Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20130217.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
C. Studying Proverbs 30:24-33
  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 30:24-33 of that collection of proverbs for our edification as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 30:24-33.
    1. Proverbs 30:24-28 teaches (24) four [things] are they (hem, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 241; emphatic pron.), the small, insignificant (qatan , Ibid., p. 881-882) ones of the earth, but they (hemah, Ibid., p. 241; emphatic pron. again) are intensively made wise (hakam, Ibid., p. 314; Pual stem = passive intensive, with the adjective, hakam, "wise," Ibid., p. 31`4-315): (25) the ants (nemalah, Ibid., p. 649) are a people [creatures] (am, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1193; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 766-767) not strong ( az, Ibid., p. 738), but they prepare [store up] (kun, Ibid., p. 465-467; Hiphil = causative) in the summer (qayis, Ibid., p. 884) their food; (26) rock-badgers (the hyrax, NIV) ( shapan, Ibid., p. 150-151) are a people [creatures] (am again) not mighty [thus, feeble] (asum, Ibid., p. 783), but they place, set (sim , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 962-964) their house (bayit, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 108-110) [make their home] in the cliff, crag (sela', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 700-701); (27) the locust ( arbeh, Ibid., p. 916) has no king, but it goes out (yasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 422-425) dividing itself (into companies) [by ranks] (hasas , Ibid., p. 346), all of it [together] (kul + o, Ibid., Kittel; kol, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 481-483); (28) a lizard (semamit, Ibid., p. 971) you can seize ( tapas, Ibid., p. 1074-1075; Piel = intens.) in your hands, but he (emph. pron.) is in king's palaces (heykal, Ibid., p. 228). We learn from such fragile creatures to realize our limitations so as to compensate for them in wisdom: like the ant, we can habitually work to save enough for the future though our daily income is limited; like the rock-badger, we can gain safety by making wise insurance moves; like the locust, we can aid ourselves by organizing and cooperating with others; like the lizard, we can be opportunistic to enhance our gains.
    2. Proverbs 30:29-31 asserts (29) three [things] are they (hemah, cf. Pr. 30:24; emph. pron.) of march, pace (sa'ad, Ibid., p. 857) are pleasing (yatab , Ibid., p. 405-406) [who are stately in their march], and four that are pleasing (yatab again) in their walk (halak, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 229-237); (30) a lion ( layish, Ibid., p. 539), mighty (gibor, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 150) among beasts (behemah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 96-97), and he does not turn back [retreat] ( shub, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 996-1000) in the face of [before] all [anything]; (31) the girt (zarzir, Ibid., p. 267) of loins (matnayim, Ibid., p. 608) [a strutting rooster, NIV, ESV] or rather ( o, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B.D.B., p. 14-15) a he-goat (tayish, Ibid., p. 1066-1067), and a king whose army is around him (NIV, ESV text) [or] against whom there is no rising up [in rebellion] (KJV, ESV ftn.). Since numerical proverbs highlight the final entry, the author taught that if we meet a leader who is surrounded by his supporters, he will not retreat like a lion, he is proud like a rooster and he is as aggressive like a he-goat. So, in meeting a leader in the presence of his subordinates, we must not antagonize him unless we are prepared to defeat his entire group.
    3. Proverbs 30:32-33 claims (32) if you have been senseless, foolish (nabal, Ibid., p. 614) in exalting yourself (nasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 669-672; Hithpael = intensive reflexive), or if you have devised ( zamam, Ibid., p. 273) [evil], [put your] hand to [your] mouth; (33) for as the squeezing (mis, Ibid., p. 568) of milk brings forth (yasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 422-425; Hiphil = causative) curds (hem'ah, Ibid., p. 326), and the squeezing, wringing (mis again, slightly different meaning) of the nose (ap, Ibid., p. 60) brings forth ( yasa' again) blood, so the stirring up (mis again, with another meaning) of anger (ap again, with another meaning) brings forth (yasa' again) strife (rib, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 936-937). As exalting one's self or devising evil produces strife as surely as churning butter produces butter, and wringing the nose produces blood, if we discern that we have exalted ourselves or plotted evil, we must immediately stop our foolish, errant activity so as not to make matters worse in our relationship with the party that is upset at us!
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.