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THE MESSAGE
Proverbs 25:2
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
It is the glory of God to conceal a matterand the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
God is honored for what he keeps secret. Kings are honored for what they can discover.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
The glorie of God is to conceale a thing secret: but the Kings honour is to search out a thing.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.
God is praised for being mysterious; rulers are praised for explaining mysteries.
God gets glory from concealing things; kings get glory from investigating things.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.
We honor God for the things he keeps secret. But we honor kings for the things they can discover.
It is the glory of God to keep secret a matter; but the glory of the king is to search it out.
We honor God for what he conceals; we honor kings for what they explain.
The glory of God conceals things, but the glory of kings searches out things.
The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the honor of God to kepe a thinge secrete, but ye kinges honor is to search out a thinge.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to keep a thing secret: but the glory of kings is to have it searched out.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceale a thing: but the honour of Kings is to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to kepe a thing secrete: but the kynges honour is to searche out a thing.
For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
The glorie of God is to hele a word; and the glorie of kyngis is to seke out a word.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings [is] to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is God's privilege to conceal things and the king's privilege to discover them.
It is the greatness of God to keep things hidden, but it is the greatness of kings to find things out.
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
The glory of God, is to conceal a thing, but, the glory of kings, is to search out a thing.
It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and the glory of kings to search out the speech.
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the glory: Deuteronomy 29:29, Job 11:7, Job 11:8, Job 38:4-41, Job 39:1-30, Job 40:2, Job 42:3, Romans 11:33, Romans 11:34
the honour: 1 Kings 3:9-28, 1 Kings 4:29-34, Ezra 4:15, Ezra 4:19, Ezra 5:17, Ezra 6:1, Job 29:16
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 17:4 - inquired 1 Samuel 20:12 - sounded 2 Samuel 1:5 - How knowest Luke 6:27 - Love
Cross-References
Abraham married a second time; his new wife was named Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah—all from the line of Keturah.
Ishmael lived 137 years. When he breathed his last and died he was buried with his family. His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn't get along with any of their kin.
Esau said, "I'm starving! What good is a birthright if I'm dead?"
Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.
By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.
In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, manager of his household affairs.
Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean." Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland. Balak's emissaries said, "Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they're all over the place! And they're pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed." The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak's message. "Stay here for the night," Balaam said. "In the morning I'll deliver the answer that God gives me." The Moabite nobles stayed with him. Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?" Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'" God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others—they are a blessed people." The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you." So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us." Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don't refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I'll do; I'll pay anything—only come and curse this people.'" Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I'll see what God will say to me this time." God came to Balaam that night and said, "Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you." Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God's anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road. But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God 's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again. God 's angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick. Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?" Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No." Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God 's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. God 's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off." Balaam said to God 's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back." But God 's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land. Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send an urgent message for help? Why didn't you come when I called? Do you think I can't pay you enough?" Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me—no others." Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him. At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people.
Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing,.... Secret things belong unto him, and they are kept so by him: many things which he does reveal, yet the "modus" or manner of them remains hidden; as what relates to his own being, and manner of subsisting; the trinity of Persons in the Godhead; the filiation or the Son, and the procession of the Spirit; the incarnation of Christ, and the like: the predestination of men to life and death, though that there is such a thing is certain, yet who they are is not known; the purposes and decrees of God, all that he determines to do, or shall be done, are known unto him from eternity; but then the times and seasons in which they will be accomplished are kept in his own power; the day and hour of the last judgment none knows but himself: his judgments, and ways in providence, are unsearchable and past finding out; there are many things in it unaccountable to men; nor does he give an account of them to the sons of men; these are at present secrets in his own breast, his judgments will be made manifest. Now it is his glory to conceal them; they are all known to him, and the reasons of them; he is the omniscient all wise God, and stands in no need of the advice of creatures; nor are they taken into his privy council. Some apply this to his pardoning sin, which is sometimes expressed by "covering" it; and in which the glory of his grace and mercy is greatly displayed. Jarchi interprets it of the history of the work of creation, and Ezekiel's vision of the wheels, the understanding of which is very difficult; and which the Jews forbid the reading of, as also Solomon's Song, until men are come to ripeness of years;
but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter; to investigate everything relating to civil government, and that may be of use to them in the exercise of it; particularly to search into the word of God, and observe the laws in it, and rule according to them; or make such laws as are agreeably to it, and execute them: and to inquire diligently into all causes that are brought before them, that they may find out the truth of things, and pass judgment accordingly; and be able to give reasons for what they do in the public affairs of government, and make it appear that they are according to the rules of truth and justice; and to do so will gain them immortal honour! see
Job 29:16.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The earthly monarch might be, in some respects, the type of the heavenly, but here there is a marked contrast. The king presses further and further into all knowledge; God surrounds Himself as in “thick darkness,” and there are secrets unrevealed even after the fullest revelation.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Proverbs 25:2. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing — This has been understood as referring to the revelation of God's will in his word, where there are many things concealed in parables, allegories, metaphors, similitudes, c. And it is becoming the majesty of God so to publish his will, that it must be seriously studied to be understood, in order that the truth may be more prized when it is discovered. And if it be God's glory thus partially to conceal his purposes, it is the glory of a king to search and examine this word, that he may understand how by Him kings reign and princes decree judgment. Prophecies are partially concealed and we cannot fully know their meaning till their accomplishment; and then the glory of God's wisdom and providence will be more particularly evident, when we see the event correspond so particularly and exactly with the prediction. I know not, however, that there are not matters in the Book of God that will not be fully opened till mortality is swallowed up of life. For here we see through a glass darkly; but there, face to face: here we know in part; but there we shall know as we also are known.
On this subject I cannot withhold an extract of a letter sent to myself, by a royal and learned personage.*
* His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex.
"As far as I have presumed to dive into and occupy myself with the sacred volumes, I feel satisfied of their Divine origin and truth. And I am satisfied, likewise, that they contain more matter than any one, and myself in particular, can ever aspire fully to understand. This belief, however, ought in nowise to slacken our diligence, or damp our ardour, in attempting a constant pursuit after the attainment of knowledge and truth; as we may flatter ourselves, although unable to reach the gate, we are still approaching nearer to its portals, which of itself is a great blessing." This sentiment will be approved by every pious and enlightened mind.
