Psalms 14:4

¶ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

Have all the workers {H6466} of iniquity {H205} no knowledge {H3045}? who eat up {H398} my people {H5971} as they eat {H398} bread {H3899}, and call {H7121} not upon the LORD {H3068}.

Don't they ever learn, all those evildoers, who eat up my people as if eating bread and never call on ADONAI?

Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my peopleasthey eat bread, And call not upon Jehovah?

Commentary

Context of Psalms 14:4

Psalm 14 is a profound lament that paints a stark picture of human depravity from God's perspective. It opens with the declaration that "the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." The psalm describes a world where corruption is widespread, and no one does good. Verse 4 specifically addresses the actions and mindset of these "workers of iniquity," highlighting their casual oppression of God's people and their complete disregard for the Lord. This psalm has a near-identical counterpart in Psalm 53, reinforcing its timeless message about human sin and divine observation.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Willful Ignorance and Spiritual Blindness: The rhetorical question, "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" underscores a profound spiritual blindness or deliberate rejection of truth. It's not merely a lack of intellectual capacity but a willful refusal to acknowledge God's existence or His moral law. Despite God's clear revelation, they choose to live as if He does not exist or does not care.
  • Casual Exploitation of the Righteous: The vivid metaphor, "who eat up my people as they eat bread," powerfully illustrates the casual, habitual, and destructive way the wicked oppress, exploit, or consume the vulnerable—God's chosen ones. It implies a lack of conscience, treating the lives and well-being of others with the same indifference as daily sustenance. This highlights the cruelty and ease with which they commit their injustices.
  • Absence of God-Reliance: The concluding phrase, "and call not upon the LORD," signifies their utter disregard for God's authority, His provision, or His judgment. They live self-sufficiently in their wickedness, demonstrating no reverence, no prayer, and no appeal to divine power. This starkly contrasts with the righteous who consistently look to God for salvation and deliverance.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "workers of iniquity" is translated from the Hebrew po'alei aven (פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן), which literally means "doers of wickedness" or "those who practice evil." This emphasizes their active and habitual engagement in sinful deeds, not merely occasional lapses. The verb "eat up" (Hebrew: 'akalu, אָכְלוּ) is a strong term, often used literally for consuming food, but here it's used metaphorically to convey devouring, destroying, or exploiting. Its comparison to "eating bread" underscores the ease, regularity, and lack of thought with which these destructive actions are performed. "Call not upon the LORD" (Hebrew: lo' kar'u Adonai, לֹא קָרְאוּ יְהוָה) signifies not just a lack of prayer, but a fundamental absence of relationship, reverence, or appeal to God's name and authority.

Practical Application

Psalms 14:4 offers several profound insights for contemporary believers:

  • Awareness of Spiritual Blindness: It serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of spiritual apathy and the insidious nature of living without acknowledging God. It challenges us to examine our own hearts for any areas of willful ignorance or self-deception regarding God's truth and His claims on our lives.
  • God Sees Injustice: The verse assures us that God is acutely aware of the suffering of His people at the hands of the wicked. This provides comfort and hope that divine justice will ultimately prevail, even when it seems the wicked prosper without consequence. This resonates with the principle that vengeance belongs to the Lord.
  • The Imperative of Seeking God: The contrast between those who "call not upon the LORD" and the righteous highlights the vital importance of prayer, dependence on God, and cultivating a living relationship with Him. In a world full of "workers of iniquity," our steadfast reliance on God is our refuge and strength.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 79:6

    ¶ Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

  • Jeremiah 10:25

    Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

  • Isaiah 64:7

    And [there is] none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

  • Psalms 82:5

    They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

  • Romans 1:28

    And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

  • Ephesians 4:17

    ¶ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

  • Ephesians 4:18

    Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: