Proverbs 30:9

lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.

BSB

Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

KJV

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

ASV

Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.

BBE

For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.

Original Hebrew

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פֶּן pen lest H6435 אֶשְׂבַּע 'es·ba' I should be satisfied H7646 וְכִחַשְׁתִּי ve·khi·chash·ti and I will deny H3584 וְאָמַרְתִּי ve·'a·mar·ti and I will say H559 מִי mi who H4310 יְהוָה yah·weh [is] Yahweh H3068 וּפֶן־ u·fen- and lest H6435 אִוָּרֵשׁ 'i·va·resh I should become impoverished H3423 וְגָנַבְתִּי ve·ga·nav·ti and I will steal H1589 וְתָפַשְׂתִּי ve·ta·fas·ti and I will seize H8610 שֵׁם shem [the] name of H8034 אֱלֹהָי פ 'e·lo·hai God my H430

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 7–9

Agur wisely prayed for a middle state, that he might be kept at a distance from temptations; he asked daily bread suited to his station, his family, and his real good. There is a remarkable similarity between this prayer and several clauses of the Lord's prayer. If we are removed from vanity and lies; if we are interested in the pardoning love of Christ, and have him for our portion; if we walk with God, then we shall have all we can ask or think, as to spiritual things. When we consider how those who have abundance are prone to abuse the gift, and what it is to suffer want, Agur's prayer will ever be found a wise one, though seldom offered. Food convenient; what is so for one, may not be so for another; but we may be sure that our heavenly Father will supply all our need, and not suffer us to want anything good for us; and why should we wish for more?

Read Matthew Henry on Proverbs 30 →

Cross-references

25

Topics

GodCovetousnessRichesPoverty

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.