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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Proverbs 30:16 Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, 'Enough!'</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/proverbs/30-16.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/20_Pro_30_16.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Proverbs 30:16 - The Words of Agur" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, 'Enough!'" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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and the barren womb; the earth <i>that</i> is not filled with water; and the fire <i>that</i> saith not, <i>It is</i> enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/proverbs/30.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />The grave, The barren womb, The earth <i>that</i> is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, “Enough!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/proverbs/30.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, the infertile womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/proverbs/30.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, &#8220Enough.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/proverbs/30.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/proverbs/30.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/proverbs/30.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “It is enough.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/proverbs/30.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, “Enough! ”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/proverbs/30.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, &#8220Enough!&#8221 <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/proverbs/30.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/proverbs/30.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The world of the dead and a childless wife, the thirsty earth and a flaming fire. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/proverbs/30.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not, Enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/proverbs/30.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />the grave, a barren womb, a land that never gets enough water, a fire that does not say, "Enough!"<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/proverbs/30.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />the world of the dead, a woman without children, dry ground that needs rain, and a fire burning out of control. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/proverbs/30.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />The afterlife, the barren womb, earth that still demands water, and fire—they never say, "Enough".<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/proverbs/30.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ?Enough!?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/proverbs/30.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />the grave, the barren womb, land that is not satisfied with water, and fire that never says, "Enough!" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/proverbs/30.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn't say, 'Enough.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/proverbs/30.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/proverbs/30.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’ <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/proverbs/30.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Sheol, and a restrained womb, "" Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, "" And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/proverbs/30.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth -- it is not satisfied with water, And fire -- it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/proverbs/30.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Hades; and the closed womb; the earth not filled with water; and fire said not, Wealth.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/proverbs/30.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/proverbs/30.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/proverbs/30.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Sheol, a barren womb, land that never gets its fill of water, and fire, which never says, “Enough!” <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/proverbs/30.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/proverbs/30.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Sheol; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that never says, It is enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/proverbs/30.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Sheol and her barren womb, the ground that is not filled with water, and fire does not say, "It is enough.”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/proverbs/30.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />The grave; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not: 'Enough.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/proverbs/30.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/proverbs/30-16.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kpUA5ZltBeQ?start=6273" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/proverbs/30.htm">The Words of Agur</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">15</span>The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: <span class="reftext">16</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7585.htm" title="7585: šə·’ō·wl (N-cs) -- Or shol; from sha'al; Hades or the world of the dead, including its accessories and inmates.">Sheol,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6115.htm" title="6115: wə·‘ō·ṣer (Conj-w:: N-msc) -- Restraint, coercion. From atsar; closure; also constraint.">the barren</a> <a href="/hebrew/7356.htm" title="7356: rā·ḥam (N-ms) -- Compassion. From racham; compassion; by extension, the womb; by implication, a maiden.">womb,</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: ’e·reṣ (N-fs) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">land</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">never</a> <a href="/hebrew/7646.htm" title="7646: śā·ḇə·‘āh (V-Qal-Perf-3fs) -- To be sated, satisfied or surfeited. Or sabeay; a primitive root; to sate, i.e. Fill to satisfaction.">satisfied</a> <a href="/hebrew/4325.htm" title="4325: ma·yim (N-mp) -- Waters, water. Dual of a primitive noun; water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen.">with water,</a> <a href="/hebrew/784.htm" title="784: wə·’êš (Conj-w:: N-cs) -- A fire. A primitive word; fire.">and fire</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">that never</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: ’ā·mə·rāh (V-Qal-Perf-3fs) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">says,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1952.htm" title="1952: hō·wn (N-ms) -- Wealth, sufficiency. From the same as huwn in the sense of 'own; wealth; by implication, enough.">‘Enough!’</a> </span><span class="reftext">17</span>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.