Daniel 2:20

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and declared:

Hebrew Names Version
Daniyel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

King James Version
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

English Standard Version
Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.

New American Standard Bible
Daniel said, "May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.

New Century Version
Daniel said: "Praise God forever and ever, because he has wisdom and power.

Amplified Bible
Daniel answered, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Daniel answered and sayde, The Name of God be praysed for euer and euer: for wisedome and strength are his,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.

Berean Standard Bible
and declared: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

Contemporary English Version
"Our God, your name will be praised forever and forever. You are all-powerful, and you know everything.

Complete Jewish Bible
in these words: "Blessed be the name of God from eternity past to eternity future! For wisdom and power are his alone;

Darby Translation
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; For wisdom and might are his.

Easy-to-Read Version
He said, "Praise God's name forever and ever! Power and wisdom belong to him.

George Lamsa Translation
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might belong to him;

Good News Translation
"God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever.

Lexham English Bible
Daniel said: "Let his name, the name of God, be blessed throughout the ages, for the wisdom and the power are his.

Literal Translation
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Daniel also cryed loude, and sayde: O that the name of God might be praysed for euer and euer, for wi?dome and strength are his owne:

American Standard Version
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

Bible in Basic English
And Daniel said in answer, May the name of God be praised for ever and ever: for wisdom and strength are his:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Daniel spoke and said: Blessed be the name of God from everlasting even unto everlasting; for wisdom and might are His;

King James Version (1611)
Daniel answered and said; Blessed be the name of God for euer and euer: for wisedome and might are his:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Daniel also aunswered, and said: The name of God be praysed for euer & euer: for wysdome and strength are his.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
May the name of God be blessed from everlasting and to everlasting: for wisdom and understanding are his.

English Revised Version
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

World English Bible
Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The name of the Lord be blessid fro the world, and til in to the world, for wisdom and strengthe ben hise;

Update Bible Version
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

Webster's Bible Translation
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

New English Translation
saying, "Let the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.

New King James Version
Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

New Living Translation
He said, "Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.

New Life Bible
Daniel said, "Let the name of God be honored forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

New Revised Standard
Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Daniel responded, and said, Let the name of God be blessed from age to age, - in that wisdom and might, to him belong;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And speaking, he said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from eternity and for evermore: for wisdom and fortitude are his.

Revised Standard Version
Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. to whom belong wisdom and might.

Young's Literal Translation
Daniel hath answered and said, `Let the name of God be blessed from age even unto age, for wisdom and might -- for they are His.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: "Why this all of a sudden?" After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream. Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn't be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men. That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying, "Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down, he provides both intelligence and discernment, He opens up the depths, tells secrets, sees in the dark—light spills out of him! God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise! You made me wise and strong. And now you've shown us what we asked for. You've solved the king's mystery." So Daniel went back to Arioch, who had been put in charge of the execution. He said, "Call off the execution! Take me to the king and I'll interpret his dream." Arioch didn't lose a minute. He ran to the king, bringing Daniel with him, and said, "I've found a man from the exiles of Judah who can interpret the king's dream!" The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), "Are you sure you can do this—tell me the dream I had and interpret it for me?" Daniel answered the king, "No mere human can solve the king's mystery, I don't care who it is—no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is going to happen in the days ahead. This is the dream you had when you were lying on your bed, the vision that filled your mind: "While you were stretched out on your bed, O king, thoughts came to you regarding what is coming in the days ahead. The Revealer of Mysteries showed you what will happen. But the interpretation is given through me, not because I'm any smarter than anyone else in the country, but so that you will know what it means, so that you will understand what you dreamed. "What you saw, O king, was a huge statue standing before you, striking in appearance. And terrifying. The head of the statue was pure gold, the chest and arms were silver, the belly and hips were bronze, the legs were iron, and the feet were an iron-ceramic mixture. While you were looking at this statue, a stone cut out of a mountain by an invisible hand hit the statue, smashing its iron-ceramic feet. Then the whole thing fell to pieces—iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold, smashed to bits. It was like scraps of old newspapers in a vacant lot in a hot dry summer, blown every which way by the wind, scattered to oblivion. But the stone that hit the statue became a huge mountain, dominating the horizon. This was your dream. "And now we'll interpret it for the king. You, O king, are the most powerful king on earth. The God of heaven has given you the works: rule, power, strength, and glory. He has put you in charge of men and women, wild animals and birds, all over the world—you're the head ruler, you are the head of gold. But your rule will be taken over by another kingdom, inferior to yours, and that one by a third, a bronze kingdom, but still ruling the whole land, and after that by a fourth kingdom, ironlike in strength. Just as iron smashes things to bits, breaking and pulverizing, it will bust up the previous kingdoms. "But then the feet and toes that ended up as a mixture of ceramic and iron will deteriorate into a mongrel kingdom with some remains of iron in it. Just as the toes of the feet were part ceramic and part iron, it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and unbreakable. That kingdom won't bond, won't hold together any more than iron and clay hold together. "But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the invisible hand that crushed the iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold. "The great God has let the king know what will happen in the years to come. This is an accurate telling of the dream, and the interpretation is also accurate." When Daniel finished, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face in awe before Daniel. He ordered the offering of sacrifices and burning of incense in Daniel's honor. He said to Daniel, "Your God is beyond question the God of all gods, the Master of all kings. And he solves all mysteries, I know, because you've solved this mystery." Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position in the kingdom, lavished him with gifts, and made him governor over the entire province of Babylon and the chief in charge of all the Babylonian wise men. At Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to administrative posts throughout Babylon, while Daniel governed from the royal headquarters. ¹⁶King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that disturbed him deeply. He couldn't sleep. He called in all the Babylonian magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and fortunetellers to interpret his dreams for him. When they came and lined up before the king, he said to them, "I had a dream that I can't get out of my mind. I can't sleep until I know what it means." The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it." The king answered the fortunetellers, "This is my decree: If you can't tell me both the dream itself and its interpretation, I'll have you ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and your homes torn down. But if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation, I'll lavish you with gifts and honors. So go to it: Tell me the dream and its interpretation." They answered, "If it please your majesty, tell us the dream. We'll give the interpretation." But the king said, "I know what you're up to—you're just playing for time. You know you're up a tree. You know that if you can't tell me my dream, you're doomed. I see right through you—you're going to cook up some fancy stories and confuse the issue until I change my mind. Nothing doing! First tell me the dream, then I'll know that you're on the up and up with the interpretation and not just blowing smoke in my eyes." The fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask. And no king, great or small, has ever demanded anything like this from any magician, enchanter, or fortuneteller. What you're asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal it—and they don't hang around with people like us." That set the king off. He lost his temper and ordered the whole company of Babylonian wise men killed. When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions were included. They also were marked for execution. When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: "Why this all of a sudden?" After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream. ¹⁷Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn't be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men. ¹⁹That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying, "Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down, he provides both intelligence and discernment, He opens up the depths, tells secrets, sees in the dark—light spills out of him! God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise! You made me wise and strong. And now you've shown us what we asked for. You've solved the king's mystery."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Blessed: Genesis 14:20, 1 Kings 8:56, 1 Chronicles 29:10, 1 Chronicles 29:20, 2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalms 41:13, Psalms 50:23, Psalms 72:18, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 103:1, Psalms 103:2, Psalms 113:2, Psalms 115:18, Psalms 145:1, Psalms 145:2

