Proverbs 30:1-6 · Bible study
Proverbs 30:1-6 Commentary: The Oracle of Agur
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Agur confesses his ignorance, asks who can know God, then declares that God's pure word is our refuge. A study of Proverbs 30:1-6.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Human beings cannot reach God on their own; He must speak, and His word is pure, protective, and complete.
- Key words: ba‘ar (stupid/brutish), tserufah (refined/purified), magēn (shield).
- Main debate: Whether Agur is a real sage or a coded name for Solomon; whether the opening is addressed to Ithiel and Ucal or is a cry to God.
- Theological theme: Revelation is a gift; human reason is profoundly limited; God's word alone is the ground for knowledge and hope.
- Best use: A corrective to intellectual pride and a call to trust Scripture as the tested word of the God who does not need our improvements.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— surely you know!
5Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound 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, if you know?
5“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
KJV King James Version 1769
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4Who 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?
5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;
3And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.
6Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: --I have wearied myself for God, I have wearied myself for God, and am consumed.
2For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
4Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What is His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5Every saying of God is tried, A shield He is to those trusting in Him.
6Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, [even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.
3I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.
4Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke, with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
2I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
6Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved and found a liar:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 30:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators disagree on whether Agur is a real sage from a North Arabian tribe or a symbolic name for Solomon. But they unite on the passage's main thrust: human wisdom cannot reach God, so God must speak. Agur's confession (vv. 2-3) uses deliberately strong language, he calls himself 'stupid' (ba‘ar, brutish) lacking understanding, to clear the ground for true knowledge. The rhetorical questions in verse 4, as the Cambridge Bible notes, show that no one has ascended to heaven to learn divine mysteries and returned to teach them. This is not agnosticism but a humble recognition that revelation must come from above. Verse 5 pivots: 'Every word of God is refined' (tserufah, like silver fire-tried). Because God's words are pure, they can be trusted as a shield. The warning in verse 6 forbids adding human speculation to divine revelation. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the more limited man's natural knowledge of God, the more thankful he should be for God's spoken word.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal-historical: Agur is a real sage, possibly from the tribe of Massa (Genesis 25:14), addressing disciples named Ithiel and Ucal.
- Symbolic/Solomonic: The names 'Agur' (gatherer) and 'Jakeh' (blameless) are seen as veiled references to Solomon, drawing on wordplay.
- Text-critical reading: The opening is repointed to read 'I am weary, O God, and I am consumed,' making the confession of exhaustion more explicit.
- Messianic: The 'son' in verse 4 is understood as a prophetic reference to Jesus Christ, who alone has seen the Father and descended.
What is clear: The passage teaches that human beings cannot attain to God's knowledge by their own effort, that God's word alone is pure and trustworthy, and that adding to it invites divine rebuke.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Agur | All agree Agur is presented as a wise teacher whose sayings are included in the canon. | Some interpret 'Agur' as a real individual (perhaps from the tribe of Massa in Arabia); others read it as a title for Solomon ('Agur' means 'gatherer'), a view cited by Jarchi and Gill. |
| Ithiel and Ucal | The Masoretic Text reads these as proper names, probably pupils or recipients of the instruction. | An alternative reading of the Hebrew consonants yields 'I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God, and I am consumed' (Lange, BSB, Septuagint), shifting the opening to a direct cry of exhaustion in seeking God. |
| Reference to 'son' in verse 4 | The text asks 'What is his name, and what is his son’s name?', a rhetorical way of saying only God can answer these questions. | Jewish commentators often take 'son' as Israel collectively; many Christian interpreters (e.g., Matthew Henry) see a prophecy of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. |
| Purity of God's word | All traditions agree that verse 5 affirms Scripture as flawless and trustworthy. | Debate concerns the scope of 'every word of God', whether it refers only to the Law and Prophets available to Agur, or to the entire canon, including the New Testament. |
| Warning against adding to God's words | Christians across traditions affirm that no human addition can improve divine revelation. | The specific practices considered as 'adding' have been disputed, e.g., Jewish oral law, Catholic tradition, or extra-biblical revelations among charismatic groups. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 30 begins the second appendix of the book (chapters 30-31), following Solomon's main collection and the sayings compiled by Hezekiah's men (Proverbs 25-29). The heading introduces 'Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle', using massa ('burden'), a term for a prophetic pronouncement also used in Proverbs 31:1 for King Lemuel. Some scholars read 'Massa' as a place name, tying Agur to a North Arabian tribe descended from Ishmael (Genesis 25:14). Would this suggest a non-Israelite sage? The text leaves the question open.
The names 'Ithiel' and 'Ucal' in verse 1 are understood in two ways. Many read them as Agur's pupils, named as his audience; the words themselves mean 'God is with me' and 'devoured' or 'worn out.' But a different division of the Hebrew consonants yields 'I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God, and I am consumed', a reading followed by the Septuagint, the BSB, and Lange's commentary. This reading turns the opening into a confession of exhaustion in seeking God, which then flows naturally into the self-abasement of verses 2-3.
The formula 'the man says' (ne'um hagever) echoes David's 'last words' (2 Samuel 23:1) and other weighty oracles. It marks Agur's speech as authoritative instruction, not casual opinion. The passage thus moves from personal confession (vv. 1-3), to cosmic questions (v. 4), to a declaration about God's word (vv. 5-6), a pattern that humbles human reason and exalts divine revelation.
