a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
Parallel translations
- WEB the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
- KJV A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
- NKJV A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him.
- NASB The strutting rooster or the male goat, And a king when his army is with him.
- NLT the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A strutting rooster (or greyhound), a male goat, and a king with his army complete the picture of dignified bearing.
Overview
The precise identity of the first creature is debated in translation, but the point is clear: each example carries itself with confident command. The list climaxes in a king securely leading his people, an image of rightful authority and dignity. It points beyond earthly rulers to Christ, the King whose reign is unshakable and whose majesty is supreme.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Prov 20:2The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
- Dan 3:15–18Now, if you are ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the statue I have made. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”
- Prov 16:14The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 30:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.