Lexical Summary Agur: Agur Original Word: אָגוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Agur Passive participle of 'agar; gathered (i.e. Received among the sages); Agur, a fanciful name for Solomon -- Agur. see HEBREW 'agar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition "hired," an author of proverbs NASB Translation Agur (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אָגוּר proper name, masculine (perhaps hireling, Arabic  , Aramaic אֲגִירָא,  see PS, Assyrian agîru, compare HptBAS i. 124; others gatherer, from I. אגר) son of יָקֶה, an author of proverbs Proverbs 30:1. Topical Lexicon Identity and Context Agur is introduced only once in Scripture, in the heading to a distinct collection of wisdom sayings preserved in Proverbs 30. He is identified as “son of Jakeh” and addresses his reflections “to Ithiel and Ucal” (Proverbs 30:1). The text’s placement within the book of Proverbs aligns him with the broader Solomonic wisdom tradition, yet his material stands out for its intensely personal tone and its uniquely structured numerical sayings (for example, Proverbs 30:15–31). No further historical data appear elsewhere in the Old Testament, leaving the canonical text itself as the primary source for understanding his role. Textual Setting Proverbs 30 begins: “The words of Agur son of Jakeh—an oracle. This man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:” (Proverbs 30:1). The heading signals that what follows is a divinely borne “oracle,” elevating Agur’s speech from mere human reflection to inspired utterance. His words form one of two non-Solomonic appendices (Agur in Proverbs 30; Lemuel in Proverbs 31) that round out the book’s inspired anthology. Key Themes and Theology 1. Humble self-assessment (Proverbs 30:2-3). Agur confesses, “Surely I am the most ignorant of men… I have no knowledge of the Holy One.” Such candor models the reverent fear that is the “beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Christological Foreshadowing Agur’s rhetorical question about the name of God’s “Son” (Proverbs 30:4) gestures beyond his era toward the fuller revelation of the Father-Son relationship unveiled in the New Testament (for example, John 3:13, John 3:16-17). His admission of insufficiency and emphasis on God’s flawless Word prepare the theological soil for the incarnate Logos, Jesus Christ, who embodies divine wisdom (John 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:24). Practical and Ministry Implications • Discipleship: Agur’s prayer teaches believers to seek a balanced life that avoids temptations attached both to excess and to lack. Historical Reception Early Jewish and Christian interpreters consistently accepted Agur’s sayings as canonical. Church fathers acknowledged his reference to God’s “Son” as an anticipatory witness to Christ. Reformation-era commentators emphasized the sola Scriptura implications of Proverbs 30:5-6. In contemporary expository preaching, Agur’s balanced prayer remains a frequently cited text on stewardship and contentment. Literary Contribution Agur enriches the book of Proverbs by providing: Agur’s single appearance may be brief, but his inspired words continue to instruct, reprove, correct, and train believers for righteous living (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Forms and Transliterations אָג֥וּר אגור ’ā·ḡūr ’āḡūr aGurLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 30:1 HEB: דִּבְרֵ֤י ׀ אָג֥וּר בִּן־ יָקֶ֗ה NAS: The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, KJV: The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, INT: the words of Agur the son of Jakeh |
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