Proverbs 25 PDF

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HEZEKIAH’S COLLECTION OF SOLOMON’S PROVERBS
A. Wisdom before kings and judges.

Proverbs 25:1-10
Theme: The Value of speaking the Right Word at the Right Time.
1. (Pro 25:1) Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs.
These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah

king of Judah copied:
a. These are the proverbs of Solomon: This collection of proverbs

is from 25:1 through 29:27, making up five chapters of the book of
Proverbs. These also were written by Solomon, yet collected
under the supervision of Hezekiah king of Judah—some 270 years
after Solomon’s death.
There are 140 proverbs, corresponding to the numerical value of

the letters in the Hebrew form of the name Hezekiah.
i. 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs.

Even with Hezekiah’s addition, not all of them are contained in the
Book of Proverbs.
b. Which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied: King

Hezekiah of Judah reigned over a time of national spiritual revival.
He added these chapters to the previous collection of proverbs,
having found these yet-to-be published proverbs of Solomon.
i. The men of Hezekiah: “Certain persons appointed by Hezekiah

for that work, whether prophets, as Isaiah, Hosea, or Micah, who
lived in his days, or some others, it is neither evident nor material.”
(Poole)
2. (Pro 25:2-5) Emphasizes the wisdom of kings.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

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But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from silver,
And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.
[2] God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in

discovering things. [3] Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean
for depth, the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep.
[4-5] Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can
craft a fine chalice; Remove the wicked from leadership and
authority will be credible and God-honoring.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
a. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter: Think of all the

secrets hidden in His natural creation, in His written Word, and in
His providential dealings! “He would not be God,” said Thomas
Cartwright, “if His counsels and works did not transcend human
intelligence.”
There are many mysteries in the universe, both material and

spiritual mysteries. There are many things God has concealed, and
this is one expression of His glory. It is one of God’s ways to say,
“You are amazed by what you see; yet what you don’t see, what I
have concealed, is even greater.”
There are matters in the Book of God that will not be fully opened
till mortality is swallowed up of life. For here we see through a
glass darkly; but there, face to face: here we know in part; but there
we shall know as we also are known.”
b. The glory of kings is to search out a matter:

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“Verse 2 appears to be an intentional tribute to Solomon and

Hezekiah as scholar-kings. This proverb comes from a time when
academic inquiry and governmental power were closely linked; in
the modern world they are more separated.” (Garrett)
In its context, this probably means that a wise king will keep
himself informed of important developments affecting his kingdom
and will make full investigation in order to render true judgments
and formulate sound policies.
E.g. Today, due to the enormous responsibility of governing,

Scientific Research are now delegated to scientists and the
academes.
When men and women seek out scientific knowledge, trying to

understand the mystery and brilliance of what God has concealed
in His creation, they (in essence) express an aspect of the glory of
humanity, even the glory of kings. We therefore say to the
scientist, search on, and do so with all your strength.
E,g, CES 2020 - Israeli invention (Turns air into water).
i. In all their searching, the scientist should still keep this humble
remembrance: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.
“What I see amazes me, but God has concealed even greater
treasures of knowledge and wisdom in His creation (Romans
1:19-20). I must not arrogantly think that I can figure it all out.”
As G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “That is the principle of all the
triumphs of scientific investigations; and it is the deepest secret
of all advance in spiritual strength.”
ii. It is one of God’s ways to say, “You are amazed by what you
see; yet what you don’t see, what I have concealed, is even
greater.”
God is saying to us everyday: “You ain’t seen nothing yet” (BTO

song 70’s)
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3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
[3] Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the
understanding of a good leader is broad and deep.
The height of the heavens seems to be limitless, and the depth of

the earth seems to be unsearchable. Described by this verse the
reverence bestowed to kings by their subjects. Likewise there is
something inscrutable about the heart of noble kings; no one
knows exactly what they are thinking.
i. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth: “As the sky
extends to apparently limitless heights above the surface of the
earth, with reference to depth emphasizes the apparently limitless
extent of the earth far below humankind’s feet.” (Waltke)
ii. The heart of kings is unsearchable: “The king’s decisions are

