Psalm 14:4 kjv
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
Psalm 14:4 nkjv
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the LORD?
Psalm 14:4 niv
Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD.
Psalm 14:4 esv
Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?
Psalm 14:4 nlt
Will those who do evil never learn?
They eat up my people like bread
and wouldn't think of praying to the LORD.
Psalm 14 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 53:4 | "Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people... as bread..." | Parallel psalm, identical wording. |
| Prov 1:7 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom..." | Contrasts true knowledge with the fool's rejection. |
| Rom 1:21-22 | "For although they knew God, they did not honor Him... professing to be wise, they became fools..." | Willful ignorance and suppression of truth. |
| Jer 4:22 | "For My people are foolish; they know Me not... they are wise in doing evil..." | Describes a people spiritually ignorant. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Ignorance of God's law leads to destruction. |
| Ps 9:17 | "The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God." | Consequence for forgetting God. |
| Ps 10:4 | "In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, 'There is no God.'" | The proud wicked do not seek God. |
| Isa 64:7 | "There is no one who calls upon Your name..." | Lament for Israel's spiritual decline. |
| Zeph 1:6 | "...those who have turned back from following the Lord... have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him." | People who fail to seek or call on the Lord. |
| Job 21:14-15 | "Therefore they say to God, 'Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways...' | The wicked's deliberate rejection of God. |
| Mic 3:2-3 | "...who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from My people... and eat their flesh..." | Leaders oppressing God's people literally. |
| Jer 10:25 | "Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You... who do not call upon Your name..." | Judgment on nations ignorant of God. |
| Zeph 3:3 | "Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves..." | Metaphor of ruthless oppressors. |
| Amos 8:4 | "Hear this, you who trample the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end..." | Oppressors of the poor and vulnerable. |
| Prov 30:14 | "There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from the earth..." | Graphic depiction of those who devour the poor. |
| Eze 22:27 | "Her officials in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood..." | Similar metaphor for ruthless rulers. |
| Deut 32:28 | "For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them." | Israel's spiritual blindness. |
| Eph 4:18 | "...darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them..." | Spiritual blindness of the unredeemed. |
| 2 Thess 1:8 | "...inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel..." | Judgment for those who do not know God. |
| 1 Jn 3:10 | "...whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." | Link between lack of righteousness and spiritual state. |
| Mt 7:22-23 | "On that day many will say to Me... 'Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'" | Even professing believers can be "workers of iniquity." |
| Isa 1:3 | "The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand." | Contrasts animal instinct with human spiritual ignorance. |
Psalm 14 verses
Psalm 14 4 Meaning
Psalm 14:4 poses a rhetorical question, exposing the profound moral and spiritual ignorance of those who perpetrate evil. It questions their lack of understanding regarding the implications of their actions. These "workers of iniquity" oppress and consume God's people relentlessly, treating them as casually and habitually as one eats daily bread, without conscience or pause. Crucially, they utterly fail to acknowledge or seek the Lord in their lives, demonstrating a practical atheism that underpins their destructive behavior.
Psalm 14 4 Context
Psalm 14 is a wisdom psalm closely paralleled by Psalm 53. The preceding verses introduce "the fool" (נָבָל, naval) who says in his heart, "There is no God" (Ps 14:1). This isn't necessarily a philosophical denial of God's existence, but a practical one – living as if God doesn't exist or is irrelevant, thus eliminating accountability. This atheism (or more accurately, anti-theism in practice) leads directly to utter corruption, abominable deeds, and a complete absence of good (Ps 14:1-3). Verse 4 then expands on the characteristic behavior of these "workers of iniquity" (פֹּעֲלֵי אָ֫וֶן, po‘ǎlê ’āwen), highlighting their oppressive nature and their deliberate spiritual disconnect from the Lord. The psalm is set against a backdrop where the righteous, God's "people," are vulnerable to the exploitation and predation of the wicked, who seemingly operate without fear of divine retribution.
