Proverbs 25:3 kjv
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Proverbs 25:3 nkjv
As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Proverbs 25:3 niv
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
Proverbs 25:3 esv
As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Proverbs 25:3 nlt
No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
or all that goes on in the king's mind!
Proverbs 25 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 147:5 | Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. | God's understanding is infinite, unlike man's. |
| Rom 11:33-34 | Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments… | God's judgments and ways are unsearchable. |
| Job 11:7 | "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" | Human inability to fully know God's depths. |
| Isa 40:28 | ...There is no searching of His understanding. | God's understanding is beyond human inquiry. |
| Deut 29:29 | "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us..." | God keeps secrets, much like kings. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart..." | God alone truly knows the human heart. |
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. | God controls even the unsearchable heart of kings. |
| Prov 20:24 | A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his own way? | Man struggles to understand his own path. |
| Prov 20:2 | The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life. | The power and danger associated with a king. |
| Prov 16:10 | Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not transgress in judgment. | Implied unique wisdom/inspiration in a king's words. |
| Eccl 7:24 | That which has been is far off and exceedingly deep; who can discover it? | Inability to fully grasp profound matters. |
| Eccl 8:16-17 | When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth... then I saw that man cannot discover all the work of God... | Limitation of human understanding in discovering deep truths. |
| Psa 139:6 | Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. | Acknowledgment of knowledge beyond human reach. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "...for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” | God's unique ability to discern the heart. |
| Psa 33:10-11 | The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever... | God's plans are ultimate, human/royal plans are not. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. | God's thoughts are elevated and distinct from human thoughts. |
| Dan 2:20-22 | "...He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." | God grants wisdom to rulers and orchestrates their rule. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. | Authority of kings is divinely ordained. |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the supreme authority... | Respect for governmental authority, including kings. |
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. | Human plans, including a king's, are subject to God's purpose. |
| Job 5:9 | He does great things, unfathomable, And marvelous things without number. | God's works are unsearchable. |
| Eccl 3:11 | He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | Man cannot fully understand God's ultimate plan. |
Proverbs 25 verses
Proverbs 25 3 Meaning
Proverbs 25:3 asserts that just as the vastness and inscrutability of the heavens above and the depths of the earth beneath are immeasurable and unknowable, so too is the inner wisdom, intentions, plans, and motives of kings unfathomable and beyond the full comprehension or scrutiny of their subjects. It highlights the profound mystery and inaccessibility of a monarch's true thoughts and counsels.
Proverbs 25 3 Context
Proverbs Chapter 25 is unique within the book, introduced as "more proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied" (Prov 25:1). This indicates a collection compiled centuries after Solomon's reign, reflecting ongoing reverence for his wisdom. The preceding verse (Prov 25:2) sets a thematic framework: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." Proverbs 25:3 directly follows and expounds on the nature of this "searching" and "concealing" in relation to kings. While God's concealment makes Him glorious, the verse implies that a king's glory, in contrast, lies in discerning things, yet paradoxically, his own heart (his core motivations and counsel) remains largely concealed or unsearchable to his subjects. Historically, in ancient monarchies, kings held immense power, their decisions impacting an entire nation, yet their rationale and full intentions were often kept private, for reasons of state, strategy, or maintaining their awe-inspiring mystique. Subjects often faced the consequence of royal decisions without full knowledge of their genesis.
Proverbs 25 3 Word analysis
- As the heavens (כַשָּׁמַיִם - ka-shamayim): The Hebrew "shamayim" (heavens, sky) signifies ultimate height, immensity, and the abode of God. It represents something boundless and infinitely high, naturally beyond human grasp or comprehension.
- for height (לָרוּם - la-rum): Emphasizes the lofty, unquantifiable dimension. "Rum" implies elevation, loftiness, exaltedness. It refers to the physical height that one cannot measure or reach.
- and the earth (וְהָאָרֶץ - və-ha-aretz): The counterpart to the heavens, signifying the terrestrial realm. The pairing of heavens and earth typically denotes the totality of creation.
- for depth (לַעֹמֶק - la-'omek): Refers to profundity, abyss, the deepest and often hidden places of the earth. "Omek" denotes something unfathomably deep and inscrutable, like the vast, unseen layers beneath the surface.
- so (כֵן - ken): A particle of comparison, establishing a direct simile. It draws a clear parallel between the preceding cosmic scale and the nature of a king's heart.
- the heart (לֵב - lev): In Hebrew thought, the "lev" (heart) is not merely the seat of emotions but the core of a person's intellect, will, thoughts, intentions, conscience, and plans. It is the very essence of one's inner being and decision-making faculty.
- of kings (מְלָכִים - m'lakhim): The plural form refers to rulers or monarchs generally, emphasizing their collective status and unique position of power and authority within society. Their decisions bear ultimate consequence.
- is unsearchable (אֵין חֵקֶר - ein kheker): This phrase literally means "no searching," or "without investigation." "Kheker" denotes diligent inquiry, scrutiny, or exploration. "Ein kheker" signifies something that cannot be probed, penetrated, or fully understood through human effort, study, or investigation. It conveys a sense of ultimate mystery or impenetrability.
- As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth: This cosmic analogy provides a powerful imagery of immeasurable vastness and mystery. It immediately conveys that the subject of comparison is equally grand, profound, and beyond ordinary human ability to grasp or measure. The "height" and "depth" represent extreme, unfathomable limits of existence, serving as ultimate standards of unreachability and inscrutability.
- so the heart of kings is unsearchable: This comparison applies the cosmic scale of hiddenness to the internal world of monarchs. It highlights the inherent complexity, the often-secretive nature of royal counsels, and the sheer impossibility for common individuals to fully know or understand the motives, strategies, or complete thought processes behind a king's actions or declarations. The power wielded by kings often necessitated a certain inscrutability to maintain authority and avoid revealing strategic vulnerabilities.
Proverbs 25 3 Bonus section
This proverb can be understood in tension with the previous verse, Proverbs 25:2. While God's glory is in concealing, kings' glory is to "search out" or investigate. Yet, the irony or the reality presented in verse 3 is that even kings' own "hearts"—their deep thoughts, plans, and intentions—are themselves unsearchable by human standards, just like the vastness of the cosmos. This creates a parallel with God's ultimate hiddenness and human limitations. It implies a recognition of the king's unique and often solitary position in governance; his counsel, for strategic or political reasons, must often remain guarded. Furthermore, it subtly points to a deeper truth: only God truly comprehends the full heart of any man, including a king, who wields such significant, yet ultimately limited, power. The verse thus sets human rulers in their rightful, yet still awesome, place, under the gaze of the truly omniscient King of kings.
Proverbs 25 3 Commentary
Proverbs 25:3 presents a profound observation about the nature of royal authority through a striking cosmological analogy. By likening the inscrutability of a king's heart to the immeasurable height of the heavens and the fathomless depth of the earth, the verse emphasizes the inherent mystery and inaccessibility surrounding the core of royal wisdom and decision-making. Unlike God, whose glory lies in concealing, the king's glory is to search things out, yet paradoxically, his own heart, the seat of his governing counsel, remains unsearchable to his subjects. This speaks to the practical realities of ancient monarchy, where a ruler's thoughts and plans, often involving matters of national security, foreign policy, or justice, were necessarily hidden from the populace. It underlines the isolation and the unique burden of ultimate power. For the subjects, this proverb instills a sense of the immense weight and unfathomable nature of royal office, advocating a stance of humility and non-judgmental acceptance regarding the king's complex decisions. Ultimately, it implicitly reminds humanity that while the king's heart is beyond their searching, it is profoundly known and even directed by God (Prov 21:1).