beyond the knowledge of the people…many things cannot be
made known, being ‘unsearchable’ because, perhaps, of his
superior wisdom, his caprice, or the necessity of maintaining
confidentiality.” (Ross)
In modern times, citizens of many countries tends to criticize their

leaders for their decisions. Oblivious to many is our modern day
leaders’ access to information and advisers that are only made
available to them and not to the majority of the citizens. Today’s
leaders usually make decisions based on these informations. With
those information unavailable to us, we can only criticize.
E.g. Trump’s order of bombing Sulaimani. The Democrats reacted

but once information was made available, at least one Democrat
senator said: Trump made the right decision. (Info: that Sulaimani
was in Iraq to coordinate further attacks on the US soldiers).
Our leaders deserves our trust! (The other side/ drawback: not all
have good advisers or have good intensions!); Check out the next
verses…
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4 Take away the dross from silver,

And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.
When silver is melted in a crucible, the dross or impurities rise to

the surface like scum. When this scum is removed, the silversmith
has molten metal that is suitable for making jewelry.
The dross here symbolizes wicked counselors in the king’s court

or the king’s heart itself. When they are removed, the kingdom is
established on a righteous basis.
Several things can happen in any Human gov’t:

1. A Good king but surrounded by wicked, power hungry
advisers.
2. A bad king surrounded by good, well intentioned advisers and
listens to them. (E.g Trump)
3. Anything in between…How do you rate Duterte? (Some Good
intentions - poor implementations!); I personally do not agree
that he set aside the Hague Ruling on the South China Sea. Did
you see the most recent photos (2017) of the Kalayaan Islands.
You will see modern Chinese military installations…which
cannot be reversed! It seemed, we were tricked by the offers of
economic offers through loans that we have to pay! If China will
attack the Philippines someday, we will have difficulty
defending even if the US will help us, China’s missiles is just a
stone throw away!
4. I suspect the build, build, build motto was simply a way to
eligibly amass wealth! I hope not!) IS he a good or bad
president? The signs don’t look pleasant…but Only time will
tell!
The first thing Christ will do when He returns to reign will be to

cleanse His kingdom of rebellion, lawlessness, and everything
else that offends.
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3. (Pro 25:6-7) Conduct before kings.
6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of the great;
7 For it is better that he say to you,

“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
Read:
[6-7] Don't work yourself into the spotlight; don't push your way
into the place of prominence. It's better to be promoted to a place
of honor than face humiliation by being demoted.
a. Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king: We should

always avoid self-exaltation. Even as we should humble ourselves
in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10), we should also humble
ourselves before others.
b. Come up here: When a man or a woman properly humbles

themselves before God and kings, they may be invited to a higher
place. This is much better than arrogantly setting ourselves high
and then being put lower in the presence of the prince.
This advice is reminiscent of Jeremiah 45:5, “And do you seek great

things for yourself? Do not seek them.” Also the words of the Lord
Jesus in Luke 14:8-10.
E.g. Quote from the Israeli creator of CES awardee invention! I

don’t go after the money! I simply want to help those in need!
Jesus gave much the same lesson in Luke 14:8-11, concluding with
the thought: For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11).
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4. (Pro 25:8-10) Wisdom in avoiding court. (For those who

contemplates taking a neighbor to court!)
8 Do not go hastily to court;

For what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor has put you to shame?
9 Debate your case with your neighbor,

And do not disclose the secret to another;
10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame,

And your reputation be ruined.
[8] Don't jump to conclusions-there may be a perfectly good

explanation for what you just saw.
[9-10] In the heat of an argument, don't betray confidences; Word

is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.
25:8-10 The Bible condemns the litigious spirit, that is, the desire to
rush to the law court to settle every grievance. A person might tell
everything he has seen and yet be put to shame when his
neighbor testifies.
It is better to handle grievances privately (see Matt. 18:15), and not

