Proverbs 30:26

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; THE CONIES ... FEEBLE ... YET MAKE THEY THEIR HOUSES IN THE ROCKS - not the rabbit, which is not found in Bible lands, but a gregarious pachydermatous animal (Hebrew, shapan (H8227)), the hyrax Syriacus, about the size of a rabbit, living in the clefts of the rocks. Not the jerboa, as Bochart thinks, since this inhabits sandy places, not stony rocks. An old male shapan or hyrax is set as sentry near their holes; if danger approach, he utters a whistle to apprise his companions. This illustrate their wisdom, here celebrated (cf. note, Psalms 104:18)....

CONIES - See the marginal reference note....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 30:1 PART VII. FIRST APPENDIX TO THE SECOND COLLECTION, containing "the words of Agur." A short introduction, teaching that the Word of God is the source of wisdom (Proverbs 30:1), is followed by apothegms on different subjects (Proverbs 30:7). Cornelius a Lapide offers the following opinion concerning this appendix, which no one can hesitate to say is well founded, if he attempts to give it a spiritual interpretation, and to discern mysteries under the literal meaning: "Quarta haec pars elegantissima est et pulcherrima, aeque ac diffic

THE CONEYS [ARE BUT] A FEEBLE FOLK,.... Or "rabbits"; though some think these creatures are not intended, because they are not so little as those with which they are ranked, the ant, the locust, and spider; and because of the places in which they burrow and make their houses, which though in holes and caverns of the earth, yet not in rocky but sandy places; rather therefore it is thought that the mountain mouse, or bear mouse o, as Jerom calls it, is meant; of which, he says p, there were great numbers in Palestine, and which had their habitations in the holes of rocks; though if Spain has its name from שפן, as some say, because of the multitudes of coneys in it; and hence that part of Spain called Celtiberia is called by Catullus q Cuniculosa; the coney may be thought to be meant by this word, and so it is translated in Leviticus 11:5; the only places where it is elsewhere used; and the...

VI. THE WORDS OF AGUR THE SON OF JAKEH CHAPTER 30 Some hold that Agur is another name for Solomon. This opinion is also upheld by the Talmud, which speaks of six names which belonged to the King: Solomon, Jedidiah, Koheleth, Son of Jakeh, Agur and Lemuel. But this opinion cannot be verified, nor do we know who Agur the son of Jakeh was. The Septuagint and the Vulgate have translated the Hebrew words and formed a sentence out of them. “Agur” means “assembler” and Jakeh has the meaning of “pious,” so that some think that Agur means an unknown godly man who gathered these sayings and they were embodied in this book. We leave the name as it is, and believe that Agur, the son of Jakeh, is the name of the author of this chapter. “Whoever Agur was, he had a certain marked individuality; he combines meditation on lofty questions of theology with a sound theory of practical life. He was able to...

PROVERBS 30. THE SAYINGS OF AGUR. It is uncertain whether the title embraces the whole chapter or Proverbs 30:1, or Proverbs 30:1 only. Proverbs 30:1. The title is extremely obscure, and has been much discussed. The VSS show a wide divergence in their interpretation. It is perhaps simplest to accept the title as referring to some sage of repute among the Wisdom circles in the Greek period. Proverbs 30:1 b has been interpreted in many ways, the proper names being taken as significant words. The most interesting is that which represents the sage as saying (_cf. mg.),_ I have wearied myself, O God, I ha

CONIES. About the size of. rabbit. Inhabit clefts in the rocks; because, having soft feet, they cannot burrow as. rabbit can. So God's people abide in Christ, their Rock. HOUSES... ROCKS. house... rock. Hebrew singular....

Four things which though little are WISE....

THE CONIES— _The mountain-mice—the rock-rats._ See Leviticus 11:5....

TEXT Proverbs 30:21-33 21. For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, which it cannot bear: 22. For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food; 23. For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 24. There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise: 25. The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer; 26. The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27. The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28. The lizard taketh hold with her hands, Yet is she in kings-' palaces. 29. There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, fo