Who is Agur son of Jakeh in this passage?

Agur son of Jakeh is introduced as a wise man whose words are recorded as a “prophecy,” meaning a message given by God. We are not told much else about him in Scripture. He speaks to Ithiel and Ucal, who seem to be his listeners or students. What stands out most about Agur is not his background, but his attitude. He admits his own ignorance, leans on God’s wisdom, prays honestly, and shares a series of sayings that point to God’s greatness and to a life of humility and contentment.

What does Agur mean when he says he is more brutish than any man?

When Agur says he is more brutish than any man and lacks understanding, he is not insulting himself for no reason. He is showing deep humility before God. He knows that, by himself, he does not have real wisdom or the “knowledge of the holy.” This confession prepares the way for him to honor God as the only true source of wisdom. Agur’s words remind us that the first step toward true understanding is to admit our limits and depend on what God shows us.

What does every word of God is pure teach about Scripture?

When Agur says, “Every word of God is pure,” he is saying that what God speaks is clean, flawless, and trustworthy. God’s words are not mixed with error or deceit. Because of this, God is a shield to those who trust in him. Agur then warns, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” This teaches that God’s revealed words are enough and must not be twisted or padded with human ideas that claim the same authority.

Why does Agur pray for neither poverty nor riches?

Agur asks God to give him neither poverty nor riches but “food convenient for me,” meaning enough for each day. He explains why: if he is too full, he may forget God and say, “Who is the LORD?” If he is too poor, he may be tempted to steal and dishonor God’s name. His prayer shows a desire for honesty, contentment, and a steady heart that does not wander through extremes. It encourages us to seek what helps us walk faithfully with God, not simply what looks big in the world’s eyes.

How can Agur’s prayer about daily bread apply to my life?

Agur’s prayer is very down to earth. He asks God to keep lies and emptiness far from him, and to give him just enough, not too much or too little. You can pray in a similar way. Instead of chasing riches or fearing lack, you can ask God to give what is fitting for you today and to guard your heart from pride or despair. This passage also nudges you to watch how money and desire can shape your thoughts about God, and to seek contentment that depends on him, not on your bank balance.

What does this passage teach about pride and humility?

The passage begins with Agur’s humble confession and later warns against proud attitudes. He describes a “generation” that is pure in its own eyes, has lofty looks, and devours the poor. He also mentions situations that upset the earth, like a servant who suddenly rules or a fool who is stuffed with food, showing how people can misuse new status. At the end, he cautions those who lift themselves up and tells them to put a hand over their mouth. Together, these sayings teach that pride leads to harm and that lowliness before God is the safer path.

Why are there so many animal and nature images in this chapter?

Agur uses pictures from everyday life to show wisdom in simple ways. He speaks of the horseleech that always cries “Give, give” to warn about greedy hearts. He mentions the grave, barren womb, dry earth, and fire to show things that are never satisfied. He then points to small creatures like ants, rock-dwellers, locusts, and spiders as “wise,” each showing planning, protection, order, or persistence. By watching how God has made the world, Agur finds lessons about contentment, foresight, and trust in God’s ordering of life.

Why does the passage speak so strongly against dishonoring parents and adultery?

Agur speaks sharply about the eye that mocks a father and despises a mother, warning of a harsh end using a vivid picture of birds eating the eye. This shows how serious it is to treat parents with contempt. He also describes an adulterous woman who sins, then wipes her mouth and calmly says she has done nothing wrong. In both cases, the problem is a hardened heart that feels no guilt. The passage warns that such attitudes are dangerous and that sin, especially hidden or denied, will not be taken lightly by God.

Why do some parts of this chapter feel hard to understand?

This chapter uses short sayings, number patterns like “three things, yea, four,” and bold word pictures. Some lines, such as “what is his son’s name,” or the list of four upsetting situations, can be taken in more than one way, and faithful readers have seen them differently. The main line is clear, though. Agur humbly lifts up God’s greatness, trusts God’s pure words, prays for honest and balanced living, and warns about pride, greed, and hidden sin. When details feel hard, it helps to keep these main themes in view.

Prov.30.1

Proverbs 30:1

Q: What is the meaning of who hath ascended into heaven or descended?

Agur’s questions about who has ascended into heaven, gathered the wind, bound the waters, and established the earth are meant to point to God’s unique power. No human can do these things. By asking “What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” he presses the point that knowing God is beyond human reach unless God makes himself known. These questions lead us to see God as Creator and Ruler of all, far above human strength or wisdom.

KJV

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Chapter:

The Words of Agur

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

2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

4 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?

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

6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

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

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

9 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.

10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

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

13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14 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.

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.

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

19 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.

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

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

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

23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

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

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

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

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

28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

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

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

31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

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

33 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.

Context:

The Words of Agur

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.