Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. New Living Translation No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind! English Standard Version As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. Berean Study Bible As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched. King James Bible The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. New King James Version As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. New American Standard Bible As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. NASB 1995 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. NASB 1977 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. Amplified Bible As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable. Christian Standard Bible As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated. Holman Christian Standard Bible As the heaven is high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated. American Standard Version As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. Aramaic Bible in Plain English The Heavens are high and the Earth deep, and the heart of the King is unsearchable. Brenton Septuagint Translation Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king's heart is unsearchable. Contemporary English Version Who can fully understand the thoughts of a ruler? They reach beyond the sky and go deep in the earth. Douay-Rheims Bible The heaven above, and the earth beneath, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. Good News Translation You never know what a king is thinking; his thoughts are beyond us, like the heights of the sky or the depths of the ocean. International Standard Version Just as the heavens are high and earth is deep, so the heart of a king is unfathomable. JPS Tanakh 1917 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. Literal Standard Version The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable. New American Bible Like the heavens in height, and the earth in depth, the heart of kings is unfathomable. NET Bible As the heaven is high and the earth is deep so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. New Revised Standard Version Like the heavens for height, like the earth for depth, so the mind of kings is unsearchable. New Heart English Bible As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. World English Bible As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. Young's Literal Translation The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- are unsearchable. Additional Translations ... Context More Proverbs of Solomon…2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out. 3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched. 4Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.… Cross References Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out. Proverbs 25:4 Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth. Treasury of Scripture The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. heaven Psalm 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Isaiah 7:11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. is unsearchable 1 Kings 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
(3) The heart of kings is unsearchable.--A warning, it may be, against presuming upon the favour of a king from thinking that one knows all that is in his mind. (Comp. Proverbs 23:1-2.)Verse 3. - This proverb is connected with the preceding by the idea of "searching" (chakar) common to both. Such emblematic proverbs are common in this second collection (see Ver. 11). Three subjects are stated, of which is predicated the term unsearchable, viz. The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings. As you can never rise to the illimitable height of the heavens, as you can never penetrate to the immeasurable depth of the earth, so you can never fathom the heart of a king, can never find out what he really thinks and intends (comp. Job 11:8). It may be that tacitly a warning is intended against flattering one's sell that one knows and can reckon on the favour of a king; his good disposition towards you may be only seeming, or may any moment become changed. The Septuagint has for "unsearchable" (חֵקֶר אֵין) ἀνεξέλεγκτος, "unquestionable." The commentators refer to a passage in Tacitus ('Ann.' 6:8), where M. Terentius defends himself for being a friend of Sejanus by the fact of the impossibility of investigating a great man's real sentiments. "To us," he says to Tiberius, "it appertains not to judge whom you exalt above all others and for what reason you do so. Facts which are obvious we all notice. We see who is the man upon whom you heap wealth and honours, who it is that has the chief power of dispensing rewards and punishments; that these were possessed by Sejanus no one can deny. But to pry into the hidden thoughts of a prince, and the designs which he meditates in secret, is unlawful and hazardous; nor would the attempt succeed." Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew As the heavensשָׁמַ֣יִם (šā·ma·yim) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky are high לָ֭רוּם (lā·rūm) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7312: Height, haughtiness and the earth וָאָ֣רֶץ (wā·’ā·reṣ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land is deep, לָעֹ֑מֶק (lā·‘ō·meq) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6011: Depth so the hearts וְלֵ֥ב (wə·lêḇ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre of kings מְ֝לָכִ֗ים (mə·lā·ḵîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4428: A king cannot אֵ֣ין (’ên) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle be searched. חֵֽקֶר׃ (ḥê·qer) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2714: A searching, a thing (to be) searched out Jump to Previous Deep Depth Earth Heart Hearts Heaven Heavens Height High Hight Kings Mind Searched UnsearchableJump to Next Deep Depth Earth Heart Hearts Heaven Heavens Height High Hight Kings Mind Searched UnsearchableLinks Proverbs 25:3 NIVProverbs 25:3 NLT Proverbs 25:3 ESV Proverbs 25:3 NASB Proverbs 25:3 KJV Proverbs 25:3 BibleApps.com Proverbs 25:3 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 25:3 Chinese Bible Proverbs 25:3 French Bible Proverbs 25:3 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 25:3 As the heavens for height and (Prov. Pro Pr) |
   
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