Proverbs 25:2

Geneva Bible (1560)

The glorie of God is to conceale a thing secret: but the Kings honour is to search out a thing.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כְּבֹ֣ד אֱ֭לֹהִים הַסְתֵּ֣ר דָּבָ֑ר וּכְבֹ֥ד מְ֝לָכִ֗ים חֲקֹ֣ר דָּבָֽר׃

Transliteration

kĕbōd ʾĕlōhîm hastēr dābār and-kĕbōd mĕlākîm ḥăqōr dābār

Grammar Details

• *kĕbōd*: noun, construct state - glory of/honor of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural (divine singular) - God
• *hastēr*: hiphil infinitive construct - to hide/conceal
• *dābār*: noun, masculine singular - word/thing/matter
• *û*: conjunction - and
• *mĕlākîm*: noun, masculine plural - kings
• *ḥăqōr*: qal infinitive construct - to search out/investigate

Word Meanings

• *kĕbōd*: glory/honor/splendor
• *hastēr*: to hide/conceal/cover
• *dābār*: word/thing/matter/affair
• *ḥăqōr*: to search out/investigate/examine thoroughly

Referenced Verses

• Deut 29:29 : 29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things reueiled belong vnto vs, and to our children for euer, that we may doe all the wordes of this Lawe.
• 1 Kgs 3:9-9 : 9 Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good & bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people? 10 And this pleased the Lorde wel, that Salomon had desired this thing. 11 And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement, 12 Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee. 13 And I haue also giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes. 14 And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances & my commandements, as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes. 15 And when Salomon awoke, behold, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusalem, and stoode before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and made peace offrings, and made a feast to all his seruants. 16 Then came two harlots vnto the King, and stoode before him. 17 And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house. 18 And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine. 19 And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him. 20 And she rose at midnight, and tooke my sonne from my side, while thine handmaide slept, and layde him in her bosome, and layde her dead sonne in my bosome. 21 And when I rose in the morning to giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had wel considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne. 22 Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King. 23 Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne. 24 Then the King said, Bring me a sworde: & they brought out a sworde before the King. 25 And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, & giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe to the other. 26 Then spake the woman, whose the liuing child was, vnto the King, for her compassion was kindled toward her sonne, and she sayde, Oh my lorde, giue her the liuing childe, & slay him not: but the other sayde, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but deuide it. 27 Then the King answered, and sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother. 28 And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.
• Job 29:16 : 16 I was a father vnto the poore, and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently.
• Rom 11:33-34 : 33 O the deepenesse of the riches, both of the wisdome, and knowledge of God! howe vnsearcheable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out! 34 For who hath knowen the minde of the Lord? or who was his counsellour?
• Job 38:4-39:30 : 4 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast vnderstanding, 5 Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it: 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof set: or who layed the corner stone thereof: 7 When the starres of the morning praysed me together, and all the children of God reioyced: 8 Or who hath shut vp the Sea with doores, when it yssued and came foorth as out of the wombe: 9 When I made the cloudes as a couering thereof, and darkenesse as the swadeling bands thereof: 10 When I stablished my commandement vpon it, and set barres and doores, 11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here shall it stay thy proude waues. 12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes? Hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place, 13 That it might take hold of the corners of the earth, and that the wicked might be shaken out of it? 14 It is turned as clay to facion, and all stand vp as a garment. 15 And from the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the hie arme shalbe broken. 16 Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? Or hast thou walked to seeke out the depth? 17 Haue the gates of death bene opened vnto thee? Or hast thou seene the gates of the shadowe of death? 18 Hast thou perceiued the breadth of the earth? Tell if thou knowest all this. 19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? And where is the place of darkenesse, 20 That thou shouldest receiue it in the boundes thereof, and that thou shouldest knowe the paths to the house thereof? 21 Knewest thou it, because thou wast then borne, and because the nomber of thy dayes is great? 22 Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou seene the treasures of ye haile, 23 Which I haue hid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battell? 24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East winde vpon the earth? 25 Who hath deuided the spowtes for the raine? Or the way for the lightning of ye thunders, 26 To cause it to raine on the earth where no man is, and in the wildernes where there is no man? 27 To fulfil the wilde and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herbe to spring forth? 