to blab about them to others, as an unknown author advises:
A little disagreement arises with some friends, and you have not the
courage to go and speak about it to that friend alone, but mention it
to another. The principle laid down in God’s Word is forgotten, and
mischief follows. Talking about a thing of this kind does no good, and
in the end widens the breach. If we would only take such a passage
as our guide, and regulate our conduct by it, we would lay aside
many trivial “causes” of offense, and spare ourselves many
disturbings of mind.
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Verse 10 contemplates the third party’s rebuking you for not going
directly to the offender, and your gaining a reputation as a gossip-
or worse!
a. Do not go hastily to court: Sometimes the court of law is

necessary, but we should never go hastily to court. If it is possible
to resolve a dispute any other way, we should do it that other way.
This was Paul’s later teaching to the Corinthian church (1
Corinthians 6:1-8).
i. “Jesus gave a similar teaching in Luke 12:57-59.” (Garrett)
b. When your neighbor has put you to shame: This is another

strong reason why one should avoid court—you might lose and be
put to shame. Many people who go to court have an unrealistic
confidence that they will win.
c. Debate your case with your neighbor: Solomon’s wise advice is

to settle it out of court. If you can debate your case outside the
court, do it there. The debate may expose a secret that would be
to your shame in open court and from that your reputation be
ruined.
i. “To run to the law or to the neighbours is usually to run away

from the duty of personal relationship—see Christ’s clinching
comment in Matthew 18:15b.” (Kidner)
ii. “One should not smear another’s name to clear his own or a
defendant’s.” (Waltke)
iii. Adam Clarke could not help but add this:‘A man who
deliberates about going to law should have,
1. A good cause;
2. A good purse;
3. A good skilful attorney;
4. Good evidence;
5. Good able counsel;
6. A good upright judge; if he have not,
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7. Good luck, it is odds that he miscarries in his suit.’”

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HEZEKIAH’S COLLECTION OF SOLOMON’S PROVERBS

A. Wisdom before kings and judges.

1. (Pro 25:1) Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs.

These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah

a. These are the proverbs of Solomon: This collection of proverbs

There are 140 proverbs, corresponding to the numerical value of

i. 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs.

b. Which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied: King

i. The men of Hezekiah: “Certain persons appointed by Hezekiah

2. (Pro 25:2-5) Emphasizes the wisdom of kings.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

[2] God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

a. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter: Think of all the

There are many mysteries in the universe, both material and

b. The glory of kings is to search out a matter:

“Verse 2 appears to be an intentional tribute to Solomon and

E.g. Today, due to the enormous responsibility of governing,

When men and women seek out scientific knowledge, trying to

E,g, CES 2020 - Israeli invention (Turns air into water).

God is saying to us everyday: “You ain’t seen nothing yet” (BTO

3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

The height of the heavens seems to be limitless, and the depth of

ii. The heart of kings is unsearchable: “The king’s decisions are

In modern times, citizens of many countries tends to criticize their

E.g. Trump’s order of bombing Sulaimani. The Democrats reacted

4 Take away the dross from silver,

When silver is melted in a crucible, the dross or impurities rise to

The dross here symbolizes wicked counselors in the king’s court

Several things can happen in any Human gov’t:

The first thing Christ will do when He returns to reign will be to

3. (Pro 25:6-7) Conduct before kings.

6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

7 For it is better that he say to you,

a. Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king: We should

b. Come up here: When a man or a woman properly humbles

This advice is reminiscent of Jeremiah 45:5, “And do you seek great

E.g. Quote from the Israeli creator of CES awardee invention! I

4. (Pro 25:8-10) Wisdom in avoiding court. (For those who

8 Do not go hastily to court;

9 Debate your case with your neighbor,

10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame,

[8] Don't jump to conclusions-there may be a perfectly good

[9-10] In the heat of an argument, don't betray confidences; Word

It is better to handle grievances privately (see Matt. 18:15), and not

a. Do not go hastily to court: Sometimes the court of law is

i. “Jesus gave a similar teaching in Luke 12:57-59.” (Garrett)

b. When your neighbor has put you to shame: This is another

c. Debate your case with your neighbor: Solomon’s wise advice is

i. “To run to the law or to the neighbours is usually to run away

7. Good luck, it is odds that he miscarries in his suit.’”

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