Bible Dictionary
Agur
Agur was a wise man whose sayings are recorded in Proverbs 30. His prayer asks for neither poverty nor riches but for a balanced life of dependence on God.
Definition
Agur was a wise man, son of Jakeh, whose sayings are included in Proverbs 30. He is otherwise unknown. His name may mean “collector” or “gatherer,” though another possible meaning is given.
Biblical Usage
Agur’s sayings include the prayer asking for neither poverty nor riches, but for the balanced provision of daily food. His teaching shows reverence and awe toward God and is arranged in the form of numerical proverbs.
Historical Background
The supplied material describes Agur’s thought as practical and comparatively ordinary in range, while emphasizing the tender reverence expressed in his prayer.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Gatherer; the collector, mentioned as author of the sayings in Prov. 30. Nothing is known of him beyond what is there recorded.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(a gatherer, i.e. together of wise men), The son of Jakeh, an unknown Hebrew sage who uttered or collected the sayings of wisdom recorded in Prov 30.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a'-gur ('aghur, seeming, from comparison with Arabic roots, to mean either "hireling," or "collector," "gatherer"): One of the contributors to Proverbs; his words being included in Pr 30. He takes an agnostic attitude toward God and transcendent things, and in general the range of his thought, as compared with that of other authors, is pedestrian. He shows, however, a tender reverence and awe. His most notable utterance, perhaps, is the celebrated Prayer of Agur (Pr 30:7-9), which gives expression to a charming golden mean of practical ideal. His sayings are constructed on a rather artificial plan; having the form of the so-called numerical proverb. See under PROVERBS, THE BOOK OF, II, 6.</p><p>John Franklin Genung</p>