Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 30:16

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The wise sayings of Agur (30:10-33)

It is wise not to be hasty in reporting a person for a supposed wrongdoing. Such action could rebound with harm to the talebearer if the person is innocent (10). The arrogant despise those whom they should respect, while considering that they themselves are not only blameless, but superior to their fellows. They are merciless in their treatment of those whom they should rather help (11-14).
The expression ‘three things . . . and four’ in the proverbs that follow is a figure of speech indicating that the writer is giving only three or four examples. The complete list would be much longer. A leech’s constant appetite for blood is used as an illustration of unlimited or unfulfilled longing. Four examples are given: the place of the dead is always looking for more occupants; a woman unable to have children can never have her deepest desires fulfilled; the earth always cries out for more water; a fire will keep burning as long as it is fed (15-16). A proud person’s arrogance likewise knows no limits, till death brings it to a fitting end (17).
Skill and grace in mastering difficulties are to be admired (18-19); but the cunning that delights in seducing innocent victims is hateful, especially when the guilty person feels no shame (20). Among the most unbearable of people are those who suddenly gain power or status when previously they were nothing (21-23).
Even tiny creatures are wise. They provide for their future, secure themselves against danger, cooperate with one another through order and discipline, and reach the places of highest power in the land (24-28). Other things are commended for their impressive appearance of dignity and assurance (29-31), but a commendable appearance must be accompanied by humility, purity of heart and peace-loving behaviour (32-33).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, Yea, four that say not, Enough: Sheol, and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough. 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.”

It is noted that the verses do not follow the patterns of the tetrads; and, now and then, one finds a verse (Proverbs 30:17) that is diverse from the pattern. Fritsch wrote that, “Proverbs 30:17 is probably misplaced.”Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 4, p. 950. The ’eagles’ are generally identified here as vultures; and the implication of the young eagles eating the eyes of the disobedient son is that, “His body was left unburied.”Ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Note the numeration mounting to a climax, the two, the three, the four (Amos 1:3 etc.). The word rendered “horseleach” is found nowhere else, and its etymology is doubtful; but there are good grounds for taking the word in its literal sense, as giving an example, in the natural world, of the insatiable greed of which the next verse gives other instances. Its voracious appetite is here represented, to express its intensity, as two daughters, uttering the same ceaseless cry for more.

Proverbs 30:16

The grave - Hebrew שׁאול sh^e'ôl. The “Hell” or Hades of Proverbs 27:20, all-consuming yet never full.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 30

This is the end of the proverbs that were gathered by Hezekiah's men. Now in the thirtieth chapter we have,

The words of Agur ( Proverbs 30:1 )

Whoever he is. He tells us who he is, but it really doesn't help.

[he's a] son of Jakeh ( Proverbs 30:1 ),

But I don't know who Jakeh is.

even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal ( Proverbs 30:1 ),

And men that I don't know. So yet God has seen fit to put this here in the scriptures. Agur declares,

Surely I am more brutish than any man, I have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy ( Proverbs 30:2-3 ).

In other words, the guy isn't making any claims for himself, Ph.D.'s or anything else. "I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the holy. I'm more brutish than any man. I don't have the understanding of men." But now he asks some very searching questions.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Talking about men.

who has gathered the wind in his fists? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Surely no man.

who hath bound the waters in a garment? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Surely no man.

who hath established all the ends of the earth? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Not man. He's talking about God. He's talking about the things that are in God's category. Paul tells us, "He who has ascended is the same one who first of all descended. And when He ascended, He led the captives or led the captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" ( Ephesians 4:8-9 ). So, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the winds in his fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth?"

what is his name ( Proverbs 30:4 ),

Interesting. But even more interesting, he said,

what is his son's name ( Proverbs 30:4 ),

Referring to God's Son. And so it is an interesting question. He is speaking of the characteristics and the things that belong unto God. He said, "What is His name?" The name, of course, is Yahweh. And what is His Son's name? Yahovah Shua, Jesus.

if you can tell? For every word of God is pure: he [that is, God] is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar ( Proverbs 30:4-6 ).

Don't take upon yourself to add to the Word of God.

Now in Deuteronomy after God gave the law, God gave a warning that a person wasn't to try to diminish the law. Taking away from the commandments that God had given. Or man wasn't to seek to add to it. Yet the Jews in their Talmud added some sixty volumes of interpretation to that law, the Mishnah, the Talmud. Here again, "The Word of God is pure." Now he says, "Don't add to it, lest God reproves you, and you be found a liar."

