Bird's-eye view
This remarkable section of Proverbs opens with a profound confession of human ignorance from a man named Agur. This is not the false humility of a courtier but the genuine cry of a man who has glimpsed the sheer transcendence of God. Agur begins by stating his own brutish lack of understanding, a necessary starting point for all true wisdom. He then poses a series of unanswerable questions about the Creator of the universe, culminating in the astonishing question: "What is His name, and what is His Son's name?" Having established the infinite gap between the Creator and the creature, he then provides the only possible bridge: the revealed Word of God. This Word is perfect, tested, and pure, a shield for all who take refuge in the God who spoke it. The passage concludes with a stern warning, a logical consequence of the Word's perfection: do not dare to add to it, lest you be exposed as a liar before the God of truth.
In short, Agur models the path to wisdom for us. It begins with intellectual humility, moves to awe at the majesty of God, and finds its sole resting place in the absolute sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures. It is a powerful apologetic for Sola Scriptura, grounded in the very nature of God and man.
Outline
- 1. The Oracle of Agur (Prov 30:1-6)
- a. The Prophet's Introduction (Prov 30:1)
- b. The Prophet's Confession of Folly (Prov 30:2-3)
- c. The Prophet's Questions for God (Prov 30:4)
- d. The Prophet's Foundation in God's Word (Prov 30:5)
- e. The Prophet's Warning to Man (Prov 30:6)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 30 is one of the appendices to the main collection of Solomon's proverbs. Along with the words of King Lemuel in chapter 31, it shows that the canon of Scripture, while divinely inspired, includes contributions from sources other than the most famous prophets and kings. The book is not solely Solomonic. The presence of "the words of Agur" demonstrates the Spirit's freedom to use various voices to build His book of wisdom. This chapter stands out for its unique structure. Instead of disconnected couplets, we have a more sustained theological argument, followed by a series of numerical proverbs. Agur's introduction (vv. 1-6) serves as a foundation for all that follows, grounding practical wisdom in the profound realities of God's transcendence and His trustworthy revelation.
Key Issues
- The Nature of True Humility
- Divine Transcendence and Human Finitude
- The Sufficiency of Scripture (Sola Scriptura)
- The Purity of God's Word
- A Glimpse of the Trinity in the Old Testament
- The Sin of Adding to Revelation
The Fool's Confession and the Firm Foundation
All true knowledge of God begins with a true knowledge of ourselves, and a true knowledge of ourselves is a humbling affair. The modern world tells you to look within and find your inner strength, your inner wisdom, your inner god. The Bible tells you to look within and find a fool. This is what Agur does, and it is the necessary first step. Before you can receive the wisdom that comes down from above, you must first confess the brutish ignorance that springs up from within. Agur's oracle is a masterful lesson in epistemology, the science of how we know things. He demolishes the pretensions of autonomous human reason before establishing the one sure foundation for all knowledge: the tested Word of God.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
We begin with the author's credentials. We know nothing of Agur son of Jakeh beyond this introduction. He is not a king or a famous prophet, but his words are Scripture. The word for oracle is massa, which can also mean "burden." This is not a collection of light-hearted suggestions; it is a weighty, authoritative pronouncement from God. He addresses two individuals, Ithiel and Ucal. This oracle is personal and direct. It is a man speaking to other men about the ultimate realities of the universe. This is not abstract philosophy; it is revealed truth delivered with authority.
2-3 Surely I am more senseless than any man, And I do not have the understanding of mankind. Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I know the knowledge of the Holy One.
Here is the confession that frames everything. Agur is not engaging in false modesty. He is speaking from the perspective of one who has considered the Holy One. Compared to the infinite wisdom of God, the greatest human intellect is brutish and senseless. This is the opposite of the spirit of our age, which assumes man is the measure of all things. Agur says that in and of himself, he has no understanding, no wisdom, and no knowledge of God. This is the biblical doctrine of noetic effects of the fall, the way sin has damaged our minds. Left to ourselves, we cannot reason our way to God. The starting point for wisdom is not to say "I think, therefore I am," but rather, "He is, therefore I am a fool."
4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name? And what is His Son’s name? Surely you know!
From the depths of human ignorance, Agur turns his gaze upward to the heights of divine power. This series of rhetorical questions is designed to overwhelm us with the absolute transcendence and sovereignty of the Creator. Who, among men, can do these things? Who can control the heavens, the wind, the seas, the very foundations of the world? The answer is obvious: no one. Only God. This establishes the Creator/creature distinction in the starkest possible terms.
And then he drops the most stunning question in the entire book of Proverbs: What is His name? And what is His Son's name? In the ancient world, to know someone's name was to have insight into their character and nature. Agur is asking about the very essence of this transcendent God. But he doesn't stop there. He asks about His Son. Hundreds of years before the incarnation, the Holy Spirit inspires this question. This is not a later Christian insertion; it is a profound Old Testament witness to the multi-personal nature of the one God. The Father has always been a Father, and the Son has always been a Son. The final phrase, "Surely you know!" is dripping with divine irony. Of course you don't know. You can't know, unless this God condescends to tell you.
5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
This verse is the divine answer to the human dilemma posed in the previous verses. If we are senseless fools, and God is utterly transcendent, how can we possibly know Him? The answer is that He has spoken, and His speech is perfect. The word for tested means refined, like silver purified in a furnace seven times. There is no dross, no error, no impurity in the Word of God. It is utterly trustworthy. Because the Word is trustworthy, the God who spoke it is a trustworthy shield. Notice the connection: refuge is taken in Him, and the way we do that is by believing His Word. Faith is not a leap in the dark; it is taking shelter behind the impenetrable shield of God's perfect revelation.
6 Do not add to His words Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.
The conclusion is inescapable. If God's Word is perfect and pure, what is the height of arrogance? To think you can improve upon it. This is a foundational principle of biblical authority, echoing the commands in Deuteronomy and foreshadowing the final warning in Revelation. To add to God's words is to claim that His revelation is insufficient. Whether it is the Book of Mormon, the watchtower publications, the pronouncements of a modern prophet, or the sophisticated reinterpretations of a liberal theologian, the principle is the same. You are attempting to "help God out," and in doing so, you place yourself above His Word. The result is not enlightenment, but judgment. God Himself will reprove you, and your lie will be exposed. You are not clarifying His truth; you are setting yourself up as a rival authority, and there is no room for rivals on the throne of the universe.
Application
The message of Agur is a bracing tonic for our proud and self-assured generation. We must begin where he begins. We must come to God confessing our foolishness, our ignorance, and our desperate need for revelation. We cannot trust our own hearts or our own autonomous reason. Our only hope is to abandon our pretensions and run to the Word of God.
That Word is not a collection of helpful hints for a better life. It is a shield. It is a refuge. It is our only protection in a world of lies. We are to read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate upon it. And we must fiercely resist any person, church, or spirit that would seek to add to it or subtract from it. The Word is sufficient because the God who spoke it is sufficient.
And centrally, that Word reveals to us the answer to Agur's ultimate question. What is His name, and what is His Son's name? The Father's name is revealed in all its glory, and the Son's name is Jesus. He is the one who ascended and descended. He is the Word made flesh, the perfect revelation of the Father. To take refuge in God is to take refuge in Him. To trust the tested Word is to trust in Christ, who is the Word incarnate.