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Proverbs 25 · a question people ask

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing" (25:2). What does God conceal?

In the text

The verse doesn't say what the thing is. It sets two kinds of glory side by side: "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (25:2) (tap conceal, glory). The next verse says kings have something that can't be searched out: "so the hearts of kings are unsearchable" (25:3). Deuteronomy has the verb of conceal: "The secret things belong to the LORD 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" (Deuteronomy 29:29), where secret things is a form of satar. Proverbs has the verb of search out in "He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him" (Proverbs 18:17), where it is questions, and the notes on Proverbs 18 look at it. The chapter doesn't say what God conceals, or what kings are to search out, and these notes don't either.

The verses

“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 hearts of kings are unsearchable.”
Proverbs 25:2-3 · World English Bible
“The secret things belong to the LORD 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.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 · World English Bible
“He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him.”
Proverbs 18:17 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25: A word fitly spoken

The chapter's first sayings come back near its end: "the glory of God" (25:2) and "the hearts of kings are unsearchable" (25:3) return in Hebrew in "nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor" (25:27), with kavod and cheqer. And the saying Paul gives in Romans 12:20, "If your enemy is hungry", is Proverbs 25:21.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions