Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20130210.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part VII: Proverbs of Augur, Proverbs 30:1-33
B. Studying Proverbs 30:15-23
  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 30:15-23 of that collection of proverbs for our edification as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 30:15-23.
    1. Proverbs 30:15a teaches to the leech (aluqah, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 763) is [the leech has] two daughters (bat, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1192; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 123). "Give!" (yahab, Ibid., p. 396; imperative) "Give!" [they cry]. Daughters are dependents, so the proverb teaches the leech only produces intensifying demands for more donations if one seeks to help him. We must not enable a leech by donating to him, but give to those who will profitably use our gift to enhance their future welfare.
    2. In alignment with Proverbs 30:15a, Proverbs 30:15b-16 claims (15b) Behold! Three [things] are never satisfied (saba', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 959), four [things] that never say, "Enough!" ( hon, Ibid., p. 223): (16) Sheol [the grave] (she'ol, Ibid., p. 982-983), [the] restraint (oser, Ibid., p. 783) of [barren] womb (raham , Ibid., p. 933), land which is never satiated (saba' again) with water and fire which never says "Enough!" (hon again). Numerical proverbs use the "x and x+1" format to "stress the final (x+1) item, as the culmination or product of its preceding items," Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 917. This proverb teaches the lust of the greedy is destructively never filled, so we must avoid all forms of greed.
    3. Proverbs 30:17 asserts the eye that mocks (la'ag, Ibid., p. 541) a father and despises (buz, Ibid., p. 100) obedience (yiqhah, Ibid., p. 429) to a mother, the ravens ( oreb, Ibid., p. 788) of the torrent-valley, wady (nahal, Ibid., p. 636) will bore it out (naqar, Ibid., p. 669) and the son of a griffon-vulture ( neser, Ibid., p. 676) will eat (akal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 37-38) it. God severely judges shaming one's parents.
    4. Proverbs 30:18-19 teaches (18) they are three [things] that are too difficult, amazing (pala', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 810) for me: four [things] I do not understand ( yada', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 393-395): (19) the way, manner (derek, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 202-204) of the eagle in the heavens, the way, manner ( derek again) of a serpent (nahash, Ibid., p. 638) upon a rock (sur, Ibid., p. 849), the way, manner (derek again) of a ship (aniyah , Ibid., p. 58) in the heart of the sea [on the high seas] and the way, manner (derek again) of a male man at the height of his powers (geber, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1193; Theo. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 148-149) with a marriageable young woman, maid. (alma, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Theo. Wrdbk. of the O. T., v. II, p. 672) A male man at the height of his powers has the influence advantage over a marriageable young woman at each courting level of eye contact (eagle in the sky looking for food), of touch (serpent on the rock) and of sexual intercourse (a ship plowing the high seas). Thus, young women must take care to whom they allow themselves to be exposed at each such level, and men must control their actions at each such level to avoid fueling sinful immorality.
    5. Proverbs 30:20 claims thus (ken, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 485-487) is the way, manner (derek, cf. Pr. 30:19) of an adulterous (na'ap , Ibid., p. 610; ptc.) wife: she eats and wipes (mahah, Ibid., p. 562) her mouth and says, "I have not done (pa'al, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 821) [anything even] troublesome that will move on to wickedness ( awen, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Theo. Wrdbk. of the O. T., v. I, p. 48-49). Immoral people are calloused to a sense of right and wrong at all levels, a telltale characteristic to avoid.
    6. Proverbs 30:21-23 asserts (21) under three [things] the earth quakes (ragaz, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 919), under four [things] it is not able (yakal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 407-408) to bear up ( nasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 669-672): (22) under a servant who becomes king, [under] one who lacks spiritual perception (nabal, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 908) [and] who is satiated (saba', cf. Pr. 30:15b) with food, (23) under a hated [unloved] woman who is wed (ba'al, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 127) and [under] a maid-servant ( shiphah, Ibid., p. 1046) who dispossesses [replaces] (yarash, Ibid., p. 439-440) her mistress (geberet, Ibid., p. 150). "Harmony in society is encouraged when people maintain their proper roles and do not assume positions they are incapable of handling." (Ibid., B. K. C., O. T., p. 971)
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.