Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 30:14

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 30:14. The fourth, The greedy, cruel, and oppressive, and, especially, oppressive to the poor.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The wise sayings of Agur (30:10-33)

It is wise not to be hasty in reporting a person for a supposed wrongdoing. Such action could rebound with harm to the talebearer if the person is innocent (10). The arrogant despise those whom they should respect, while considering that they themselves are not only blameless, but superior to their fellows. They are merciless in their treatment of those whom they should rather help (11-14).
The expression ‘three things . . . and four’ in the proverbs that follow is a figure of speech indicating that the writer is giving only three or four examples. The complete list would be much longer. A leech’s constant appetite for blood is used as an illustration of unlimited or unfulfilled longing. Four examples are given: the place of the dead is always looking for more occupants; a woman unable to have children can never have her deepest desires fulfilled; the earth always cries out for more water; a fire will keep burning as long as it is fed (15-16). A proud person’s arrogance likewise knows no limits, till death brings it to a fitting end (17).
Skill and grace in mastering difficulties are to be admired (18-19); but the cunning that delights in seducing innocent victims is hateful, especially when the guilty person feels no shame (20). Among the most unbearable of people are those who suddenly gain power or status when previously they were nothing (21-23).
Even tiny creatures are wise. They provide for their future, secure themselves against danger, cooperate with one another through order and discipline, and reach the places of highest power in the land (24-28). Other things are commended for their impressive appearance of dignity and assurance (29-31), but a commendable appearance must be accompanied by humility, purity of heart and peace-loving behaviour (32-33).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

A SERIES OF TETRADS

(A tetrad is a wise saying with four lines or four elements.) 1

“There is a generation that curse their father, and bless not their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth as knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.”

“In all of these sequences of three things, yea, four, it is the climactic fourth that is emphasized.”Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 581. This was a commonly accepted teaching device among the Jews. The first two chapters of Amos are an example of this method. Harris noted that Jesus also utilized the same device, as for example, in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount,Ibid. where one finds two tetrads (Matthew 5:3-6; and Matthew 5:7-10). The evil character of the generation described here strongly resembles that which is described in the prophecy of Amos.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 30

This is the end of the proverbs that were gathered by Hezekiah's men. Now in the thirtieth chapter we have,

The words of Agur ( Proverbs 30:1 )

Whoever he is. He tells us who he is, but it really doesn't help.

[he's a] son of Jakeh ( Proverbs 30:1 ),

But I don't know who Jakeh is.

even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal ( Proverbs 30:1 ),

And men that I don't know. So yet God has seen fit to put this here in the scriptures. Agur declares,

Surely I am more brutish than any man, I have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy ( Proverbs 30:2-3 ).

In other words, the guy isn't making any claims for himself, Ph.D.'s or anything else. "I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the holy. I'm more brutish than any man. I don't have the understanding of men." But now he asks some very searching questions.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Talking about men.

who has gathered the wind in his fists? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Surely no man.

who hath bound the waters in a garment? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Surely no man.

who hath established all the ends of the earth? ( Proverbs 30:4 )

Not man. He's talking about God. He's talking about the things that are in God's category. Paul tells us, "He who has ascended is the same one who first of all descended. And when He ascended, He led the captives or led the captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" ( Ephesians 4:8-9 ). So, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the winds in his fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth?"

what is his name ( Proverbs 30:4 ),

Interesting. But even more interesting, he said,

what is his son's name ( Proverbs 30:4 ),

Referring to God's Son. And so it is an interesting question. He is speaking of the characteristics and the things that belong unto God. He said, "What is His name?" The name, of course, is Yahweh. And what is His Son's name? Yahovah Shua, Jesus.

if you can tell? For every word of God is pure: he [that is, God] is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar ( Proverbs 30:4-6 ).

Don't take upon yourself to add to the Word of God.

