14 There is a generation, H1755 whose teeth H8127 are as swords, H2719 and their jaw teeth H4973 as knives, H3979 to devour H398 the poor H6041 from off the earth, H776 and the needy H34 from among men. H120
My soul H5315 is among H8432 lions: H3833 and I lie H7901 even among them that are set on fire, H3857 even the sons H1121 of men, H120 whose teeth H8127 are spears H2595 and arrows, H2671 and their tongue H3956 a sharp H2299 sword. H2719
And I brake H7665 the jaws H4973 of the wicked, H5767 and plucked H7993 the spoil H2964 out of his teeth. H8127
So I returned, H7725 and considered H7200 all the oppressions H6217 that are done H6213 under the sun: H8121 and behold the tears H1832 of such as were oppressed, H6231 and they had no comforter; H5162 and on the side H3027 of their oppressors H6231 there was power; H3581 but they had no comforter. H5162
He sitteth H3427 in the lurking places H3993 of the villages: H2691 in the secret places H4565 doth he murder H2026 the innocent: H5355 his eyes H5869 are privily set H6845 against the poor. H2489 He lieth in wait H693 secretly H4565 as a lion H738 in his den: H5520 he lieth in wait H693 to catch H2414 the poor: H6041 he doth catch H2414 the poor, H6041 when he draweth H4900 him into his net. H7568
Go to G33 now, G3568 ye rich men, G4145 weep G2799 and howl G3649 for G1909 your G5216 miseries G5004 that shall come upon G1904 you. Your G5216 riches G4149 are corrupted, G4595 and G2532 your G5216 garments G2440 are G1096 motheaten. G4598 Your G5216 gold G5557 and G2532 silver G696 is cankered; G2728 and G2532 the rust G2447 of them G846 shall be G2071 a witness G3142 against G1519 you, G5213 and G2532 shall eat G5315 your G5216 flesh G4561 as it were G5613 fire. G4442 Ye have heaped treasure together G2343 for G1722 the last G2078 days. G2250 Behold, G2400 the hire G3408 of the labourers G2040 who G3588 have reaped down G270 your G5216 fields, G5561 which G3588 is of G575 you G5216 kept back by fraud, G650 crieth: G2896 and G2532 the cries G995 of them which have reaped G2325 are entered G1525 into G1519 the ears G3775 of the Lord G2962 of sabaoth. G4519
But G1161 woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye shut up G2808 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 against G1715 men: G444 for G1063 ye G5210 neither G3761 go in G1525 yourselves, neither G3756 suffer ye G863 them that are entering G1525 to go in. G1525
For the oppression H7701 of the poor, H6041 for the sighing H603 of the needy, H34 now will I arise, H6965 saith H559 the LORD; H3068 I will set H7896 him in safety H3468 from him that puffeth H6315 at him.
And I said, H559 Hear, H8085 I pray you, O heads H7218 of Jacob, H3290 and ye princes H7101 of the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 Is it not for you to know H3045 judgment? H4941 Who hate H8130 the good, H2896 and love H157 the evil; H7451 who pluck off H1497 their skin H5785 from off them, and their flesh H7607 from off their bones; H6106 Who also eat H398 the flesh H7607 of my people, H5971 and flay H6584 their skin H5785 from off them; and they break H6476 their bones, H6106 and chop them in pieces, H6566 as for the pot, H5518 and as flesh H1320 within H8432 the caldron. H7037 Then shall they cry H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 but he will not hear H6030 them: he will even hide H5641 his face H6440 from them at that time, H6256 as they have behaved themselves ill H7489 in their doings. H4611 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 concerning the prophets H5030 that make my people H5971 err, H8582 that bite H5391 with their teeth, H8127 and cry, H7121 Peace; H7965 and he that putteth H5414 not into their mouths, H6310 they even prepare H6942 war H4421 against him.
