his heart: and they who have the deepest knowledge of themselves, discovering more of the folly and sin of their own hearts, than they can possibly see in others, will adopt with deepest sensibility the confession; and have not the understanding of a man, of Adam in innocence, or of men in general. I neither learned wisdom by any power of my own, nor can I understand it unless taught of God; nor have the knowledge of the holy ones; for imperfect are the highest attainments of knowledge respecting the divine Being and his glorious perfections; and the things of God can no man know but by the Spirit of God.

2. He exalts the glory of the great Creator and Redeemer of men: none but he ever could reveal the deep things of God, who came down from heaven, and is ascended thither, John 3:13. By his power the stormy winds are restrained, the clouds are wrapped up as in a garment, the deep in swaddling-bands: the earth, founded upon the flood, spoken into being at his word, and upheld by his providence: but who can declare his generation, whose hands have made all these things? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? We are lost the moment we set ourselves to the inquiry; for who by searching can find out God, his nature, perfections, the divine paternity or filiation, and all the other mysteries hid in the triune God? Here we must bow and silently adore.

3. He commends the excellence of God's word. It is pure, without the least human mixture or adulteration, and tending to produce purity of heart and life in all who receive the scriptures in the light and love of them: it is faithful, none ever trusted the promises and were disappointed; but they, who, according to his word, have made God their refuge, have ever found him their shield to ward off every danger: it is perfect, incapable of improvement; it were daring presumption in man to add thereto, and such arrogance would provoke God's rebukes, and issue in the confusion of those who should pretend to set up their traditions or fancies on a level with the revelation of God.