Humility is a core virtue in the biblical tradition, and those who exalt themselves are warned of the dangers of pride. In Luke 18:14, Jesus teaches that the one who humbles himself will be exalted, while Proverbs 30:32 cautions against putting one's hand to the mouth in pride. The prophets Isaiah and other wisdom writers also condemn self-exaltation, noting that God resists the proud and will bring low those who elevate themselves above others, as seen in Isaiah 2:11 and Proverbs 29:11. Ultimately, Isaiah 65:5 highlights the futility of seeking to elevate oneself, for true honor comes from God alone.
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I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out. Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— surely you know! Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it. There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden. This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress. Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything; a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him. If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.