Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 25:2
[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings [is] to search out a matter.
2. conceal search out ] “To God it brings glory and admiration, that in governing the universe He follows out His own, and that a secret, counsel. To kings it is a source of glory to search out by their sagacity the difficult questions which belong to their office as kings, especially to the administration of justice in doubtful cases, so as diligently to enquire into the matters which are brought before them.” Rosenm.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.
The glory of God in concealing
If God were to conceal everything from our view, it would be impossible that any glory could result to Him from the sentiments and actions of His creatures. It is by a partial communication of Himself that He has, in the highest degree, consulted His honour and manifested His wisdom. A temperature of mingled light and obscurity, a combination of discovery and concealment, is calculated to produce the most suitable impressions of the Divine excellence on the minds of fallen creatures.
I. The Divine being is accustomed to conceal much. Specify some instances.
1. In relation to His own nature, and the manner of His existence. His essence is altogether hidden from the most profound investigation, the most laborious research, the most subtle penetration, of His creatures. We ascribe to Him attributes and virtues; but how He exists, in an essential and eternal nature of His own, no man can know. His perfections are impressed on the works of nature, but in such a manner that we learn them only by inference.
2. In relation to the structure and constitution of His works. The scenes of nature lie open to our view. But the mysteries of nature, with regard to the essences of things, and indeed to a multitude of subtle operations, are kept in a kind of sacred reserve, and elude the utmost efforts of philosophy to surprise them in their concealments, and bring them to light. Those that have devoted themselves to an investigation of the laws of nature perceive that the meanest work of God is inexhaustible; contains secrets which the wisdom of man will never be able to penetrate.
3. In the dispensations of His providence. By which is meant that series of actions which the Divine Being is continually carrying on in the government of the world which He has made. There exists such a decided connection between well-doing and happiness on the one hand, and between wickedness and misery on the other, as sufficiently to show, even independently of revelation, that the Divine Being is the patron of rectitude and the enemy of vice. But the natural course of things is frequently interrupted and suspended by incidental causes; so that particular exceptions are continually occurring to the ordinary rule. God conceals the design for which many events are permitted to take place. And He is accustomed to throw much obscurity over the future. The most important events of human life, on which our happiness greatly depends, are, for the most part, concealed from our view.
4. In the economy of grace and redemption. The revelation contained in the Scriptures extends only to facts, not to the theory of those facts, or their original causes. The most important truths are communicated in a dogmatic, not a theoretic, manner.
II. The Divine Being promotes His glory, by such a temperature of light and shade as that which distinguishes all His discoveries of Himself, and His dispensations towards His creatures.
1. The concealment of things tends to glorify Him, as it is, in part, the necessary consequence of His infinite superiority to all finite beings in wisdom and understanding. His purposes and designs cannot be adequately scanned by the wisdom of men.
2. It evinces His entire independence of the wisdom, counsel, or co-operation of any or all of His creatures. He may, with infinite safety and propriety, retire within Himself, into the secret recesses of His own essence.
3. Such a degree of obscurity as attends the partial manifestation of the Divine will, the progressive development of the Divine purposes, is eminently adapted to the state, exigency, and condition of men. The prophetic parts of Scripture are proverbially obscure. By not explaining His doings, God trains us to submission, and cultures humility and vigilance, while at the same time exciting to diligence and exertion. While there are many things which God conceals, and thereby advances His glory, He has made manifest all that it is essential for man to know. And among the things fully revealed is the placability of God, His readiness to receive the chief of sinners who repent of their sins and believe the gospel. (Robert Hall, M.A.)
God glorified by mystery
In our dealing with our fellow-men we resent reserve, secrecy, isolation, almost as sharply as though they were moral transgressions. We are attracted by frankness. The best hated men the world has had in it have always been men of silence. Mystery is one of the arts of crafty ambition, for the silly world is generally ready to accept silence for wisdom. Men cultivate the habit of concealment, so that they may pass themselves off for better than they really are. But reserve is not always ignoble. Strong, and noble, and unselfish qualities sometimes determine a mans silence. The welfare of an empire may sometimes turn upon the power a statesman has of keeping the counsel of a department. There are reservations in the knowledge that God has given us of His own nature, purpose, and government; but these reservations always rest upon motives that are pure, noble, and holy, and are identified with the highest glory of the Divine character. No mystery is meant to alienate us from God, but to attach us in closer bonds. It is needless to define the area of mystery, if indeed that were possible. It starts in God, and covers the last outlying atom of His dominion.
