Proverbs 30:8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me;
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A wealthy man named Agur watches both beggars and kings, realizing wealth corrupts both directions. Writing in what is now Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: humble but desperate for wisdom
The original word
shāw' (שָׁוְא) — emptiness, vanity, deception that leads to ruin
Why it matters
Agur was likely a wisdom teacher from Massa, an Arabian kingdom
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 30:8
This is a prayer request, not a principle — Agur is literally asking God for help
Common misconceptionPeople think this promotes poverty, but Agur is asking for the exact amount he needs — enough to live without temptation in either direction.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 30:8
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 30:8 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 30:8 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Agur. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include contentment, honesty, balance. Notable phrases: remove falsehood and lies; neither poverty nor riches; food that is needful. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 30:8 mean to you, today?
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