Verses 18-19 form the third numerical saying of this collection.

In this sequence of four things, the first three refer to the natural world, pointing to the wonderful or mysterious way certain things move in the air, on land, and in the sea; the fourth, where the focus lies in this case, refers to human relationships.

“Three things are too wonderful for me”: For “Three things . . . four” see verse 15. The verb rendered “are too wonderful” is literally “are extraordinary” or “are surpassing”; in this context the sense is “[too] difficult to understand.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “beyond my comprehension,” and New International Version “too amazing for me.”

“Four I do not understand”: This repeats the sense of the previous line. The two lines may be combined, as in Contemporary English Version “There are three or four things I cannot understand” or a translation like “There are some things that are so difficult they defeat my understanding. Four of them are. . ..”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .