Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. New Living Translation I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. English Standard Version Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. Berean Standard Bible Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. King James Bible Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. New King James Version Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. New American Standard Bible I am certainly more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man; NASB 1995 Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. NASB 1977 Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. Legacy Standard Bible Surely I am more senseless than any man, And I do not have the understanding of mankind. Amplified Bible Surely I am more brutish and stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know]. Christian Standard Bible I am more stupid than any other person, and I lack a human’s ability to understand. Holman Christian Standard Bible I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man’s ability to understand. American Standard Version Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man; Contemporary English Version I am far too stupid to be considered human. English Revised Version Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man: GOD'S WORD® Translation I'm more [like] a dumb animal than a human being. I don't [even] have human understanding. Good News Translation I am more like an animal than a human being; I do not have the sense we humans should have. International Standard Version Surely I am beyond the senselessness of any man; I do not perceive things the way human beings do. Majority Standard Bible Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. NET Bible Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; New Heart English Bible "Surely I am the most ignorant man, and do not have a man's understanding. Webster's Bible Translation Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. World English Bible “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor I am more brutish than anyone, "" And do not have the understanding of a man. Young's Literal Translation For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man. Smith's Literal Translation For I am brutish more than man, and not the understanding of a man to me. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleI am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. Catholic Public Domain Version “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. New American Bible I am more brute than human being, without even human intelligence; New Revised Standard Version Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSurely, I am weak minded, and have not the understanding of men. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because my thoughts are deficient and I do not have the understanding of the children of men, OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, And have not the understanding of a man; Brenton Septuagint Translation For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Words of Agur1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out. 2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. 3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.… Cross References Job 11:12 But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man! 1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Ecclesiastes 7:23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me. Jeremiah 10:14 Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. / For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” Psalm 73:22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Romans 1:22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, Isaiah 44:25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense, 1 Corinthians 8:2 The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. Job 32:9 It is not only the old who are wise, or the elderly who understand justice. 2 Corinthians 11:19 For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise. Psalm 92:6 A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand, Isaiah 19:11 The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? 1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Job 28:28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” Treasury of Scripture Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. i am Job 42:3-6 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not… Psalm 73:22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. brutish Proverbs 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; Psalm 92:6 A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. Jeremiah 10:14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. Jump to Previous Beast Brutish Ignorant Intelligence Power Reasoning Stupid Surely Understanding UnlikeJump to Next Beast Brutish Ignorant Intelligence Power Reasoning Stupid Surely Understanding UnlikeProverbs 30 1. Agur's confession of his faith7. The two points of his prayer 10. The meanest are not to be wronged 11. Four wicked generations 15. Four things insatiable 24. four things exceeding wise 29. Four things stately 32. Wrath is to be prevented Surely I am the most ignorant of men This phrase reflects a profound humility and acknowledgment of human limitations. In the biblical context, it is attributed to Agur, son of Jakeh, who is expressing his awareness of his own lack of wisdom compared to God's infinite understanding. This humility is a recurring theme in Scripture, as seen in Job 42:3, where Job admits his own ignorance before God. The cultural context of the ancient Near East valued wisdom highly, often associating it with age and experience. Agur's statement contrasts with this cultural norm, emphasizing that true wisdom comes from God alone. This humility is also a type of Christ, who, despite being God incarnate, demonstrated humility throughout His life (Philippians 2:5-8). and I lack the understanding of a man Persons / Places / Events 1. AgurThe author of Proverbs 30, Agur son of Jakeh, is a figure about whom little is known. His words reflect humility and a recognition of human limitations in understanding divine wisdom. 2. Israel The context of Proverbs is rooted in the wisdom literature of ancient Israel, where the pursuit of wisdom and understanding was highly valued. 3. Wisdom Literature Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature in the Bible, which includes Job, Ecclesiastes, and some Psalms. These books focus on practical and philosophical aspects of life. Teaching Points Humility in WisdomAgur's declaration of ignorance is a profound expression of humility. In our pursuit of wisdom, we must recognize our limitations and depend on God for true understanding. The Value of Acknowledging Limitations Acknowledging our lack of understanding is the first step toward gaining true wisdom. It opens us to learning and receiving guidance from God. Dependence on God for Understanding Human wisdom is limited. We must seek God's wisdom through prayer and study of His Word, trusting that He will provide the insight we need. The Role of Scripture in Gaining Wisdom Regular engagement with Scripture is essential for growing in wisdom. The Bible provides divine guidance that surpasses human understanding. The Fear of the Lord as the Foundation of Wisdom True wisdom begins with a reverent fear of the Lord. This foundational principle is echoed throughout the wisdom literature and is crucial for a life that honors God.(2) Surely I am more brutish than any man.--Rather, than that I can be called a man, one "formed in the image of God." (Comp. Psalm 73:22.)Verses 2 and 3 confirm what is said in ver. 1 concerning the fruitlessness of the investigation there mentioned; the more he sought and studied, the more conscious he became of his own ignorance and of God's incomreprehensibility. Verse 2. - Surely I am more brutish than any man "Surely" (ki) should be "for" (see note on ver. l). Cheyne, "I am too stupid for a man;" I am a mere irrational beast (comp. Proverbs 12:1; Psalm 73:22). And have not the understanding of a man. I am not worthy to be called a man, as I possess not the intellectual faculty which a man ought to have. This is not ironical, as if he did not desire the statement to be taken in its full sense, and meant to say, "Of course it is my own stupidity that is in fault;" but it is a genuine confession of incompetence to investigate the subject matter, which is too mysterious for his mental powers to penetrate. Thus Solomon acknowledges that he is but a little child, nod prays for an understanding heart (1 Kings 3:7, 9; comp. Wisd. 9:5; Matthew 11:25). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Surelyכִּ֤י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction I [am] אָנֹכִ֣י (’ā·nō·ḵî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 595: I the most ignorant בַ֣עַר (ḇa·‘ar) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 1198: Foot, of cattle brutishness, stupid of men, מֵאִ֑ישׁ (mê·’îš) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person and I lack וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no the understanding בִינַ֖ת (ḇî·naṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 998: An understanding of a man. אָדָ֣ם (’ā·ḏām) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being Links Proverbs 30:2 NIVProverbs 30:2 NLT Proverbs 30:2 ESV Proverbs 30:2 NASB Proverbs 30:2 KJV Proverbs 30:2 BibleApps.com Proverbs 30:2 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 30:2 Chinese Bible Proverbs 30:2 French Bible Proverbs 30:2 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 30:2 Surely I am the most ignorant man (Prov. Pro Pr) |
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