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Proverbs 30 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Chapter 30 is a chapter in Proverbs attributed to Agur, who is a person otherwise unknown.
Special concepts in this chapter
Agur
His full title is Agur, Son of Jakeh. Agur comes from a Hebrew word that means "gatherer" and so some scholars believe this is not a real name, but possibly a way of referring to Solomon as a gatherer of proverbs. However, it is still prudent to simply use this as a name.
Three things and four
From verses 15 through 32, the author uses a specific technique to explain some things. He says there are three things and even four and lists items that exemplify a feature like "small and yet wise." The numbering is not meant to be so literal, but as a memory device that introduces the items. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise)
Themes
There are individual proverbs that run along common themes, often including contrasting elements: wise/foolish, money, lazy/diligent, truth telling, wicked/righteous, sluggard, pride/humility, integrity/crookedness. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/foolish, rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/righteous)