PROVERBS 30: OLD TESTAMENT PARALLELS

Proverbs 30: OT Parallels

This chapter of Proverbs is an excellent one to demonstrate the interconnectivity of the Old Testament books and the consistent message they convey. When looking at the parallels below, it is really impossible to determine which passage is dependent on which due to the uncertainties in dating many of the OT books. And, of course, there is also the possibility that two similar verses in Scripture may have come from a common source of which we are unaware.

Prov. 30:1-9 – Scott notes, “The reader will observe that there are similarities both to the language and to the theme of the Book of Job.”

Prov. 30:1-4 – Seifrid says, “The thrust of Deut. 30:11-14 [is that] God has conferred the law as a gift to Israel...In varying degrees...Jewish traditions echo imagery of the Deuteronomic passage.” He cites Job 28:12-14 and Proverbs 30:1-4.

Prov. 30:1 – “Many commentators translate Proverbs 30:1 as, 'The words of Agur, son of Yaqeh, the Massaite'...Elsewhere in the Bible 'Massa' refers to a people or tribe from northern Arabia, related to Ishmael (see Gen 25:14; 1 Chron 1:30)...If this is the correct understanding, it “attests to the international character of wisdom literature.” (J.A. Cook) Kim points to additional passages which attest to the same fact: I Samuel 24:13; I Kings 5:10; Jeremiah 49:7; and Obadiah 8.

However, C.G. Martin expresses the opinion that “the usual meaning [of massa], an 'oracle,' is more likely as it fits better with 'declared' (ne'um as Jer. 1:8).”

Prov. 30:2 – Martin feels that verse 2 is the ironical speech of a skeptic (“Surely I am too stupid...”) as Job in Job 12:2.

Prov. 30:2-4 – “By comparison with God's wisdom and transcendence, humility is the only proper attitude for man. In the sanctuary this becomes plain (Ps. 73:15-22).” (Martin)

Prov. 30:4 – Washington points to Job 38:4-41 as a possible parallel passage. Martin states, “Unless his name is known, neither god nor man can be known as real; cf. Gen xxxii 29; Exod iii 13; Isa lii 6.”

In a similar mode, Hubbard states, “To know the name, especially the covenant name 'Yahweh' is to know the person of God as Creator and redeemer (Exod. 3:13-14).”

Prov. 30:4-5 – Martin states regarding these verses, “In language reminiscent of Job (chs. 38, 39) this comes as near anything in Proverbs to showing God's transcendence, but still it is as Creator of all things rather than morally supreme. See Ec. 5:2 for another example of this in the Wisdom literature.”

Prov. 30: 5 – McCarter feels that the line in II Samuel 22:31 ('the decree of Yahweh is pure silver') “is intrusive, a scribal importation from Prov 30:5.”

Prov. 30:5-6 – Washington treats this as “a pious response to vv. 1-4 (see Ps 18:30; 2 Sam 22:31; Deut 4:2; 12:32).” And Childs adds that it “comes in the form of two citations from the Old Testament: v. 5 is a slight variation of II Sam. 22:31 (Ps. 18:31) and v. 6a of Deut. 4:2...As an answer to the inquirer's despair at finding wisdom and the knowledge of God, the answer offered is that God has already made himself known truthfully in his written word. His self-revelation must be obeyed and not falsified by additions.”

“The language is pedestrian, and sounds like a composite quotation from written scripture; cf. Ps xviii 30; Deut iv 2; Job xiii 10, xxiv 25.” (Martin)

“God's revelation must not be mixed with human speculation, which may prove to be utterly wrong. Cf. Ps. 18:30.” (Walls)

Prov. 30:6 – Regarding the admonition here to 'not add to his words,' Schnittjer says, “Agur uses a phrase that runs parallel to part of one of the obedience formulas in Deuteronomy (often referred to as the canon formula). If Agur draws on Deuteronomy here [see Deut. 4:2;12:32], the sense of his allusion depends on the interpretive consensus of his much contested riddle (30:3-4) and other contextual difficulties.” He lists several proposed referents for “words.”

    a. Fox feels that it refers either to the regulations in Deuteronomy 12-26, the whole book of Deuteronomy, or the Pentateuch.

    b. “Shipper suggested that Agur refers to the central passages of Deuteronomy but 'turns the Deuteronomistic idea upside down.' Agur claims wisdom cannot be learned (Prov. 30:3) which, for Shipper, means the divine will in Deuteronomy cannot be taught but only learned by immediate revelation requiring prayer.”

    c. O'Dowd says that “words” refers to the law or “a wisdom that is faithful to the law.”