Now in Deuteronomy after God gave the law, God gave a warning that a person wasn't to try to diminish the law. Taking away from the commandments that God had given. Or man wasn't to seek to add to it. Yet the Jews in their Talmud added some sixty volumes of interpretation to that law, the Mishnah, the Talmud. Here again, "The Word of God is pure." Now he says, "Don't add to it, lest God reproves you, and you be found a liar."

In the end of the book of Revelation, God pronounces a special curse upon any man who would add to the words of that book or take away from the words of that book. "Unto him who would dare to add to the book, to him shall be added the plagues that are in the book. He that would dare to take away from the words of the book, his name shall be taken out of the book of life" ( Revelation 22:18-19 ).

It is a very heavy thing for a man to presume to speak for God. And God gives some very serious warnings to anyone who would presume to speak for God. "Woe unto them who say, 'Thus saith the Lord,' when I have not spoken, saith the Lord of hosts." And God tells all the things He'll do to that person who dares to speak in the name of the Lord when God hasn't really spoken.

Now in Peter's epistle, he said that, "God hath given to us all that pertains to life and to godliness" ( 2 Peter 1:3 ). Really, you don't need any more than the Word that God has already given. All that we need for life and for godliness has already been given to us in the Word of God. We don't need some modern day revelation from God.

Now the problem of men speaking for God, as there are men who purport that they do, the Catholic Church has placed an aura around the Pope and the papal infallibility so that he supposedly is speaking for God. And his word is acknowledged as being the Word of God. Or with the Mormons, their prophets and their president speaks the word of God. And they have to accept it as scripture, and they can give you argumentation, "Why should God quit speaking to men?" and so forth. And you know, that God is speaking to us today through the prophets and all. The thing is, as is declared here, "Lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar." Now those men who have purportedly spoken for God, the thing that happens is that the next guy comes along and oftentimes will disclaim what they have said. And he's speaking for God when he disclaims that the previous person said.

Brigham Young, one of the prophets and the leaders of the Mormon Church, supposedly speaking for God said an awful lot of radical things that the church denies today. The Mormon Church denies much of the doctrine that Brigham Young proclaimed. He actually proclaimed that Adam was their God. The only God with whom they had to do. He proclaimed that there are some sins for which the blood of Jesus Christ cannot atone; a person has to shed their own blood to atone for particular sins. The blood of Christ is not sufficient. And he preached this in many a sermon; how you can do those friends a favor by shedding their blood in order that their sins might be expiated.

Now the Mormons today deny this kind of a shedding your own blood for the atonement of your own sins. But yet, one of their prophets declared it speaking for God. Now God doesn't change His mind. Thus, when a man purports to be speaking for God when God hasn't spoken, that man is usually discovered to be a liar. So the Word of God is pure. It doesn't change. It isn't altered. But men so often purportedly speak for God when indeed God hasn't spoken.

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies ( Proverbs 30:7-8 ):

Now this is more or less the prayer of this Agur unto God. "Just two things, Lord, I desire. Don't deny me them before I die. Remove me far from vanity and lies."

give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain ( Proverbs 30:8-9 ).

He's really seeking just sort of a moderate kind of a life. "I don't want riches, lest I would say, 'Who is God?' And deny God. Or I don't want to be poor either that I would be tempted to go out and steal in order to take care of my needs. So God, just give me that in-the-middle average life."

Don't accuse a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. Now there is a generation that curses their father, and does not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not really washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men ( Proverbs 30:10-14 ).

A wicked generation indeed from verse Proverbs 30:11-14, the different generations that do these wicked things.

Now the horseleach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. And there are three things that are never satisfied, yes, there are four things that say not, It is enough ( Proverbs 30:15 ):

Four things that you can't really satisfy.

First, the eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother ( Proverbs 30:17 ),

I beg your pardon. I just jumped. Four things that say, 'It isn't enough.' The first is:

The grave ( Proverbs 30:16 );

Never says it's enough. People are dying everyday. The second thing:

the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water ( Proverbs 30:16 );

The dry parched earth.

and the fire, none of them say, It is enough. Now the eye that mocks his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. Now there are three things that are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: the way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness. There are three things on the earth that are disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear ( Proverbs 30:16-22 ):

Four odious things.

