For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
The saying stands among the words of Agur, understood to come from a later period. Among the three things that unsettle the earth and the four it finds unbearable is a servant who comes to reign, a slave who takes up rule.
Jeroboam gives the example, for he rose from an obscure position yet raised his hand against the king. His impatience and ambition would not let him wait for the Lord's time. The unbearable thing is therefore not a form of government in itself but the character of the ruler, so that a republic can become tyrannous while a monarchy under good rulers can remain free.
The saying stands among the words of Agur, understood to come from a later period. Among the three things that unsettle the earth and the four it finds unbearable is a servant who comes to reign, a slave who takes up rule.
Jeroboam gives the example, for he rose from an obscure position yet raised his hand against the king. His impatience and ambition would not let him wait for the Lord's time. The unbearable thing is therefore not a form of government in itself but the character of the ruler, so that a republic can become tyrannous while a monarchy under good rulers can remain free.