Proverbs Chapter 25 verse 2 Holy Bible

ASV Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
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BBE Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to keep a thing secret: but the glory of kings is to have it searched out.
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DARBY Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.
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KJV Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
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WBT Proverbs 25:2


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WEB Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
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YLT Proverbs 25:2

The honour of God `is' to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerses 2-7. - Proverbs concerning kings. Verse 2. - It is the glory of God to conceal a thing. That which is the chief glory of God is his mysteriousness, the unfathomable character of his nature and attributes and doings. The more we search into these matters, the more complete we find our ignorance to be; finite faculties are utterly unable to comprehend the infinite; they can embrace merely what God chooses to reveal. "Secret things belong unto the Lord our God" (Deuteronomy 29:29), and the great prophet, favoured with Divine revelations, can only confess, "Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself" Isaiah 45:15; comp Ecclesiastes 8:17; Romans 11:33, etc.). But the honour of kings is to search out a matter. The same word is used for "glory" and "honour" in both clauses, and ought to have been rendered similarly. It is the king's glory to execute justice and to defend the rights and safety of his people. To do this effectually he must investigate matters brought before him, look keenly into political difficulties, get to the bottom of all complications, and watch against possible dangers. The contrast between the glory of God and that of the king lies in this - that whereas both God and the king desire man's welfare, the former promotes this by making him feel his ignorance and littleness and entire dependence upon this mysterious Being whose nature and designs mortals cannot understand; the latter advances the good of his subjects by giving them confidence in his zeal and power to discover truth, and using his knowledge for their benefit. Septuagint, "The glory of God concealeth a word (λόγον): but the glory of a king honoureth matters (πράγματα)."

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.--For the more we search into the mysteries of nature or revelation, the more do we discover depths of which we had no idea before. God has so ordered things that man may not presume to measure himself with his Maker, but may recognise his own insignificance. (Comp. Romans 11:33, ff.)But the honour of kings is to search out a matter.--To see their way through political difficulties, and to unmask crime and fraud.