Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20130203.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part VI: Proverbs of Augur, Proverbs 30:1-33
A. Studying Proverbs 30:1-14
  1. Introduction
    1. The proverbs of Augur comprise Proverbs 30 and are canonical according to the Luke 11:50-51 testimony.
    2. We view Proverbs 30:1-14 of that collection of proverbs for our edification as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 30:1-14.
    1. Proverbs 30:1 introduces the proverbs of the unknown Augur that were for the unknown Ithiel and Ucal.
    2. Proverbs 30:2-3 claims (2) surely (ki, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1192; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 471-475; intensive force) I myself ( anoki, Ibid., Kittel; indep. pron., emphatic) am the most stupid, brutish (ba'ar, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 129) of noblemen (ish, Ibid., Kittel; R. B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 45-50), and I do not have the understanding (binah, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 108) of a common man (adam, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone). (3) I have not learned wisdom nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One ( qadosh(im), Ibid., B. D. B., p. 872; im = pluralis majestatis = plural is not for multiple persons, but for royalty or deity, G. K. C., Ges. Heb. Gram., 1979, p. 399). The wisest of men cannot fathom God.
    3. Proverbs 30:4 asks who has gone up (alah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 748-750) to heaven and come [back] down (yarad, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 432-434)? Who has gathered ( asap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 62-63) the wind in the hollow of his hand (hopen, Ibid., p. 342)? Who has bound up (sarar, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 864) the waters in his cloak ( simlah, Ibid., p. 971)? Who has fixed (qum, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 877-879; Hiphil = caus.) all of the ends (apes, Ibid., p. 67) of the earth? What is His Name, and the Name of His Son? Surely ( ki, cf. Pr. 30:2) you know! (Why we cannot fathom God -- He is too great in every way for us even to understand. We must thus revere Him!)
    4. Proverbs 30:5-6 teaches (5) every word of Elohim (elohim, Ibid., Kittel; Creator) is smelted (sarap, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 864); He (hu, Ibid., Kittel; emp. pron.) is a personal, handheld shield ( megan, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 171; R. de Vaux, Anc. Israel, v. I, Soc. Ins., 1961, p. 244-245) to those seeking refuge (hasah, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 340) in Him. (6) Do not add ( yasap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 414-415) to His words lest He rebuke (yakah, Ibid., p. 406-407) you and you be proved a liar (kazab, Ibid., p. 469; Niphal = passive).
    5. Proverbs 30:7-9 claims (7) two things I request from (sha'al, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 981-982) you, do not withhold (mana', Ibid., p. 586) them from me before I die: (8) remove far ( rahaq, Ibid., p. 93-935; Hiphil = caus.) from me emptiness of speech [falsehood, NIV, ESV; vanity, KJV] (shawe', Ibid., p. 996) and words of falsehood [lies, NIV, ESV, KJV] ( kazab, Ibid., p. 469); do not give me poverty (resh, Ibid., p. 930) or riches (osher, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 799); let me devour ( tarap, Ibid., p. 382-383; Hiphil = caus.) my prescribd [allotted] (hoq, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 349) bread, food (lehem, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 536-537), (9) lest I be sated, full ( saba', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 959) and disown, deny (kahash, Ibid., p. 471) [You] and say, "Who is Jahweh?!", or lest I be impoverished (yarash , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 439-440; Niphal = passive) and steal (ganab, Ibid., p. 170) and seize [do violence to, profane] (tapas, Ibid., p. 1074-1075) the name of my Elohim ( elohim, cf. Pr. 30:5).
    6. Proverbs 30:10 asserts do not slander (lashan, Ibid., p. 546) a servant to his master lest he curse (qalal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 886) you and you bear [the] punishment ( asham, Ibid., p. 79) [for it].
    7. Proverbs 30:11-14 teaches (11) [there is] a generation [a class of (wicked) men] (dor, Ibid., p. 189-190) that curses (qalal, cf. Pr. 30:10) its fathers, and does not bless its mothers; (12) a generation [a class of (wicked) men] ( dor again) that is clean, pure (tahor, Ibid., p. 373) in its own eyes and is not washed off (rahas, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 934) of its filth ( so'ah, Ibid., p. 844); (13) a generation [a class of (wicked) men] whose eyes are set high, haughty (rum, Ibid., p. 926-927) and whose eyelids (apap , Ibid., p. 733-734) lift [arrogantly high] (nasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 669-672); (14) a generation [a class of (wicked) men] whose teeth are swords ( hereb, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 352-353) and whose jaw-teeth (metal'ot, Ibid., p. 1069) are knives (ma'akelet, Ibid., p. 38) to devour ( akal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 37-38) the poor, afflicted, humble (ani, Ibid., p. 776-777) from [off] the earth and the needy (ebyon , Ibid., p. 2) from [among] common man [i. e., mankind] (adam, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone).
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.