1. There are mysteries in the Divine nature and government that bear direct witness to the glory of Gods person. The silence He maintains is a sign of His self-sufficiency. As a matter of privilege, God may permit us to enter into sympathy and co-operation with Himself and His work. But He does not need our help, and by the stern reserve in His revelations He asserts the separateness and the sufficiency of His own mighty power. If He employ us at all, it is for our good. His power is separate, sufficient, solitary. God conceals many things, to remind us of the gulf that separates the glory of His nature from the dimness of all finite natures. Man is destined to more exalted and intimate communion with his Maker than any other being in the universe, and yet there are limitations upon his privilege necessitated by the very supremacy of God. There are secrets we cannot enter, counsels we cannot share, age-long problems, the solution of which we are not permitted to see. God conceals many things, so that throughout the successive stages of our destiny He may bring into our contemplation of His nature and works elements of inexhaustible freshness. Reservations that are determined by motives of this type have an intimate relation to the glory of the Divine name. The revelations of the life to come will be gradual and progressive. If Gods revelation were a revelation of exhaustive fulness, a revelation with no reserved questions in it, the very enchantment of Gods nature would be gone.
2. God is glorified by mystery, because mystery has its place in the discipline and exaltation of human character. The veiled truth sometimes calls out a higher faith, a more chastened resignation, a more childlike obedience in Gods people, than the truth that is unveiled. God conceals many things, so that He may be magnified through His peoples trust in darkness and uncertainty. No genuine spirit of trust can spring up in ignorance. In Gods dealings with us, profound silence and ringing oracle, the hidden and the revealed, the mystery and the defined truth, alway alternate with each other. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, because by the very shadows in which He hides it we are cast with a more pathetic dependence upon His sympathy and care, and come into truer and more childlike contact with His spirit. God conceals many things, so that He may protect us from needless pain and fear, and magnify His own gentleness. Many a thing must be hidden from a child, and the more sensitive he is, the stricter must be the concealment. God conceals some things from us to excite us to nobler and more strenuous endeavour in our search after the truth. There are truths that we shall come to know through our own thought and struggle, and deepening spirituality of life, temporary mysteries that it is best for us to know through conflict, experience, sustained contemplation. God hides many things from the world, so that He may have secrets with the custody of which He can honour His own chosen servants. And He conceals some things from us, so that He may impress us with the solemnities of the unknown. God never conceals what may be necessary to furnish His people for the work and service of life. Let the revelation inspire your faith, and let the mystery awaken your awe. (Thomas G. Selby.)
The glory of God and the honour of kings
I. The meaning of the passage is supposed to be that God conceals much, and that it is His glory to do so. There is a truth in this. We often try to find out God. God is the profoundest mystery in the universe, and yet all is mystery without Him. No creature knows God. There is much concealed in nature. It is not wonderful that there should be much in Gods providential procedure that is concealed from us. Gods ways are not our ways. If He has not given us light, it is better for us to be in darkness.
II. The great principle contained in the text. The text is a whole. One part must be taken with reference to the other. The wise man says it is the glory of God to do that which is not the glory of kings to do. Government is necessary to the very existence of society. There can be no government without law. It is the glory of all governments to frame wise and salutary laws for the well-being and true happiness of society, to guard these by sanctions, and by all the majesty of power. Governments do not originate that which is moral in law. They do not create the distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil. Magistrates are the representatives of law. They are to see that it is respected and maintained, and they are to punish law-breakers; if not, it is because offenders baffle pursuit, and hide themselves. If kings do not search out a matter, it is because they are indifferent to the conduct of their subjects, and care not whether they are virtuous or vicious; and then the hour of revolution is at hand; the kingdom will fall. The glory of God is the very opposite to the honour of kings. God is a law-giver. His will is the law of all morals. His being is the foundation of all law. And yet He has made provision for pardoning men. He hides, He conceals their sins. He does this by an atonement. It is the glory of God to save men by the death of Christ, because by saving them thus He may magnify His own law, and honour His own government. Governments have no gospel for criminals. God forgives sins. (H. J. Bevis.)
