Proverbs 30:3 kjv

I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

Proverbs 30:3 nkjv

I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One.

Proverbs 30:3 niv

I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

Proverbs 30:3 esv

I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

Proverbs 30:3 nlt

I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.

Proverbs 30 verses

Proverbs 30 3 Meaning

Proverbs 30:3 serves as Agur's profound declaration of personal intellectual and spiritual deficiency. He asserts that he has neither acquired conventional human wisdom through learning nor attained a true, intimate understanding of the transcendent and utterly distinct God, referred to as the Holy One. This humble confession sets a vital foundation for the subsequent inquiries and wisdom he shares, positing that genuine knowledge ultimately originates from a divine source beyond mere human comprehension or effort.

Proverbs 30 3 Context

Proverbs chapter 30 shifts authorship from Solomon to Agur son of Jakeh, whose identity remains somewhat obscure in biblical texts. This verse begins Agur's collection of sayings, often characterized by a more reflective and sometimes cynical tone than earlier chapters. It immediately precedes Agur's unanswerable questions about God's unparalleled power and nature (Prov 30:4), emphasizing humanity's limited capacity compared to the divine. Agur's self-deprecating introduction likely serves as a rhetorical device to highlight that true wisdom does not come from human intellectual achievement alone, but from understanding the incomparable God. The historical context reflects a wisdom tradition that increasingly sought to ground knowledge in divine revelation rather than mere observation or learned experience, possibly as a polemic against philosophical or humanistic wisdom that neglected God.

Proverbs 30 3 Word analysis

• I (אֱוִיל אֲנִי – ’evīl ’anî): The Hebrew "I" here, while literally meaning "I am stupid/foolish," is commonly understood as hyperbole in this context, reinforcing Agur's humble self-assessment of intellectual inadequacy compared to the boundless wisdom of God. It's an emphatic, personal statement.

• neither learned (לֹא־לָמַדְתִּי –lo’-lāmadttî`):

  • לֹא (lo’): "not," a negation.
  • לָמַדְתִּי (lāmadttî): First person singular, past tense of lamad (לָמַד), meaning "to learn," "to teach," or "to discipline oneself." It suggests formal education, acquired knowledge, or even training. Agur states he did not acquire this wisdom.

• wisdom (חָכְמָה –ḥokhmāh`): Hebrew hochma, denoting not just intellectual cleverness but practical, moral, and divine wisdom. It encompasses skill, prudence, insight, and discernment for living well in God's world. This is the common wisdom theme throughout Proverbs.

• nor have the knowledge (וְדַעַת לֹא־יֵדָֽעְתִּי –vĕdʿat lo’-yēdāʿtî`):

  • וְדַעַת (vĕdʿat): "and knowledge." Da’at (דַעַת) signifies a deep, experiential, and intimate knowing, not merely factual recall.
  • לֹא (lo’): "not," negating the knowledge.
  • יֵדָֽעְתִּי (yēdāʿtî): First person singular, past tense of yada (יָדַע), meaning "to know," often implying an intimate relationship or understanding.

• of the Holy One (קְדֹשִׁים –qĕdoshim`): This is the key phrase. Qĕdoshim is the plural form of qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ – "holy") but used here as a plural of majesty, referring to God. It highlights God's utter uniqueness, separateness, and transcendence from creation and humanity. Knowing the "Holy One" implies understanding God's nature, character, and ways, which requires divine revelation and goes beyond human capacity alone. The direct and intimate knowledge of the absolutely Holy God is what Agur humbly states he lacks.

• "I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge...": This phrase forms a parallel structure, reinforcing the twin deficiencies. The progression from "wisdom" (hochma) to "knowledge of the Holy One" (da'at qĕdoshim) suggests an escalation in the type of knowledge. Hochma might be attainable by human effort to some degree, but da'at qĕdoshim implies a more profound, divine, and relationally-based knowing that human intellect alone cannot achieve. It reflects a humility that precedes true insight into divine mysteries.

Proverbs 30 3 Bonus section

Agur's confession "I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the Holy One" is not necessarily a factual admission of utter ignorance. Rather, it is a rhetorical posture, common in wisdom literature, expressing profound humility. By humbling himself, Agur prepares his audience to receive what follows not as his own genius, but as wisdom that necessarily derives from a higher source. It highlights the vast, unbridgeable gap between human understanding and divine wisdom, asserting that the most critical knowledge—knowledge of the Creator—is not attainable by mere human effort or conventional learning. This positions his subsequent inquiries about God (v. 4) as the logical outgrowth of this realization: questions about divine agency and incomprehensibility only arise from recognizing human limitation. This perspective stands in contrast to common pagan beliefs that often posited wisdom as something fully accessible through human effort or arcane secrets. Agur implies that such efforts, absent divine revelation, fall short of true spiritual understanding.

Proverbs 30 3 Commentary

Proverbs 30:3 serves as Agur's essential overture, a confession of his inherent limitations in both acquiring worldly wisdom and comprehending the infinite "Holy One." This statement, paradoxical within a book dedicated to wisdom, underscores a fundamental theological truth: genuine wisdom finds its source not in human intellectual accumulation but in the transcendent God. It's a humility that prefaces profound insight, recognizing that true knowledge of God requires divine unveiling, surpassing mere study or intellect. Agur positions himself, and by extension humanity, as inherently incapable of fully grasping divine mysteries without divine aid. This self-assessment is not an endorsement of ignorance, but an embrace of awe before the unknowable depths of God's character and operations. It suggests that while human effort is valuable, it is insufficient for knowing the truly significant—the God who defines all truth.