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ParallelVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Prov Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31
Prov 30 V1 V2 V3 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) Who’s been up to heaven and come back down again?
⇔ Who’s captured the wind between their two hands?
⇔ Who’s wrapped the oceans around them like a cloak?
⇔ Who’s set up all the earth’s boundaries?
⇔ What’s his name, and what’s the name of his son?
⇔ Surely you know?![]()
OET-LV Who has_he_gone_up heaven and_has_he_come_down who has_he_gathered the_wind in_the_hollow_of_of_his_hands who has_he_wrapped the_waters in_cloak who has_he_set_up all_of the_ends_of the_earth what name_of_is_his and_what is_the_name_of his/its_son if/because you_know.
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UHB מִ֤י עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ מַה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּ֝נ֗וֹ כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע׃ ‡
(miy ˊālāh-shāmayim vayyērad miy ʼāşaf-rūaḩ bəḩāfənāyv miy ʦārar-mayim bassimlāh miy hēqim kāl-ʼafşēy-ʼāreʦ mah-shəmō ūmah-shem-bənō kiy tēdāˊ.)
Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXX No BrLXX PROV 30:4 verse available
BrTr No BrTr PROV 30:4 verse available
ULT Who has ascended to heaven and descended?
⇔ Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hands?
⇔ Who has wrapped waters in the cloak?
⇔ Who has raised up all the ends of the earth?
⇔ What is his name? And what is the name of his son? Surely you know!
UST But I will say this: Surely nobody has ever gone to heaven and returned to earth!
⇔ Surely nobody has ever controlled the wind!
⇔ Surely nobody has ever gathered the water for rain in the clouds!
⇔ Surely nobody has ever formed the boundaries of the earth!
⇔ You do not know the name of any such person, or the name of his son.
⇔ Therefore, you also do not know much!
BSB Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
⇔ Who has gathered the wind in His hands?
⇔ Who has bound up the waters in His cloak?
⇔ Who has established all the ends of the earth?
⇔ What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—
⇔ surely you know!
MSB (Same as BSB above)
OEB No OEB PROV book available
WEBBE Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?
⇔ Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
⇔ Who has bound the waters in his garment?
⇔ Who has established all the ends of the earth?
⇔ What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
WMBB (Same as above)
NET Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended?
⇔ Who has gathered up the winds in his fists?
⇔ Who has bound up the waters in his cloak?
⇔ Who has established all the ends of the earth?
⇔ What is his name, and what is his son’s name? – if you know!
LSV Who went up to the heavens, and comes down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His Name? And what [is] His Son’s Name? Surely you know!
FBV Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?[fn]
30:4 The point of the questions is to show that no one but the Creator could do all these things.
T4T But let me say this:
⇔ No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven to find out what God is like and returned to tell us.
⇔ No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand.
⇔ No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water in the ocean in a piece of cloth,
⇔ and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth.
⇔ If you know who has done those things, tell me [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]!
⇔ But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like.
LEB • Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hand?
• Who has wrapped water in a[fn] garment?
• Who has established all the ends of the earth?
• What is his name and what is the name of his child?
• For surely you know.
30:? Hebrew “the”
BBE Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
Moff Who ever climbed to heaven and then came down
⇔ who ever gathered the wind in his fingers,
⇔ or wrapped the waters in a robe of clouds,
⇔ or fixed the bounds of earth
⇔ What is his name, or his son’s name?
⇔ You do not know it?”
¶
JPS Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
ASV Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?
⇔ Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?
⇔ Who hath bound the waters in his garment?
⇔ Who hath established all the ends of the earth?
⇔ What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?
DRA Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
YLT Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
Drby Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
RV Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in his garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?
(Who hath/has ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath/has gathered the wind in his fists? who hath/has bound the waters in his garment? who hath/has established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou/you knowest/know? )
SLT Who went up to the heavens, and came down? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what his name and what his son’s name, if thou shalt know?
Wbstr Who hath ascended 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?
KJB-1769 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?
(Who hath/has ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath/has gathered the wind in his fists? who hath/has bound the waters in a garment? who hath/has established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou/you canst tell? )
KJB-1611 Who hath ascended vp into heauen, 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 sonnes name, if thou canst tell?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
Bshps Who hath clymed vp into heauen, and come downe from thence? who hath holden the wynde fast in his hande? who hath gathered together the waters in a garment? who hath established all the endes of the worlde: what is his name, and what is his sonnes name, yf thou canst tell?
