Bible Strands
Proverbs 30:28
and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Agur speaks in Proverbs 30 to the wisdom audience, placing this observation immediately after the description of marching locusts and before the list of stately creatures.
The words — The text highlights שְׂמָמִית (se.ma.mit), literally "a lizard," and בְּיָדַ֫יִם (be./ya.Da.yim), meaning "in two hands." These terms ground the image in a creature that is easily captured yet paradoxically dwelling in royal palaces.
The thread — The imagery of small creatures thriving in royal spaces echoes the paradox of Proverbs 30:27's locusts and the broader biblical theme of God elevating the lowly, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:27-28.
Why it lands — The text states that a graspable lizard inhabits king's palaces, demanding a reader to recognize that divine provision and unexpected presence operate beyond human control or status.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.