The concept of concealment in the Bible encompasses both the physical act of hiding and the metaphorical act of keeping something secret or hidden from view. Throughout Scripture, concealment is portrayed in various contexts, including divine mysteries, human actions, and spiritual truths.

Divine Concealment

God's ways and plans are often described as concealed from human understanding. In Deuteronomy 29:29, it is stated, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." This verse highlights the distinction between what God chooses to reveal and what He keeps hidden, emphasizing His sovereignty and the limits of human comprehension.

Proverbs 25:2 further illustrates this concept: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out." Here, the act of divine concealment is portrayed as glorious, suggesting that there is wisdom and purpose in what God chooses to hide.

Human Concealment

In contrast to divine concealment, human attempts to hide actions or intentions are often depicted negatively in Scripture. Proverbs 28:13 warns, "He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy." This verse underscores the futility and danger of hiding sin, advocating instead for confession and repentance as the path to mercy and forgiveness.

The account of Achan in Joshua 7 serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of concealing wrongdoing. Achan's hidden sin of taking forbidden items led to Israel's defeat at Ai and ultimately to his own demise. This narrative illustrates the principle that hidden sins can have far-reaching and destructive consequences.

Spiritual Truths and Parables

Jesus often used parables to convey spiritual truths, which were a form of concealment to those not open to understanding. In Matthew 13:10-11, the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, and He replied, "The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them." Parables served to reveal truths to those with receptive hearts while concealing them from those who were spiritually blind or resistant.

Concealment and Wisdom

The Bible also associates concealment with wisdom and discretion. Proverbs 11:13 states, "A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence." This highlights the virtue of discretion, where concealing certain information is seen as wise and honorable.

In summary, the theme of concealment in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing divine mysteries, human sin, spiritual truths, and the wisdom of discretion. While God’s concealment is often purposeful and glorious, human attempts to hide sin are cautioned against, urging believers to seek truth and transparency in their walk with God.(v. t.) To hide or withdraw from observation; to cover; to cover or keep from sight; to prevent the discovery of; to withhold knowledge of.CONCEAL

kon-sel' (parakalupto): Found but once in the New Testament (Luke 9:45). The primary meaning is to cover by hanging something in front of the object hidden. The purpose of the one concealing is made prominent. There is, therefore, a reserve and studied progress in regard to the statement of facts, that is not always a suppression of truth (Proverbs 12:16, 23). God withholds more than He reveals (Proverbs 25:2; compare Psalm 97:2 1 Timothy 6:16).

613. apokrupto -- to hide, conceal
... to hide, conceal. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apokrupto Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-ok-roop'-to) Short Definition: I hide away, conceal Definition: I hide ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/613.htm - 6k

4032. perikrupto -- to conceal entirely
... to conceal entirely. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: perikrupto Phonetic Spelling:
(per-ee-kroop'-to) Short Definition: I conceal, hide Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4032.htm - 6k

1470. egkrupto -- to conceal in
... to conceal in. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: egkrupto Phonetic Spelling:
(eng-kroop'-to) Short Definition: I hide in, mix with Definition: I hide in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1470.htm - 7k

2928. krupto -- to hide
... to hide. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: krupto Phonetic Spelling:
(kroop'-to) Short Definition: I hide, conceal, lay up Definition: I hide, conceal, ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2928.htm - 7k

5288. hupostello -- to draw in, let down, draw back
... let down, draw back. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hupostello Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop-os-tel'-lo) Short Definition: I draw back, conceal Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5288.htm - 7k

4780. sugkalupto -- to cover completely
... to cover completely. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sugkalupto Phonetic Spelling:
(soong-kal-oop'-to) Short Definition: I conceal closely, cover up ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4780.htm - 7k

4722. stego -- to cover closely (so as to keep water out) ...
... water out), generally to bear up under. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: stego
Phonetic Spelling: (steg'-o) Short Definition: I cover, conceal, bear with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4722.htm - 7k

2572. kalupto -- to cover
... to cover. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kalupto Phonetic Spelling:
(kal-oop'-to) Short Definition: I veil, hide, conceal, envelop Definition: I veil ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2572.htm - 7k

3871. parakalupto -- to cover (by hanging something beside), to ...
... beside), to hide. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: parakalupto Phonetic Spelling:
(par-ak-al-oop'-to) Short Definition: I hide, conceal, veil Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3871.htm - 7k

1943. epikalupto -- to cover over or up
... conceal, cover. From epi and kalupto; to conceal, ie (figuratively) forgive -- cover.
see GREEK epi. see GREEK kalupto. (epekaluphthesan) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1943.htm - 6k

5641. sathar -- to hide, conceal
... to hide, conceal. Transliteration: sathar Phonetic Spelling: (saw-thar') Short
Definition: hide. ... be absent, keep close, conceal, hide self, keep secret, surely. ...
/hebrew/5641.htm - 6k

5956. alam -- to conceal
... 5955, 5956. alam. 5957 . to conceal. Transliteration: alam Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-lam') Short Definition: hidden. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5956.htm - 6k

2934. taman -- to hide, conceal
... 2933, 2934. taman. 2935 . to hide, conceal. Transliteration: taman Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-man') Short Definition: hidden. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2934.htm - 6k

3680. kasah -- to cover
... root Definition to cover NASB Word Usage closed (2), clothed (1), conceal (1), conceals
(8), cover (50), covered (51), covering (4), covers (20), engulfed (3 ...
/hebrew/3680.htm - 6k

3582. kachad -- to hide
... root Definition to hide NASB Word Usage annihilated (3), blot (1), completely destroy
(1), conceal (4), concealed (2), cut off (2), denied (1), desolate (1 ...
/hebrew/3582.htm - 6k

2790. charash -- to cut in, engrave, plow, devise
... altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, A primitive
root; to scratch, ie (by implication) to engrave, plough ...
/hebrew/2790.htm - 6k

2247. chabah -- to withdraw, hide
... Definition: hide. Word Origin a prim. root Definition to withdraw, hide NASB
Word Usage conceal (1), hide (4). hide self. A primitive ...
/hebrew/2247.htm - 6k

2664. chaphas -- to search
... A primitive root; to seek; causatively, to conceal oneself (ie Let be sought), or
mask -- change, (make) diligent (search), disquise self, hide, search (for ...
/hebrew/2664.htm - 6k

8226. saphan -- treasure
... Word Origin the same as saphan, qv. treasure A primitive root; to conceal (as a
valuable) -- treasure. 8225, 8226. saphan. 8227 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8226.htm - 5k

6845. tsaphan -- to hide, treasure up
... root Definition to hide, treasure up NASB Word Usage ambush (2), authority (1),
conceal (1), concealed (2), hid (1), hidden (1), hide (2), keep them secretly (1 ...
/hebrew/6845.htm - 6k

Argument: Whatever the Christians Worship, they Strive in Every ...
... Chapter X."Argument: Whatever the Christians Worship, They Strive in Every Way to
Conceal: They Have No Altars, No Temples, No Acknowledged Images. ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter x argument whatever the christians.htm

Argument: nor Can it be Said that the Christians Conceal what they ...
... Chapter XXXII."Argument: Nor Can It Be Said that the Christians Conceal What They
Worship Because They Have No Temples and No Altars, Inasmuch as They are ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxxii argument nor can it.htm

When Simon Heard Ananus Say This, He Desired that the Messengers ...
... Section 39. When Simon heard Ananus say this, he desired that the messengers
would conceal the? 39. When Simon heard Ananus say ...
/.../josephus/the life of flavius josephus/section 39 when simon heard.htm

It was once Usual, in Speaking Allegorically, to Conceal under ...
... Book V. 41 It was once usual, in speaking allegorically, to conceal under
perfectly decent ideas? It was once usual, in speaking ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/41 it was once usual.htm

That Maximin, who had Persecuted the Christians, was Compelled to ...
... Book I. Chapter LVIII."That Maximin, who had persecuted the Christians, was compelled
to fly, and conceal himself in the Disguise of a Slave. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter lviii that maximin who had.htm

On Confession
... them. "Exaggerating." You must never tell in confession a sin you did
not commit, any more than conceal one you did commit. You ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 19 on confession.htm

God's Glory in Hiding Sin
... 15th, 1877. "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour
of kings is to search out a matter.""Proverbs 25:2. The ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/gods glory in hiding sin.htm

Of the Kiss of Peace.
... Whatever our prayer be, it will not be better than the observance of the precept
by which we are bidden to conceal our fasts; [8865] for now, by abstinence ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/on prayer/chapter xviii of the kiss of.htm

The Secrets of Divine Love are to be Kept
... propitious to my views,. Thy sable awning wide diffuse; Conceal alike my joy and
pain,. ... Diffusing peace o'er all my powers; Friends of the pensive, who conceal,. ...
/.../the secrets of divine love.htm

Of Uncharitable Truth.
... may often fall out, that by concealing one man's fault, I may be injurious to another,
nay, to a whole community: and then I assume the guilt I conceal, and by ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section vi of uncharitable truth.htm

Conceal (19 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CONCEAL. kon-sel' (parakalupto): Found but once in
the New Testament (Luke 9:45). ... Multi-Version Concordance Conceal (19 Occurrences) ...
/c/conceal.htm - 12k

Veil (67 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) Same as Velum, 3. 7. (n.) To throw a veil over; to cover with a veil.
8. (n.) Fig.: To invest; to cover; to hide; to conceal. Int. ...
/v/veil.htm - 35k

Dissemble (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To disguise or conceal one's true nature; to hide under a false semblance
or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an ...
/d/dissemble.htm - 7k

Mask (3 Occurrences)
... 9. (vt) To cover, as the face, by way of concealment or defense against injury;
to conceal with a mask or visor. 10. (vt) To disguise; to cover; to hide. 11. ...
/m/mask.htm - 8k

Blind (91 Occurrences)
... painful to; to dazzle. 11. (vt) To darken; to obscure to the eye or
understanding; to conceal; to deceive. 12. (vt) To cover with ...
/b/blind.htm - 38k

Cover (254 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To hide sight; to conceal; to cloak; as, the enemy were covered from our
sight by the woods. 5. (vt) To brood or sit on; to incubate. ...
/c/cover.htm - 40k

Concealed (36 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Conceal. 2. (a.) Hidden; kept from sight;
secreted. Multi-Version Concordance Concealed (36 Occurrences). ...
/c/concealed.htm - 16k

Dress (38 Occurrences)
... round the body or thrown over the shoulders like a shawl, with the ends hanging
down in front, or it might be thrown over the head so as to conceal the face (2 ...
/d/dress.htm - 53k

Obscure (7 Occurrences)
... illustrious. 7. (vi) To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark. 8. (n.)
Obscurity. Multi-Version Concordance Obscure (7 Occurrences). ...
/o/obscure.htm - 9k

Jalam (4 Occurrences)
... JALAM. ja'-lam (ya`lam, according to BDB following Septuagint Ieglom, in Genesis,
from `alam, meaning "to conceal"; according to Gunkel, Gen3, 390, from ya`el ...
/j/jalam.htm - 8k

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