chapter30

Significance of Proverbs

The proverbs of Solomon end here. The rest of the book is composed of three appendices (a) the words of Agur, as words of prophecy (b) the words of King Lemuel and (c) the praise of a good wife (Chapters 30, 31).

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, (Proverbs 30:1)

"Agur" means "the one who is brave in the pursuit of wisdom"; "the son of Jakeh" signifies "he who is free from sin"

Who is Agur? Jewish interpreters have seen in these titles (but apparently without a shadow of reason) a designation of Solomon himself, the “convener” and instructor of assemblies. We can believe that Agur is none by Solomon himself. This portrays Solomon as a prophet.

Lemuel (Hebrew: לְמוּאֵל‎ Ləmû'ēl, "to him, El") is the name of a Biblical king mentioned in Proverbs 31:1 and 4, but whose identity remains uncertain. Speculation exists and proposes that Lemuel was Hezekiah, Solomon, a king of Massa, or fictitious.

Unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal.—These most probably were disciples of Solomon's. As their names may mean “God with me,” and “I am strong,” a fanciful delineation of their characters, in the style of the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” has been attempted by some writers. And a mystical interpretation of them, “You must have God with you, if you are to be strong,” may be found in Bishop Wordsworth’s Commentary.

All the words of wisdom spoken by Solomon are words of prophecy.

Humility of Solomon

Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man (Proverbs 30:2).

I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy (Proverbs 30:3).

Solomon humbles himself saying, Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. He neither learned wisdom not had the knowledge of the holy. God gave him wisdom which he did not learn. He confessed that he had not the knowledge of the holy because King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to Solomon

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? (Proverbs 30:4)

Solomon had the revelation of Jesus Christ. No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven--the Son of Man. (John 3:13). He prophesied that Jesus was the Creator.

Purity of God's word

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him (Proverbs 30:5).

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar (Proverbs 30:6).

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. (2 Samuel 22:31).

Every word of God is pure. God's word cannot be adulterated though it can be misinterpreted. Everything God says is pure and it will be fulfilled. He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.

Nobody should add anything to His words. If something is added to it, it becomes impure. God reproves him or her who has added unto His words. He or she would be proved a liar.

Two prayer requests of Solomon

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: (Proverbs 30:7)

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: (Proverbs 30:8)

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. (Proverbs 30:9)

The prayer of “Agur the son of Jakeh” (verse 1) is two-fold. First, he asks the Lord to “remove far from me vanity and lies. He then asks God not to give him poverty nor riches. Nowadays, prosperity preachers exhort us to seek the riches in abundance. At the same time, poverty preachers exhort us not to seek maerial blessings but to be content with our poverty. But what Solomon had asked the Lord to give him neither riches nor poverty.

Accusation against servant to master

Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty (Proverbs 30:10).

Do not accuse a servant before his master, whatever truthful your allegations may be because the master would attempt to protect his servant and to curse you. He will justify his servant and will hold your allegations as false.

Generation not loving parents

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother (Proverbs 30:11).

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness (Proverbs 30:12).

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up (Proverbs 30:13).

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 (Proverbs 30:14).

A generation is portrayed as people who do not love their parents. But they are pure in their own eyes due to their self-righteousness but are not washed from their sins. They are prideful. Their teeth are as swords and their jaw teeth as knives to attack and destroy the poor from off the earth and the needy from among men. They are heartless people who hate the poor people and love themselves more than others.

Does this generation live in our midst?

Sin of greediness like horseleach

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. (Proverbs 30:15-16)

The horseleach is an insatiable creature, sucking blood till it be ready to burst.. It has two forks into which her tongue is divided, and wherewith she sucks. The following things, which resemble the horseleech in their insatiableness. The insatiable appetite of this creature is represented by two words which are personified as daughters, whom the mother has produced.

There are wicked people with a high degree of greediness which cannot be measured in terms of ordinary human beings who are greedy. They are likened to the grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire. The grave is a place of death. Hope is lost in the grave. The barren womb is despised by people. Earth devoid of water is arid and useless. The fire that says not, It is enough. The greediness of unquantified measure tells, grows from a scale of three to a scale of four. On the scale of three, it shows "not satisfied". But on the scale of four, it shows say not "it is enough".

