Proverbs 30:9
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” And that I will not become impoverished and steal, And profane the name of my God.

NASB 1995
That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

NASB 1977
Lest I be full and deny Thee and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Legacy Standard Bible
Lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who is Yahweh?” Or lest I be impoverished and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Amplified Bible
So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or that I will not be poor and steal, And so profane the name of my God.

Christian Standard Bible
Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the LORD? ” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, “Who is the LORD?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.

American Standard Version
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Lest I be full and I lie and say, "Who is LORD JEHOVAH?”, or lest I become poor and I steal and swear in the name of my God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear vainly by the name of God.

Contemporary English Version
If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you; if I don't have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.

English Revised Version
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and use profanely the name of my God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
or I may feel satisfied and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or I may become poor and steal and give the name of my God a bad reputation.

Good News Translation
If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God.

International Standard Version
so that I don't become overfed and deny you by saying, "Who is the LORD?" or so that I don't become poor and steal, and then misuse the name of my God.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Lest I be full, and deny, and say: 'Who is the LORD?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Literal Standard Version
Lest I become satiated, and have denied, | And have said, “Who [is] YHWH?” And lest I am poor, and have stolen, | And have laid hold of the Name of my God.

Majority Standard Bible
Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

New American Bible
Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, “Who is the LORD?” Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.

NET Bible
lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I become poor and steal and demean the name of my God.

New Revised Standard Version
or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the LORD?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.

New Heart English Bible
lest I be full, deny you, and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Young's Literal Translation
Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who is Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Words of Agur
8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. 9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. 10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Deuteronomy 8:12
Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,

Deuteronomy 31:20
When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.

Joshua 24:27
And Joshua said to all the people, "You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God."

Nehemiah 9:25
They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

Job 31:28
this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.

Proverbs 6:30
Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.


Treasury of Scripture

Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

I be full

Deuteronomy 6:10-12
And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, …

Deuteronomy 8:10-14
When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee…

Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

deny thee

Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

2 Chronicles 32:15-17
Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? …

or

Proverbs 6:30,31
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; …

Psalm 125:3
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

and take the name

Proverbs 29:24
Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Leviticus 5:1
And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

Jump to Previous
Denied Deny Dishonor Disown False. Fear Full Hold Otherwise Outrage Poor Profane Satiated Steal Stolen Thief Use Vain Want
Jump to Next
Denied Deny Dishonor Disown False. Fear Full Hold Otherwise Outrage Poor Profane Satiated Steal Stolen Thief Use Vain Want
Proverbs 30
1. Agur's confession of his faith
7. The two points of his prayer
10. The meanest are not to be wronged
11. Four wicked generations
15. Four things insatiable
24. four things exceeding wise
29. Four things stately
32. Wrath is to be prevented














(9) Lest I be full, and deny thee.--For "pride and fulness of bread" were among the sins which brought destruction on Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49). (Comp. Job 21:14-15.)

And take the name of my God in vain.--Literally, handle it roughly, irreverently; particularly in finding fault with His providence.

Verse 9. - The reason for the latter prayer follows, unless, as some consider, the prayer is one, as if Agur asked, "Take from me riches which lead to vanity, and poverty which leads to lying and deceit." In this case the ground of the request would embrace both parts of the petition. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord (Jehovah)? Great wealth and temporal prosperity tempt to forgetfulness of God, to self-confidence and practical unbelief in Divine providence. Like Pharaoh, the haughty rich man asks with scorn, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" (Exodus 5:2; comp. Deuteronomy 8:12, etc.; Job 21:14, etc.; Psalm 14:1). Septuagint, "Lest being filled I become false, and say, Who seeth me?" Or lest I be poor, and steal; lest my necessities lead to dishonesty. And take the name of my God in vain. The verb taphas means "to grasp at, seize violently, handle roughly," and the sin intended may be either false swearing in denial of his theft and to escape punishment, or the arraignment of God's providence which has allowed him to fall into such distress. Titus Isaiah 8:21, "They shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God." In view of the proverbs that follow, the clause seems to be best taken of the blasphemy attending on impatience and want of resignation to God's will (comp. Proverbs 19:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Otherwise,
פֶּ֥ן (pen)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

I may have too much
אֶשְׂבַּ֨ע ׀ (’eś·ba‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

and deny You,
וְכִחַשְׁתִּי֮ (wə·ḵi·ḥaš·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3584: To disappoint, deceive, fail, grow lean

saying,
וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי (wə·’ā·mar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Who
מִ֥י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

is the LORD?”
וּפֶֽן־ (ū·p̄en-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

Or I may become poor
אִוָּרֵ֥שׁ (’iw·wā·rêš)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

and steal,
וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי (wə·ḡā·naḇ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1589: To thieve, to deceive

profaning
וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי (wə·ṯā·p̄aś·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

the name
שֵׁ֣ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of my God.
אֱלֹהָֽי׃ (’ĕ·lō·hāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


Links
Proverbs 30:9 NIV
Proverbs 30:9 NLT
Proverbs 30:9 ESV
Proverbs 30:9 NASB
Proverbs 30:9 KJV

Proverbs 30:9 BibleApps.com
Proverbs 30:9 Biblia Paralela
Proverbs 30:9 Chinese Bible
Proverbs 30:9 French Bible
Proverbs 30:9 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Proverbs 30:9 Lest I be full deny you (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 30:8
Top of Page
Top of Page