Does Proverbs 30 say God is triune

Proverbs 30:1–6 — A Misused Trinitarian Proof Text

Some Trinitarians appeal to Proverbs 30:1–6 to argue that God must be multipersonal. Their claims rest primarily on two points:

1. the plural word “holy” in verse 3, and

2. the reference to a “son” in verse 4.

Both interpretations, however, break down once the Hebrew, the literary context, and the rhetorical flow of the passage are properly understood.

1. The Plural “Holy Ones” Does Not Indicate a Plural Deity

Text (v. 3):

“I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy (pl.).”

1.1 “Holy ones” refers to beings distinguished by divine wisdom, not divine persons

The Hebrew term here, qedoshim, is plural. Rather than pointing toward divine plurality, it reflects a well-attested biblical usage referring to holy beings—most naturally angels, though in some passages it refers to holy people.

• “The holy ones will not be trustworthy in His sight.” (Job 15:15)

• “A watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.” (Dan 4:13, 17, 23)

• Ps 16:3: “As for the holy ones in the land…”

• Dan 7:21–22: the holy ones (saints) receive the kingdom.

 Psalm 89:5–7, some interpreters understand this to be angels while others see it as a referencde to humans,

Whichever way the term is understood in those contexts, it never denotes multiple Gods or a multipersonal God.

Here in Proverbs 30, Agur is lamenting that he lacks the extraordinary wisdom possessed by the “holy ones,” whether heavenly or exceptionally wise earthly beings. The term points to those whose understanding surpasses ordinary human capacity—not to a plurality within the divine essence.

1.2 Agur’s confession is about his own ignorance, not God’s plurality

Agur’s confession—“I… have not the knowledge of the holy ones”—should be understood in the context of biblical language about supernatural wisdom. In the Hebrew Scriptures, true wisdom is often associated with heavenly beings or with humans who have been granted exceptional insight that mirrors the wisdom of heavenly messengers.

A key example comes from 2 Samuel 14:17, 20, where the woman of Tekoa says of Solomon:

17 “Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

Here, an “angel of God” is explicitly linked with supernatural wisdom—wisdom surpassing ordinary human capacity. The phrase underscores that angels are perceived as “holy ones” endowed with an elevated, divine-like understanding.

Agur’s statement in Proverbs 30:2–3 aligns with this motif. He confesses he is:

• “more brutish than any man”

• lacking understanding

• devoid of the “knowledge of the holy ones”

This does not imply that God Himself is plural, nor that “holy ones” refers to multiple divine persons. Instead, Agur acknowledges that he does not possess the extraordinary wisdom associated with heavenly beings or especially enlightened humans. His humility emphasizes the contrast between limited human insight and the transcendent wisdom of the divine realm.

This confirms the biblical association between angels and supernatural wisdom, matching the idea that the “holy ones” possess a type of knowledge inaccessible to ordinary people.

Thus, Agur is simply acknowledging:

“I do not possess the profound wisdom belonging to God or to God’s holy ones.”

There is no theological statement about divine multiplicity, only about human limitation.

2. Verse 4: “What Is His Son’s Name?” Is Rhetorical, Not Trinitarian

Text (v. 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?”

2.1 These are rhetorical questions about human incapacity, not divine ontology

Agur lists actions which only God performs—ascending and descending in authority, controlling the winds and the waters, establishing the earth. These questions mirror the rhetorical interrogations found in Job 38–41 and Isaiah 40, where the point is to humble humans by contrasting them with God’s incomparable power.

The logic is:

• What man has ascended to heaven to learn God’s mind?

• What man commands the winds or binds the seas?

• What human has founded the earth?

• If you believe such a man exists, name him—and name his son.

This is a challenge to human pretension, not a revelation of a divine son within God.

2.2 The “son” in the rhetorical structure refers to a hypothetical human figure

In Hebrew idiom, if a man of such power existed, he would have a name, and his son would have a name, and thus his identity could be demonstrated. Agur’s point is:

“If you think any man has done these things, identify him—and even his son—if you can.”

It is a sarcastic exposure of human limitations, not a veiled reference to a divine hypostasis.

2.3 The entire context emphasizes the nothingness of man, not the plurality of God

Agur’s despair and self-effacement (vv. 2–3) are the backdrop. He recognizes that he is far from possessing true knowledge of God. The rhetorical questions are meant to magnify divine transcendence and human smallness, not to delineate inner divine persons.

There is no shift to divine family structure, no hint that God has an eternal divine Son, and no suggestion of a multipersonal God.

3. Summary

• “Holy ones” refers to beings endowed with superior wisdom—likely angels or possibly holy humans—not to multiple divine persons.

• Agur’s confession expresses ignorance of heavenly wisdom, not a discovery of divine plurality.

• Verse 4 is a series of rhetorical questions intended to expose human inability, not identify divine persons within God.

• The “son” mentioned is part of a rhetorical device challenging the notion that any human has performed God’s works.

• The passage is part of Israel’s wisdom tradition emphasizing humility, not Trinitarian metaphysics.

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