Proverbs 30:9

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Two prayers, followed by single sentences, (Proverbs 30:10, etc.) One prayer concerns the soul, the other the body. DENY ME THEM NOT BEFORE I DIE - when I shall exchange prayer for praise. Fervent desire is implied. Verse 8. REMOVE FAR FROM ME VANITY AND LIES - a boon for the soul. "Vanity" - all self-deceit. "Lies" - all deceiving of others, including all sin. Vanity is all that is not what it appears; the world's vain show, gain, pleasure, idols, heresies (Psalms 119:37, note). GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES - a boon for the body. FEED ME WITH FOOD CONVENIENT FOR ME - Hebrew, with food of...

The special dangers of the two extremes. Wealth tempts to pride, unbelief, and a scorn like that of Pharaoh Exodus 5:2; poverty to, dishonesty, and then to perjury, or to the hypocritical profession of religion which is practically identical with it....

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

LEST I BE FULL, AND DENY [THEE],.... This is the dangerous consequence of riches, and the temptation they expose men unto; who, being full of the things of this world, are tempted to deny the Lord; not his being and perfections directly, but chiefly his providence; to deny that what they have, they have received of him, but attribute it to their own care, diligence, and industry; and now think they can live without him, without any dependence on his providence, having a large affluence of the things of life: yea, they may be said to deny him, when they forget the bounties of his providence; are not thankful to him for them; that flatter themselves with a continuance of them, without any regard to him, as if he had no concern in the affairs of life; see Deuteronomy 32:15; AND SAY, WHO [IS] THE LORD? as Pharaoh did,...

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

THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. POOR: i.e. from being dispossessed. Hebrew. _yarash._ See note on "poverty", Proverbs 6:11 TAKE THE NAME, &C.. assaileth Jehovah. Not. reference to the second Commandment. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. Accuse not. servant. Get not. servant accused. Note the Hiphil here; as in Psalms 101:5....

_take_… in vain] _use profanely_, R.V. Lit. TAKE HOLD OF, or HANDLE, sc. lightly or profanely. Lest I be moved in the bitterness of distress to blaspheme, or charge God foolishly. Comp. Job 1:22; Job 2:9; Isaiah 8:11....

DISCOURSE: 824 AGUR’S WISH Proverbs 30:7. _Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain_. IT is the privilege of man to make known his requests to God in prayer, and to solicit from him whatever may conduce to his real good. Even temporal things may be asked, provided it be in subserviency to our spiritual interests, and with entire submission to the Divine will. Who Agur was, we cannot certainly determine; but he was evidently an inspired person [Note: His words are called “prophecies.” ver. 1.]; and his prayer in reference to his condition in this world is an excellent pattern for our imitation. He entreated the Lord

GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY, &C.— These words are introduced in the form of an address to God, in answer, perhaps, to some question which the disciples had proposed to Agur about the duty of prayer. What Agur prays for is, such a proportion of the good things of this world, as may best answer the end of living. It must be observed, that the terms _poverty_ and _riches_ are relative, and not absolute. They are relative to the particular state and circumstances in which each person is placed; so that what is _riches_ to one will be _poverty_ to another of higher station; on the contrary, what is _poverty_ to one, will be _riches_ to another in a meaner condition. This prayer, therefore, is not a prayer for a _middle_ state of life, _absolutely;_ as it has been often understood to be; but it is a prayer for a sufficiency, for a due measure, a fit and just proportion of things necessary and conv...