Textual Notes
The main textual question for Proverbs 30:1-6 involves the opening verse. The Masoretic Text reads lǝ’îtî’ēl lǝ’îtî’ēl wǝ’ukāl ('to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal'). A different division of the same consonants, repainting l’yt’l as lā’îtî ’ēl ('I am weary, O God') and w’kl as wǝ’ekkāl ('and I am consumed'), is reflected in the Septuagint and adopted by the BSB, YLT, and Lange's commentary. Adam Clarke and the Cambridge Bible note this variant. The interpretation of the passage shifts depending on which reading is chosen. No other significant textual variants affect verses 2-6 in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Jewish tradition often identified Agur with Solomon, reading 'Agur' as a descriptive name ('the gatherer') and 'Jakeh' as a reference to David (so Rashi). In Christian history, the rhetorical questions of verse 4 were frequently applied to Christ, who 'ascended' and 'descended' (Ephesians 4:8-10), and the 'son' was interpreted as the Son of God. The warning against adding to God's words (v. 6) became a Reformation slogan against traditions that competed with Scripture. In modern scholarship, Agur is more often regarded as a distinct sage, possibly from a non-Israelite wisdom tradition. The passage has been treasured for its stark humility and its strong affirmation of the perfection of God's revealed word.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Humility of the Wise (vv. 2-3). Agur calls himself 'more stupid than anyone', not false modesty, but the bedrock of wisdom. True knowledge begins when we admit we do not have it.
- The Unfathomable God (v. 4). The four rhetorical questions cover height, depth, power, and scope. No one but God can answer them; they press us to worship rather than speculate.
- The Flawless Word (vv. 5-6). Because we cannot climb to heaven, God's words come down to us, pure, tested, and protective. Adding our own ideas only earns rebuke.
Five-Point Outline
- Who Is Speaking? (v. 1). Agur (or a seeker after God) speaks an oracle with prophetic weight.
- The Confession of Ignorance (vv. 2-3). A deliberate posture of poverty before the Holy One.
- The Questions That Stop All Questions (v. 4). The five 'who?' and two 'what?' show that humans cannot comprehend God's ways.
- The Sufficiency of Scripture (v. 5). God's word is refined metal, a shield for trusters.
- The Warning against Addition (v. 6). No supplement improves the original; any addition makes us liars.
Illustration Hooks
- A child asking 'Why is the sky blue?' and eventually the parent must say, 'I don't know.' Agur takes us to the boundary of what we can know, and points beyond.
- Refining silver: a silversmith heats the ore to burn off dross, seeing his reflection when it is pure. God's word has been through the fire and shows us who He is.
- A GPS made for city streets cannot show a forest trail. Our reason cannot map God; we need His own directions, His word.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- 'How can I know God if He is so far above me?'
- 'Is it wrong to feel spiritually ignorant or to question God?'
- 'How do I avoid adding my own cultural ideas to what the Bible says?'
Leading a Discussion
Agur's short poem moves from personal emptiness to cosmic wonder to settled trust in God's word. In small groups, let the questions guide you from observing what Agur says to considering how it shapes your approach to God and Scripture.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: How does Agur describe himself in verses 2-3? What words stand out to you?
- Observation: Look at the list of questions in verse 4. What areas of God's power do they cover?
- Interpretation: Why might Agur begin with his own ignorance before asking those grand questions about God?
- Interpretation: How does the statement that 'every word of God is pure' (v. 5) connect to the earlier confession of ignorance?
- Application: In what situations is it helpful to admit you don't have answers about God?
- Application: What does it look like to 'take refuge' in God (v. 5) when you feel overwhelmed by things you cannot understand?
- Application: The command 'Do not add to his words' forbids treating human traditions as equal to Scripture. Can you think of an example where believers might inadvertently do that today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 31:1 | The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him: |
| II Peter 1:19 | We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, |
| II Peter 1:21 | For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit. |
| Job 42:3 | You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know. |
| Job 42:6 | Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” |
| Psalms 49:10 | For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others. |
| Psalms 73:22 | I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. |
| Psalms 92:6 | A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this: |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that some see the names at the start as descriptions rather than proper names and that Solomon could not have written the
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that some read Proverbs 30 as a literal story about a man who sought God but failed. He also says Christians have understood that human effort to know God alone is insufficient.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The wise teacher says he has studied nature and realized there must be an eternal power behind it. He asks what that power’s name is and whether it has given any part of itself to a Son. You can find certainty about God through His revealed words rather than human guessing.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes shows that Agur acknowledges his own deep ignorance of wisdom and holy knowledge. He then asks who can explain God’s power by naming those who have gone to heaven and come back or who hold back the waters.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the saying of the man refers to any serious announcement rather than just prophecy. He also says brutish describes a person with low self esteem or their natural state.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that "Massa" in the title is not a prophetic utterance but the name of an Arabian region, and Agur was a wise man from there, not Solomon. The rhetorical questions that follow expose human ignorance and powerlessness, showing why people must cling to God's pure, once-revealed word without adding anything to it.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Agur is a real person from the Ishmaelite region of Massa, not a symbolic name for Solomon. He compares this to Balaam and Job, showing that non-Israelite writings entered the canon when they proved faithful to Jehovah. Agur's confession of trust in God demonstrates this wisdom belongs to Israel's sacred tradition.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes Agur may have been a name rather than a title meaning collector. He also suggests Ithiel and Ucal were either his students or the subject of his teaching.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that only God who created all things can truly know and teach divine mysteries. He says no human can possess such full understanding.