(Who hath/has clymed up into heaven, and come down from thence? who hath/has held the wind fast in his hand? who hath/has gathered together the waters in a garment? who hath/has established all the ends of the world: what is his name, and what is his sons name, if thou/you canst tell?)
Gnva Who hath ascended vp to heauen, and descended? Who hath gathered the winde in his fist? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the endes of the world? What is his name, and what is his sonnes name, if thou canst tell?
(Who hath/has ascended up to heaven, and descended? Who hath/has gathered the wind in his fist? Who hath/has bound the waters in a garment? Who hath/has established all the ends of the world? What is his name, and what is his sons name, if thou/you canst tell? )
Cvdl Who hath clymmed vp i to heauen? Who hath come downe from thence? Who hath holden ye wynde fast in his hade? Who hath coprehended ye waters in a garment? Who hath set all the endes of ye worlde? What is his name, or his sonnes name? Canst thou tell?
(Who hath/has clymmed up 1 to heaven? Who hath/has come down from thence? Who hath/has held ye/you_all wind fast in his hand? Who hath/has coprehended ye/you_all waters in a garment? Who hath/has set all the ends of ye/you_all world? What is his name, or his sons name? Canst thou/you tell?)
Wycl Who stiede in to heuene, and cam doun? Who helde togidere the spirit in hise hondis? who bonde togidere watris as in a cloth? Who reiside alle the endis of erthe? What is name of hym? and what is the name of his sone, if thou knowist?
(Who stayed in to heaven, and came doun? Who held together the spirit in his hands? who bond together waters as in a cloth? Who raised all the ends of earth? What is name of him? and what is the name of his son, if thou/you knowest/know?)
Luth Wer fähret hinauf gen Himmel und herab? Wer fasset den Wind in seine Hände? Wer bindet die Wasser in ein Kleid? Wer hat alle Enden der Welt gestellet? Wie heißt er und wie heißt sein Sohn? Weißt du das?
(Who drives/rides/runs up to/toward heaven and down? Who summarises the wind in his hands? Who bind/tie(v)t the water in a garment? Who has all ends(n) the/of_the world provided? How is_called he and as/like is_called be son? Weißt you(sg) that?)
ClVg Quis ascendit in cælum, atque descendit? quis continuit spiritum in manibus suis? quis colligavit aquas quasi in vestimento? quis suscitavit omnes terminos terræ? quod nomen est ejus, et quod nomen filii ejus, si nosti?[fn]
(Who went_up in/into/on the_sky, and_yet came_down? who/any continuit spirit in/into/on hands to_his_own? who/any neckgavit waters as_if in/into/on clothing? who/any raised everyone boundaries of_the_earth/land? that name it_is his, and that name children his, when/but_if you_know? )
30.4 Quis ascendit in cœlum. Filius Dei post resurrectionem, et nostræ resurrectionis tempore descensurus est ad judicium. Quis continuit. Omnis spiritus, angelorum, hominum, animalium et procellarum, ne deficiat, Dei potentia continetur. Quis suscitavit omnes. Et nunc omnia, quæ per orbem vivunt et crescunt, homines, animantia, germina, Deus, ut sua vita subsistant, excitat: et in die judicii genus humanum a quatuor ventis a morte excitabit. Quod nomen est ejus, et quod nomen filii ejus, Dei patris et filii nomen dicit: cujus mysterium sæcularis scientia naturaliter scire non potuit, quamvis esse Deum, qui omnia fecerit, per facta intelligere possit. Si nosti: tu scilicet, qui tuam sapientiam jactans, nostræ fidei mysteria stultitiam vocas.
