Proverbs 30:21

Under three things the earth trembles, ¹  and under four things it cannot bear up:

"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up:

There are three things that make the earth tremble––no, four it cannot endure:

Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations--

For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:

Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:

For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up:

Under three things the earth trembles, ¹  and under four things it cannot bear up:

¹ sn The Hebrew verb means “to rage; to quake; to be in tumult.” The sage is using humorous and satirical hyperbole to say that the changes described in the following verses shake up the whole order of life. The sayings assume that the new, elevated status of the individuals was not accompanied by a change in nature. For example, it was not completely unknown in the ancient world for a servant to become king, and in the process begin to behave like a king.