Proverbs 30:7-9 · Bible study
Proverbs 30:7-9 Commentary: Agur's Prayer for Integrity and Enough
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Agur's urgent prayer for truth and sufficiency, avoiding the spiritual dangers of both poverty and riches.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Agur prays for integrity and sufficiency, recognizing the spiritual perils of both poverty and wealth.
- Key words: shav (vanity, emptiness, idol), kazav (lie, falsehood), lechem chukki (bread of my allotted portion).
- Main debate: Whether “vanity and lies” refers primarily to idolatry (Clarke) or general sin and hypocrisy (Gill, Barnes).
- Theological theme: Dependence on God for daily bread and moral integrity; the danger of extremes.
- Best use: A model prayer for anyone seeking contentment and truthfulness in their walk with God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
7Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die:
8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
WEB World English Bible 2000
7“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
KJV King James Version 1769
7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9Lest 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
7Two things have I asked of thee; Deny methemnot before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
9Lest I be full, and denythee, and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
7Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.
8Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
9Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, `Who is Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
7Two things do I ask of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:
8Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:
9lest I be full and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
7Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
8Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
9Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 30:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Agur's prayer targets two essentials: ethical integrity and material sufficiency. The first petition asks God to remove “vanity and lies”, a phrase Gill and Barnes take as a request to be kept from sin, falsehood, and hypocrisy in all forms. Clarke argues that the Hebrew words (shav and kazav) often refer to idolatry and false gods, so Agur prays against any false religion or deceptive trust. The second petition asks for neither poverty nor riches, but “the bread of my portion”, a daily provision that matches what is needed. Barnes notes the order matters: truth comes before material needs. Matthew Henry observes that Agur wants grace sufficient and food convenient. All see the urgency: he wants these requests granted while he lives, because both extremes threaten his relationship with God. Wealth may lead to proud denial; poverty may lead to theft and profaning God's name. The prayer is a model of wisdom, acknowledging human weakness and dependence on divine provision.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Agur asks God for truth and sufficiency, aware that both poverty and wealth can lead to sin and a breach in relationship with God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the prayer | Agur prays for ethical integrity (freedom from falsehood) and material sufficiency (neither poverty nor riches) as lifelong gifts from God. | Some see the primary concern as avoiding idolatry; others see it as a general request for holiness and wisdom in handling resources. |
| Meaning of 'vanity and lies' | The phrase (shav and kazav) denotes emptiness, falsehood, and deception in words, thoughts, or worship. | Clarke argues it specifically refers to idolatry and false gods; Gill and Barnes take it more broadly as all forms of sin, hypocrisy, and error. |
| Moral dangers of wealth vs poverty | Both extremes are spiritually hazardous: wealth can produce pride and denial of God; poverty can lead to theft and profaning God's name. | Some traditions emphasize the danger of wealth more strongly (e.g., Matthew Henry), while others note that poverty can tempt to dishonesty equally. |
| Urgency of the request | Agur wants these requests granted while he lives, indicating their ongoing necessity for a faithful life. | Whether he expects an immediate answer or a sustained provision over his lifetime is interpreted differently, but the urgency is universally noted. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 30 is attributed to Agur, a wise figure about whom little else is known. The surrounding verses include a warning not to add to God's words (v.6) and a series of numerical sayings (vv.15-33). Sandwiched between them is this personal prayer, unusual in the book of Proverbs for its direct address to God. The literary form is a numerical proverb, “two things I ask”, a style Agur later uses for lists of four things (vv.18-19, 21-23, 24-28).
In ancient Israel, poverty was a real threat that could lead to desperation and crime. Theft was a serious sin, and profaning God's name by swearing falsely in court (or by blaming God) was a capital concern. Riches, on the other hand, tempted the wealthy to trust in their abundance and forget the Lord, like Jeshurun in Deuteronomy 32:15. “Who is Yahweh?” echoes Pharaoh's defiant question in Exodus 5:2. Agur's prayer for “the bread of my portion” (lechem chukki) echoes the daily manna ration, a provision given precisely as needed. The phrase “food convenient for me” (KJV) or “bread that is my portion” reflects a concept of an allotted share, not hoarded, not lacking. This prayer belongs to a wisdom tradition that values the middle way, avoiding the spiritual dangers at both extremes.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources (Keil & Delitzsch, Lange) discuss the punctuation of verse 8 in the Hebrew text, but note no significant textual variants. The Masoretic Text is stable. Some manuscripts vary the placement of accents, but the wording is consistent across traditions.