30.4 Who went_up in/into/on sky. Son of_God after resurrection, and our resurrection at_the_time descensurus it_is to judgement. Who continuit. Everyone spirit, of_messengers/angels, of_men, of_animals and stormrum, not to_fail, of_God power is_contained. Who raised everyone. And now everything, which through the_world they_live and crescunt, people/men, animantia, germina, God, as his_own life subsistant, excitat: and in/into/on day judgement kind/class human from four the_winds from death excitabit. That name it_is his, and that name children his, of_God of_the_father and children name he_says: whose mystery secular knowledge/skill naturally to_know not/no could, although/however to_be God, who/which everything he_did, through facts to_understand can. When/But_if you_know: you(sg) namely, who/which your(sg) wisdom yactans, our of_faith mysteries stupidity vocas.
30:4-6 In contrast to Agur’s ignorance and powerlessness stands the strength and wisdom of God (cp. Ps 18:30). This is good news to Agur, who understands that God is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
This section is a collection of verses that were written or organized by Agur the son of Jakeh.Some scholars think that Agur wrote or collected only verses 1–4, 1–6, 1–9, or 1–14. UBS (page 617), Toy (page 518), and Longman (page 513) are among those who list some of these possibilities. The GNT indicates with quotation marks that Agur’s words end after v.6. No other versions indicate that Agur’s words end before the end of the chapter. Waltke (volume I, page 26) strongly defends the entire chapter as the “oracle” of Agur on the basis of its structural unity. Kidner (page 178) divides the chapter into two sections (1–9) and (10–33), but identifies both as coming from “the sage.” The title of this section (30:1a) is the only place in Scripture that Agur is mentioned. The section is divided into paragraphs that vary from one to five verses. The Notes will suggest a paragraph heading for all paragraphs after 30:1a. It is suggested that you use similar headings in your translation to help the readers follow the changes of topic and audience.
The first nine verses contain Agur’s personal thoughts and prayers. Some are addressed to God, others to his audience. The rest of the chapter contains proverbs on various topics. Some are individual warnings or statements (30:10, 17, 20, 32–33). Others contain several kinds of lists of four items each. The lists in verses 15b–16, 18–19, 21–23, and 29–31 have the same form as the numerical proverb in 6:16–19. (See the paragraph summary for 6:16–19 and the notes on 6:16a–b.) The lists in verses 11–14 and 24–28 have different forms. These will be described in the paragraph summaries where they first occur.
Some other headings for this section are:
The Words of Agur (ESV)
Wise Words from Agur (NCV)
Words that the LORD caused Agur to make known
Agur then asks the people who hear or read his words a series of rhetorical questions. The first four questions (4a–d) begin with the word “Who.” The function of these questions is to emphasize that no person has done these things. Only God can do them.
He then asks two sarcastic questions (4e) that begin with “What.” These questions and the sentence that follows challenge the people to tell Agur the name of anyone they know who has done these things.
4aWho has ascended to heaven and come down?
4bWho has gathered the wind in His hands?
4cWho has bound up the waters in His cloak?
4dWho has established all the ends of the earth?
4eWhat is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
In some languages, it may be appropriate to translate the rhetorical questions in 30:4a–d individually. Another alternative is to use a statement to introduce these questions as a group. For example:
4a Think about these questions:
4a Please answer these questions of mine:
See the General Comment on 30:4a–e after the note on 30:4e for a way to combine some of the questions.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
¶ As for you(plur) my fellow people, think about these questions: Who ascended to heaven and descended again?
¶ Is there anyone except God who went to heaven and then returned to earth? No one.
¶ I don’t know any person who rose/went upward to heaven and then returned.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?: There are two ways to interpret this rhetorical question:
It asks if anyone has gone up to heaven and returned. For example:
Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended? (NET) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)
It asks if anyone has learned all heavenly knowledge. For example:
Have any ever mastered heavenly knowledge? (GNT) (GNT)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and scholars.
Agur worded this question in a way that fits the viewpoint of a person on the earth. The implied answer is that no person can leave the earth, go up to heaven and then return. Although God does not start from the earth and then go up to heaven, only God has the power to move back and forth between the two places.Fox (page 856) objects that “the order ‘ascended’…‘come down’ is not the natural way to describe God’s movements, since his starting point is the heavens.” However, according to Whybray (page 409), this question shows that God is able to move freely between heaven and earth. He says that the order probably emphasizes that humans are unable to ascend to heaven in the first place. Waltke (page 471) agrees that the implied answer to this rhetorical question is “no human being, but only God.”