In the end of the book of Revelation, God pronounces a special curse upon any man who would add to the words of that book or take away from the words of that book. "Unto him who would dare to add to the book, to him shall be added the plagues that are in the book. He that would dare to take away from the words of the book, his name shall be taken out of the book of life" ( Revelation 22:18-19 ).

It is a very heavy thing for a man to presume to speak for God. And God gives some very serious warnings to anyone who would presume to speak for God. "Woe unto them who say, 'Thus saith the Lord,' when I have not spoken, saith the Lord of hosts." And God tells all the things He'll do to that person who dares to speak in the name of the Lord when God hasn't really spoken.

Now in Peter's epistle, he said that, "God hath given to us all that pertains to life and to godliness" ( 2 Peter 1:3 ). Really, you don't need any more than the Word that God has already given. All that we need for life and for godliness has already been given to us in the Word of God. We don't need some modern day revelation from God.

Now the problem of men speaking for God, as there are men who purport that they do, the Catholic Church has placed an aura around the Pope and the papal infallibility so that he supposedly is speaking for God. And his word is acknowledged as being the Word of God. Or with the Mormons, their prophets and their president speaks the word of God. And they have to accept it as scripture, and they can give you argumentation, "Why should God quit speaking to men?" and so forth. And you know, that God is speaking to us today through the prophets and all. The thing is, as is declared here, "Lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar." Now those men who have purportedly spoken for God, the thing that happens is that the next guy comes along and oftentimes will disclaim what they have said. And he's speaking for God when he disclaims that the previous person said.

Brigham Young, one of the prophets and the leaders of the Mormon Church, supposedly speaking for God said an awful lot of radical things that the church denies today. The Mormon Church denies much of the doctrine that Brigham Young proclaimed. He actually proclaimed that Adam was their God. The only God with whom they had to do. He proclaimed that there are some sins for which the blood of Jesus Christ cannot atone; a person has to shed their own blood to atone for particular sins. The blood of Christ is not sufficient. And he preached this in many a sermon; how you can do those friends a favor by shedding their blood in order that their sins might be expiated.

Now the Mormons today deny this kind of a shedding your own blood for the atonement of your own sins. But yet, one of their prophets declared it speaking for God. Now God doesn't change His mind. Thus, when a man purports to be speaking for God when God hasn't spoken, that man is usually discovered to be a liar. So the Word of God is pure. It doesn't change. It isn't altered. But men so often purportedly speak for God when indeed God hasn't spoken.

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies ( Proverbs 30:7-8 ):

Now this is more or less the prayer of this Agur unto God. "Just two things, Lord, I desire. Don't deny me them before I die. Remove me far from vanity and lies."

give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is convenient for me: 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 30:8-9 ).

He's really seeking just sort of a moderate kind of a life. "I don't want riches, lest I would say, 'Who is God?' And deny God. Or I don't want to be poor either that I would be tempted to go out and steal in order to take care of my needs. So God, just give me that in-the-middle average life."

Don't accuse a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. Now there is a generation that curses their father, and does not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not really washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 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 30:10-14 ).

A wicked generation indeed from verse Proverbs 30:11-14, the different generations that do these wicked things.

Now the horseleach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. And there are three things that are never satisfied, yes, there are four things that say not, It is enough ( Proverbs 30:15 ):

Four things that you can't really satisfy.

First, the eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother ( Proverbs 30:17 ),

I beg your pardon. I just jumped. Four things that say, 'It isn't enough.' The first is:

The grave ( Proverbs 30:16 );

Never says it's enough. People are dying everyday. The second thing:

the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water ( Proverbs 30:16 );

The dry parched earth.

and the fire, none of them say, It is enough. Now the eye that mocks his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. Now there are three things that 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. Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness. There are three things on the earth that are disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear ( Proverbs 30:16-22 ):

Four odious things.

The servant when he reigns; a fool when he is filled with meat; an odious woman when she is married; and a handmaid that is the heir to her mistress. There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise ( Proverbs 30:22-24 ):

Or wiser than wise. Four little things yet so very wise. Wise beyond their own wisdom.

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; the conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; the spider takes hold with her hands ( Proverbs 30:25-28 ),

Or the gecko.

and is in the kings' palaces ( Proverbs 30:28 ).

From the ant we learn the wisdom of preparing for the future. How that it lays up its food in the summer. Because somehow the ant has an awareness that the time is coming when it won't be able to get out and lay up food, so it stores up the food while it has the opportunity to do so.

