PROV 25:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) It is God’s privilege to conceal a matter,
⇔ ^ and the king’s privilege to try to discover a matter.

Key: khaki:verbs, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Δόξα Θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον, δόξα δὲ βασιλέως τιμᾷ πράγματα.
(Doxa Theou kruptei logon, doxa de basileōs tima pragmata. )

BrTr The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business.

ULT The glory of God is to hide a matter,
⇔ but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

UST God shows how glorious he is when he makes something that is difficult for people to understand.
⇔ But kings show how glorious they are when they explain something that is difficult for people to understand.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

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

WMBB (Same as above)

NET It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
⇔ and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.

LSV The glory of God [is] to hide a thing,
And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.

FBV God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.

T4T ⇔ We consider God to be great because he ◄acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand►;
⇔ we consider kings to be great because they explain things.

LEB • The glory of God[fn] conceals things, but the glory of kings searches out things.

25:? Or “gods”

BBE It is the glory of God to keep a thing secret: but the glory of kings is to have it searched out.

Moff Mystery is God’s glory,
⇔ but a king’s glory is to search out secrets.

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

ASV ⇔ It is the glory of God to conceal a thing;
⇔ But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

DRA It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and the glory of kings to search out the speech.

YLT The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

Drby It is the glory of [fn]God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.

25.2 Elohim

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

SLT The glory of God to conceal the word: and the glory of kings to search the word.

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

KJB-1769 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

KJB-1611 It is the glory of God to conceale a thing: but the honour of Kings is to search out a matter.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps It is the glory of God to kepe a thing secrete: but the kynges honour is to searche out a thing.
(It is the glory of God to keep a thing secret: but the kings honour is to search out a thing.)

Gnva The glorie of God is to conceale a thing secret: but the Kings honour is to search out a thing.
(The glory of God is to conceal a thing secret: but the Kings honour is to search out a thing. )

Cvdl It is the honor of God to kepe a thinge secrete, but ye kinges honor is to search out a thinge.
(It is the honour of God to keep a thing secret, but ye/you_all kings honour is to search out a thing.)

Wycl The glorie of God is to hele a word; and the glorie of kyngis is to seke out a word.
(The glory of God is to heal a word; and the glory of kings is to seek out a word.)

Luth Es ist Gottes Ehre, eine Sache verbergen; aber der Könige Ehre ist‘s, eine Sache erforschen.
(It is God’s honour(n), a/one matter hide; but the/of_the king(s) honour(n) it_is, a/one matter erforschen.)

ClVg [Gloria Dei est celare verbum, et gloria regum investigare sermonem.[fn]
([Glory of_God it_is celare the_word/saying, and glory of_kings investigare conversation. )

25.2 Gloria Dei. Gloria Domini, etc., usque ad unde se magis filium hominis quam Filium Dei appellat. Investigare. Sermonem, etc., usque ad nam illico audivit: Beatus es Simon Barjona, quia caro, etc.

25.2 Glory of_God. Glory Master, etc., until to from_where/who himself more son of_man how Son of_God appeals. Investigare. Sermonem, etc., until to for/surely immediately he_heard: Blessed you_are Simon Baryona, because flesh/meat, etc.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs. These proverbs were organized and copied by men who served King Hezekiah. Most scholars divide this section into two groups. These groups differ in several ways.

The first group (chapters 25–27) has many more comparisons and admonitions. In Hebrew, most of these comparisons are metaphors in which one or more illustrations precede the topic. Some English versions change the order so that the topic precedes the illustration(s). You should follow the order that expresses the meaning naturally and effectively in your language.

In the first group, many proverbs are one verse long. As with the individual proverbs in the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (Section 10:1–22:16), they are not related to the proverbs around them. Other proverbs in this group are two or more verses long. Still others are one-verse proverbs that are closely related in theme. Proverbs in all three categories will be marked as separate paragraphs.

The second group (chapters 28–29) has more contrastive proverbs. The proverbs in this group are each one verse long. They will not be marked as separate paragraphs.

Some other headings for this section are:

More Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (NET)

These are also wise things that Solomon said

25:2–3

Some versions include both these verses in the same paragraph. A possible reason is that the words that the BSB translates as “search it out” (25:2b) and “be searched” (25:3b) are different forms of the same Hebrew root.

Other versions start a new paragraph with 25:3. The two verses teach different truths and have different kinds of parallelism.

You may divide the paragraphs in a way that is appropriate in your language. The Notes will mark both verses as separate paragraphs.

25:2

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^2aIt is the glory of God to conceal a matter

^2band the glory of kings to search it out.

There is an ellipsis in 25:2b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the phrase “it is” from 25:2a. For example:

^2band it is the glory of kings to search it out.

Both God and kings receive honor. The contrast between them in this verse is that people honor them for different reasons.

25:2a

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter

¶ God is honored for the things/knowledge that he keeps secret/hidden from people.
¶ People/We^(incl) praise/honor God because of the things that he understands that he does not make known to people.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter: This clause indicates that God is honored when he hides his plans, thoughts, or actions from people. People praise him when he does not explain or reveal something that they are not able to understand. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

God is honored for what he keeps secret. (NCV)

God is praised for being mysterious (CEV)

We honor God because of things that he does not make known to us.

God: This is the only verse in this section where the title God (Hebrew: ʾelohim) occurs. In Proverbs, God’s personal name, “the LORD” (Hebrew: YHWH), occurs far more frequently. See the note in 2:5a–b, where the two terms are parallel.

25:2b

and the glory of kings to search it out.

And/But kings are honored for the things that they discover and make known.
They/We^(incl) praise/honor a king when he investigates what happens and then explains what he decides to do.

the glory of kings to search it out: This clause indicates that kings are honored when they carefully investigate things that happen in their kingdom. The contrast with “conceal” in 25:2a implies that they explain their decisions to the people they rule.UBS (page 541) says that the verb “search out” can mean “to examine” or “to explain, reveal.” Whybray (page 360), Ross (page 1079), and Cohen (page 166) mention both aspects of meaning. As Cohen points out, a king needs to “make his method of government understandable.” He will not be honored “if his…policies are unintelligible to the people.” Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Kings are honored for what they can discover. (NCV)

we honor kings for what they explain (GNT)

kings: This word is plural. It refers to one or more people who are in the same category. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a singular word. For example:

and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter (NET)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כְּבֹ֣ד & וּ⁠כְבֹ֥ד

glory_of & and,[is_the]_glory_of

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of glory, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “What is glorious about … but what is glorious about”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הַסְתֵּ֣ר דָּבָ֑ר

conceal matter

Here Solomon speaks of God making a matter mysterious or difficult to understand as if he were hiding it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is to make a matter mysterious”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

דָּבָ֑ר & דָּבָֽר

matter & matter

The word matter represents matters in general, not one particular matter. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a more natural expression. Alternate translation: “any matter … any matter”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

חֲקֹ֣ר דָּבָֽר

search_out matter

Here Solomon speaks of kings explaining a matter that is mysterious or difficult to understand as if they search for it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is to explain a mysterious matter”

Parallel PROV 25:2

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

25:2–3

25:2

25:2a

25:2b