"There is a kind - oh how lofty are his eyes and his eyelids are raised in arrogance"
kind
This is the Hebrew word dor which means generation, period, dwelling. The translators chose to see this word as representative of a people group or a kind of person. It seems that Agur has in mind that certain people are affected by their culture or their orientation to others around them in such a way as this negative quality is expressed by most of the people in that group. This would be where a group or culture takes on a particular negative characteristic that almost everyone in that group expresses.
In this proverb, Agur recognizes four cultural or group stains that can be spread throughout people groups. First, open rebellion from parents. Second, inability to admit or remember morally wrong actions. Third, pride and superiority over other people. Fourth, sharp rapacious speech. Each of these is a destructive tendency to that group. It looks like it helps them but it destroys them.
lofty
This is the Hebrew word rum which means to be high, exalted, rise. Agur is describing, in this proverb, the tendency to feelings of superiority – inflated pride in heritage or culture. This often moves to bigotry, prejudice, and oppression of those seen as beneath your group. Over the centuries of human existence this mindset has been the reason for untold misery and oppression from slavery to racism.
This type of pride in one's own national, tribal, or societal heritage can cause one to see others as beneath you. This ability to devalue others because they did not happen to be born in your gene pool is selfish and wrong. It must be resisted and pushed against.
his eyelids are raised
This phrase means that everyone is beneath him or her. It is how they look at other people. We can all be guilty of this kind of haughty, condescending look. Do you judge people as beneath you for the clothing they wear, the job they do, the music they listen to, the way they talk, the way they look, their skin color, their religion, the part of town they live in?
There are times to make judgments about people, but it is when they have done evil or immoral actions. It is not just because they are different. God, in His great mercy, has offered all of us a Savior who is Christ the Lord. We are all sinners in His eyes and worthy of condemnation, but He offers us His grace so we cannot and should not make distinctions that He does not make.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz