30:1 The origin of these sayings is not clear. Nothing is known about Agur except that he was a wise teacher who may have come from Lemuel’s kingdom (see the note on 31:1).
30:4 Some scholars feel that the son referred to is the Son of God, the preincarnate being of the Messiah who, before the foundation of the earth, participated in the creation. Colossians 1:16, 17 teaches that through Christ the world was created.
30:7-9 Having too much money can be dangerous, but so can having too little. Being poor can, in fact, be hazardous to spiritual as well as physical health. On the other hand, being rich is not the answer. As Jesus pointed out, rich people have trouble getting into God’s Kingdom (Matthew 19:23, 24). Like Paul, we can learn “how to be abased” or “how to abound” (Philippians 4:12), but our lives are more likely to be effective if we have neither too much nor too little money.
30:11-14 This sequence of proverbs contains a fourfold description of arrogance. Notice that a life of pride and abuse of others often begins with a lack of appreciation for one’s parents. The command to honor one’s father and mother does create negative consequences when rejected.
30:15ff “Three things . . . yea, four things” is a poetic way of saying the list is not complete. The writer of these proverbs is observing the world with delighted interest. Verses 15-31 are an invitation to look at nature from the perspective of a keen observer.
30:24-28 Ants can teach us about preparation; conies (cliff badgers) about wise building; locusts about cooperation and order; and spiders about fearlessness. Compare this to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:25-34 that an effective way to resist worry involves a careful observation of the birds and the lilies.