28 Who is the father of the rayne? Or who hath begotten the droppes of the dewe? 29 Out of whose wombe came the yee? Who hath ingendred the frost of the heauen? 30 The waters are hid as with a stone: and the face of the depth is frosen. 31 Canst thou restraine the sweete influences of the Pleiades? Or loose the bandes of Orion? 32 Canst thou bring foorth Mazzaroth in their time? Canst thou also guide Arcturus with his sonnes? 33 Knowest thou the course of heauen, or canst thou set the rule thereof in the earth? 34 Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes that the aboundance of water may couer thee? 35 Canst thou sende the lightenings that they may walke, and say vnto thee, Loe, heere we are? 36 Who hath put wisedome in the reines? Or who hath giuen the heart vnderstanding? 37 Who can nomber cloudes by wisedome? Or who can cause to cease the bottels of heaue, 38 When the earth groweth into hardnesse, and the clottes are fast together? 39 (39:1) Wilt thou hunt the pray for the lyon? or fill the appetite of the lyons whelpes, 40 (39:2) When they couch in their places, and remaine in the couert to lye in waite? 41 (39:3) Who prepareth for the rauen his meate, when his birdes crie vnto God, wandering for lacke of meate? 1 (39:4) Knowest thou the time when the wilde goates bring foorth yong? or doest thou marke when the hindes doe calue? 2 (39:5) Canst thou nomber the moneths that they fulfill? or knowest thou the time when they bring foorth? 3 (39:6) They bow them selues: they bruise their yong and cast out their sorowes. 4 (39:7) Yet their yong waxe fatte, and growe vp with corne: they goe foorth and returne not vnto them. 5 (39:8) Who hath set the wilde asse at libertie? or who hath loosed the bondes of the wilde asse? 6 (39:9) It is I which haue made the wildernesse his house, and the salt places his dwellings. 7 (39:10) He derideth the multitude of the citie: he heareth not the crie of the driuer. 8 (39:11) He seeketh out the mountaine for his pasture, and searcheth after euery greene thing. 9 (39:12) Will the vnicorne serue thee? or will he tary by thy cribbe? 10 (39:13) Canst thou binde the vnicorne with his band to labour in the furrowe? or will he plowe the valleyes after thee? 11 (39:14) Wilt thou trust in him, because his stregth is great, and cast off thy labour vnto him? 12 (39:15) Wilt thou beleeue him, that he will bring home thy seede, and gather it vnto thy barne? 13 (39:16) Hast thou giuen the pleasant wings vnto the peacockes? or winges and feathers vnto the ostriche? 14 (39:17) Which leaueth his egges in the earth, and maketh them hote in the dust, 15 (39:18) And forgetteth that the foote might scatter the, or that the wild beast might breake the. 16 (39:19) He sheweth himselfe cruell vnto his yong ones, as they were not his, and is without feare, as if he trauailed in vaine. 17 (39:20) For God had depriued him of wisedom, and hath giuen him no part of vnderstanding. 18 (39:21) When time is, he mounteth on hie: he mocketh the horse and his rider. 19 (39:22) Hast thou giuen the horse strength? or couered his necke with neying? 20 (39:23) Hast thou made him afraid as the grashopper? his strong neying is fearefull. 21 (39:24) He diggeth in the valley, and reioyceth in his strength: he goeth foorth to meete the harnest man. 22 (39:25) He mocketh at feare, and is not afraid, and turneth not backe from the sworde, 23 (39:26) Though the quiuer rattle against him, the glittering speare and the shield. 24 (39:27) He swalloweth the ground for fearcenes and rage, and he beleeueth not that it is the noise of the trumpet. 25 (39:28) He sayth among the trumpets, Ha, ha: hee smelleth the battell afarre off, and the noyse of the captaines, and the shouting. 26 (39:29) Shall the hauke flie by thy wisedome, stretching out his wings toward the South? 27 (39:30) Doeth the egle mount vp at thy commandement, or make his nest on hie? 28 (39:31) Shee abideth and remaineth in the rocke, euen vpon the toppe of the rocke, and the tower. 29 (39:32) From thence she spieth for meate, and her eyes beholde afarre off. 30 (39:33) His young ones also sucke vp blood: and where the slaine are, there is she.
• Job 42:3 : 3 Who is hee that hideth counsell without knowledge? therefore haue I spoken that I vnderstood not, euen things too wonderfull for me, and which I knew not.
• 1 Kgs 4:29-34 : 29 And God gaue Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, & a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore, 30 And Salomons wisdome excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser then any man: yea, then were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about. 32 And Salomon spake three thousand prouerbs: and his songs were a thousand and fiue. 33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of foules, and of creeping thinges, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all people to heare the wisedome of Salomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisedome.
• Ezra 4:15 : 15 That one may searche in the booke of the Chronicles of thy fathers, and thou shalt finde in the booke of the Chronicles, & perceiue that this citie is rebellious & noysome vnto Kings & prouinces, & that they haue moued sedition of olde time, for the which cause this citie was destroyed.
• Ezra 4:19 : 19 And I haue commanded & they haue searched, and founde, that this citie of olde time hath made insurrection against kings, & hath rebelled, and rebellion hath bene committed therein.
• Job 11:7-8 : 7 Canst thou by searching finde out God? canst thou finde out ye Almighty to his perfection? 8 The heauens are hie, what canst thou doe? it is deeper then the hel, how canst thou know it?