Psalm 14 4 Word analysis
- Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge:
- Have all the... no knowledge: This is a rhetorical question in Hebrew (לֹא יָדְעוּ, lo' yad'u – "do they not know?"), emphasizing the astonishment and moral indignation at such profound spiritual blindness. It's not a question about intellectual capacity but a lack of moral discernment and spiritual understanding of God's nature and impending judgment. Their actions demonstrate a functional ignorance, as if consequences don't exist.
- workers of iniquity: (פֹּעֲלֵי אָ֫וֶן, po‘ǎlê ’āwen). Po‘al (פֹּעַל) means "worker" or "doer." Awen (אָ֫וֶן) signifies trouble, sorrow, wickedness, vanity, idolatry. It points to deliberate, intentional engagement in evil deeds, not accidental sin. These are people whose entire way of life is dedicated to working injustice. The phrase underscores that evil is their chosen occupation.
- who eat up my people as they eat bread:
- who eat up: (אָֽכְלוּ, ’ākelu). The verb literally means "to eat," but here it is a strong metaphor for devouring, consuming, destroying, exploiting, and oppressing. It implies total appropriation and eradication, leaving nothing behind. It's an aggressive, merciless action.
- my people: (‘ammi). This phrase is significant. It reveals God's tender, personal ownership and care for His chosen people (Israel in its original context, extended to the church in a spiritual sense). The wicked are not just oppressing anyone, but those who belong to the Lord. This personal attachment fuels God's indignation and ensures eventual divine intervention.
- as they eat bread: This vivid simile underscores the ease, normalcy, and regularity with which the wicked commit their oppression. Bread is a basic, daily necessity consumed without second thought. For the wicked, oppressing God's people has become as routine, effortless, and even essential or satisfying as their daily meal. It implies no guilt, no conscience, and a complete lack of moral resistance to their destructive behavior. This aspect could be seen as a subtle polemic against pagan practices where idols might be thought to "eat" sacrifices without true consumption, contrasting with the very real and damaging "eating" (devouring) of God's people by human wickedness.
- and do not call upon the Lord: This final clause points to the ultimate spiritual depravity. It highlights a fundamental irreverence and rejection of God. To "call upon the Lord" (יְהוָה, Yahweh, God's covenant name) is to pray, seek, worship, or appeal to Him in times of need, acknowledging His sovereignty and provision. The wicked deliberately withhold this recognition. Their lack of calling upon the Lord is not just an omission but an active declaration of self-sufficiency and independence from God, solidifying their path of rebellion and wickedness.
Psalm 14 4 Bonus section
The profound connection between Psalm 14:4 and Psalm 53:4, which contains almost identical phrasing, underscores a universal truth concerning humanity's fallen nature that applies across generations. The repetition suggests its timeless theological significance, serving as a powerful descriptor of human wickedness. This verse also implicitly serves as a call for God's intervention, echoing the longing for redemption found later in the psalm (Ps 14:7), where the psalmist yearns for salvation to come from Zion, reminding us that though wickedness abounds, God's ultimate salvation will prevail. The very absence of "calling upon the Lord" by the wicked highlights it as a crucial defining characteristic of the righteous: that they do, in fact, call upon His name.
Psalm 14 4 Commentary
Psalm 14:4 is a pointed indictment of moral blindness rooted in spiritual defiance. The "workers of iniquity" are not merely ignorant in an intellectual sense, but they possess a willful ignorance that actively rejects truth and righteousness. This practical atheism—living as if God doesn't exist or isn't relevant—empowers them to relentlessly exploit and consume the vulnerable "my people" as a natural, unburdened act, like eating a simple meal. Their complete refusal to "call upon the Lord" is the ultimate expression of this depravity, severing them from divine wisdom, justice, and protection, thereby ensuring their eventual divine reckoning. This verse warns that outward evil stems from an inward heart condition of practical godlessness and a refusal to acknowledge the rightful sovereignty of the Almighty.
- Examples: A corporation ruthlessly exploiting workers for profit, justifying it as "just business," without ethical consideration or acknowledging God's command for justice. A leader persecuting a minority group, deeming it a routine part of governance, without recognizing the sanctity of human life or divine law.