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

7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 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. 10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. 11Some people curse their father and do not thank their 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“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.
• Deuteronomy 8:10When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
• Deuteronomy 31:20For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.
• Deuteronomy 32:15“But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation.
• Nehemiah 9:25Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.
• Job 31:24“Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?
• Jeremiah 2:31“O my people, listen to the words of the Lord! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!’
• Ezekiel 16:14Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.
• Daniel 4:17For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses— even to the lowliest of people.”
• Hosea 13:6But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.
• Acts 12:22The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”
• Exodus 5:2“Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Don’t let him fool you like this! I say it again—no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!”
• Proverbs 6:30Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.
• Psalms 125:3The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
• Proverbs 29:24If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself. You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare 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