The Strutting Male

(Proverbs 30:31 KJV)  A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

I need to include the NASB here to make sense of this.

(Proverbs 30:31 NAS77)  The strutting cock, the male goat also, And a king when his army is with him.

The Hebrew words translated “strutting cock” and “greyhound” don’t mean either but that is for another day.

I don’t know much about roosters and I have never had a goat but if I put them together I can get a “strutting” (2223) “male” (8495).  Since I work in middle school with a large number of young men who cannot read or write and think being a pimp is the highest calling, I see a lot of cocky males and their behavior.

The context here talks about them being stately.  That sounds good until you keep reading and get the context of the next verse where it talks about foolishly exalting yourself.  One of the lessons of Proverbs and the rest of scripture is that God is not impressed with out outward gestures.  He looks at the heart. 

I have one young man who gets up on a regular basis and struts around the room like he is God’s gift to women.  He is short, buck toothed and has a big nose but he is of the opinion that if he throws his shoulders just so and sways his hips they will be in awe.  They are not impressed. 

God is not impressed with our strutting either.

So?  Perhaps this is a good time to remember one of the Bible’s key verses,

(Micah 6:8 KJV)  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Walk humbly, don’t strut.