Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMatthew Poole Commentary - Proverbs 30:1 - 30:1
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
PROVERBS CHAPTER 30
Agur’s prophecy, Pro_30:1; wherein he acknowledgeth his own ignorance, Pro_30:2,3. The purity of God’s word, with the happiness of them that trust in him, Pro_30:5. He dehorts from adding to the Scriptures, by the danger of it, Pro_30:6. The two points of his prayer, with their reason, Pro_30:7-9. Four wicked generations, Pro_30:10-14. Four things insatiable, Pro_30:15,16. Parents not to be despised, Pro_30:17. Four things hard to be known, Pro_30:18,19. The way of an adulterous woman, Pro_30:20. Four things intolerable, Pro_30:21-23. Four things little, but wise, Pro_30:24-28. Four things stately, Pro_30:29-31.
Agur the son of Jakeh; a person so called, as appears from the designation of his own and his father’s name, who lived either in Solomon’s time, or rather afterwards, and was famous in his generation for wisdom, and piety, and prophecy; and therefore his proverbs were thought fit to be added to those of Solomon, either by those men of Hezekiah, mentioned Pro_25:1, or by some other. But that this should be meant of Solomon may easily be supposed, but cannot be proved; nor is it probable, as being contrary both to the style of the whole chapter, and to the matter of some part of it, as Pro_30:7-9, which agrees not to Solomon; and to the laws of good interpretation, one of which is, that all words should be taken in their most natural and proper sense, when there is no evidence nor necessity of understanding them improperly and figuratively, which is the present case.
The prophecy; the prophetical instruction; for as the prophets were public preachers as well as foretellers of things to come, so their sermons, no less than their predictions, are commonly called their prophecies.
Unto Ithiel and Ucal; two friends, or disciples, and contemporaries of Agur, called by those names, who having a great and just opinion of his wisdom, desired his instructions. Others, concerning Ithiel and Ucal; which they understand of Christ, called
Ithiel, which signifies God with me, and answers to Immanuel, which is God with us; and
Ucal, which signifies power or prevalency. But if he had meant this of Christ, why should he design him such obscure and ambiguous names, as if he would not be understood? Why did he not call him by the name of Shiloh or Messiah, or some other Scripture title belonging and ascribed to him? Besides, this interpretation agrees not with the contents of this chapter, wherein there is only a short and occasional mention of Christ, but the chapter consists in a manner wholly of counsels and sentences of a quite other kind.