Agur is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Agur is identified in the superscription of Proverbs 30 as “the son of Jakeh.” He is the author of the sayings that make up that chapter, which the text calls “the prophecy” or oracle that he spoke. His words are addressed to two men named Ithiel and Ucal, suggesting that Agur was passing on his wisdom to these recipients, perhaps as a teacher or fatherly figure instructing them. Beyond this single verse, Scripture tells us nothing else about him—his family line, his hometown, and his occupation are all unrecorded.
The setting of Proverbs 30 is the broader wisdom tradition of ancient Israel, a context in which sages collected and shared observations about life, God, and human conduct. Agur’s contribution to that tradition is distinctive. The chapter opens with a striking confession of his own limitations: he acknowledges that he is “more brutish than any man” and does not have the understanding of a man, nor has he learned wisdom or known the Holy One (verses 2–3). Rather than presenting himself as a master of insight, he begins from a posture of humility and dependence.
What follows is a series of numerical sayings, comparisons drawn from nature, and warnings against greed, slander, and pride. The chapter closes with the well-known words about the woman of strength in verse 10 and the lessons about small creatures—ants, conies, locusts, and spiders—that are “exceeding wise.” Agur’s single appearance in the King James Bible is thus as the named author of one chapter of Proverbs, a man remembered not for his credentials but for the wisdom he left behind.
The Name
The Hebrew name Agur (אָגוּר) is generally understood to be derived from a root meaning “to gather” or “to collect,” so the name is often explained as meaning “gathered” or “collector.” Some readers have connected this to the idea of one who gathers wisdom or gathers sayings, which fits the role of a compiler of proverbs. However, the precise nuance is not certain, and the name is not otherwise attested in the Hebrew Bible. It should be noted plainly that while the “gathering” association is the most commonly proposed meaning, the exact sense of the name is not clearly recoverable, and no firm meaning should be asserted as though it were settled.
A Closing Thought
Agur’s example is a quiet rebuke to the confidence we often place in our own understanding. He opens his oracle by admitting how little he knows, and only then does he speak with lasting insight. That order matters. Wisdom in Scripture is not the reward of those who think highly of themselves but the gift of those who know their need. If a man remembered for his wisdom began by confessing his dullness, we can take heart in our own limitations—and approach God, who alone gives understanding, with the same honesty.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Proverbs 30:1 — The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,