Commentary - Proverbs 30:24-28

Bird's-eye view

The words of Agur, which the thirtieth chapter of Proverbs records for us, are the words of a man keenly observant of the world God made. He is a student of creation, which means he is a student of divine wisdom. God did not write His truth only in a book; He stamped it into the very nature of the creatures He formed. Here, Agur gives us a fourfold lesson on the nature of true wisdom, contrasting it sharply with the world's definition of what it means to be great or mighty. The world looks for wisdom in size, in strength, in political power, and in regal splendor. But God displays His wisdom in the small, the weak, and the overlooked. This is a consistent biblical pattern. God chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things to shame the strong. These four creatures are a sermon in miniature, a divine object lesson on how the Kingdom of God operates.

Each of these creatures is small or weak in some significant way, yet each possesses a wisdom that allows it to thrive. This is not the wisdom of abstract philosophy, but the practical, effective, God-given instinct to act in accordance with its nature and circumstances. The ants teach us foresight and diligence. The rock badgers teach us to find our security in a fortress outside of ourselves. The locusts teach us the power of unified action without a visible commander. And the lizard teaches us that tenacity can bring the lowly into the highest places. For the Christian, these are not just curious observations from nature; they are illustrations of the gospel life. We are to be diligent, we are to hide ourselves in the Rock of our salvation, we are to move in unity with the body of Christ, and we are to remember our high calling, which places us in the heavenly courts of the King.

Outline

Verse by Verse Commentary

Proverbs 30:24

Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise:

Agur begins with a numerical saying, a common feature in wisdom literature that serves to heighten anticipation. He is about to pull back the curtain on something profound, and he wants us to lean in. The first thing he notes about these four exemplary creatures is their size. They are "small on the earth." This is not an incidental detail; it is central to the lesson. In a world that equates greatness with size, God's economy is frequently inverted. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds. David was the youngest and smallest of his brothers. Our Lord was born in a stable, not a palace. God's power is made perfect in weakness. So right from the start, we are being taught to adjust our vision, to look for God's wisdom where the world would never think to find it.

The contrast is then stated plainly: though they are small, "they are exceedingly wise." The Hebrew here is emphatic, literally "wise, made wise." Their wisdom is not their own invention; it is instilled in them by their Creator. This is not the wisdom of IQ points or academic degrees. It is a practical, lived-out wisdom. It is the wisdom of knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it in order to fulfill one's purpose. This is the kind of wisdom Proverbs esteems everywhere. It is not about what you know in your head, but about how you walk with your feet. These creatures do what they were made to do, and they do it with a skill that puts the folly of lazy, proud, and disorganized men to shame.

Proverbs 30:25

The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer;

The first example is the ant. Agur notes that they are "not a strong people." An individual ant is fragile. A man can crush one with his thumb without a second thought. They have no brute strength. And yet, their collective achievement is immense. Their lack of individual strength is the backdrop for their profound wisdom. The world relies on strength, on armies and armaments. But the kingdom of God is built by the weak.

Their wisdom lies in this: "they prepare their food in the summer." This is the wisdom of foresight and diligence. The ant understands seasons. It knows that summer is the time for work because winter is coming when no work can be done. It does not procrastinate. It does not make excuses. It simply does the work that needs to be done when it needs to be done. This is why Solomon, in the sixth chapter, sends the sluggard to the ant for an education. The ant works without a commander, an overseer, or a ruler, yet it accomplishes its task. This is a picture of mature, self-governed, responsible industry. The Christian is to have this same understanding of the times. We know that this life is the summer of preparation, and the winter of judgment is coming. Now is the time to labor for the food that endures to eternal life.

Proverbs 30:26

The shephanim are not a mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the cliff;

The second creature is the shephanim, often translated as rock badger or coney. Like the ants, their weakness is highlighted. They are "not a mighty people." They are small, soft, and defenseless. They are not equipped with sharp claws, great teeth, or blistering speed. They are prey, and they know it. Their wisdom is not in learning how to fight, but in knowing they cannot win a fight.

And so, their wisdom is to "make their houses in the cliff." They understand their own vulnerability, and they do not trust in themselves for safety. They seek refuge in something outside of themselves, something strong, immovable, and secure: the rock. This is a beautiful and powerful illustration of saving faith. The wise man knows he is spiritually defenseless against sin, death, and the devil. He knows he is not a mighty people. His wisdom is to flee to the Rock of Ages, to hide himself in the wounds of Christ. Our safety is not in our own strength, but in our fortress, our deliverer, our God, in whom we take refuge. The rock badger is a theologian of the cleft of the rock.

Proverbs 30:27

The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in rank;

The third example is the locust. What is remarkable about them is their organization in the absence of a visible leader. They "have no king." Human endeavors of this scale, like a military campaign, require a vast hierarchy of command. Generals, colonels, captains, and sergeants are all necessary to make a human army march in rank. Without a king, human societies descend into chaos, each man doing what is right in his own eyes.

But with the locusts, it is not so. Though leaderless, "all of them go out in rank." They move with a stunning, unified purpose. A swarm of locusts is a picture of disciplined, orderly, and overwhelming progression. Where does this order come from? It comes from their Creator. He has written His command into their very being. They are a picture of the church under the sole headship of Jesus Christ. We have no earthly king. Our unity does not come from a human chain of command, but from the one Spirit who animates the one body. When God's people are walking in the Spirit, they move together in rank, each member doing its part, advancing the kingdom of God across the earth.

Proverbs 30:28

The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

The final creature is the lizard, or perhaps a gecko. Its defining characteristic here is its accessibility and fragility. It is a creature "you may grasp with the hands." It is not remote, fearsome, or intimidating. It is common and easily caught. It is, in a word, lowly.

And yet, despite its lowliness, "it is in kings’ palaces." This small, graspable creature finds its way into the most exalted of human dwellings. Its wisdom is in its tenacious ability to cling and to climb, to get into places where it seemingly does not belong. It makes its home where the great and powerful reside. This is a picture of the Christian's standing in Christ. We are lowly. In ourselves, we are easily "grasped" by the troubles of this world. Yet, through faith in Christ, we have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places. We have access to the very throne room of the King of kings. We are dwellers in the palace of God, not because of our own might, but because we have clung by faith to the one who ascended on high.

Application

Agur's four small teachers provide a master class in godly wisdom, a wisdom that stands in stark contrast to the world's foolishness. The world tells you to be strong, but the ant teaches that diligence overcomes a lack of strength. The world tells you to trust in yourself, but the rock badger teaches that true safety is found by acknowledging your weakness and hiding in the rock. The world tells you that order requires a visible, coercive authority, but the locusts show that true unity of purpose comes from a shared, internal direction from God. The world tells you that your station in life is determined by your birth and power, but the lizard shows that tenacity in faith can bring the humblest soul into the palace of the King.

We are to learn from this menagerie. We are to work diligently, preparing for the day of Christ's return. We are to abandon all self-reliance and find our refuge entirely in Him. We are to walk in unity with the saints, not through top-down compulsion, but through submission to our one Head, Jesus Christ. And we are to live out the reality of our high calling, remembering that though we are small, our place is in the household of God.

This is the wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord. It is the wisdom of seeing the world as God sees it, and living accordingly. God has filled His creation with such teachers, and we are fools if we do not listen.