“There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him.”
The form “metibe” (from “yatab”, to be) occurs twice in verse 29, where the NIV translates it as “stately”. It has the idea of “doing good”, of moving well, “magnificently” (NET), or in a “stately” manner (RV, ASV, RSV, NIV) — first in one’s steps (“stride”: NIV; from “tsa’ad”, a pace or regular step), and then in one’s more general movements or actions (“move”: NIV; from “yalak”, to walk).
The four creatures enumerated in verses 29-31 proceed with a grand air, strutting or posing. The idea is that they move in a stately or royal fashion, not so much swiftly as gracefully, and with dignity.
Agur’s irony shows through especially as we reach the last vignette of the series. We may be impressed with, even in awe of, the quiet, sinuous grace of the lion; it is not hard to imagine ourselves standing powerless before such a creature. On the other hand, the strutting rooster and the male goat seem more amusing to us, in the same way a ‘ferocious’ chihuahua facing off against a German shepherd makes us laugh. Then the fact that the king closes the procession of creatures here makes him look somewhat ridiculous also.
Each of the four, but especially the king, may think of himself as being in command, and lord of all he surveys — and so each may be, in his own restricted sphere. But to point out the similarity among such greatly disparate creatures is also to realize that each — even the great king — is consumed by pride, out of all proportion to his importance in the grand scheme of things. Even the great king Nebuchadnezzar, who boasted of his wonderful construction projects, was brought low, to the level of a beast of the field, grazing on grass for seven years (Dan 4:25,32,33).
- A lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing: “Lion” here is “layish”, which occurs only here and in Isaiah 30:6 and Job 4:11; the word signifies a strong lion. “Mighty” is “gibbor”, a mighty warrior or hero. (This is the Hebrew root for the name “Gabriel”, the angel who is the mighty one of El). More precisely, the lion is “the mightiest” of beasts; he is also called, reasonably in this context, ‘the king of beasts’, having the regal bearing of a monarch. The lion is proverbial for strength and ferocity (2Sam 1:23; Mic 5:8; Job 37:4; Prov 19:12; 20:2; 28:15).
- A strutting rooster: The Hebrew phrase “zarzir mothnayim” means “girt of loins”; it occurs only here in the Bible. According to Kidner, “the modern Hebrew means the starling, of all unlikely candidates, with its bustling waddle.” The KJV and ASV interpreted this phrase to mean the greyhound because it is narrow in the flanks (but this breed is relatively modern, and so can scarcely fit the bill here). The RSV and NIV choose the cock or rooster, certainly noted for its strutting. The RV margin has “war-horse”, girt for battle, with its stately trappings (cf Job 39:19 25). Others have suggested the zebra (quite likely unknown to Agur, however) and the raven. There seems to be no clear identification that tips the scales decisively in favor of any candidate. Again, it may be said that the precise identity of the intended animal is not nearly as important as the lessons being taught.
- A he-goat: There is no question that this refers to the male goat (“tayish”: the same word used of Jacob’s male goats in Gen 30:35; 32:14). Like the rooster and the male lion for that matter, he is in his element — and seemingly proud and jealously protective of his position — when at the head of his flock or harem (Jer 50:8). Interestingly, in a highly figurative prophecy in Isaiah 14:9, the “leaders, or chief ones, of the earth”, dead and buried in Sheol, are referred to as the plural of “attuwd”, another word for “male goats”. Alexander the Great is also described, prophetically, as a he-goat (Dan 8:5, 8, 21; cf v 23).
- A king with his army around him: The NIV translation comes the closest to the Masoretic Text, more so than the KJV which reads “a king, against whom there is no rising up”. The questionable word is the Hebrew “alquwm”, occurring only this once in the Old Testament.
[The Masoretic Text is the predominant Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible (or the Old Testament). Many centuries after it was first received, the Jewish Bible was copied, edited and distributed over several centuries (the 7th through the 10th centuries AD) by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes. These scribes made very valuable additions to the text, showing vowel points and variant readings which for the most part have been of great value to all subsequent students.]
It is this word “alquwm” which the NIV renders “his army” (from a similar Arabic word, meaning “band of soldiers”), but which the KJV renders “rising up” by an emendation. Following the same emendation, the NIV margin reads: “a king secure against revolt”. The LXX, different yet again, renders this: “a king haranguing his people”.
[An emendation is a correction or alteration made to the text by scholars. Regarding the Old Testament, emendations are usually suggested when there is some question about a particular word, and a different vowel marking seems to yield a more satisfactory meaning. In the Old Testament, the vowel markings are not nearly as ancient as the rest of the text, but were added more than a thousand years after the originals were written. Less often, emendations may be suggested when, in some scholar’s opinion, a different consonant yields a more helpful meaning.]
No matter which of these alternatives is chosen, the focus of the text is on the stately appearance and conduct of the king on some auspicious occasion, such as a court ceremony or a military review.
Some commentators see the irony in the comparisons of this tetrad, while others don’t at all. To each his own. But a slightly bemused tone in verses 29-31 would form a logical bridge to the last two verses of Agur’s wisdom (vv 32,33), which warn against “playing the fool” and “exalting” oneself. There is, after all, only one king who can march in a truly stately manner, in the midst of his armies, and against whom there is truly no rising up.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One