Proverbs Chapter 30 verse 32 Holy Bible

ASV Proverbs 30:32

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, `Lay' thy hand upon thy mouth.
read chapter 30 in ASV

BBE Proverbs 30:32

If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
read chapter 30 in BBE

DARBY Proverbs 30:32

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.
read chapter 30 in DARBY

KJV Proverbs 30:32

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
read chapter 30 in KJV

WBT Proverbs 30:32


read chapter 30 in WBT

WEB Proverbs 30:32

"If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, Or if you have thought evil, Put your hand over your mouth.
read chapter 30 in WEB

YLT Proverbs 30:32

If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to mouth!
read chapter 30 in YLT

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerses 32, 33. - Agur's last proverb, exhorting to discreet demeanour. Verse 32. - If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself (Numbers 16:3). If thou hast had the folly to be arrogant, proud, and overbearing in conduct. Or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. The verb zamam, though possibly used in a bad sense, "to devise evil," is more suitably rendered "to meditate," "purpose;" so here it is the thought of lifting up one's self that is censured, the act and the thought being contrasted. Hast thou acted arrogantly, or even only meditated doing so, restrain yourself, keep silence (Job 21:5; Job 40:4). St. Jerome gives a different rendering, enforcing another lesson, "There is one who shows himself a fool after he is raised to high position; if he had had understanding, he would have laid his hand on his mouth." Septuagint, "If thou give thyself up to mirth, and stretch forth thy hand in a quarrel, thou wilt be dishonoured." Insensate mirth and a quarrelsome disposition alike lead to disgrace. St. Gregory ('Moral.,' 30:10) applies the Vulgate rendering to antichrist, "For he in truth will be lifted up on high, when he will feign that he is God. But he will appear a fool when lifted up on high, because he will fail in his very loftiness through the coming of the true Judge. But if he had understood this, he would have laid his hand on his mouth; that is, if he had foreseen his punishment, when he began to be proud, having been once fashioned aright, he would not have been raised up to the boastfulness of such great pride" (Oxford transl.).

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(32) Lay thine hand upon thy mouth--i.e., be silent. Agur deprecates two things which may easily lead to a quarrel, arrogance and malice. He explains this in the next verse.