26 Many are they, who seek the face of a ruler, But the sentence of a man is from JEHOVAH. 27 As the iniquitous man is the abomination of the righteous; So the upright in his way is the abomination of the wicked. Fear Him, which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell, yea I say unto you, Fear Him." Luke xii. 4, 5. 26 seek as suppliants, desirous of interesting him in their favour. the sentence of a man-i. e. the decision of any man. Compare xvi. 33. and Notes, also xxi. 1. and Notes. 27"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2 Cor. vi. 14. "What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb ? So the sinner with the godly." Ecclus. xiii. 17. ار THE WORDS OF AGUR, SON OF JAKEH, EVEN THE DECLARATION, THE SOLEMN DECLARATION OF THAT MAN UNTO ITHIEL, 2 Truly, I am more ignorant than any one, 3 I have not learned wisdom, Nor do I comprehend the knowledge of the most Holy. 4 Who hath gone up into heaven, and come down? Who hath inclosed the wind in his hands? Who hath bound up the waters in a garment? And what, the name of his son ? CHAPTER XXX. 2 In this and the four following verses are contained the answer of Agur to his pupils, who, it would seem, had ascribed to their favourite teacher an extraordinary degree of capacity and knowledge, in respect of the general course of the divine government and the proper conduct of human life. Agur disclaims any particular acquaintance with these great truths, and refers all the superiority, which he might appear to possess in subjects of this lofty nature, to those revelations, which the Almighty had been pleased to make, from time to time, both of Himself and of the ways of His Providence. It is observable that the whole of the thirtieth chapter consists of a series of answers, given by this preceptor to the enquiries of his pupils, and that the answer in any case will readily suggest the kind of question, which produced it. 4 In this verse, Agur asks whether any man had been admitted into the counsels of the Almighty, particularly as regards the work of creation. Agreeably to this, the Apostle enquires: "Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counsellor ?" Rom. xi. 34. And Elihu asks: "Who hath enjoined Him His way?" Job xxxvi. 23. Compare also Job xxxviii. inclosed the wind in his handsHeb. gathered the wind in his closed hands. Tell me &c. Heb. Since thou knowest! This is spoken by Agur ironically, under a full conviction 5 Every word of God is pure; HE is a shield unto those, who take refuge with Him. 6 Add not unto His words, Lest He rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar. 7 Two things have I asked of Thee; Withhold them not from me, while I live. 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying words; Give me neither poverty nor riches, Feed me with food, convenient for me; 9 Lest I be filled to the full, and deny Thee, And say: "Who is JEHOVAH !" Or lest I come to poverty, and steal, And swear falsely by the Name of my God. 10 Talk not against a servant unto his master, 11 There is a class, who curse their fathers, And bless not their mothers! 12 There is a class, who are pure in their own eyes; But they are not washed from their filthiness! 13 There is a class how lofty are their eyes! Yea, their eyelids are lifted up! 14 There is a class, whose teeth are swords, And whose fangs are knives; To devour the poor, that they be no longer on the earth, And the needy, that they be no longer amongst men. 15 The horseleach hath two daughters, Who cry: "Give, Give!" These three things cannot be satisfied; There are four, which do not say: "It is enough!" 16 The grave, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not saturated with water; 17 The eye, which holdeth a father in derision, .Heb. 14 that they be no longer on —. from (off). See Ps. vii. 5. Note 1. that they be no longer amongst— Heb. from amongst. 15 This proverb, like the following, is intended to point out the insatiable and unbounded desires in which man indulges. The images, employed for this purpose, are amongst the most striking, which nature can furnish. 16 which is not suturatedi. e. which, although it may be refreshed with copious showers, soon requires a further supply of moisture. 17 By the Mosaic law, an obstinately disobedient son was to be punished by death. "The men of his city" were to "stone him with stones, that he die" (Deut. xxi. 18-21). It was a great aggravation of the punishment, if the body were afterwards left unburied, a prey to ravenous beasts and birds. Compare Ps. Lxiii. 10. The sacred writer here refers particularly to the destruction of the eye, which had been mainly instrumental in the crime committed. It is observed that birds of prey, when lighting upon the carcase of an ani.. mal, make their first attack upon the eye. 17 ravens of the brooks-Birds, generally, were found near the banks of streams, as being more wooded (Ps. civ. 12. Notes). That the ravens frequented them appears from 1 Kings xvii. 3—6. the eagles Heb. the sons of the eagles. 18 These three things are too wonderful for me, Yea, there are four, which I know not; 19 The track of the eagle in the air, The track of a serpent upon a rock, The track of a ship in the midst of the sea, And saith: "I have done no iniquity!" 21 Under three things is a land disquieted, Yea, under four, it cannot bear up 22 Under a slave, when he reigneth, And a fool, when he is filled to the full with bread. 23 Under an odious woman, when she becometh married, And a maiden, when she becometh heir to her mistress. 24 These four are the small things of the earth, Yet are they wise-instructed in wisdom! 19 the track of the eagle &c." As when a bird hath flown through the air, there is no token of her way to be found, but the light air, being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them, is passed through and therein afterwards no sign where she went is to be found." Wisd. v. 11. upon a rock which receives no mark, from the passing of the serpent over it. ship" As a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which, when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the pathway of the keel in the waves." Wisd. v. 10. 20 Such-i. e. Equally difficult to be traced and discovered. eateth &c.-i. e. She attempts to con |