Some other ways to translate this question are:
Use a slightly different rhetorical question. For example:
Has anyone gone up to heaven and come back down? (CEV)
Use a rhetorical question and make the implied answer explicit. For example:
Is there any person who went to heaven and then returned to earth? Certainly not. Only God can do something like that.
Use a statement. For example:
I don’t know any person who went upward to heaven and then returned.
(combined/reordered)
¶ You(sing) my fellow people, can you answer these questions of mine?Who rose to heaven and then returned? Is there anyone who held the wind in his hands and bundled the rain in the clouds? Did any person make the boundaries between the land and the water? Of course not! Only God. But you probably know a person who done all these things, right? So tell me his name and the name of his child!
Who has gathered the wind in His hands?
Who held/cupped the wind in his hands?
Is there anyone except God who caught/gripped the wind in his fists? No one.
I don’t know any person who used his hands/fists to control the wind.
Who has gathered the wind in His hands?: This line is more literally: “Who gathered the wind in both palms/hands/fists”? The word that the BSB translates as in His hands usually refers to the palm of the hand. It may describe God holding the wind in either his cupped hands or his closed fists.Delitzsch (page 446) agrees with Fox (page 858) that the word refers to the palm, but he points out that in this context the palms have closed shut around the wind, making fists. With either option, the line refers figuratively to God’s power to restrain or control the wind.NET footnote (b). Some other ways to translate this question are:
Use a slightly different rhetorical question. For example:
Who can hold the wind in his hand? (NCV)
Has anyone grabbed hold of the wind? (CEV)
Use a rhetorical question and make the implied answer explicit. For example:
Who can capture the wind with his hands? No one except God.
Use a figurative statement. For example:
I don’t know any person who gripped the wind in his fists.
Use a statement without a figure of speech. For example:
Only God can control the wind.
Who has bound up the waters in His cloak?
Who bundled/folded the rain inside a garment/cloth?
Is there anyone except God who wrapped water in the clouds like a person who wraps something in a piece of cloth? No one.
I don’t know any person who caused the rain to remain in the clouds.
Who has bound up the waters in His cloak?: This rhetorical question contains a metaphor. In this metaphor, God’s power to hold water in the clouds is compared to a person’s insignificant ability to wrap an object inside a piece of cloth.
the waters: Many English versions translate this word as waters, because the word is plural in Hebrew. In Hebrew, there is no singular form of the word. The same form refers to water in rivers or oceans or water in a bottle. Here the word probably refers to the water (rain) that is held in the clouds, as in Job 26:8. That verse says that God “wraps up the waters in his clouds.”Longman (page 523), Whybray (page 409), Delitzsch (page 446), Toy (pages 521–522), Cohen (page 201), and Murphy (page 228) all identify the water (Hebrew: mayim) as rain and the garment as clouds that contain the rain. The CEV and NLT understand the “waters” to refer to “the sea” and “the oceans,” respectively. However, a different Hebrew word (yam) is used consistently in the OT for both “sea” and “ocean.”
His cloak: In Hebrew, this word can refer to a cloth. It can also refer to a cloak or other piece of clothing.
Some other ways to translate this rhetorical question and metaphor are:
Use a slightly different rhetorical question. Keep the metaphor. For example:
Did anyone ever fold water/rain inside a coat?
Use a rhetorical question and make the implied answer explicit. Make one or more parts of the metaphor explicit and change it to a simile. For example:
Who wrapped water in the clouds like a person who wraps something in a piece of cloth? No one except God.
Use a statement with a simile or metaphor. For example:
I don’t know any person who used the clouds like a cloth to fold up water/rain.
Use a statement without a figure of speech. For example:
God is the only one who can cause the clouds to hold rain.
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
Who decided the edges of the land/earth in all directions?
Is there anyone except God who made all the boundaries that divide the land and the water? No one.
I don’t know any person who decided the size/width of the entire earth, including even the farthest places.
Who has established all the ends of the earth?: The phrase established all the ends of the earth refers to the boundaries or edges of the earth (dry land). It means that God decided and created all the boundaries between the dry land and the water, including the places on earth that are farthest away.UBS (page 622), NET footnote (d). Some other ways to translate this rhetorical question are:
Use a slightly different rhetorical question. For example:
Who has set up the earth from one end to the other? (GW)
Has anyone…marked out boundaries for the earth? (CEV)
Use a rhetorical question and make the implied answer explicit. For example:
Who decided the location of all the edges of the earth/land? No one except God.