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/1-8.htm">Ecclesiastes 1:8</a></span><br />All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/habakkuk/2-5.htm">Habakkuk 2:5</a></span><br />and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/5-14.htm">Isaiah 5:14</a></span><br />Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/18-13.htm">Job 18:13</a></span><br />It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/20-15.htm">Job 20:15</a></span><br />He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/57-20.htm">Isaiah 57:20</a></span><br />But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/2-24.htm">Jeremiah 2:24-25</a></span><br />a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her. / You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/8-11.htm">Amos 8:11</a></span><br />Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/7-1.htm">Micah 7:1</a></span><br />Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/30-1.htm">Genesis 30:1</a></span><br />When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/1-5.htm">1 Samuel 1:5-8</a></span><br />But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb. / Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her. / And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_samuel/17-29.htm">2 Samuel 17:29</a></span><br />honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/107-9.htm">Psalm 107:9</a></span><br />For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/63-1.htm">Psalm 63:1</a></span><br />A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/5-6.htm">Matthew 5:6</a></span><br />Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that said not, It is enough.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/27-20.htm">Proverbs 27:20</a></b></br> Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/habakkuk/2-5.htm">Habakkuk 2:5</a></b></br> Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, <i>he is</i> a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and <i>is</i> as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/113-9.htm">Barren</a> <a href="/proverbs/29-21.htm">Child</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-14.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-15.htm">Enough</a> <a href="/proverbs/28-19.htm">Filled</a> <a href="/proverbs/28-2.htm">Fire</a> <a href="/proverbs/15-24.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-15.htm">Satisfied</a> <a href="/proverbs/27-20.htm">Sheol</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-15.htm">Sufficiency</a> <a href="/proverbs/25-25.htm">Thirsty</a> <a href="/proverbs/28-17.htm">Underworld</a> <a href="/proverbs/27-19.htm">Water</a> <a href="/psalms/139-13.htm">Womb</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/songs/4-2.htm">Barren</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/4-8.htm">Child</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-21.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/1-8.htm">Enough</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-22.htm">Filled</a> <a href="/songs/8-6.htm">Fire</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/9-10.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/proverbs/30-22.htm">Satisfied</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/9-10.htm">Sheol</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/5-12.htm">Sufficiency</a> <a href="/isaiah/21-14.htm">Thirsty</a> <a href="/isaiah/5-14.htm">Underworld</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/2-6.htm">Water</a> <a href="/proverbs/31-2.htm">Womb</a><div class="vheading2">Proverbs 30</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-1.htm">Agur's confession of his faith</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-7.htm">The two points of his prayer</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-10.htm">The meanest are not to be wronged</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-11.htm">Four wicked generations</a></span><br><span class="reftext">15. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-15.htm">Four things insatiable</a></span><br><span class="reftext">24. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-24.htm">four things exceeding wise</a></span><br><span class="reftext">29. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-29.htm">Four things stately</a></span><br><span class="reftext">32. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/proverbs/30-32.htm">Wrath is to be prevented</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/proverbs/30.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/proverbs/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/proverbs/30.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Sheol</b><br>Sheol is often understood as the realm of the dead in Hebrew thought, a place of darkness and silence. It is depicted as insatiable, always consuming but never full. This concept is echoed in other scriptures such as <a href="/isaiah/5-14.htm">Isaiah 5:14</a> and <a href="/habakkuk/2-5.htm">Habakkuk 2:5</a>, where Sheol is portrayed as having an unending appetite. Theologically, it represents the inevitability of death and the grave, a reminder of human mortality and the need for redemption.<p><b>the barren womb</b><br>In ancient cultures, including Israel, barrenness was often seen as a source of shame and distress for women, as children were considered a blessing from God (<a href="/psalms/127-3.htm">Psalm 127:3</a>). The barren womb symbolizes unfulfilled desire and longing. This theme is seen in the stories of Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah, who experienced barrenness before God intervened. It highlights the deep yearning for life and continuation, reflecting humanity's desire for legacy and purpose.<p><b>land never satisfied with water</b><br>This phrase refers to the arid and dry regions common in the Near East, where water is a precious and often scarce resource. The land's thirst for water symbolizes the constant need for sustenance and the unending cycle of nature. Biblically, water is also a symbol of life and spiritual renewal, as seen in passages like <a href="/john/4-14.htm">John 4:14</a>, where Jesus speaks of living water. The insatiable land parallels the human soul's need for spiritual nourishment.<p><b>and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’</b><br>Fire is a powerful biblical symbol of both destruction and purification. It consumes everything in its path, representing judgment and the refining process. In the context of Proverbs, fire's insatiability underscores the destructive nature of unchecked desires and passions. This imagery is consistent with other biblical references, such as <a href="/james/3-6.htm">James 3:6</a>, where the tongue is likened to a fire, capable of great harm. Fire's unending appetite serves as a warning against the dangers of greed and lust.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_grave.htm">The Grave (Sheol)</a></b><br>In Hebrew, "Sheol" refers to the realm of the dead. It is often depicted as insatiable, always seeking more souls.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_barren_womb.htm">The Barren Womb</a></b><br>Represents unfulfilled longing and desire, a deeply personal and often painful experience for women in biblical times.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/l/land_never_satisfied_with_water.htm">Land Never Satisfied with Water</a></b><br>Symbolizes the earth's constant need for nourishment and the cycle of life that depends on water.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/f/fire.htm">Fire</a></b><br>Represents destruction and consumption, an element that continually seeks fuel to sustain itself.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_insatiable_desires.htm">Understanding Insatiable Desires</a></b><br>Recognize that certain desires and aspects of life are inherently insatiable, reflecting the fallen nature of the world.