Mans knowledge suited to his circumstances
You know as much as is good for you, for it is with the mind as with the senses. A greater degree of hearing would incommode us; and a nicer degree of seeing would terrify us. If our eyes could see things microscopically, we should be afraid to move. Thus our knowledge is suited to our situation and circumstances. Were we informed more fully beforehand of the good things prepared for us by Providence, from that moment we should cease to enjoy the good we possess, become indifferent to present duties, and be filled with restless impatience. Or suppose the things foreknown were gloomy and adverse; what dismay and despondency would be the consequence of the discovery; and how many times should we suffer in imagination what we now only endure once in reality! Who would wish to draw back a veil which saves them from so many disquietudes? If some of you had formerly known the troubles through which you have since waded, you would have fainted under the prospect. But what we know not now we shall know hereafter. (H. G. Salter.)
The concealed processes of Providence
Machinery boxed in goes round and accomplishes its work as well as if it were all exposed to view. At one extremity the raw material goes in, and at another the manufactured article comes out. This is all that the visitor sees. For once, and to instruct a stranger, the master may take the covering off, and lay bare the intricate accumulation of cylinders and wheels; but soon he shuts the door again. Thus has the Author of salvation in the case of some opened up in the processes of His providence, which are usually conducted in secret. (W. Arnot, D.D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
It is the glory of God; it is agreeable to the nature and highly conducing to the honour of God, because it is a testimony of his infinite wisdom and knowledge, of his absolute power and sovereignty, and of his other incomprehensible perfections.
To conceal a thing; to keep his counsels and the reasons of his actions in his own breast, that he needs not to impart them to any other for their advice and assistance, as being self-sufficient both for the contrivance and execution of whatsoever pleaseth him, and accountable to none for any of his matters.
But the honour of kings is; but kings must not affect to be like God in this respect, because they are creatures, and therefore ignorant and insufficient, and accountable to a higher authority;
to search out a matter; in the conduct of their great affairs, not to lean to their own understandings, nor to be wedded to their own wills, but to communicate their counsels to others, that so they may search and find out the true and right way, and to be ready to give a satisfactory account of the justice and reasonableness of them, as occasion shall require.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. God’s unsearchablenessimpresses us with awe (compare Isa 45:15;Rom 11:33). But kings, beingfinite, should confer with wise counsellors;
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It is characteristic of the purpose of the book that it begins with proverbs of the king:
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing;
And the glory of the king to search out a matter.
That which is the glory of God and the glory of the king in itself, and that by which they acquire glory, stand here contrasted. The glory of God consists in this, to conceal a matter, i.e., to place before men mystery upon mystery, in which they become conscious of the limitation and insufficiency of their knowledge, so that they are constrained to acknowledge, Deu 29:28, that “secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” There are many things that are hidden and are known only to God, and we must be contented with that which He sees it good to make known to us.
(Note: Cf. von Lasaulx, Philosophie der Geschichte, p. 128f.: “God and Nature love to conceal the beginning of things.”)
The honour of kings, on the contrary, who as pilots have to steer the ship of the state (Pro 11:14), and as supreme judges to administer justice (1Ki 3:9), consists in this, to search out a matter, i.e., to place in the light things that are problematical and subjects of controversy, in conformity with their high position, with surpassing intelligence, and, in conformity with their responsibility, with conscientious zeal. The thought that it is the glory of God to veil Himself in secrecy (Isa 55:1-13:15; cf. 1Ki 8:12), and of the king, on the contrary, not to surround himself with an impenetrable nimbus, and to withdraw into inaccessible remoteness – this thought does not, immediately at least, lie in the proverb, which refers that which is concealed, and its contrary, not to the person, but to a matter. Also that God, by the concealment of certain things, seeks to excite to activity human research, is not said in this proverb; for 2b does not speak of the honour of wise men, but of kings; the searching out, 2b, thus does not refer to that which is veiled by God. But since the honour of God at the same time as the welfare of men, and the honour of the king as well as the welfare of his people, is to be thought of, the proverb states that God and the king promote human welfare in very different ways – God, by concealing that which sets limits to the knowledge of man, that he may not be uplifted; and the king, by research, which brings out the true state of the matter, and thereby guards the political and social condition against threatening danger, secret injuries, and the ban of offences unatoned for. This proverb, regarding the difference between that which constitutes the honour of God and of the king, is followed by one which refers to that in which the honour of both is alike.