(1) These are the words of Agur son of Yakeh, the prophecy; The words of this man to Iti-el, to Itiel and Uchal:
Ibn Ezra says that Shlomo HaMelech himself assembled Agur's words and edited them into Mishlei.
Meiri suggests that Agur son of Yakeh was a contemporary of Shlomo HaMelech -- a colleague, student or mentor.
__
However, the Sages of the Talmud identify Agur son of Yakeh as Shlomo HaMelech himself (Shemos Rabbah 6:1). Why did he refer to himself using this pen name? Agur = gather and Yakeh = regurgitate. King Solomon is hinting through this pen name that although he gathered an enormous amount of wisdom, he later lost some of it -- it was taken away from him because he failed to use it properly.
We can study the properties of the world and its elements, observe their combinations and interactions. It is beyond us to ask Why the laws of nature -- like gravity -- are as they are, because ultimately, the answer is that Gold created the world according to His own Will and Wisdom. We simply don't have security clearance for that. But we can, should, MUST observe and try to understand the qualities and properties of Gravity and every other aspect of nature that functions in the world around us.
Referring as it does to mysteries of Creation, this chapter is much more cryptic than other chapters in Mishlei. And that's saying something!
A very notable feature in this Chapter is the use of numbers -- 2, 3, and 4 to group and emphasize these cryptic messages.
(ז) שְׁ֭תַּיִם שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵאִתָּ֑ךְ אַל־תִּמְנַ֥ע מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי בְּטֶ֣רֶם אָמֽוּת׃
(ח) שָׁ֤וְא ׀ וּֽדְבַר־כָּזָ֡ב הַרְחֵ֬ק מִמֶּ֗נִּי רֵ֣אשׁ וָ֭עֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּֽתֶּן־לִ֑י הַ֝טְרִיפֵ֗נִי לֶ֣חֶם חֻקִּֽי׃
(ט) פֶּ֥ן אֶשְׂבַּ֨ע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי֮ וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מִ֥י ה' וּפֶֽן־אִוָּרֵ֥שׁ וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי שֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹקָֽי׃
(טו) לַ֥עֲלוּקָ֨ה ׀ שְׁתֵּ֥י בָנוֹת֮ הַ֤ב ׀ הַ֥֫ב שָׁל֣וֹשׁ הֵ֭נָּה לֹ֣א תִשְׂבַּ֑עְנָה אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־אָ֥מְרוּ הֽוֹן׃
(יח) שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה נִפְלְא֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְדַעְתִּֽים׃
(כא) תַּ֣חַת שָׁ֭לוֹשׁ רָ֣גְזָה אֶ֑רֶץ וְתַ֥חַת אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל שְׂאֵֽת׃
(כד) אַרְבָּ֣עָה הֵ֭ם קְטַנֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃
(כט) שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה מֵיטִ֣יבֵי צָ֑עַד וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה מֵיטִ֥בֵי לָֽכֶת׃
(ל) לַ֭יִשׁ גִּבּ֣וֹר בַּבְּהֵמָ֑ה וְלֹא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹֽל׃ (לא) זַרְזִ֣יר מׇתְנַ֣יִם אוֹ־תָ֑יִשׁ וּ֝מֶ֗לֶךְ אַלְק֥וּם עִמּֽוֹ׃
(7) Two things I ask of you; do not withhold them from me before I die:
(8) Keep vanity and falsehood far from me; Give me neither poverty nor wealth, But allot me my daily bread,
(9) Lest I be sated, and deny You, saying, “Who is God?” Or, less I become impoverished and steal, And take the name of my God [in a vain oath].
(15) The grave has two daughters that say, “Give me!” “Give me!” There are three that are insatiable; indeed Four never say, “Enough!”
(18) Three things are beyond me; and Four I do not know.
(21) Due to three things the earth trembles; and because of the fourth it cannot bear it.
(24) There are Four among the smallest creatures on earth, who are wise, having been made wise by their Creator.
(29) There are three that are walk securely, a Fourth that strides with confidence:
(30) The lion is mightiest among the beasts, And recoils before none;
(31) The greyhound, the he-goat, The king whom none dares resist.