“Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Agur’s prayer is “that God will prevent him from becoming deceitful (v 8a) and self-sufficient (vv 8b,9). He wants to be honest in all his dealings, and he wants a life of balanced material blessings… So acknowledging his own ignorance [vv 1-4], relying on God’s word for security in life [vv 5,6], and praying that God will keep him from falling into temptation [vv 7-9], Agur is ready to offer his words” (Allen Ross).
John Schultz offers a thoughtful comment, and along the way mentions the distinction we often recognize between the Psalms and the Proverbs. As he points out, both of these are equally necessary in God’s revelation: “David asked God for one thing: ‘One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple’ (Psa 27:4). Agur asks for two: ‘Make me honest and do not lead me into temptation.’ David’s and Agur’s desire are related. Agur may sound more down to earth than David, more realistic. Nevertheless, without a concept of the beauty of the LORD, the desire for honesty and the understanding of the dangers of undermining integrity could not have risen in Agur’s heart.”
“The two requests which converge on one goal, concern:
- character (v 8a), and
- the circumstances that endanger character (vv 8b,9).
The prayer confirms the humility professed in verses 2-4, and unfolds it as:
- humility of ambition (a longing — before I die — for godly integrity, not for great things for self), and
- humility of self-knowledge… [Agur] might have prayed to use poverty or riches rightly, but knows his frailty too well” (Kidner).
Schultz again: “Rarely is human frailty so well expressed and so uncompromisingly exposed as in these verses. It is relatively easy to say things like these about mankind in general, but it is difficult to confess about yourself that you cannot be trusted. Agur’s prayer sounds like the opposite of Jabez’ prayer: ‘ “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request’ (1Chron 4:10). We tend to lean more in the direction of Jabez than of Agur. Most people are afraid of poverty but they do not mind becoming rich. Rarely do people ask God to keep them from either. Agur did not trust himself but he trusted the LORD.”
Two things I ask of you, O LORD: Wisdom literature often groups things in twos and fours, or in other numerical arrangements (e.g., Amos 1:3 — 2:6; Job 5:19; Prov 6:16-19). We will see a number of these arrangements in the words of Agur (vv 15, 18, 21, 24, 29).
O LORD: “LORD” (i.e., Jehovah or Yahweh) is not in the original, but the NIV translators added it to stress that this is in fact a prayer.
Do not refuse me before I die: Agur is not asking that God finally grant his request at one point in the future. Instead, he is praying (as, presumably, he has before) that: ‘Now and hereafter, as long as I live, and until the day I die, continue keeping me from both dangerous extremes — that of poverty and that of riches.’
Keep falsehood and lies far from me: The two words form a hendiadys, a literary device expressing an idea by means of two words linked by “and”, in which one noun may be understood as an adjective modifying the other noun. In this instance, “falsehood and lies” may mean: ‘false lies’, i.e., the very worst kind of lies, or perhaps ‘lying falsehood’, the most deceptive kind of falsehood. Basically, the linking of two similar words, as here, acts as an emphasis, or a compounding effect. Not just lies, but very great lies.
Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread: In the materialistic age, we see all around us men and women striving for greater things. They are seeking better work conditions, better pay, a better position in society. Even for Christ’s brethren, there may be immense pressure to “succeed” in the things of this life, a success which is measured purely in terms of social advantages, and material possessions. Yet when measured against the standards of Divine Wisdom, such a ‘success’ proves to be nothing less than failure.
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
This was the exhortation of the Lord Jesus, introducing his parable of the man planning to build bigger and better barns in which to store his accumulated wealth.
Although riches are not to be sought after, neither is there any virtue in poverty. Some suppose that there is righteousness in becoming poor for poverty’s sake, and so give up all to live on the goodwill of others. But, there can be no virtue in intentionally making ourselves burdensome to others. Indeed, Scripturally, poverty is associated with shame:
“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored” (Prov 13:18).
As John Marshall writes in The New Life: “Work is creative and constructive and develops skills, confidence and responsibility in a man, whereas idleness corrupts and destroys character, except in a man who is beyond the age or is too infirm to work. God is never idle; His creations in the heavens and on the earth are evidences of the constancy of His purposes. Work prolongs the will to live, but the man who retires to a corner whilst still capable of work, loses it.
“Fortunate is he who enters a profession or makes a lifetime choice of a task which deeply interests him; he will enjoy life to a greater extent and be likely to serve the Faith the better.
“There can be such a joy in work that there may be little thought of the money to be gained by it. A maker of wooden bowls in a primitive workshop was once told by a visitor, ‘You could make a lot of money out of these bowls.’ The workman’s reply was, ‘I do not want to make money; I want to make bowls.’ Obviously he had to have money to live, but money was not his main concern — and it should not be ours.”