Greediness is the worst sin which has to be nipped in its bud. Our children need to be taught not to grow this character in their tender hearts. This sin sucks their life like the horseleach with its two forks. Adam and Eve fell into the sin because of their greediness to eat the forbidden fruit.

Do not allow this sin to grow in your heart! The first sign is that you would say, I am not satisfied crying "give, give". The second sign is that your heart would never say, "it is enough".

This is applicable to those servants of God who say, first "Give, give" and then "not enough".

Disrespecting and disobeying parents

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 (Proverbs 30:17).

Do not mock at your father! Your father may not be intelligent. But you should not mock at him under any circumstances.

Do not disobey your mother! Solomon exhorts in other places to obey your mother. But here, he says you should not disobey your mother. Disobeying a mother by her child invites divine judgment.

The eyes that mock at the father and that depise to obey the mother will be judged by God by handing them to the devil's army for judgment. The mental faculty of these people would be controlled by the devil.

Genuine relationship with woman

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

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 (Proverbs 30:18-19).

The way of a serpent upon a rock cannot be traced. The way of a ship in the midst of the sea cannot be traced. The way of a man with a maid is also not traceable. Though the above three ways are wonderful but the way of a man with a maid is not known because their relationship is hidden. We cannot judge the way of a man with a maid as adulterous or illegal. It can be a genuine friendship. Or it can be a genuine relationship between a husband and a woman.

Way of adulterous woman

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness (Proverbs 30:20).

The way of an adulterous woman is disastrous when she says, I have done no wickedness. She may appear to lead a normal life of eating and wiping her mouth. If she does not repent, confess and forsake this deadly sin, her way is disastrous. The way of the adulterous woman is different from the way of a man with a maid in the preceding verse.

Handmaid becoming mistress

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. (Proverbs 30:21-23)

Though the ear is disquieted with three things, which are the reigning of a servant, a fool filling his mouth with meat and an odious woman (repulsive, offensive) getting married, the fourth thing of an handmaid becoming heir to her mistress cannot be tolerated. When a handmaid becomes a heir to her mistress, her conduct becomes too arrogant and covetous that her mistress cannot tolerate her.

Four good qualities like four animals

There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. (Proverbs 30:24-28)

These four animals which are little upon the earth are exceeding wise. Men should learn from these four animals/insects. Like ants, we should be active, not lazy to work with our own hands. Like conies, we should make our home being founded on the rock of Jesus Christ. Like locusts, we should work in small teams in the body of Christ without making anone as a leader or a king. Like a spider, we should build our ministry in kings' palaces. People of God should occupy positions of authority in a national government.

Good qualities of righteous king

There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. (Proverbs 30:29-31)

There are three things which are majestic in pace, The fourth one is stately in walk:

A lion does not flee from his pursuers, whether men or beasts, but walks away with a slow and majestic pace. The first three things are stately in march, and the fourth thing is stately in going. The fourth thing, in other words, is comely in going; very beautiful and lovely to look at as they walk.

A greyhound's loins are slender, and, as it were, girt up into a little compass, known for its great agility and swiftness.

A he-goat also marches at the head of the flock in a grave and stately manner, conducting them with great courage and resolution, and being ready to fight for them, either with beasts or men that oppose him.

A king and his people with him, a king when he has the hearts and hands of his people going along with him in his undertakings is comely in going; very beautiful and lovely to look at.

A righteous rule of a king is the best thing. It is much better than the valour of a lion, the agility and swiftness of a greyhound, the great courage and resolution of a he-goat. A wicked king can have all these animal qualities. But a righteous king who rules his people out of love and affection surpasses the good qualities of these animals.

What matters here is not the outward stately show but the inward and hidden qualities of love and affection which are manifested in the administration of righteousness and justice.

Effects of wrath

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

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. (Proverbs 30:32-33)

Other reference in Proverbs about wrath is given below:

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. (Proverbs 29:22).

The irritation and provocation of anger occasion quarrels and contentions. Consequences of anger are severe as the churning of milk and the wringing of the nose.

Do not lose your temper at any cost, though you are provoked.

Next....Chapter 31