for wisdom: Daniel 2:21-23, 1 Chronicles 29:11, 1 Chronicles 29:12, Job 12:13, Job 12:16-22, Psalms 62:11, Psalms 147:5, Proverbs 8:14, Jeremiah 32:19, Matthew 6:13, Jude 1:24, Revelation 5:12

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 10:3 - hid from the king Job 9:4 - wise in heart Daniel 1:4 - and skillful Daniel 2:23 - who hast Romans 11:36 - of him 1 Corinthians 1:21 - in 1 Corinthians 1:30 - wisdom Ephesians 1:8 - in 2 Peter 3:15 - according

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
God said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Daniel answered and said,.... That is, he began his prayer, as Jacchiades observes, or his thanksgiving, and expressed it in the following manner:

blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: a form of blessing God, or a wish that he may be blessed by men for evermore; for there is that in his name, in his nature, in his perfections, and in his works, which require that praise be given him now, and to all eternity:

for wisdom and might are his; "wisdom" in forming the scheme of things, and "might" or power in the execution of them; "wisdom" in revealing the secret of the dream to Daniel, and "might" to accomplish the various events predicted in it: for what Daniel here and afterwards observes has a very peculiar regard to the present affair, for which his heart was warm with gratitude and thankfulness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Daniel answered and said - The word “answer,” in the Scriptures, often occurs substantially in the sense of “speak” or “say.” It does not always denote a reply to something that has been said by another, as it does with us, but is often used when a speech is commenced, as if one were replying to something that “might” be said in the case, or as meaning that the circumstances in the case gave rise to the remark. Here the meaning is, that Daniel responded, as it were, to the goodness which God had manifested, and gave utterance to his feelings in appropriate expressions of praise.

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever - That is, blessed be God - the “name,” in the Scriptures, being often used to denote the person himself. It is common in the Bible to utter ascriptions of praise to God in view of important revelations, or in view of great mercies. Compare the song of Moses after the passage of the Red Sea, Exodus 15:0; the song of Deborah after the overthrow of Sisera, Judges 5:0; Isaiah 12:1-6.

For wisdom, and might are his - Both these were manifested in a remarkable manner in the circumstances of this case, and therefore these were the beginnings of the song of praise: “wisdom,” as now imparted to Daniel, enabling him to disclose this secret, when all human skill had failed; and “might,” as about to be evinced in the changes of empire indicated by the dream and the interpretation. Compare Jeremiah 32:19, “Great in counsel, and mighty in work.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. Wisdom and might are his — He knows all things, and can do all things.