Proverbs 25:2

World English Bible (2000)

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

📖 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 Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
• 1 Kgs 3:9-9 : 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this your great people?" 10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; 12 behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you. 13 I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you, all your days. 14 If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." 15 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. 16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house. 18 It happened the third day after I delivered, that this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house. 19 This woman's child died in the night, because she lay on it. 20 She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I bore." 22 The other woman said, "No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son." This said, "No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son." Thus they spoke before the king. 23 Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;' and the other says, 'No; but your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" 24 The king said, "Get me a sword." They brought a sword before the king. 25 The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other." 26 Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill it!" But the other said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it." 27 Then the king answered, "Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its mother." 28 All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
• Job 29:16 : 16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
• Rom 11:33-34 : 33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
• Job 38:4-39:30 : 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it? 6 Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb, 9 when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10 marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors, 11 and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?' 12 "Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place; 13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it? 14 It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment. 15 From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken. 16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 18 Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all. 19 "What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place, 20 that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house? 21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! 22 Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail, 23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? 24 By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth? 25 Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm; 26 To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man; 27 to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth? 28 Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew? 29 Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it? 30 The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen. 31 "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion? 32 Can you lead forth the constellations in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth? 34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you? 35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?' 36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind? 37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky, 38 when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together? 39 "Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40 when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket? 41 Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food? 1 "Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? 2 Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? 3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains. 4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and don't return again. 5 "Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey, 6 Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place? 7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver. 8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing. 9 "Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough? 10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you? 11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor? 12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor? 13 "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love? 14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust, 15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them. 16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear, 17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding. 18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider. 19 "Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane? 20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. 21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. 22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword. 23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. 24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, 'Aha!' He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. 26 "Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? 27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high? 28 On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold. 29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off. 30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is."
• Job 42:3 : 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.
• 1 Kgs 4:29-34 : 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fish. 34 There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
• Ezra 4:15 : 15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
• Ezra 4:19 : 19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
• Job 11:7-8 : 7 "Can you fathom the mystery of God? Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?