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Here is, 1. An instance given of the honour of God: It is his glory to conceal a matter. He needs not search into any thing, for he perfectly knows every thing by a clear and certain view, and nothing can be hidden from him; and yet his own way is in the sea and his path in the great waters. There is an unfathomable depth in his counsels, Rom. xi. 33. It is but a little portion that is heard of him. Clouds and darkness are round about him. We see what he does, but we know not the reasons. Some refer it to the sins of men; it is his glory to pardon sin, which is covering it, not remembering it, not mentioning it; his forbearance, which he exercises towards sinners, is likewise his honour, in which he seems to keep silence and take no notice of the matter. 2. A double instance of the honour of kings:– (1.) It is God’s glory that he needs not search into a matter, because he knows it without search; but it is the honour of kings, with a close application of mind, and by all the methods of enquiry, to search out the matters that are brought before them, to take pains in examining offenders, that they may discover their designs and bring to light the hidden works of darkness, not to give judgment hastily or till they have weighed things, nor to leave it wholly to others to examine things, but to see with their own eyes. (2.) It is God’s glory that he cannot himself be found out by searching, and some of that honour is devolved upon kings, wise kings, that search out matters; their hearts are unsearchable, like the height of heaven or the depth of the earth, which we may guess at, but cannot measure. Princes have their arcana imperii–state secrets, designs which are kept private, and reasons of state, which private persons are not competent judges of, and therefore ought not to pry into. Wise princes, when they search into a matter, have reaches which one would not think of, as Solomon, when he called of a sword to divide the living child with, designing thereby to discover the true mother.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Functions of Kings
Verse 2 declares the glorious omniscience of God who knows and has reasons for all things (much of which is unknown to man, Rom 11:33-36) and the honor of kings to whom is entrusted the searching out of those things God would have them reveal to men, Deu 29:29; Job 29:16; Ezr 4:15; Ezr 4:19; Ezr 6:1.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(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. Rom. 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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Glory of God to conceal “The counsels, designs, and operations of God are (often) inscrutable, (Deu 29:29; Rom 11:33-34,) and man can only adore with reverent humility that which is above his reach. It, therefore, redounds to the glory of God that his ways are inscrutable, and, as it were, concealed; but it is honourable for kings to search out vice in order to punish it, virtue in order to reward it, and truth in order to promulgate it.” Holden. Compare Isa 45:15. Kings and those in authority should never, in the important matters of their trust, proceed without full and sufficient inquiry.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Wisdom in Dealing with Leaders: The Office of a King Pro 25:2-7 reveals the office and ministry of a king. This passage consists of three groups of verses: Pro 25:2-7. The first is a tetrastitch (4 lines) discussing the glory of a king, the second tetrastitch (4 lines) discusses his decrees, and the third is a pentastitch (5 lines) that discusses his position of exaltation and leadership over his people. This may be reflective of how the king is to serve the Lord in spirit, mind, and body, respectively. These proverbs give us insight into how a leader thinks and acts.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. The Glory of a King: His Spirit Pro 25:2-3
2. The Judgments of a King: His Mind Pro 25:4-5
3. The Position of a King: Our Physical Actions Pro 25:6-7
Pro 25:2-3 The Glory of a King: His Spirit Pro 25:2-3 forms a tetrastitch (4 lines) that reflects upon the glory of the king (Pro 25:2), which is equivalent to his heart, as mentioned in Pro 25:3. Since the underlying theme of Proverbs is worshiping the Lord with all of our mind by learning to walk in divine wisdom, Pro 25:2-3 tells us that God’s wisdom is initially imparted into a king’s heart by God, where it must be drawn out under the anointing.
Under the Old Covenant only kings, priest and prophets partook of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Because of this anointing, the king of Israel had the Spirit of God reveal to him divine mysteries. King Solomon had learned that these proverbs and judgments he spoke daily while sitting upon his throne was because he was divinely anointed to draw out the deep truths of Almighty God. Joseph also recognized his divine office as a rule when he told his brothers, “wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?”
Gen 44:15, “And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?”
We also see how the kings of other nations placed soothsayers and diviners around them in an attempt to received supernatural understand; however, we know this was partaking of witchcraft.
Under the new covenant of Jesus Christ every believer is a partaker of the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit has been imparted unto the Church in this dispensation in order to reveal to us the mind of God (Rom 8:26-28). We do this by praying in the Spirit.
Rom 8:26-28, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Pro 25:2
Luk 24:16, “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.”
1Co 2:7, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”
2Co 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”
Col 1:26, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:”
Col 2:3, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Pro 25:2 “but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” Scripture References – Note similar verses and illustrations:
In 1Ki 3:9-28, Solomon asked God for wisdom, and was granted his request.
Ezr 4:15, “That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.”
Ezr 4:19, “And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.”
Job 29:16, “I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”
In 1 Corinthians 9-16, Paul reveals how the Lord has taught him many divine truths in order to establish the Church.
