Proverbs 30:7

Study note

Setting — Agur addresses God directly at the conclusion of his collection of sayings. He frames his petition as a final request before his death.

The words — The verse begins with שְׁתַּיִם (sheṯṯayim), meaning "two things," and תִּמְנַע (timnaʿ), meaning "you withhold" or "refuse." These terms structure a specific petition rather than a general prayer.

The thread — This pattern of requesting a specific favor before death appears in Psalms 27:4, where David asks to dwell in the Lord’s house, and 2 Kings 2:9, where Elijah asks Elisha what he desires before being taken. Luke 10:42 echoes the singular focus of such urgent requests.

Why it lands — The text demands that readers bring their most pressing needs directly to God before it is too late. It requires honest acknowledgment of human limitation and dependence on divine provision.

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.