Proverbs 30:1-4

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name?
Surely you know!

The last two chapters of Proverbs serve as an appendix to the book. In the first verses of each chapter, the author expressly refers to “prophecy;” thus the penman was inspired to record God’s word (I Timothy 3:15). Agur is the penman of chapter 30 who spoke the words to Ithiel and Ucal, perhaps his sons. Commentaries agree that we know nothing of this man: What tribe did he come from? Where did he live? Yet, this man was honored by God to have his name recored in Holy Scriptures for all time.

Agur’s name literally means “a collector” or “a gatherer” implying that he did not compose things himself but collected the sayings which are recorded. Perhaps that is why he writes in verse 3: “I have not learned wisdom.” He was the scribe for other wise and discerning men. The names of Ithiel and Ucal are significant. Ithiel means “God with me” and Ucal means “the mighty One.” See Isaiah 7:14. Both of these names, then, can apply to the Messiah, for in him all the prophecies point and are fulfilled. Christ is true wisdom, for he is full of “grace and truth.”

Interestingly, before Agur speaks of Christ, he speaks of needing a Savior. Verses 1-3 speak of the great humility of this man. He realizes his need of righteousness (“too stupid to be a man”). He realizes his own foolishness and knows of a greater One to whom we can go for perfect righteousness. He knows, too, that he lacks sufficient knowledge of God apart from that which is given by God himself.

Let us, then, like Agur realize we are “spiritually bankrupt” without a Savior. We have that one in Jesus Christ, the perfect righteous One. Let us praise him for that.

© 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in its entirety or in unaltered excerpts, as long as you do not charge a fee. For Internet posting, please use only unaltered excerpts (not the content in its entirety) and provide a hyperlink to this page, or embed the entire material hosted on Tenth channels. You may not re-upload the material in its entirety. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By George McFarland. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org