Proverbs 30:9

Proverbs 30:9 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Context of Proverbs 30:9

7Two things I ask of you; don’t deny them to me before I die: 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God. 10Don’t slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. 11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.

Proverbs 30:9 word by word

פֶּ֥ן אֶשְׂבַּ֨ע׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי֮ וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מִ֥י יְה֫וָ֥ה וּפֶֽן־אִוָּרֵ֥שׁ וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי שֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹהָֽי׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Lest I be fullשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
• and denyכָּחַשׁkâchash · to deceiveH3584
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• or lest I be poorיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: poorH3423
• and stealגָּנַבgânab · to stealH1589
• and takeתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
• the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Proverbs 30:9

• Deuteronomy 6:10“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you — a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build,
• Deuteronomy 8:10When you eat and are full, you will bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
• Deuteronomy 31:20When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me and breaking my covenant.
• Deuteronomy 32:15Then Jeshurun became fat and rebelled — you became fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
• Nehemiah 9:25They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in your great goodness.
• Job 31:24If I placed my confidence in gold or called fine gold my trust,
• Jeremiah 2:31Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do my people claim, “We will go where we want; we will no longer come to you”?
• Ezekiel 16:14Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through my splendor, which I had bestowed on you. This is the declaration of the Lord God.
• Daniel 4:17This word is by decree of the watchers, and the decision is by command from the holy ones. This is so that the living will know that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of people over them.
• Hosea 13:6When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me.
• Acts 12:22The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!”
• Exodus 5:2But Pharaoh responded, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by letting Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15So now, don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power! ’”
• Proverbs 6:30People don’t despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry.
• Psalms 125:3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.
• Proverbs 29:24To be a thief’s partner is to hate oneself; he hears the curse but will not testify.

Commentaries on Proverbs 30:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9The special dangers of the two extremes. Wealth tempts to pride, unbelief, and a scorn like that of Pharaoh Exodus 5:2; poverty to, dishonesty, and then to perjury, or to the hypocritical profession of religion which is practically identical with it.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-9Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9Agur asks God for two things: Help to avoid lying (compare Proverbs 6:16–19; 14:5, 25; 25:18; 26:18–19) To not have too much or too little Being rich (Proverbs 3:9–10, 15–16; 10:15, 22) or poor (3:27; 11:24; 28:27; 29:7, 14) is not sinful, but Agur wisely wants to avoid the problems of both.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. A prayer for exemption from wickedness, and the extremes of poverty and riches, the two things mentioned. Contentment is implied as desired.Read the comment

Topics related to Proverbs 30:9

• Blasphemy
• Covetousness
• God
• Poverty
• Riches

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Agur
• Convenient
• Folk
• Food
• Deny
• Massa
• Proverbs, the Book of
• Zoology

Commentaries on Proverbs 30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings