Proverbs 30:2-4

Proverbs 30:2-4

[2] Surely I am more brutish  than any man,  and have not the understanding  of a man.  [3] I neither learned  wisdom,  nor have  the knowledge  of the holy.  [4] Who hath ascended up  into heaven,  or descended?  who hath gathered  the wind  in his fists?  who hath bound  the waters  in a garment?  who hath established  all the ends  of the earth?  what is his name,  and what is his son's  name,  if thou canst tell? 

What does Proverbs 30:2-4 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Behind this ironical section, one can perhaps imagine Agur"s sons claiming to be wiser than their father. Agur confessed his own limited understanding, while at the same time making it clear that those he addressed knew no more than he did.
If wisdom is essentially a proper orientation to God, how could Agur say he had not learned wisdom but he knew God ( Proverbs 30:3)? In view of the context ( Proverbs 30:2; Proverbs 30:4), he probably meant that he had not reached a high level of wisdom. "Wisdom" in Proverbs means understanding as well as godliness (e.g, Proverbs 1:1 b; Proverbs 2:2; et al.). Agur humbly regarded his own discernment as limited, but he did not claim to be a fool.
The only Person who meets Agur"s qualifications in Proverbs 30:5 is God (cf. Job 38-41; Proverbs 8:24-29). He is the only One with perfect understanding. "What is His name?" implies, "Do you fully understand Him?" In the ancient world, knowledge of a god"s name implied understanding of his characteristics, power over him, and closeness to him. The question about His Son"s name evidently means, "Has He imparted His nature or attributes to any other who may in any sense be called His Son?" [1] In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to reveal His character and nature more completely than anyone had known them previously ( Hebrews 1:1-2).