The servant when he reigns; a fool when he is filled with meat; an odious woman when she is married; and a handmaid that is the heir to her mistress. There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise ( Proverbs 30:22-24 ):

Or wiser than wise. Four little things yet so very wise. Wise beyond their own wisdom.

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; the conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; the spider takes hold with her hands ( Proverbs 30:25-28 ),

Or the gecko.

and is in the kings' palaces ( Proverbs 30:28 ).

From the ant we learn the wisdom of preparing for the future. How that it lays up its food in the summer. Because somehow the ant has an awareness that the time is coming when it won't be able to get out and lay up food, so it stores up the food while it has the opportunity to do so.

Jesus said in an interesting parable, "Make use of the unrighteousness of mammon, so that when they fail, you will be received into the everlasting kingdom" ( Luke 16:9 ). In other words, use what you have now for your eternal benefit. That's wise. Many people don't have that wisdom. The ant teaches us the wisdom of preparation for the future.

The coney, the little hyrax, teaches us the wisdom of recognizing our own weakness and feebleness and to take shelter in that which is stronger than we are. Makes his home in the rocks. Recognize our own weakness and hide ourselves in that rock, Jesus Christ.

The locust shows wisdom in his cooperative efforts. By himself, the locust can do no harm. As he goes forth in bands, he can be devastating. Oh, that the church would learn the lesson of working together, cooperative endeavors for the kingdom of God.

And finally, the gecko shows its wisdom by taking hold with his hands and as the result, dwells in king's palaces. Even as we are to take hold of the promises of God as they of the Old Testament did, that we might dwell one day in the King's palace.

There are three things which go well, yea, four are beautiful in their going: the lion which is the strongest among beasts, and doesn't turn away for any; the greyhound; and the goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath will bring strife ( Proverbs 30:29-33 ).

And such are the words of Agur. Agur, who is the son of Jakeh, who makes no claims for himself. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

VI. COLLECTION 6: THE WISDOM OF AGUR CH. 30

Chapters 30 and 31 form a distinct section in Proverbs, because neither Solomon (Proverbs 1:1 to Proverbs 22:16; chs. 25-29), nor the unnamed sages (Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:34), wrote them. Two other wise men, whose names the text records, did. Some expositors speculate that because these men’s discourses occur at the end of the book, the writers probably lived later than the men of Hezekiah. [Note: E.g., Toy, p. 517.] Nevertheless who Agur and Lemuel were, as well as when and where they lived, remain mysteries.

The most distinctive features of Agur’s proverbs are his numerical style of grouping similar items, his picturesque speech, and a unique phrase he used. This phrase, "There are three things . . . even four," occurs with minor changes five times (Proverbs 30:15; Proverbs 30:18; Proverbs 30:21; Proverbs 30:24; Proverbs 30:29; cf. Proverbs 30:11-14).

"The purpose of such a device may be simply to indicate that the list is not exhaustive, though specific (see Amos 1:3; Amos 1:6). Or the purpose may be to emphasize the fourth item on the list." [Note: Jensen, p. 105.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

C. Wisdom about life 30:10-33

Though his view of and awareness of God are very much behind what Agur said in the rest of this chapter, his counsel deals primarily with practical prudence from this point on.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Agur sketched four verbal pictures and simply placed them side by side in these verses to illustrate the folly of arrogance. He had demonstrated humility himself (Proverbs 30:2-4; Proverbs 30:7-9). Each thing listed begins with dor ("generation") meaning a class or group of people (cf. Matthew 11:16). [Note: Ross, p. 1121.] The numerical sequence creates a cumulative effect, namely, a feeling of growing intensity. [Note: J. J. Glück, "Proverbs xxx 15a," Vetus Testamentum 14 (1964):368.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

