Matthew Henry Commentary Proverbs 30
Matthew Henry Commentary
Proverbs 30
Matthew Henry Commentary
Proverbs 30
"The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; The oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal: Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man; And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One. Who 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? Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him. Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." — Proverbs 30:1-6 (ASV)
Agur speaks of himself as lacking righteousness and having acted very foolishly. And it is fitting for us all to have humble thoughts of ourselves. He speaks of himself as lacking revelation to guide him in the ways of truth and wisdom. The more enlightened people are, the more they lament their ignorance; the more they pray for clearer, still clearer discoveries of God, and His rich grace in Christ Jesus.
In Proverbs 30:4, there is a prophetic notice of Him who came down from heaven to be our Instructor and Saviour, and then ascended into heaven to be our Advocate. The Messiah is spoken of here as a Person distinct from the Father, but His name is still secret. The great Redeemer, in the glories of His providence and grace, cannot be fully comprehended.
Had it not been for Christ, the foundations of the earth would have sunk under the load of the curse upon the ground, for man's sin. Who, and what is the mighty One that does all this? There is not the least ground to suspect anything lacking in the word of God; adding to His words opens the way to errors and corruptions.
"Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me [them] not before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me: Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God." — Proverbs 30:7-9 (ASV)
Agur wisely prayed for a middle state, so that he might be kept at a distance from temptations; he asked for daily bread suited to his station, his family, and his real good. There is a remarkable similarity between this prayer and several clauses of the Lord's prayer.
If we are removed from vanity and lies, if we partake of the pardoning love of Christ and have Him for our portion, and if we walk with God, then we will have all we can ask or think regarding spiritual things.
When we consider how those who have abundance are prone to abuse the gift, and what it is to suffer want, Agur's prayer will always be found a wise one, though seldom offered.
Food convenient; what is suitable for one may not be so for another. But we may be sure that our heavenly Father will supply all our need and not allow us to lack anything good for us; and why should we wish for more?
"Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty." — Proverbs 30:10 (ASV)
Do not slander a servant to his master, nor accuse him in small matters, to cause trouble.
"There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And [yet] are not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. 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." — Proverbs 30:11-14 (ASV)
In every age, there are monsters of ingratitude who ill-treat their parents. Many persuade themselves they are holy people, whose hearts are full of sin and who practice secret wickedness. There are others whose lofty pride is manifest. There have also been cruel monsters in every age.
"The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [Yea], four that say not, Enough: Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough. The eye that mocketh at his father, And despiseth to obey his mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it." — Proverbs 30:15-17 (ASV)
Cruelty and covetousness are two daughters of the horseleech, that still cry, Give, give, and they are continually uneasy within themselves. Four things never are satisfied, to which these devourers are compared. Those who are always coveting are never rich. And many who have come to a bad end have admitted that their wicked ways began by despising their parents' authority.
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