Mid-century illustration of a tree planted by a pool of water on a path

Proverbs 30:8 · World English Bible

Proverbs 30:8 Meaning Remove Far From Me Falsehood and Lies

Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

What does Proverbs 30:8 mean?

The first request is to be freed from vanity and lies, which are the whole world the ego builds, a mirror of guilt dressed as reality. The second asks for neither lack nor abundance but only what sustains, because the mind knows that both wanting and having can pull it back into fear.

From the Christian Psychology reading below.

Proverbs 30:8 through 2 lenses

The same verse, read by 2 traditions.

CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY

Christian Psychology

The first request is to be freed from vanity and lies, which are the whole world the ego builds, a mirror of guilt dressed as reality. The second asks for neither lack nor abundance but only what sustains, because the mind knows that both wanting and having can pull it back into fear. What nourishes it is not the body's supply but exactly enough to keep it trusting, undistracted by need or excess.

A mind at peace asks to be kept steady, given what it truly requires and spared the illusions that would teach it fear again.

Food convenient: exactly what sustains trust, the gentle daily sufficiency that keeps the mind resting in love rather than in wanting or in having

Christian Psychology lensGo deeper in the app

BUDDHISM

Buddhism

Majjhimā Paṭipadā: The middle way The balanced path that runs between too little and too much. Neither poverty nor riches is that middle asked for out loud, the road that steers clear of the ditch on either side. Enough gets drawn here as the safe crown of the road, with hunger falling off one edge and excess off the other. Agur prays to be kept walking down the center line.

Mattaññutā: Knowing the right measure A sense for exactly how much is fitting, right down to the plate. Food convenient for me is that measure named at the table, the portion that is neither scant nor heaped. It is the plain wisdom of eating to the point of enough and setting the spoon down there. Agur asks to be handed the correct amount, no more able to bless him and no less.

Santuṭṭhi: Contentment Ease with what is simply sufficient. Food convenient for me is the day's plain portion received without grasping after more, the plate that satisfies and then stops right there. Contentment is knowing exactly where enough ends and choosing not to reach past that line. A full plate and a quiet hand are the whole of it.

Appicchatā: Fewness of wants Wanting little, and wanting it on purpose. To ask that riches themselves be kept far off is to trim desire deliberately, to choose a smaller life so the heart can travel light. Less to own turns into less to guard, and less to guard into fewer nights lying awake. He asks to be spared not only want but the heavy load of plenty.

Sacca: Truthfulness Living squared with what is real. "Remove far from me vanity and lies" is the plea to clear falseness out at the root, before it can crowd and choke the heart. A life swept clean of pretense has floor space left for the plain and the true to stand in. Agur asks first for an honest inner house, then for an honest daily bread.

Christian Psychology lens

Live Proverbs 30:8 today

  1. Eat one meal today without a screen going, and let plain enough food be plainly enough. Taste it.
  2. When you are tempted to shade a story in your favor while telling it to someone, tell the unflattering version instead. It costs less than you think.
  3. In a stretch where you feel either behind or flush, do the next ordinary thing in front of you rather than recalculating where you stand. Steady is better than high or low.

What in my life is already exactly enough, and when did I last admit it?

The same truth in other traditions

Tao Te Ching 44

Knowing when to stop keeps you from harm, and being content keeps you from loss. Enough is its own kind of safety.

Judaism · Pirkei Avot

Who is rich? The one who is happy with their portion. The measure is in the person, not the pile.

Stoicism · Epictetus

Do not spend your strength wishing things were other than they are. Take what the day hands you and let that be workable.

Mid-century illustration of Jesus teaching the crowd on a hillside above the sea

Free · No account needed

Read all of Proverbs 30 through 17 lenses

Lensightful opens every verse of the Bible through the traditions you choose. Save readings, ask a follow-up question, and get one verse a day.

Get Lensightful on the App Store