Use a statement. For example:
I don’t know any person who determined the size/width of the earth in all directions.
What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
What is the name of this person? And what is the name of his son/child? Of course you(plur) know the answer, since you know so much!
But your intelligence is greater than mine, so I am sure that you know someone. You probably know the name of his child as well!
Even though I don’t know any person like that, there is no doubt that you know! So tell me his name and the name of his child!
What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!: There are two ways to interpret these rhetorical questions and the sentence that follows:
They are sarcastic. They challenge Agur’s audience to admit that they do not know the name of any person who has done these things. Nor do they know the name of his child or children. For example:
What is the person’s name? And what is the name of the person’s child? Surely you know! (NRSV) (CEV, NRSV, GNT)Most versions have not been listed here, because they are ambiguous. They could indicate either sarcasm or emphasis.
They are not sarcastic. They invite Agur’s audience to affirm that they do know the name of God and the name of his child.According to Waltke (pages 471–475), the answers to the rhetorical questions in 30:4e are the LORD (Yahweh) and his firstborn son, Israel, as identified in Exodus 3:13–15 and Exodus 4:22–23. According to Ross (pages 1119–1120) and the NET footnote (e), there may be a hint that the son should be identified as the Logos or the Messiah. However, according to Fox (page 856), such an interpretation is “obviously anachronistic.” In addition, this rhetorical question bears no resemblance to other messianic prophecies. For example:
What is his name? What is his son’s name? Do you know? Indeed, you do. (Voice)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most scholars. This interpretation better fits the theme of this paragraph (30:1b–4), which emphasizes the lack of human knowledge about God.
surely you know!: This clause is a sarcastic way to say, “You really don’t know!”
Another way to translate these sarcastic rhetorical questions and the sentence that follows is:
Who are they, if you know? Who are their children? (GNT)
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine some of these rhetorical questions and/or to translate them in different ways to avoid being redundant. See 30:4a–e (combined/reordered) in the Display.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
מִ֤י עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ
who? ascended heaven and,has_he_come_down? who? gathered wind in,the_hollow_of,of_his_hands who? wrapped_up waters in,cloak who? established all/each/any/every ends_of earth
In this verse, the writer uses the question form four times to emphasize how much greater Yahweh is than people. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Surely, no human has ascended to heaven and descended! Surely, no one but Yahweh has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hands! Surely, no one but Yahweh has wrapped waters in the cloak! Surely, no one but Yahweh has raised up all the ends of the earth!”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד
ascended heaven and,has_he_come_down?
Here, Agur speaks of someone going to the place where God dwells and returning from there as if heaven were a place that someone could go up to or come down from. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “has gone to and returned from the place where Yahweh dwells”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו
who? who? gathered wind in,the_hollow_of,of_his_hands
Here, Agur speaks of controlling the wind as if it were something that a person could catch and hold in the palm of one’s hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Who has controlled the wind”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
בְּחָפְנָ֡יו
in,the_hollow_of,of_his_hands
Here, the word translated hollow refers to the palm of someone’s hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the palms of his hands”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה
who? who? who? wrapped_up waters in,cloak
Here, Agur speaks of storing rainwater in clouds as if the waters were something that a person could wrap inside a cloak. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. If a translation is available in your language, see the similar use of waters in [Job 26:8](../job/26/08.md). Alternate translation: “Who has stored the water in clouds”
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ
who? established all/each/any/every ends_of earth
Here, Agur speaks of setting the boundaries of the dry land on the earth as if the ends of the earth were something that a person could raise up. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “has set up the limits for where the land ends” or “has marked the boundaries for the ends of the earth”
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / irony
מַה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּ֝נ֗וֹ כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע
what? name_of,[is]_his and,what? name_of his/its=son that/for/because/then/when know
Agur uses irony here to emphasize that no one knows of any person who can do those things described earlier in the verse, because such a person does not exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Surely, none of you knows the name of someone who has done this or the name of his son, because such a person does not exist!”