Proverbs 30:21 kjv

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

Proverbs 30:21 nkjv

For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up:

Proverbs 30:21 niv

"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

Proverbs 30:21 esv

Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:

Proverbs 30:21 nlt

There are three things that make the earth tremble ?
no, four it cannot endure:

Proverbs 30 verses

Proverbs 30 21 Meaning

Proverbs 30:21 declares that there are specific situations and conditions that cause profound societal instability and are utterly insufferable. The earth, understood here as referring to the established order, stability, and societal fabric, is disturbed and cannot bear these things. This verse introduces a list of four such disruptions in the subsequent verses (Prov 30:22-23), highlighting conditions of unnatural inversion and disorder that undermine societal peace and function.

Proverbs 30 21 Context

Proverbs chapter 30 is introduced as "the words of Agur son of Jakeh" (Prov 30:1), distinguishing it somewhat from the Solomonic collections. It often uses numeric sayings and keen observations of the natural world and human society to impart wisdom. The surrounding verses reveal a pattern of identifying seemingly small or unexpected things that nevertheless cause significant upheaval or represent profound societal imbalance. Verse 21 functions as a preamble, announcing that what follows will detail phenomena so contrary to natural or divine order that they are intensely disturbing and insufferable to the established community. This "X, and for X+1" literary device builds anticipation and emphasizes the heightened level of irritation or distress caused by the described situations.

Proverbs 30 21 Word analysis

• For three: Hebrew sh'losha (שְׁלֹשָׁה). This is part of the common "numeric proverb" structure (e.g., "three things, yes, four things"), a literary device often employed in ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. It functions not as a precise count but as a rhetorical tool to heighten anticipation, building to the climactic fourth item, thereby emphasizing its severity or significance within the sequence.
• things: Implied in the Hebrew. The subsequent verses (Prov 30:22-23) reveal what these "things" are—specific individuals or scenarios characterized by social disorder.
• the earth: Hebrew erets (אֶרֶץ). While literally meaning "earth" or "land," in this context, it functions metaphorically for the social order, societal stability, or even the inhabitants of the land. It signifies the collective consciousness or foundation of a stable community that is deeply disturbed.
• is disquieted: Hebrew ragaz (רָגַז). This verb, in its piel stem, means "to tremble, to be agitated, to be vexed, to quake, to be stirred up, to be provoked." It implies a profound unsettling, much like an earthquake or violent storm disturbs the physical ground or sea. Applied to society, it speaks of deep unrest, perturbation, and a fundamental loss of equilibrium. It denotes a level of irritation or disturbance that makes normal function difficult.
• and for four: Hebrew v'arba (וְאַרְבַּע). This continues the numeric pattern, adding emphasis to the final item (or all items cumulatively reaching this peak) by signaling a point of intensified irritation beyond mere "disquiet."
• which it cannot bear: Hebrew lo tukhal se'eth (לֹא תוּכַל שְׂאֵת). This powerful phrase means "it is not able to lift/carry/endure/sustain." Se'eth means to bear or support, implying a burden. Combined with "cannot," it conveys a profound sense of insupportability, intolerable offense, or repugnance. It indicates a breaking point where the situation is so egregious it fundamentally challenges and destabilizes the very foundation it rests upon. This suggests these conditions are not merely irritating, but they threaten to tear apart the fabric of society or bring about a collapse if left unchecked.

Words-group Analysis:

• "For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear": This opening sets the stage for a dramatic pronouncement. The parallelism and numeric ascent from three to four underscore the increasing severity and intolerable nature of the issues to be presented. It’s a masterful literary technique to command attention and highlight the extraordinary disruptiveness of the situations that follow. The "disquieting" speaks to deep societal irritation and instability, while "cannot bear" elevates this to something fundamentally unendurable, threatening the very foundations of communal peace and order.

Proverbs 30 21 Bonus section

• The wisdom of Agur often presents observations about apparent paradoxes or things that seem insignificant yet carry great weight, contrasting these with seemingly mighty things that lack true substance (as seen later in Prov 30). This verse embodies that characteristic, drawing attention to aspects of societal living that, when disordered, profoundly impact everyone.
• The "disquieted" (ragaz) speaks not only to social turmoil but also carries echoes of the earth trembling before divine judgment (as seen in prophetic texts), hinting at a divine discomfort with such disorder, not just human annoyance.
• The enumerated items in Prov 30:22-23 (the specifics of what disquiets the earth) are all about status reversals. The profound message is that character and wisdom, not mere position or wealth, determine fitness for leadership and healthy societal interaction. Without proper character, elevation to higher status results in intolerable disruption.

Proverbs 30 21 Commentary

Proverbs 30:21 serves as a compelling overture to a series of observations about highly unsettling situations within the human social fabric. The "earth" represents not just the physical ground, but the established norms, stability, and societal expectations that maintain order and peace. The expressions "disquieted" and "cannot bear" are not mere hyperbole; they convey profound theological and sociological discomfort with fundamental inversions of status and character. Agur identifies specific scenarios where roles are filled by those unfit for them—a slave made king, a fool filled with luxury, an unloved woman finding a husband, and a female servant supplanting her mistress (as elaborated in Prov 30:22-23). The underlying message is that wisdom discerns these anomalies as fundamentally disruptive, for they contradict divine design for order and merit. They speak to the chaos that ensues when humility is absent, when power is abused by the unprepared, or when a position of influence is attained without the requisite character. These conditions erode societal trust, stir up unrest, and ultimately prove insufferable because they fundamentally violate principles of justice, humility, and proper governance.