Proverbs 25:2 - Meaning and Application

Here, first, we see one way God is honored: it is his glory to conceal a matter. He does not need to investigate anything, because he knows all things perfectly and clearly. Nothing can be hidden from him, yet his ways are still deep and hard to measure. His plans are beyond full understanding, as Romans 11:33 says. We only know a small part of him. Clouds and darkness are around him, so we see what he does, but not always why he does it.

Some take this line to refer to human sin. In that sense, it is God’s glory to pardon sin, which means to cover it, to not keep bringing it up, and to not hold it against the sinner. His patience with sinners is also part of his honor, because he often seems silent and does not immediately act on their wrongdoing.

Second, there is a similar honor in kings, though in a lesser way. Unlike God, a king does not know matters without inquiry. It is his duty, with careful attention and every proper means of investigation, to search out the matters brought before him. He should take pains to examine offenders, uncover their hidden plans, and bring secret evil into the light. He must not judge too quickly, or leave the whole task to others, but should look into things for himself.

Also, while God cannot be searched out fully, some of that royal honor belongs to wise kings who search matters carefully. Their hearts cannot be fully measured, like the height of heaven or the depth of the earth. Princes have state secrets and matters of policy that private people are not fit to judge, so they should not pry into them. Wise rulers may also use unexpected methods in their investigations, like Solomon, king of Israel, who called for a sword to divide the living child in order to reveal the true mother (1 Kings 3:24-27).