Proverbs 30:2 Commentary and Bible Study

Here is the right attitude we need to return to the Lord. All self-righteousness is gone, and all comparative righteousness at an end. The man is no longer measuring himself against others, in fact he is ready to see himself as less than the least of all men. He no longer seeks a relative righteousness but an absolute one, therefore it is pointless to make comparisons with others. God will not judge on the basis of comparative righteousness, but will measure us against his own perfect holiness. He does not even demote himself to the position of the lowest man; he goes even further and makes himself a beast.Some feel that these words rule out the possibility that Solomon is speaking under the name of Agur, for Solomon, they say, could never describe himself as more brutish than any man and as not having the understanding of a man. Was he not renowned for his wisdom from the early part of his reign? This must be somebody else. But this is to fail to take account of the power of conviction and the revelation of the darkness of our own hearts to us by the Spirit. Wisdom is not measured by what we know but by what we do, as Solomon has frequently pointed out in this book. When he fell so grievously in spite of knowing and teaching all that he did, could he say that he had wisdom in action? Rather, he felt the shame, the hypocrisy of teaching others so extensively, but not being kept from sin himself. Should not the wisdom that delivered others have first delivered him from evil? When Paul spoke of himself, he said he was ‘less than the least of all saints’ (Ephesians 3:8). When Job saw the glory of God, he poured scorn on any righteousness he had, saying ‘Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth’ (Job 40:4), and ‘Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:6). Note also this language is very similar to that of Asaph, ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee’ (Psalm 73:22). We are made higher than the animals and we should value that gift and never let go of it, but when we lose all the noblest faculties that ought to distinguish us from the beasts, we must admit with shame that we are no better than them. It is the language of repentance, which the repentant will recognise.