Reception History
This passage has been treasured in Christian tradition as a prayer for contentment and integrity. Its request for daily bread echoes Jesus' model prayer (Matthew 6:11). Early and medieval commentators often used it to teach against avarice and for trust in providence. Reformed and Wesleyan traditions have highlighted its balanced view of wealth and poverty. It continues to be cited in sermons on simplicity and faithfulness, and as a wise alternative to the prosperity gospel or ascetic extremes.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Pray with urgency. Agur says, “Deny me not before I die.” He recognizes that these matters are life-and-death issues for the soul. His prayer is not casual but earnest, because integrity and contentment are not optional.
- Pray for truth first. Before asking about money, Agur asks for removal of falsehood. Our relationship with God depends on truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). Vanity and lies, whether in speech, worship, or self-assessment, corrupt the soul.
- Pray for enough. He does not ask for wealth, nor for poverty. He asks for “the bread of my portion.” This is a prayer of contentment: trust God to provide what is needed, no more and no less.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Agur's confession of limited knowledge (v.2-4) leads to a prayer of dependence.
- The urgency: He prays before he dies, meaning throughout his life, he wants these graces sustained.
- First request: “Remove far from me vanity and lies.” Deliverance from all that is empty, deceptive, or idolatrous.
- Second request: “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” He prays for the middle path of sufficiency.
- Why both extremes are dangerous: Riches can lead to forgetting God; poverty can lead to stealing and dishonoring God's name.
Illustration hooks
- A person who wins the lottery and then stops going to church, riches revealed their heart.
- A family struggling to pay bills who, in desperation, fudge their tax return, poverty tempted them to steal.
- The simple meal of bread and water that feels like a feast when you know God provided it, contentment discovered in enough.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to pray for more money? How do I know when “enough” is enough?
- What does it mean to “take God's name in vain” beyond swearing?
- How can I detect the “vanity and lies” in my own heart and ask God to remove them?
Leading a Discussion
Agur's prayer is a masterclass in wisdom: he knows what he truly needs, and he asks God urgently for it. This prayer challenges us to examine our own desires and to trust God for daily provision.
Discussion questions
- What are the two requests Agur makes? Why do you think he puts them in that order?
- What do “vanity and lies” refer to in your own life? How might they include more than just lying?
- Why does Agur avoid praying for either poverty or riches? What does this say about the dangers of each?
- The phrase “food convenient for me” (or “bread of my portion”) implies an allotted share. How does this shape your view of daily needs?
- In verse 9, Agur describes two temptations: denying God when full and stealing when poor. Which of these temptations feels more pressing to you, and why?
- How does this prayer relate to Jesus' teaching in the Lord's Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread” and “Lead us not into temptation”?
- What practical steps can our group take to cultivate contentment and avoid the extremes of greed or anxiety?
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)
| I Kings 3:5 | In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.” |
| I Kings 3:9 | Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?” |
| II Kings 2:9 | When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.” |
| Psalms 21:2 | You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. |
| Psalms 27:4 | One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. |
| Luke 10:42 | but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.” |
| Genesis 28:20 | Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, |
| Genesis 48:15 | He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes Agur prays to be kept away from false gods and all deceptive lies. He also asks to be protected from using God’s name in vain. You may trust in God’s true promises always.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that knowing one’s knowledge has limits leads naturally to limited desires. He also says the wise man first asks for truth inside himself and then for his daily bread.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes the bread here refers to the work required as one’s share (as in Proverbs 31:15 and Exodus 5:14). It also explains handling God’s gifts lightly could lead to speaking foolishly out of pain.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that the speaker asks for two specific things before death. He asks not to be denied these things nor to suffer from poverty or wealth.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the righteous man asks God to keep him from sin while having enough for his family and to protect him from the temptation that comes with wealth or poverty. He hopes to remain grateful and faithful to God no matter what condition he is in.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that seeking wealth or poverty avoids only two extremes. He also says vanity includes all sinful acts and that puffed up pride by prosperity leads one to misuse God’s name.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads this prayer as a twofold request shaped as a numerical proverb, though it dwells almost entirely on the second petition. The bread Agur asks for is not merely measured but divinely appointed, the precise portion God has planned. Both extremes carry distinct moral dangers: riches tempt toward arrogant denial of God, poverty toward theft and blasphemy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees this verse as the logical conclusion of the whole introduction: because every word of God is pure and sufficient, any human attempt to add to it is both unnecessary and dangerous. The warning is not merely about scribal tampering but about the pride of supplementing divine revelation with human wisdom.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Agur asks to stay under God’s grace while he lives so he will not reject God after death. He also requests food that fits his needs to prevent him from stealing when poor.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that some read these verses as describing a person who rejects God and relies on wealth. He also says others understand them as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.