Proverbs 30:18
16 Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’
17 As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
- KJV
- There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
- WEB
- “There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:
- ASV
- There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:
- DARBY
- There are three [things] too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:
- BLB
- Three [things], they are wonderful for me, and four, I cannot know them:
- ÅB
- Det er tre ting som er meg for underlige, og fire som jeg ikke skjønner:
- OTB
- Det er tre ting som er for underfulle for meg, fire som jeg ikke forstår:
- B1930
- Det er tre ting som er mig for underlige, og fire som jeg ikke skjønner:
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Job 42:3
You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
Read in contextPsalms 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Read in context