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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Context of Proverbs 30:9

7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 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. 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. 11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

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"And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build,
• Deuteronomy 8:10And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
• Deuteronomy 31:20For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.
• Deuteronomy 32:15"But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
• Nehemiah 9:25And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.
• Job 31:24"If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence,
• Jeremiah 2:31And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, 'We are free, we will come no more to you'?
• Ezekiel 16:14And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.
• Daniel 4:17The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.'
• Hosea 13:6but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
• Acts 12:22And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"
• Exodus 5:2But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go."
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'"
• Proverbs 6:30People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
• Psalms 125:3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
• Proverbs 29:24The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.

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