Robert Roberts writes: “ ‘Neither poverty nor riches’ is the condition commended in the Proverbs. This is in strict harmony with the spirit of the New Testament. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of’ [Matt 6:8], and taught them to pray for their daily bread; but on the subject of pursuing riches, he used the parable of the man with the barns, described as a fool, ‘which had much goods laid up for many years’, and whose life was suddenly required of him. Christ’s comment on the case is, ‘So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God’ [Luke 12:21].”
The word for “daily bread” (“khoq”) means “statute”; it is also used of:
- a definite assignment of labor, a “quota” (Exod 5:14); or
- a set portion — an allotment or ration — of food (Gen 47:22; Prov 31:15; cf Luke 12:42 in the NT).
Here Agur refers to food that is a sufficient portion, each day, for him. Job (Job 23:12) and the Lord Jesus (Matt 6:11; Luke 11:3) both refer to “daily bread”, surely with this idea of an allotted portion — not too much or too little.
In the Greek, the word used by Jesus is “epiousios”; in the New Testament it only occurs in the Lord’s Prayer. According to the best authorities, it only occurs infrequently outside the New Testament, and its meaning is far from certain. The early Church father Tertullian had already rendered it “daily” by the second century AD, but there was some controversy about this even at such an early date.
To understand the meaning of “daily bread”, both here and in the Lord’s Prayer, we may need to consider the linguistic difficulties of the Greek word, but at the same time we can surely rely on the practical lesson of the manna in the wilderness (Exod 16; Num 11). During Israel’s wilderness sojourn, the manna was provided “as much as needed” (Exod 16:16-18), but not more, and it was definitely not to be hoarded (vv 19,20).
An old rabbi, Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, taught: “If anyone has bread in his basket and says, ‘What shall I eat tomorrow?’ he belongs to those who are small in trust.”
Likewise, Koheleth (the “Preacher”) says, “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (Eccl 4:6). And in a similar vein another proverb tells us: “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred” (Prov 15:16,17).
It is a great lesson to learn, says Paul, “to be content whatever the circumstances”, to be content “in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in poverty or in want” (Phil 4:11,12). Finally, Paul tells us again: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” On the other hand, he adds, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1Tim 6:6-10). The old Scottish proverb is useful here also: “Better to be warmed by a small fire than burned by a great one.”
At the same time, we should also remember that those who are so poor that they must steal to satisfy their hunger are not despised in the same way that other thieves might be (Prov 6:30).
The KJV translates this last phrase of Proverbs 30:8, rather quaintly but not inaccurately: “Feed me with food convenient for me.” Daniel and his friends, when offered the richest of foods for their daily ration from the king’s table, requested instead vegetables and water (Dan 1:10-12), and were undoubtedly healthier for their diet, which was more “convenient”, or suitable, for them.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God: The first part (“Who is the LORD?”) sounds like the rich, miserly and irreverent Nabal after he was informed of David’s request for food for himself and his men:
“Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?” (1Sam 25:10).
Sadly, the last part of the phrase (becoming poor, stealing, and dishonoring the Name of God) sounds like David himself who, when informed of Nabal’s answer, lets his poverty lead him into thoughts of murder and plunder. So he rashly said: “It’s been useless — all my watching over this fellow’s property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” (1Sam 25:21,22).
“Who is the LORD?”: A man who has too much wealth might mistakenly suppose he can do without God. When God was bringing the Israelites into the rich land of Canaan, He took special care that Moses repeat His commands again. God understood plainly that material abundance might make it easier for His people to forget Him and what He had done for them:
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deut 8:10-14; cf Deut 31:20).
The rich young ruler evidently had an excess of this world’s goods, for he turned away, even if sadly and reluctantly, from Jesus, when faced with choosing between his money and the Lord (Matt 19:16-22). We can only hope (and there is some evidence for it) that he later changed his mind and found his way back to the Master.
“Who is the LORD?” is the question (at least the implied question) of the “fool” in Psalms 14:1; 53:1: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ” It is the question asked by Pharaoh: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go” (Exod 5:2). It is also what Job had heard from the wicked around him: “Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’ ” (Job 21:14,15).
It may well be that at least some of those who question the existence of God do so for reasons hidden even to themselves. Perhaps they question the existence of any “God” because they are perfectly comfortable with seeing themselves as the supreme Power in their own lives. Rich, powerful, and very ‘successful’ people are most susceptible to this terrible delusion. We have all heard the story of the so-called “self-made man” who, of course, “worshipped his creator”! His “god” looked just like himself, and he was perfectly pleased to worship and serve that one “god” whom he saw in his mirror, and no other.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One