Proverbs 25:3

Pro 25:3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings [is] unsearchable.

Ver. 3. The heaven for height, &c.] It is a wonder that we can look up to so admirable a height, and that the very eye is not tired in the way. If this ascending line could be drawn right forwards, some that have calculated curiously, have found it five hundred years’ journey to the starry sky. Other mathematicians say, that if a stone should fall from the eighth sphere, and should pass every hour a hundred miles, it would be sixty-five years or more before it would come to the ground. I suppose there is as little credit to be given to these as to Aratus the astrologer, who boasted that he had found out and set down the whole number of the stars in heaven; or as to Archimedes the mathematician, that said, that he could by his art cast up the just number of all the sands both in the habitable and inhabitable parts of the world. {a}

And the earth for depth.] From the surface to the centre, how far it is, cannot be known exactly, as neither whether hell be there: but that it is somewhere below may be gathered from Rev 14:11, and other places. Ubi sit sentient, qui curiosius quaerunt.

And the heart of kings is unsearchable.] Profundum sine fundo. God gave Solomon "a large heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." {1Ki 4:29} A vast capacity, an extraordinary judgment, and wisdom to reserve himself. No bad cause was too hard for him to detect; no practices which he did not smell out; no complotter which he did not speedily entrap in their wiles, as Adonijah.

{a} Sphinx Philosoph.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 25:3. The heaven for height, &c. — As no man upon earth can exactly discover the height of heaven, or the depth of earth, or discern what is contained in them; so, the heart of kings is unsearchable — Though wise kings will search out other men and things, yet their inward thoughts and purposes are hardly to be discovered, not only because every man’s heart lies out of the sight of others, but because it is the practice of kings industriously to conceal their intentions.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He showeth that it is too hard for man to attain to the reason of all the secret doings of the King, even when he is upright, and doeth his duty.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Ye wisely keeping state secrets, which to common men are as inaccessible heights and depths.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. The heaven for height] The simple meaning of this is, the reasons of state, in reference to many acts of the executive government, can no more be fathomed by the common people, than the height of the heavens and the depth of the earth.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(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. Pro_23:1-2.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. Besides his glory in contrast, the king has a glory in resemblance to Almighty God, whose vicegerent he is. He too has something to conceal.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,.... These are eminent for what are ascribed to them; nothing is higher than the heavens, nor anything deeper than the earth; the height of the heavens cannot be reached, and the centre of the earth cannot easily be got unto; the heavens above cannot be measured, and the foundation of the earth cannot be searched beneath; at least not by common persons, whatever may be done in their way by astronomers and geometricians. And thus, as the heavens and the earth are immeasurable, Jer 31:37; so

the heart of kings is unsearchable; especially such an one as Solomon was, who had largeness of heart as the sand on the seashore: and this must be understood of such who have the art of governing; for some are so weak in their conduct, and so much expose themselves, that it is easy to see what is in their hearts, and what are the springs of their actions. Wise princes lay their schemes deep, and conceal their designs, and keep their reasons of state secret, so that it is not an easy thing to penetrate into their councils and views: for this does not so much respect the multitude of business they have upon their hearts and hands, as Jarchi and others understand it, as the privacy and secrecy in which they are managed, and the reasons of which are kept from common persons, Who therefore are not proper judges of them; and who yet will often take upon them to censure and condemn, when they are ignorant of the true cause of such conduct.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The other side of the thought of Pro 25:2. What the mind of God is to the searchers after knowledge, that the heart of the true and wise king is to those who try to guess its counsels.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unsearchable. Their counsellors must not betray their secrets, Tobias xii. 7. The greatest enterprises depend on secrecy.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The heaven for height, and the earth for depth; as no man upon earth can exactly discover the height of heaven, or the depth of earth, or discern what is contained in them.

The heart of kings is unsearchable; though wise kings will search out other men and things, yet their inward thoughts and purposes are hardly discoverable, partly because every man’s heart lies out of the sight of others, and partly because it is the practice of kings industriously to conceal their intentions.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Heart of kings is unsearchable — It is one thing for kings to examine into matters carefully before deciding upon them, and another to keep the secrets of their own aims and plans. It is usually impossible for common minds to penetrate the secrets of State, or understand the comprehensive designs and plans of astute rulers. A private soldier ordinarily knows very little of the plan of a campaign or of a battle. A private citizen frequently knows as little of the strategy of his rulers. The allusion is, of course, to Oriental and despotic monarchs. But the proverb is pertinent, also, under other forms of government.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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" (yae rqje) anexelegktov , "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."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The heart - Though wise kings will search out other men, yet their inward thoughts and purposes are hardly discoverable.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

3 The heavens in height, and the earth in depth,

And the heart of kings are unsearchable.

This is a proverb in the priamel-form, vid., p. 13. The praeambulum consists of three subjects to which the predicate אין חקר [= no searching out] is common. "As it is impossible to search through the heavens and through the earth, so it is also impossible to search the hearts of common men (like the earth), and the hearts of kings (like the heavens)" (Fleischer). The meaning, however, is simple. Three unsearchable things are placed together: the heavens, with reference to their height, stretching into the impenetrable distance; the earth, in respect to its depth, reaching down into the immeasurable abyss; and the heart of kings - it is this third thing which the proverb particularly aims at - which in themselves, and especially with that which goes on in their depths, are impenetrable and unsearchable. The proverb is a warning against the delusion of being flattered by the favour of the king, which may, before one thinks of it, be withdrawn or changed even into the contrary; and a counsel to one to take heed to his words and acts, and to see to it that he is influenced by higher motives than by the fallacious calculation of the impression on the view and disposition of the king. The ל in both cases is the expression of the reverence, as e.g., at Ch2 9:22. וארץ, not = והארץ, but like Isa 26:19; Isa 65:17, for וארץ, which generally occurs only in the st. constr.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

are unsearchable The height of the heaven and the depth of the earth and the heart of kings are unsearchable, for many judgments come before them, as well as many wars, and they must apply their heart to all of them. And if all tongues would speak, and all hands would write, they would not be able to inscribe the intricacy of political government.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.