Pro 25:3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Pro 25:3
Pro 25:4-5 The Judgments of a King: His Mind Pro 25:4-5 forms a tetrastitch (4 lines) that reflects upon the righteous decrees of the king, which is equivalent to his mind. Since the underlying theme of Proverbs is worshiping the Lord with all of our mind by learning to walk in divine wisdom, Pro 25:2-3 tells us that God’s wisdom is initially imparted into a king’s heart, where it must be drawn out by searching. We know that the Holy Spirit has been imparted unto the Church in this dispensation in order to reveal to us the mind of God (Rom 8:26-28). We do this by praying in the Spirit. As we learn to pray in the Spirit, we come to know the will of God in our lives and we can speak forth the oracles of God just as a king under the Old Covenant spoke forth righteousness under the anointing imparted unto him. As the will of God was revealed to a king he made sound decisions that established the destiny of his nation. Under the New Covenant we make righteous decisions that establish our path, or journey, in this life (Pro 25:4-5).
Pro 25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Pro 25:4
Pro 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Pro 25:5
Scripture References – Note similar verses and illustrations of David and Solomon taking the wicked away from before their thrones:
In 2Sa 1:1-16, David slew the young men who said that they had killed king Saul.
In 2Sa 4:9-12, David slew the young men who said that they had killed the son of king Saul.
In 2 Kings 2, Adonijah, Joab and Shimei were all slain by king Solomon.
Pro 25:6-7 The Position of a King: Our Physical Actions Pro 25:6-7 forms a pentastitch (5 lines) that reflects upon the position of exaltation of the king. In light of his authority, we are told to humble ourselves to those in authority. Since the underlying theme of Proverbs is worshiping the Lord with all of our mind by learning to walk in divine wisdom, Pro 25:2-3 tells us that God’s wisdom is initially imparted into a king’s heart, where it must be drawn out by searching. We know that the Holy Spirit has been imparted unto the Church in this dispensation in order to reveal to us the mind of God (Rom 8:26-28). We do this by praying in the Spirit. As we learn to pray in the Spirit, we come to know the will of God in our lives and we can speak forth the oracles of God just as a king under the Old Covenant spoke forth righteousness under the anointing imparted unto him. As the will of God is revealed to us we make sound decisions that establish our path, or journey, in this life (Pro 25:4-5). We now are told in Pro 25:6-7 that this lifestyle is a walk of humility before God and those whom God places in authority over us. We are not to exalt ourselves, but rather, submit to one another in the fear of the Lord.
Illustrations:
The parable of how to sit at a wedding feast in Luk 14:7-11.
During the inauguration of Museveni in March 2001 as President of Uganda, I had received an invitation card to this event. At first, I could not find my designated seating. Therefore, I sat in the tent where all of the highest dignitaries were seated, including the Presidents of six nations. I was asked to move from several seats, until I found a seat on the back row of this tent. There, I was left uncontested and enjoyed the inaugural event close up. I later found that I was to be seated in an adjacent tent. But, this tent was full by the time I learned this fact.
Pro 25:6 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
Pro 25:7 Pro 25:2. To conceal a thing That is, according to Grotius, His purposes and nature; whereas it is the honour of a king to examine into and make himself acquainted with the state, actions, and designs of his subjects. Houbigant renders it, he who conceals a thing honours God; he who honours the king will search it out; but he does not attempt to give any explanation.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
God’s glory is manifested to the poor sinner in secret, when he speaks to him by his Holy Spirit, and makes him visits, like Jacob’s at Bethel. And those, who are made by him Kings and Priests to God and the Father, should delight to spread abroad his glory. Psa 66:16 .
Pro 25:2 Ver. 2. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing. ] That what we conceive not, we may admire ( mirari non rimari ), and cry out with Paul, “O the depth,” Rom 11:33 as the Romans dedicated to their goddess Victoria a certain lake, the depth whereof they could not dive into. God is much to be magnified for what he hath revealed unto his people in the holy Scriptures for their eternal good. But those unsearchable secrets of his – such as are the union of the three persons into one nature, and of two natures into one person, his wonderful decrees, and the no less wonderful execution thereof, &c. – these make exceeding much to the glory of his infinite wisdom and surpassing greatness, in speaking whereof our “safest eloquence is our silence,” a since tantum recedit quantum capitur, saith Nazianzen – much like that pool spoken of by Polycritus, which in compass at the first scarce seemed to exceed the breadth of a shield; but if any went in to wash, it extended itself more and more.
But the honour of kings is to search out a matter. a Aristotle
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4. Compare Job 37:14-24; Job 37:38-41.
honour = glory, as in preceding line.
Pro 25:2-5
Pro 25:2-5
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. Take away the dross from the silver, And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner. Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne shall be established in righteousness.”
“The glory of kings is to search out a matter” (Pro 25:2). “This is not a reference to academic or scientific research, but, “It praises administrative probes. A king should know what is going on.
“The heart of kings is unsearchable” (Pro 25:3). This is just another way of saying that nobody knows what any king is liable to do. The kings of Israel were a constant illustration of this truth.
“Take away the wicked from before the king” (Pro 25:5). “This sets forth the requirement that if a king’s throne is to be established in righteousness, he must have proven and trustworthy servants and advisors. There prevailed among ancient kings the delusion that they ruled by Divine Right, and one may detect traces of this conceit in these verses.
Pro 25:2. This is the first of several verses concerning kings, a subject that held unusual fascination for King Hezekiah, especially since Solomon was looked upon as such a great king. A king busies himself searching out a matter, looking into many things, finding out what there is to find out; he is a human being and must if he is going to know, and he can because he has the men and the money of the kingdom at his disposal. But God doesnt have to search things out: He knows all about everything. While He has revealed many things to man in His Word, there is far more than He has reserved to Himself. Deu 29:29 refers to this revealing and concealing; The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.
Pro 25:3. Pulpit Commentary: As you can never rise to the illimitable height of the heavens, as you can never penetrate to the immeasurable depth of the earth, so you can never fathom the heart of a king, can never find out what he really thinks. David was one who often surprised people with his pattern of thinking: 2Sa 1:1-16; 2Sa 12:18-23; 2Sa 16:5-12; 2Sa 19:1-6; etc.
Pro 25:4. Raw silver had to be refined to discard its alloy and impurities. When this dross was taken away, it was then ready to be made into a beautiful vessel.
Pro 25:5. The language of this verse shows that it is the application of Pro 25:4s illustration: the wicked men of a kings court are the dross that must be removed if that kings throne is to be established, for the throne is established by righteousness (Pro 16:12). Oh, that our rulers today believed this and followed it! Ours would indeed be the ideal society to live in-such as they all seem to envision, talk about, and promise when they are running for office.
the glory: Deu 29:29, Job 11:7, Job 11:8, Job 38:4-41, Job 39:1-30, Job 40:2, Job 42:3, Rom 11:33, Rom 11:34
the honour: 1Ki 3:9-28, 1Ki 4:29-34, Ezr 4:15, Ezr 4:19, Ezr 5:17, Ezr 6:1, Job 29:16
Reciprocal: Deu 17:4 – inquired 1Sa 20:12 – sounded 2Sa 1:5 – How knowest Luk 6:27 – Love
Pro 25:2. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing It is agreeable to the nature of God, and highly conducing to his honour, as being a testimony of his infinite wisdom and knowledge, of his absolute power and sovereignty, and of his other incomprehensible perfections, to keep his counsels, and the reasons of his actions, in his own breast; which he does not need to impart to any other being for his advice and assistance; since he is self-sufficient, both for the contrivance and execution of whatsoever pleases him, and accountable to none for any of his matters; but the honour of kings, &c. But kings must not affect to be like God in this respect: because they are but creatures, and therefore ignorant and insufficient, and accountable to a higher authority; to search out a matter In the conduct of their great affairs they must not lean to their own understandings, nor be wedded to their own wills, but must communicate their counsels to others, that so they may search and find out the true and right way, and be ready to give a satisfactory account of the justice and reasonableness of all their administrations, as occasion shall require.
25:2 [It is] the glory of God to {c} conceal a thing: but the honour of {d} kings [is] to search out a matter.
(c) God does not reveal the cause of his judgments to man.
(d) Because the king rules by the revealed word of God, the cause of his doings must appear, and therefore he must use diligence in trying causes.
1. Wise and foolish conduct 25:2-28
B. Instructive Analogies 25:2-27:22
The emphasis in this section continues to be on wisdom and folly and their accompanying virtues and vices.
The fact that God has chosen not to reveal everything human beings want to know has resulted in our holding Him in awe and glorifying Him (cf. Deu 29:29). However, a king’s subjects hold him in awe and glorify him when he diligently investigates a matter, and does not make his decisions on the basis of superficial understanding.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)