XXX. 8. THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON END HERE. THE REST OF THE BOOK IS COMPOSED OF THREE APPENDICES: (a) THE WORDS OF AGUR; (b) THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL; AND (C) THE PRAISE OF A GOOD WIFE (Proverbs 30:31). APPENDIX (a). (1) THE WORDS OF AGUR THE SON OF JAKEH, EVEN THE PROPHECY. — Jewish interpreters h... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY I AM MORE BRUTISH THAN ANY MAN. — Rather, _than that I can be called a man,_ one “formed in the image of God.” (Comp. Psalms 73:22.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY — _i.e._, the Holy One, God. (Comp. Proverbs 9:10.)... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO HATH ASCENDED UP INTO HEAVEN... — The reason of Agur’s sadness is here declared. He feels himself far off from possessing anything that may be called knowledge of God or of His works. (Comp. Galatians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 13:12.) The questions in this verse are intended to bring out the nothingnes... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY WORD OF GOD IS PURE. — Comp. Psalms 19, where first (Proverbs 30:1) the glories of God as revealed in nature are described, and then (Proverbs 30:7 _sqq._) the excellence of the revelation of Himself in His word is extolled. Every word of God is “pure,” _i.e.,_ tested and proved in the furnace... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST HE REPROVE THEE. — Or, _convict thee of thy falsehood. _... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO THINGS HAVE I REQUIRED OF THEE. — The commencement of a series of numerical proverbs. (See above on Proverbs 6:16.) BEFORE I DIE — i.e., while life lasts.... [ Continue Reading ]
VANITY. — Falsehood either towards God or man. FOOD CONVENIENT FOR ME. — Literally, _bread of my portion,_ such as is apportioned to me as suitable by the care of the heavenly Father. Comp. “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) in the sense of “proper for our sustenance.”... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST I BE FULL, AND DENY THEE. — For “pride and fulness of bread” were among the sins which brought destruction on Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49). (Comp. Job 21:14.) AND TAKE THE NAME OF MY GOD IN VAIN. — Literally, _handle it roughly, irreverently;_ particularly in finding fault with His providence.... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCUSE NOT A SERVANT — _i.e._, a slave, thus making his already hard life still more intolerable. AND THOU BE FOUND GUILTY before God of having wronged him, and so have to bear the punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS A GENERATION... — The words _“_there is” are not in the Hebrew, so it is left in doubt what is the predicate of these four evil “generations,” whether Agur means by them to describe the men of his own time, or to say that such are unbearable. (Comp. Proverbs 30:21.) The same characters are... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HORSELEACH HATH TWO DAUGHTERS, CRYING, GIVE, GIVE. — The word “crying” is not in the Hebrew. The leech is here chosen as the emblem of insatiable greed; if it could speak, its “daughters,” _i.e.,_ the words it would utter, would be “Give, give.” So it forms an introduction to the quartette of “i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRAVE. — See above, on Proverbs 15:11, where it is translated “hell.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RAVENS OF THE VALLEY SHALL PICK IT OUT — _i.e._, the rebellious son shall die of a “grievous death” (Jeremiah 16:4). The propensity of ravens to attack the eyes is well known.... [ Continue Reading ]
TOO WONDERFUL FOR ME. — The wonder in Agur’s eyes seems to be that none of the four leave any trace behind them. (Comp. Wis. 5:10 _sqq._) For a spiritual interpretation of these and other passages in this chapter, comp. Bishop Wordsworth’s Commentary.... [ Continue Reading ]
SUCH IS THE WAY OF AN ADULTEROUS WOMAN. — As there is no proof of her guilt, she flatly denies it.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A SERVANT WHEN HE REIGNETH. — The mischief done by Oriental favourites at court, who often began life as slaves, was proverbial. A FOOL (_nâbhâl_)_. — See_ above, on Proverbs 17:7. It is only when he has to work hard for his living that he will behave himself decently; if he gets a little money... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AN ODIOUS WOMAN WHEN SHE IS MARRIED. — She pays off, with interest, the slights which she had formerly to endure from her married friends. AN HANDMAID THAT IS HEIR TO HER MISTRESS, and who is nervously anxious to preserve her newly-acquired dignity.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONIES ARE BUT A FEEBLE FOLK, being only about as big as a rabbit, with nails instead of claws, and weak teeth. Its Hebrew name (_shâphân_) signifies a “hider,” from its habit of living in clefts of the rocks; its scientific name is _Hyrax Syriacus._ The translation “coney,” _i.e.,_ rabbit, is a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIDER TAKETH HOLD WITH HER HANDS. — The lizard, rather than the spider, seems to be here intended. As each first line of these four verses is an expression of weakness, it has been proposed to translate thus: “The lizard thou canst catch with the hands, and yet,” etc. (Comp. for this praise of... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREYHOUND. — It is very doubtful what animal is meant here as being _“_girt [i.e., slender] in the loins.” Several have been suggested, _e.g.,_ the horse, zebra, cock; but the rendering of the Authorised Version is as probable as any. A KING, AGAINST WHOM THERE IS NO RISING UP. — Who marches with... [ Continue Reading ]
LAY THINE HAND UPON THY MOUTH — _i.e._, be silent. Agur deprecates two things which may easily lead to a quarrel, arrogance and malice. He explains this in the next verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THE CHURNING OF MILK BRINGETH FORTH BUTTER.... — The same word is used in the Hebrew for the three which appear in the Authorised Version, “churning,” “wringing,” and “forcing.” The sense will be, “For (as) pressure on milk produces butter, and pressure on the nose produces blood, (so) pressu... [ Continue Reading ]