Jesus said in an interesting parable, "Make use of the unrighteousness of mammon, so that when they fail, you will be received into the everlasting kingdom" ( Luke 16:9 ). In other words, use what you have now for your eternal benefit. That's wise. Many people don't have that wisdom. The ant teaches us the wisdom of preparation for the future.

The coney, the little hyrax, teaches us the wisdom of recognizing our own weakness and feebleness and to take shelter in that which is stronger than we are. Makes his home in the rocks. Recognize our own weakness and hide ourselves in that rock, Jesus Christ.

The locust shows wisdom in his cooperative efforts. By himself, the locust can do no harm. As he goes forth in bands, he can be devastating. Oh, that the church would learn the lesson of working together, cooperative endeavors for the kingdom of God.

And finally, the gecko shows its wisdom by taking hold with his hands and as the result, dwells in king's palaces. Even as we are to take hold of the promises of God as they of the Old Testament did, that we might dwell one day in the King's palace.

There are three things which go well, yea, four are beautiful in their going: the lion which is the strongest among beasts, and doesn't turn away for any; the greyhound; and the goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath will bring strife ( Proverbs 30:29-33 ).

And such are the words of Agur. Agur, who is the son of Jakeh, who makes no claims for himself. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

VI. COLLECTION 6: THE WISDOM OF AGUR CH. 30

Chapters 30 and 31 form a distinct section in Proverbs, because neither Solomon (Proverbs 1:1 to Proverbs 22:16; chs. 25-29), nor the unnamed sages (Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:34), wrote them. Two other wise men, whose names the text records, did. Some expositors speculate that because these men’s discourses occur at the end of the book, the writers probably lived later than the men of Hezekiah. [Note: E.g., Toy, p. 517.] Nevertheless who Agur and Lemuel were, as well as when and where they lived, remain mysteries.

The most distinctive features of Agur’s proverbs are his numerical style of grouping similar items, his picturesque speech, and a unique phrase he used. This phrase, "There are three things . . . even four," occurs with minor changes five times (Proverbs 30:15; Proverbs 30:18; Proverbs 30:21; Proverbs 30:24; Proverbs 30:29; cf. Proverbs 30:11-14).

"The purpose of such a device may be simply to indicate that the list is not exhaustive, though specific (see Amos 1:3; Amos 1:6). Or the purpose may be to emphasize the fourth item on the list." [Note: Jensen, p. 105.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

C. Wisdom about life 30:10-33

Though his view of and awareness of God are very much behind what Agur said in the rest of this chapter, his counsel deals primarily with practical prudence from this point on.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Here the warning is against greediness.

"’Give! Give!’ [Proverbs 30:15] can be taken as the names-with more pointed wit than as the cries-of these identical twins, who are made of the same stuff as their mother-other people’s blood." [Note: Kidner, p. 180. F. S. North, "The Four Insatiables," Vetus Testamentum 15 (1965):281-82, argued that the two daughters are the two suckers on the leach.]

Greediness is not just silly (Proverbs 30:15), it is dangerous ("Sheol" and "fire," Proverbs 30:16) and pathetic (being childless and parched, Proverbs 30:16). Sheol ever yearns to end life, and the barren womb ever yearns to produce it. [Note: Waltke, The Book . . . 31, p. 487.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The grave,.... Which is the first of the four daughters, or insatiable things, which resemble the horse leech: the grave is the house appointed for all living; it stands ready for them, it is open to receive them when dead; and though such multitudes have been put into it, since death reigned in the world, yet it is not full, it waits for more; nor will its mouth be shut till the last enemy, death, is destroyed; see Proverbs 27:20; This is an emblem of a covetous man, who enlarges his desire as hell or the grave; and is never satisfied with gold, silver, and increase of substance he has, but is always craving more;

and the barren womb; the second daughter, that cries, Give, give, as Rachel, "give me children, or I die", Genesis 30:1: barren women are oftentimes impatient for children, as she was; and importunate, as Hannah; and as the Israelitish women were before the coming of the Messiah, each hoping he might be born of them; especially before it was so clearly known that he should be born of a virgin: though it may be rather the barren womb of harlots is here meant, and who are generally barren, and whose lust is insatiable; and this may be an emblem of lust, which is never satisfied; whether it be a lust of riches, or of honour, or of uncleanness, or of sensual pleasures;