Prov. 30:8 – Marshall feels that the thought in this verse (“Feed me with the food that is needful for me”) has as its background the gathering of manna daily each day by the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:18). On the other hand, Ellul feels it relates to Solomon's asking for wisdom rather than riches in I Kings 3:9.

Prov. 30:9 – In regard to the words 'Who is the LORD?', Martin points to Deuteronomy 8:12-17; Isaiah 5:19, 29:15-16; and Zephaniah 1:12.

Prov. 30:10 – The teaching here is a warning not to slander a servant to his master. Schnittjer sees a similarity between this admonition and that in Deuteronomy 23:15-16 regarding not returning a runaway slave to his master. I wonder if this passage ever came up during the American Civil War.

Martin says, “Even a servant has dignity and it is an enlightening study to trace the word ['servant'] in the OT (Exod 20:10; Dt. 23:15, etc.)...when the curse is a cry to the LORD it is powerful (Dt. 15:9).”

Prov. 30:11,17 – There is a consistent usage of “cursing” as the opposite of “blessing” not only here but also in several other passages pointed out by Watts: Genesis 27:12, Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 23:5; 30:1; and Psalm 37:22; 62:4. This passage deals with treatment of one's parents, and so Watts says, “Given the fifth commandment's importance [Exod. 20:12/Deut. 5:16], it is not unexpected that...it figures prominently in Jewish traditions...especially in the Wisdom literature...(throughout Prov. 1-9, but esp. 20:20; 30:11,17...).”

Prov. 30:14 “Finally comes oppressive greed that...consumes the 'poor' and 'needy' with a savage ferocity, feeding on their meager goods, shrunken land, and well-bent back with a cannibalism that Micah so graphically described (3:1-3).” (Hubbard)

Prov. 30:15ff – The numerical proverbs begin here and continue through verse 30. Schnittjer remarks, “Many have observed the similarities between Amos' use of 'for three sins...even for four' and the 7+1 structure of the oracles against the nations and numerical wisdom sayings.”

Prov. 30:15 – “Two images present the extremes: dry breasts are synonymous with childlessness (Hos 9:13 and the proverb 'The leech has two daughter; Give, give, they cry' may allude to the frustration of nursing twins (Prov 30:15).” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)

Prov. 30:15-16 – Washington points out two OT cross-references in these verses: Genesis 30:1 for “barren womb” and Amos 7:4 for “fire.”

Prov. 30:17 – In regard to the fate of ungrateful sons, Walls points to Deuteronomy 21:18-21 as a parallel passage and says, “The implication is that the corpse will lie unburied for the birds to feed on.”

Prov. 30:23 – Several commentators note that the situation between Abram, Sarai, and Hagar in Genesis 16:3-4 is a good illustration of the unbearable case in which a maid succeeds her mistress in the mind of her husband.

Prov. 30:26 – Walls explains that the rock badgers, “animals about the size of rabbits, illustrate the maxim, 'Make wise choices,' by living in rocky crags where they can hole up to escape animals of prey or human hunters (Ps. 104:18).”

Prov. 30:27 – Walls: “The locusts go in ordered ranks, without jostling one another (cf. Joel 2:8).”

Prov. 30:32-33 – Pao and Schnabel interpret the admonition to “put your hand on your mouth” to mean that wise men know when to keep their mouth shut. Thus, they point to other passages such as Job 13:5 and Ecclesiastes 3:7 for the same teaching.

For a slightly different slant, Martin says, “Folly and scheming cannot win, so 'clap your hand over your mouth' (an expression of humble repentance, Job 40:4).”

Some of the imagery in this chapter can be seen in my 1994 collage below: