New Living Translation
Proverbs 30:4
4Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!
Proverbs 30:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
- New International Version (NIV)Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?
Context of Proverbs 30:4
2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. 3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! 5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
Read all of Proverbs 30Proverbs 30:4 word by word
מִ֤י עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ מַה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּ֝נ֗וֹ כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who hath ascended upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- into heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- or descendedיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- who hath gatheredאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- in his fistsחֹ֫פֶןchôphen · palmH2651
- who hath boundצָרַרtsârar · to constrainH6887
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in a garmentשִׂמְלָהώimlâh · mantleH8071
- who hath establishedקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- all the endsאֶ֫פֶס'ephes · endH657
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- his nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- his son’sבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- if thou canst tellיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for Proverbs 30:4
- Deuteronomy 30:12It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’
- John 3:13No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.
- Romans 10:6But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth).
- Ephesians 4:9Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.
- Job 38:4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.
- Psalms 104:2You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
- Isaiah 40:2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”
- Isaiah 53:8Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
- Genesis 32:29“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
- Judges 13:18“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.”
- Psalms 2:7The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.
- Isaiah 7:14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
- Isaiah 9:6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Jeremiah 23:6And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
- Matthew 1:21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
- Matthew 11:27“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Commentaries on Proverbs 30:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? - Calmet paraphrases this passage thus: "Who hath descended, etc. In order to show the truth of what he was about to say, he observes: I have not the science of the saints; for how could I have acquired it? Who is he who could attain to that? Who has ascended to heaven to learn that science, and who has descended in order to publish it? Is the science of salvation one of those things that can be apprehended…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Man is to be humbled to the dust by the thought of the glory of God as seen in the visible creation. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? - The thought is obviously that of the all-embracing Providence of God, taking in at once the greatest and the least, the highest and the lowest. The mysteries of the winds and of the waters baffle men‘s researches. What is his son‘s name - The primary thought is that man knows so little of the divine nature…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6Unlike Agur's lack of knowledge and power, God's strength and wisdom are evident (compare Psalm 18:30). This is encouraging to Agur, as he knows God protects everyone who seeks Him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. brutish--stupid, a strong term to denote his lowly self-estimation; or he may speak of such as his natural condition, as contrasted with God's all-seeing comprehensive knowledge and almighty power. The questions of this clause emphatically deny the attributes mentioned to be those of any creature, thus impressively strengthening the implied reference of the former to God (compare De 30:12-14; Is 40:12; Ep 4:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 30:4
In the dictionaries
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
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