the earth [that] is not filled with water; which is dry and parched, and opens and gapes; and though large quantities of rain may fall upon it, which it greedily drinks in; yet is not seen, nor is it filled with it, but it thirsts for more: this may be an emblem of good men, that have received abundance of the grace of God; and though they thirst not after sin, as they before did, and others do; yet thirst after God, more knowledge of him, and communion with him, and for more grace, like the dry and thirsty land, and cannot have enough of it; see John 4:13; or rather of wicked men, who drink up iniquity like water, and yet never have their fill of it to their satisfaction. This is the third thing, and the fourth follows:

and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough; but let what fuel will be cast into it, it devours it, and still wants more: by the Egyptians, as Herodotus r relates, fire is reckoned an animated beast, which devours all it can lay hold on; and when it is filled with food, it dies with that which is devoured by it. Such is the fire of divine wrath, hell fire, in which sinners are, as thorns and briers; and which is unquenchable, everlasting, burns for ever and ever; the Tophet, ordained of old, deep and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, kindled by the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,

Isaiah 30:33. These are the four daughters of the horse leech which resemble that in its insatiableness. Jarchi makes mention of some that interpret the horse leech of "sheol", or the state of the dead; and the two daughters, of paradise and hell; the one says, "Give me the righteous"; and the other says, "Give me the wicked." Aben Ezra applies these four to the four generations before spoken of; the grave, into which are cast the generation of those that curse their father, and die before their time; the barren womb, the generation of those that are not washed from the filthiness of whoredom, and have no children; the earth not filled with water, the proud and haughty, who are humbled by famine; and the fire is that which descends from heaven, to consume the generation that destroy the poor and oppress the needy, as fire came down upon them in the days of Elijah. Jarchi takes notice of a Midrash, which applies these four things to the four monarchies; as it does also all the four things after mentioned.

r Thalia sive, l. 3. c. 16.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      15 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; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.   17 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.

      He had spoken before of those that devoured the poor (Proverbs 30:14; Proverbs 30:14), and had spoken of them last, as the worst of all the four generations there mentioned; now here he speaks of their insatiableness in doing this. The temper that puts them upon it is made up of cruelty and covetousness. Now those are two daughters of the horse-leech, its genuine offspring, that still cry, "Give, give, give more blood, give more money;" for the bloody are still blood-thirsty; being drunk with blood, they add thirst to their drunkenness, and will seek it yet again. Those also that love silver shall never be satisfied with silver. Thus, while from these two principles they are devouring the poor, they are continually uneasy to themselves, as David's enemies, Psalms 59:14; Psalms 59:15. Now, for the further illustration of this,

      I. He specifies four other things which are insatiable, to which those devourers are compared, which say not, It is enough, or It is wealth. Those are never rich that are always coveting. Now these four things that are always craving are, 1. The grave, into which multitudes fall, and yet still more will fall, and it swallows them all up, and returns none, Hell and destruction are never full,Proverbs 27:20; Proverbs 27:20. When it comes to our turn we shall find the grave ready for us, Job 17:1. 2. The barren womb, which is impatient of its affliction in being barren, and cries, as Rachel did, Give me children. 3. The parched ground in time of drought (especially in those hot countries), which still soaks in the rain that comes in abundance upon it and in a little time wants more. 4. The fire, which, when it has consumed abundance of fuel, yet still devours all the combustible matter that is thrown into it. So insatiable are the corrupt desires of sinners, and so little satisfaction have they even in the gratification of them.

      II. He adds a terrible threatening to disobedient children (Proverbs 30:17; Proverbs 30:17), for warning to the first of those four wicked generations, that curse their parents (Proverbs 30:11; Proverbs 30:11), and shows here,

      1. Who they are that belong to that generation, not only those that curse their parents in heat and passion, but, (1.) Those that mock at them, though it be but with a scornful eye, looking with disdain upon them because of their bodily infirmities, or looking sour or dogged at them when they instruct or command, impatient at their checks and angry at them. God takes notice with what eye children look upon their parents, and will reckon for the leering look and the casts of the evil eye as well as for the bad language given them. (2.) Those that despise to obey them, that think it a thing below them to be dutiful to their parents, especially to the mother, they scorn to be controlled by her; and thus she that bore them in sorrow in greater sorrow bears their manners.

      2. What their doom will be. Those that dishonour their parents shall be set up as monuments of God's vengeance; they shall be hanged in chains, as it were, for the birds of prey to pick out their eyes, those eyes with which they looked so scornfully on their good parents. The dead bodies of malefactors were not to hang all night, but before night the ravens would have picked out their eyes. If men do not punish undutiful children, God will, and will load those with the greatest infamy that conduct themselves haughtily towards their parents. Many who have come to an ignominious end have owned that the wicked courses that brought them to it began in a contempt of their parents' authority.