Proverbs 30:18 kjv

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

Proverbs 30:18 nkjv

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand:

Proverbs 30:18 niv

"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:

Proverbs 30:18 esv

Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:

Proverbs 30:18 nlt

There are three things that amaze me ?
no, four things that I don't understand:

Proverbs 30 verses

Proverbs 30 18 Meaning

Proverbs 30:18 introduces a numerical saying, typical of wisdom literature, employing the "X, X+1" pattern. The verse expresses Agur's profound wonder and admitted inability to fully grasp or trace certain phenomena, specifically listing three things that are "amazing" or "beyond understanding," followed by a fourth, climactic one, signifying a deeper mystery. This serves as a preface to the specific examples of mysterious, untraceable "paths" or actions detailed in the subsequent verses. It reflects a posture of humility before the complex wonders of creation and human behavior.

Proverbs 30 18 Context

Proverbs 30 stands as "The words of Agur son of Jakeh, an oracle" (Prov 30:1), presenting a unique collection of wisdom different in authorship from much of the rest of the book attributed to Solomon. Agur begins his discourse with a profound confession of personal ignorance and limitation before the majesty of God (Prov 30:2-4). He emphasizes that all true wisdom and knowledge come from God alone, whose every word is flawless (Prov 30:5-6). This humble stance sets the stage for the numerical sayings that follow, including Proverbs 30:18.

Historically and culturally, numerical proverbs, particularly the X, X+1 pattern (e.g., "three, yes four"), were common in ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions. They served as a rhetorical device to introduce a list, creating anticipation and often culminating in a fourth, particularly striking or illustrative example that caps the preceding items. The focus is not simply on the count, but on the cumulative nature of the wonder. Agur's words reflect an observant mind deeply aware that some aspects of the natural world and human experience defy complete logical understanding, fostering humility. There isn't a direct polemic here, but the underlying message subtly challenges any human arrogance that claims to have exhaustively comprehended creation or divine principles without acknowledging its limits and the wonder embedded within them.

Proverbs 30 18 Word analysis

• There are three things (שְׁלֹשָׁה, sh'loshah):

  • This is the Hebrew numeral for "three," introducing the first part of the numerical list (the "X" in X, X+1). It signals the start of a specific literary form common in wisdom literature.

• that are too amazing for me (הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי, hemmâ niphle'û mimmennî):

  • that are amazing/wondrous (נִפְלְאוּ, niphle'û): This word is the Niphal perfect form of the verb פָּלָא (pala'), meaning "to be extraordinary," "to be marvelous," "to be incomprehensible," or "to perform a miracle." It's often used to describe God's works, emphasizing their supernatural or wonderful nature (e.g., Ps 9:1, Isa 29:14). Here, it applies to specific natural phenomena and human behaviors that defy easy explanation or tracing. It denotes a profound sense of awe and a recognition that these things go beyond ordinary understanding.
  • for me (מִמֶּנִּי, mimmennî): Literally "from me," this phrase implies "beyond my comprehension" or "too wonderful for my understanding." It strongly emphasizes Agur's personal limitation and the subjective experience of incomprehensibility, aligning with his confession in Prov 30:2.

• four (וְאַרְבָּעָה, wᵉ'arbāʿāh):

  • The conjunction "and" (וְ, wᵉ) links it to the preceding "three," completing the X, X+1 numerical formula. "Four" represents the culminating item in the list, often presented as the most impactful, typical, or puzzling among the enumerated things.

• that I do not understand (לֹא יְדַעְתִּי, lo' yāda'tî):

  • not (לֹא, lo'): Standard Hebrew negation.
  • I do understand (יְדַעְתִּי, yāda'tî): This is the Qal perfect of the verb יָדַע (yada'), which means "to know," "to perceive," "to understand," or "to have intimate knowledge of." The phrase "I do not understand" reinforces the prior expression of "amazing" by specifying the nature of that amazement: it's not merely impressive, but intellectually baffling or impossible to trace its "path," a theme that will become clear in the following verse.

• Word-Group Analysis:

  • "three things...four": This numerical structure is not simply a precise count but a rhetorical device highlighting an accumulating wonder, with the final item often being the climax or epitome. It sets a pattern of enumeration for a distinct category of phenomena.
  • "too amazing for me...I do not understand": These two phrases parallel and amplify each other. "Too amazing" conveys an emotional response of awe and wonder at the inexplicable, while "I do not understand" explicitly states the intellectual incapacity to fully grasp the mechanisms or courses of the phenomena to be listed. Together, they articulate a deep humility and awareness of human cognitive limitations in the face of certain profound realities.

Proverbs 30 18 Bonus section

The specific choice of "untraceable paths" in the following verse (30:19) illustrates the concept introduced in verse 18. Each example—eagle, serpent, ship, man with a maiden—share the common characteristic that they leave no discernible track or footprint behind them. This untraceability makes them "amazing" or "incomprehensible" because their 'way' or movement is impossible for a human to follow, predict, or fully understand its impact. This highlights a recurring theme in wisdom literature: the limitations of human perception and understanding when faced with God's intricate and often mysterious creation and the complexities of life itself. The wonder stems from both their effortless execution and the ephemeral nature of their course.

Proverbs 30 18 Commentary

Proverbs 30:18, as a characteristic numerical saying, introduces a sequence of profound observations about the natural world and human behavior. It expresses Agur's deep humility and intellectual limitation before the wonders of creation. The chosen phenomena (in Prov 30:19) are not necessarily complex in their physical existence but mysterious in their "path" or execution—the eagle's flight leaving no trace, the serpent's movement on rock leaving no discernible track, a ship on the high seas similarly leaving no lasting trail, and perhaps most perplexing, the inexplicable "way of a man with a young woman," whose intimacy and influence often elude external explanation or clear tracking of cause and effect. This verse establishes that the ensuing mysteries are not due to divine obfuscation, but to inherent characteristics that simply defy full human tracing or comprehension, urging an attitude of respectful wonder and acknowledging that not everything in God's world is open to human intellectual dissection.