Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
– Proverbs 25:2

Verses 2-7 form the first saying and it deals with kings and counsellors. Verse 2 is a parallelism that compares and contrasts God and kings. The two phrases have the same Hebrew word at the beginning, translated glory and honor. The same Hebrew word is at the end of the phrases, translated as thing and matter. The middle of the phrases parallel with differences—God and kings, and conceal and search out. The word for glory and honor means weight, or heaviness. It can refer to a great quantity or majesty. The word for conceal means to hide, while the word for search out means to penetrate, or investigate. Because God has all wisdom, he keeps secret counsels (Deuteronomy 29:29). The glory of kings is lesser and derivative, but it is manifest in seeking counsel and investigating a matter fully (Deuteronomy 13:14; Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).

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