Proverbs 25:2

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 A THING - to conceal His profound counsels and decrees wherewith He governs all things (). He reveals enough of His blessed nature and counsels for faith to rest upon, not to satisfy the curiosity of irreverent self-conceit (). He hath none to whom He is bound to render an account of His ways. 'Hence appears the audacity of those who permit God to do nothing except what falls under the comprehension of their petty minds; whereas He would not be God if His counsels and works did not transcend human intelligence' (T. Cartwright; ;...

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 particul...

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....

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-29:27 PART VI. SECOND GREAT COLLECTION OF SOLOMONIC PROVERBS, gathered by "the men of Hezekiah," in which wisdom is set forth as the greatest blessing to the king and his subjects. PROVERBS 25:1 _The_ _superscription: _THESE ARE ALSO PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, WHICH THE MEN OF HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH COPIED OUT. The word "also" implies that a previous collection was known to the compiler of the present book—probably the one which we have in Pr 10-22:16, of which nine proverbs are inserted here. But there was still a large number of proverbial sayings attributed to Solomon, and preserved partly by oral tradition and partly in writing, which it was advisable to colle

[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 unaccount...

IV. THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON COLLECTED BY THE MEN OF HEZEKIAH CHAPTER 25 Here begin the proverbs which the good king Hezekiah, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, added to this book. “This title is interesting as affording a proof that a revival of literary activity accompanied the revival of religion and of national prosperity which marked the reign of Hezekiah. The men of Hezekiah were doubtless a body of scribes engaged under the direction of the king in literary labors.” Very fittingly the opening verses of this collected portion of proverbs relate to the king. While it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, the glory of kings is to search out a matter. God has many things concealed as to Himself, the great universe, creation and His ways in providence; but kings should inquire diligently into the matters brought before them and search them out in their administration of justi...

FIRST DIVISION. In general character this division shows a resemblance to the Sayings of the Wise, containing a number of quatrains and synthetic couplets, and but few antithetic couplets. PROVERBS 25:2 B. A series of three quatrains relating to kings. Proverbs 25:4 b. Very obscure. Refining silver does not produce a vessel, and the parallelism with Proverbs 25:5 b is unsatisfactory. LXX it will be wholly purified probably represents the original text. Proverbs 25:6 f. _cf._ Luke 14:8....

GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. Compare Job 37:14. Job 37:38-41. HONOUR. glory, as in preceding line....

_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....

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....