Chapter 30

These last two are "The words of Agur son of Jakeh.  The oracle.  MSB says he was an unknown sage who likely studied wisdom in the time of Solomon.

1st Stanza, Agur says he is not very smart, and has little understanding.

2nd, God's word is true, do not be adding to it.

3rd, He asks two things.  That he not be a liar, and that he be neither poor nor rich.  It seems to me that he has control of the first one, and at least some control of the second one.  In any case, he seeks an honest life of modest means as the best condition from which to seek God's wisdom.

4th, A single verse about not slandering other people's slaves.  I would say it goes double for their children!

5th, I break this after 14 though in my TCR it is hard to say there's really a break there.  11-14 describe a situation where there are many evil people who consider themselves wise - as in there is none wiser, none they need answer to.  They are a generation bursting with pride in their own wisdom.

2021 - 11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. 13 There are those--how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! 14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. [Pro 30:11-14 ESV]  A TCR footnote says this first phrase might be read "There is a generation", rather than "There are those..."  Interlinear confirms that, and also suggests "There is an age..." might be a possible translation.  Note that four characteristics are given of this "age".  Disrespectful to parents comes first.  It comes first.  Perhaps an indictment of the parents though more than of the children.  This age results from poor parenting.  Next are the self-deluded, the I'm OK, You're OK, bunch who believe that they are just fine as they are, not realizing the filth and stink they give off.  Third, the arrogant, the prideful, the scoffers.  We've seen them before.  And last, the greedy seekers of material gain, who will oppress the weakest, most defenseless people there are to enrich themselves. 

Possible FB post, but this is only identification, not application.  Would need more. 

6th, Four things never satisfied: Sheol, the barren womb, dry, thirsty ground, and fire.

7th, vs 17 alone.  Those who disrespect their parents will come to a bad end.

8th, Four wonderful things: an eagle in the sky, a snake on a rock, a ship on the sea, a man with a maiden.  Somewhere I read that none of these leave a trail.  Per MSB, these four are prelude to vs 20.

9th, A single verse, 20.  Adulteresses don't see anything wrong with what they do.  Does this tie back to the previous four things, things that leave no trail?

MSB says that's exactly it, as follows.  Eagles leave no trail in the air, nor snakes on rock, ships on water, or men with virgins.  MSB says these illustrate hypocrisy in that they are all concealed, all "plausibly deniable".  An adulteress also leaves no evidence of her deeds, and can go on pretending to be a fine, virtuous woman.  No one knows that she is a hypocrite.

10th, four that make the earth tremble:  A slave who becomes king, a fool full of food, an unloved woman who gets married, a maidservant that displaces her mistress.  All these are likely to have a profound, and sinful, sort of pride.  That is, the world is uncomfortable when the natural order is upset.  There is no single verse following this list of four as there was a single for the previous four.  Perhaps it is not needed.

11th, Four small wise things: ants, rock badgers (conies?), locusts, and spiders (lizards?).  Planning and wisdom are better than great strength.  Again, there is not a single verse following these to make the point.  The point is embedded.  Size is not all there is.  Wisdom can find a niche, even for the small in the middle of giants.

12th, Four stately in their movements: Lions, roosters, he-goats, and kings when with their armies.  MSB says this is about the bearing of one who lives wisely, deports himself properly, and so has confidence in his position.

13th, Last two verses might be a summary:  Do not exalt yourself.  Don't be one of the self-wise in the generation of such people.  Don't be part of them.  Five groups of four that stand out.  Perhaps to give us a sense of perspective, lest we think too much of ourselves.  Even spiders make the list, but few men do. 

MSB says the single verses go with the four before.  So the never satisfied are like leeches.  An adulteress can deny because she's left no trace, like eagles leave no trail.

3/30/21 -

11 [There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 [There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness. 13 [There is] a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 [There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men. [Pro 30:11-14 KJV]  KJV starts each of these with "There is a generation...".  ESV starts each with "there are those...". NASB starts them with "There is a kind of man....", and NASB20 starts with "There is a kind of person..."  I wonder where "generation" came from?  Is KJV right and this is about a "time" to come, a prophetic section, or is this just about the kind of people that we might find in the world?