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/spiritual_contentment.htm">Spiritual Contentment</a></b><br>Seek contentment in Christ, who satisfies our deepest needs and desires, unlike the insatiable elements described in <a href="/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16</a>.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_danger_of_unchecked_desires.htm">The Danger of Unchecked Desires</a></b><br>Be aware of the dangers of unchecked desires, whether material, emotional, or spiritual, and strive to align them with God's will.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_prayer_and_faith.htm">The Role of Prayer and Faith</a></b><br>Use prayer and faith as tools to address unfulfilled desires, trusting in God's timing and provision.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/reflecting_on_god's_sufficiency.htm">Reflecting on God's Sufficiency</a></b><br>Meditate on God's sufficiency and how He meets our needs, contrasting with the world's insatiable nature.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_proverbs_30.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 30</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_gently_restore_a_sinning_brother.htm">What insatiable desires are never satisfied?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/did_god_create_hell.htm">Did God create the realm known as hell?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_there_scientific_proof_for_proverbs_30_15-16.htm">Proverbs 30:15-16 personifies a leech and lists things never satisfied; what evidence supports or refutes these claims scientifically?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_do_sheol_and_abaddon_align_today.htm">Proverbs 15:11: How do ancient concepts of Sheol and Abaddon align with modern historical or archaeological findings on the afterlife?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/proverbs/30.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(16) <span class= "bld">The grave.--</span>See above, on <a href="/proverbs/15-11.htm" title="Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?">Proverbs 15:11</a>, where it is translated "hell."<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/proverbs/30.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 16.</span> - The four insatiable things are now named: first, <span class="cmt_word">the grave,</span> <span class="accented">sheol</span> (<a href="/proverbs/27-20.htm">Proverbs 27:20</a>), which can never be filled with its victims. Horace talks of a man as - <p><span class="foreign">"Victima nil miserantis Orci."</span><br />(<span class="note_acc">Carm.,' 2:3, 24.</span>) And Hesiod ('Theog.,' 456) of Hades as - <p><span class="greek">Νηλεὲς ῆτορ ἔχων</span><br /><span class="accented">"A heart possessing that no pity knows."</span> The second thing is the barren womb; "the closing of the womb," as <a href="/genesis/20-18.htm">Genesis 20:18</a>; <a href="/isaiah/66-9.htm">Isaiah 66:9</a>. The burning desire for children, characteristic of an Israelitish wife, is here denoted, like the passionate cry of Rachel to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die" (<a href="/genesis/30-1.htm">Genesis 30:1</a>). The barren woman, says Corn. a Lapide, " concubitus magis est avida quam ceterae tum propter desiderium habendae prolis, tum quod foecundae et gravidae naturaliter non appetant concubitum." The third insatiable thing is <span class="cmt_word">the earth that is not filled</span> (<span class="accented">satisfied</span>) <span class="accented"><span class="cmt_word"></span>with water</span>; the parched and thirsty soil which no amount of water can satisfy, which drinks in all that is poured upon it and is not benefited, what Virgil ('Georg.,' 1:114) calls "bibula arena." <span class="cmt_word">The fourth is the fire that saith not,</span> <span class="cmt_word">It is enough;</span> the "devouring element," as the newspapers term it. The more you heap on fire, the more material you supply, the fiercer it rages. Septuagint, "Hades, and the love of woman, and earth not satisfied with water, and water, and fire, will not say, It sufficeth." Cheyne and others quote from the Sanscrit 'Hitopadesa,' "Fire is never satisfied with fuel; nor the ocean with rivers; nor death with all creatures; nor bright-eyed women with men." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/proverbs/30-16.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Sheol,</span><br /><span class="heb">שְׁאוֹל֮</span> <span class="translit">(šə·’ō·wl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7585.htm">Strong's 7585: </a> </span><span class="str2">Underworld (place to which people descend at death)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the barren</span><br /><span class="heb">וְעֹ֪צֶ֫ר</span> <span class="translit">(wə·‘ō·ṣer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6115.htm">Strong's 6115: </a> </span><span class="str2">Closure, constraint</span><br /><br /><span class="word">womb,</span><br /><span class="heb">רָ֥חַם</span> <span class="translit">(rā·ḥam)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7356.htm">Strong's 7356: </a> </span><span class="str2">Compassion, the womb, a maiden</span><br /><br /><span class="word">land</span><br /><span class="heb">אֶ֭רֶץ</span> <span class="translit">(’e·reṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that is never</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">satisfied</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׂ֣בְעָה</span> <span class="translit">(śā·ḇə·‘āh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7646.htm">Strong's 7646: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be sated, satisfied or surfeited</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with water,</span><br /><span class="heb">מַּ֑יִם</span> <span class="translit">(ma·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4325.htm">Strong's 4325: </a> </span><span class="str2">Water, juice, urine, semen</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and fire</span><br /><span class="heb">וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’êš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_784.htm">Strong's 784: </a> </span><span class="str2">A fire</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that never</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">says,</span><br /><span class="heb">אָ֥מְרָה</span> <span class="translit">(’ā·mə·rāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“Enough!”</span><br /><span class="heb">הֽוֹן׃</span> <span class="translit">(hō·wn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1952.htm">Strong's 1952: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wealth, sufficiency</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/proverbs/30-16.htm">Proverbs 30:16 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/proverbs/30-16.htm">OT Poetry: Proverbs 30:16 Sheol the barren womb (Prov. Pro Pr) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/proverbs/30-15.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Proverbs 30:15"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Proverbs 30:15" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/proverbs/30-17.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Proverbs 30:17"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Proverbs 30:17" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>