It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
(It is) the glory of God to conceal a thing - to conceal His profound counsels and decrees wherewith He governs all things (Romans 11:33). He reveals enough of His blessed nature and counsels for faith to rest upon, not to satisfy the curiosity of irreverent self-conceit (Deuteronomy 29:29). He hath none to whom He is bound to render an account of His ways. 'Hence appears the audacity of those who permit God to do nothing except what falls under the comprehension of their petty minds; whereas He would not be God if His counsels and works did not transcend human intelligence' (T. Cartwright; Psalms 77:19; Psalms 36:6). 'Rather stand on the shore and silently admire, than enter into the deep' (Leighton; 1 Peter 2:8).
But the honour of kings is to search out a matter - unlike God, who knows all things without 'searching' (Ezekiel 4:15-17; Ezekiel 5:17; Ezekiel 6:1). Contrast Job 11:7-9. Kings must use all means to search out a true policy, and to judge aright in difficult cases; as Solomon did, 1 Kings 3:16-28; cf. Job 29:16. Hence, they were bound to write out a copy of the law for their daily direction (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).