[There is] a generation whose teeth [are as] swords,.... As sharp as swords; like such the beasts of prey have; cruel, barbarous, and inhuman creatures; see Psalms 57:4;

and their jaw teeth as knives; exceeding sharp and biting:

to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men: by their tyranny, oppression, and cruelty, to deprive them of the little they have; and even to take away their lives from them, and utterly destroy them; of this disposition are all tyrants and persecutors: such were Rome Pagan, compared to a red dragon in the times of the ten Heathen persecutions; and such is Rome Papal, signified by a beast, like a leopard, bear, and lion; and which has been drunk with the blood of the saints.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.   11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.   12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.   13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.   14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

      Here is, I. A caution not to abuse other people's servants any more than our own, nor to make mischief between them and their masters, for it is an ill office, invidious, and what will make a man odious, Proverbs 30:10; Proverbs 30:10. Consider, 1. It is an injury to the servant, whose poor condition makes him an object of pity, and therefore it is barbarous to add affliction to him that is afflicted: Hurt not a servant with thy tongue (so the margin reads it); for it argues a sordid disposition to smite any body secretly with the scourge of the tongue, especially a servant, who is not a match for us, and whom we should rather protect, if his master be severe with him, than exasperate him more. 2. "It will perhaps be an injury to thyself. If a servant be thus provoked, perhaps he will curse thee, will accuse thee and bring thee into trouble, or give thee an ill word and blemish thy reputation, or appeal to God against thee, and imprecate his wrath upon thee, who is the patron and protector of oppressed innocency."

      II. An account, upon occasion of this caution, of some wicked generations of men, that are justly abominable to all that are virtuous and good. 1. Such as are abusive to their parents, give them bad language and wish them ill, call them bad names and actually injure them. There is a generation of such; young men of that black character commonly herd together, and irritate one another against their parents. A generation of vipers those are who curse their natural parents, or their magistrates, or their ministers, because they cannot endure the yoke; and those are near of kin to them who, though they have not yet arrived at such a pitch of wickedness as to curse their parents, yet do not bless them, cannot give them a good word, and will not pray for them. 2. Such as are conceited of themselves, and, under a show and pretence of sanctity, hide from others, and perhaps from themselves too, abundance of reigning wickedness in secret (Proverbs 30:12; Proverbs 30:12); they are pure in their own eyes, as if they were in all respects such as they should be. They have a very good opinion of themselves and their own character, that they are not only righteous, but rich and increased with goods (Revelation 3:17), and yet are not cleansed from their filthiness, the filthiness of their hearts, which they pretend to be the best part of them. They are, it may be, swept and garnished, but they are not washed, nor sanctified; as the Pharisees that within were full of all uncleanness,Matthew 23:25; Matthew 23:26. 3. Such as are haughty and scornful to those about them, Proverbs 30:13; Proverbs 30:13. He speaks of them with amazement at their intolerable pride and insolence: "Oh how lofty are their eyes! With what disdain do they look upon their neighbours, as not worthy to be set with the dogs of their flock! What a distance do they expect every body should keep; and, when they look upon themselves, how do they strut and vaunt like the peacock, thinking they make themselves illustrious when really they make themselves ridiculous!" There is a generation of such, on whom he that resists the proud will pour contempt. 4. Such as are cruel to the poor and barbarous to all that lie at their mercy (Proverbs 30:14; Proverbs 30:14); their teeth are iron and steel, swords and knives, instruments of cruelty, with which they devour the poor with the greatest pleasure imaginable, and as greedily as hungry men cut their meat and eat it. God has so ordered it that the poor we shall always have with us, that they shall never cease out of the land; but there are those who, because they hate to relieve them, would, if they could, abolish them from the earth, from among men, especially God's poor. Some understand it of those who wound and ruin others by slanders and false accusations, and severe censures of their everlasting state; their tongues, and their teeth too (which are likewise organs of speech), are as swords and knives,Psalms 57:4.