91. Proverbs 30: Agur’s Humor, Genius, and Wisdom with Alexander Kirk

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In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr. Alexander Kirk to explore his book, Agur's Wisdom and the Coherence of Proverbs 30. Who is Agur, and why does he stand out as an eccentric genius? What can we learn about wisdom literature from the history of its interpretation? And how do we approach the humor, structure, and deeper meanings in Proverbs 30?

Dr. Kirk also shares his journey in biblical studies and gives us a glimpse into the art of philology. Whether you're curious about Agur’s unique voice or how to read Proverbs 30 as Christian Scripture, this episode has something for everyone who loves wisdom literature and the Hebrew Bible.

“Agur's Wisdom and the Coherence of Proverbs 30” https://a.co/d/2xCSGgf

0:00-2:25 Introduction
2:26-8:11 Dr. Kirk’s journey in biblical studies
8:12-11:28 Elevator pitch for Agur
11:29-15:23 Order, Disorder, and Stuart Weeks
15:24-26:11 History of Wisdom Literature Interpretation
26:12-34:20 Agur the Eccentric Genius
34:21-45:40 What is Philology?
45:41-56:31 Difficult title and the genre of Agur
56:32-1:02:52 Humor in the Bible
1:02:53-1:09:07 The Big Picture Flow of Proverbs 30
1:09:08-1:16:05 Reading Agur as Christian Scripture

Alex Kirk joined the faculty of Beeson Divinity School in 2024 to teach Old Testament and Hebrew after serving in global theological education for nearly a decade. He has previously taught in over a dozen countries, at schools like Ecole Superieure Baptiste de Théologie de l’Afrique de l’Ouest in Lomé, Togo, Institut Biblique de la Croix-des-Bouquets in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, and Baptistička teološka škola in Novi Sad, Serbia, as well as helping to launch William Tennent School of Theology in Colorado and serving with Crosslands Training in the UK. Both a philologist and a theologian by training, his academic interests range from biblical Hebrew linguistics and text criticism to poetry, wisdom literature, hermeneutics and theological interpretation of Scripture. His first book, Agur's Wisdom and the Coherence of Proverbs 30 (SBL, 2024), combines many of these interests to present a detailed interpretation of Proverbs chapter 30 as a coherent collection that mocks pride and commends humility as the better part of wisdom. Ongoing projects relate to the relationship of wisdom and law in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism, the role of humor in biblical wisdom and theological interpretation of Ecclesiastes.

As the son of a pastor and an enthusiast for literature of all types, Kirk is particularly passionate about leading church leaders deeper into the text of the Old Testament to encounter God. To this end, he continually strives to deepen his own understanding of the hermeneutical reality that this ancient text is the word of the LORD to his people. Alex is married to Meghan and they have three daughters, Rue, Willa and Janie. Their family attends Christ the King Anglican Church (ACNA) in Hoover, Alabama.

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