Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings' palaces.
Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
the strutting cock, the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.
If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.Proverbs 30:24-33
The next series of pictures (24-28) is of things little but wise: ants, conies (rock badgers or marmots), locusts and spiders (rather, lizards as in RSV). The keynote in 25 is provision. The ants know how to look ahead and lay up for the future. Prudence is the abiding characteristic of their way. In the spiritual sense, the parallel here would be: Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven. The conies (26), little rabbit like creatures, though feeble, make their houses in the rocks, and are therefore not easily hurt or caught. Safety is the keynote here. One recalls Jesus' words about building one's house on the rock. With the locusts in 27, the emphasis is on order. They are soldierly creatures. One thinks of 1 Chronicles 12:38 and the reference there to 'men that could keep rank'. This is an effective word against 'loners' who think they can be out on their own in Christian life. It is so easy to indulge a fancy here which is simply carnal. It panders to self, and becomes an excuse for not submitting to the general discipline of the body of Christ. We must beware of being odd man out in spiritual things. The spider (lizard) in 28 is a climber, and gets places, small as it is. No wall is too smooth for it to scale. It is said of Mallory and Irving, who were lost on Everest, that when last seen they were still climbing. That is a great epitaph. In 29-31 the pictures are of four comely things. The lion (30) is the symbol of courage and virtue, and it is this that should mark the Christian soldier as he earnestly contends for the faith. 'Greyhound' in 31 has been variously translated; the word means 'girded as to the loins', and therefore may be applied to any creature characterised by swiftness and fleetness of foot. One thinks of Paul's words in Phil 3:14, 'I press toward the mark'. A he-goat is also fleet of foot, and walks in the high places of the earth. The spiritual application of 'kingship' lies in the summons to the believer to royal living in Christ. The chapter ends with a call to humility (32. 33) Kidner sums up the chapter beautifully: 'the undercurrent of this chapter, which has already commended itself (directly or by contrast) as reverence (1-9), restraint (10-17) and wonder (18-31), is finally manifested as peaceable behaviour (32,33).' The servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (2 Timothy 2:24).