Woe H1945 to them that devise H2803 iniquity, H205 and work H6466 evil H7451 upon their beds! H4904 when the morning H1242 is light, H216 they practise H6213 it, because it is H3426 in the power H410 of their hand. H3027 And they covet H2530 fields, H7704 and take them by violence; H1497 and houses, H1004 and take them away: H5375 so they oppress H6231 a man H1397 and his house, H1004 even a man H376 and his heritage. H5159
Hear H8085 this word, H1697 ye kine H6510 of Bashan, H1316 that are in the mountain H2022 of Samaria, H8111 which oppress H6231 the poor, H1800 which crush H7533 the needy, H34 which say H559 to their masters, H113 Bring, H935 and let us drink. H8354
That pant H7602 after the dust H6083 of the earth H776 on the head H7218 of the poor, H1800 and turn aside H5186 the way H1870 of the meek: H6035 and a man H376 and his father H1 will go H3212 in unto the same maid, H5291 to profane H2490 my holy H6944 name: H8034
And behold H718 another H317 beast, H2423 a second, H8578 like H1821 to a bear, H1678 and it raised up H6966 itself on one H2298 side, H7859 and it had three H8532 ribs H5967 in the mouth H6433 of it between H997 the teeth H8128 of it: and they said H560 thus H3652 unto it, Arise, H6966 devour H399 much H7690 flesh. H1321 After H870 this H1836 I beheld, H1934 H2370 and lo H718 another, H317 like a leopard, H5245 which had upon H5922 the back H1355 of it four H703 wings H1611 of a fowl; H5776 the beast H2423 had also four H703 heads; H7217 and dominion H7985 was given H3052 to it. After H870 this H1836 I saw H1934 H2370 in the night H3916 visions, H2376 and behold H718 a fourth H7244 beast, H2423 dreadful H1763 and terrible, H574 and strong H8624 exceedingly; H3493 and it had great H7260 iron H6523 teeth: H8128 it devoured H399 and brake in pieces, H1855 and stamped H7512 the residue H7606 with the feet H7271 of it: and it H1932 was diverse H8133 from H4481 all H3606 the beasts H2423 that were before H6925 it; and it had ten H6236 horns. H7162
The instruments H3627 also of the churl H3596 are evil: H7451 he deviseth H3289 wicked devices H2154 to destroy H2254 the poor H6041 H6035 with lying H8267 words, H561 even when the needy H34 speaketh H1696 right. H4941
There is H3426 that speaketh H981 like the piercings H4094 of a sword: H2719 but the tongue H3956 of the wise H2450 is health. H4832
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 30
Commentary on Proverbs 30 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 30
This and the following chapter are an appendix to Solomon's proverbs; but they are both expressly called prophecies in the first verses of both, by which it appears that the penmen of them, whoever they were, were divinely inspired. This chapter was penned by one that bears the name of "Agur Ben Jakeh.' What tribe he was of, or when he lived, we are not told; what he wrote, being indited by the Holy Ghost, is here kept upon record. We have here,
Pro 30:1-6
Some make Agur to be not the name of this author, but his character; he was a collector (so it signifies), a gatherer, one that did not compose things himself, but collected the wise sayings and observations of others, made abstracts of the writings of others, which some think is the reason why he says (v. 3), "I have not learned wisdom myself, but have been a scribe, or amanuensis, to other wise and learned men.' Note, We must not bury our talent, though it be but one, but, as we have received the gift, so minister the same, if it be but to collect what others have written. But we rather suppose it to be his name, which, no doubt, was well known then, though not mentioned elsewhere in scripture. Ithiel and Ucal are mentioned, either,
Three things the prophet here aims at:-
Pro 30:7-9
After Agur's confession and creed, here follows his litany, where we may observe,
Pro 30:10-14
Here is,
Pro 30:15-17
He had spoken before of those that devoured the poor (v. 14), and had spoken of them last, as the worst of all the four generations there mentioned; now here he speaks of their insatiableness in doing this. The temper that puts them upon it is made up of cruelty and covetousness. Now those are two daughters of the horse-leech, its genuine offspring, that still cry, "Give, give, give more blood, give more money;' for the bloody are still blood-thirsty; being drunk with blood, they add thirst to their drunkenness, and will seek it yet again. Those also that love silver shall never be satisfied with silver. Thus, while from these two principles they are devouring the poor, they are continually uneasy to themselves, as David's enemies, Ps. 59:14, 15. Now, for the further illustration of this,
Pro 30:18-23
Here is,
Pro 30:24-28
Pro 30:29-33
Here is,