Daniel 2:12 kjv
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:12 nkjv
For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:12 niv
This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:12 esv
Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.
Daniel 2:12 nlt
The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.
Daniel 2 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 2:5 | The king answered... If you do not make known to me the dream with its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. | Law; judgment of transgression |
| Daniel 2:9 | If you will not make known to me the dream, there is but one decree for you. For you have conspired to use lying and misleading speech against me till the time is changed. | Nebuchadnezzar's ultimatum; implied treachery |
| Daniel 2:13 | So the decree was issued, and the wise men were to be put to death. Daniel and his companions were also sought out to be put to death. | Implementation of the decree |
| Isaiah 8:19 | And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the wizards who whisper and mutter; should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living for the answer?” | Contrast with idolatrous practices |
| Acts 16:16 | As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with a spirit of divination who brought her owners much profit by fortune-telling. | False wisdom vs. true revelation |
| 2 Timothy 3:7 | always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. | Futility of knowledge without truth |
| Proverbs 3:5 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. | Dependence on God over human reason |
| Jeremiah 10:14 | Every goldsmith stands ashamed by his idols, for his metal images are false, and there is no breath in them. | Idols lacking life/power |
| John 14:26 | But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. | Divine instruction |
| 1 Corinthians 1:20 | Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? | God's wisdom vs. worldly wisdom |
| Colossians 2:8 | See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. | Dangers of human reasoning |
| Psalm 33:10 | The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; he thwarts the schemes of the peoples. | God's sovereignty over nations |
| Isaiah 44:25 | (who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers) who says of Jerusalem, “She shall be inhabited,” and of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built,” and of her ruins, “I will restore her.” | God's faithfulness; divine counsel |
| Proverbs 2:6 | For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. | Source of true wisdom |
| Mark 13:32 | “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. | Limits of human knowledge |
| Daniel 1:17 | As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in every work and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. | Divine enablement for wisdom |
| Revelation 13:15 | And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. | False authority and control |
| Psalm 119:99 | I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. | Divine wisdom surpasses human |
| Acts 19:18-19 | Many who had become believers confessed and disclosed their practices. And a number of those who practiced magic gathered their books, and were burning them before all eyes; and they counted the value of them and found it amounted to fifty thousand pieces of silver. | Rejecting sorcery for truth |
| 1 Samuel 15:22 | And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. | Obedience over ritual |
| Ecclesiastes 9:11 | Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. | Human endeavor's limitations |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 12 Meaning
This verse describes the intense and panicked reaction of the wise men of Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar made an impossible demand. They were not just unable to fulfill the king's request, but they were also facing death. The word "destroyed" signifies not a literal demolition, but a severe punishment and eradication.
Daniel 2 12 Context
This verse is part of Daniel's account in Babylon during King Nebuchadnezzar's reign. The king had a troubling dream (described in Daniel chapter 2) and, forgetting the dream, demanded that his wise men tell him both the dream and its interpretation. If they could not, they would face death. The wise men, including Daniel and his companions, were unable to fulfill this impossible demand. Daniel 2:5 highlights the severity of the king's decree: "tear you limb from limb" and make their houses "a dunghill." This reflects the absolute power and often brutal methods of ancient Near Eastern monarchs. The Babylonian "wise men" (Chaldeans) typically relied on astrology, divination, and other occult practices to interpret dreams. Their inability to perform this miraculous feat would expose their powerlessness and lead to their execution.
Daniel 2 12 Word Analysis
- And: Conjunction linking clauses, indicating sequence or cause.
- the decree: Refers to Nebuchadnezzar's edict issued against the wise men.
- went forth: Signifies the public promulgation and immediate implementation of the king's command.
- and the wise men: Denotes the class of scholars and diviners in Babylon.
- of Babylon: Specifies their location and affiliation, the intellectual elite of the kingdom.
- were to be put to death: Clearly states the capital punishment they faced. This is a direct threat to their existence.
- and Daniel: Introduces Daniel, who was also part of this group facing death.
- and his companions: Refers to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who stood with Daniel in their predicament.
- sought: Indicates they were actively being searched for to be executed.
- to be put to death: Reiteration of the fatal consequence they all faced.
Word Groups:
- "the decree went forth and the wise men of Babylon were to be put to death": This phrase captures the suddenness and totality of the danger. The king's word was law, and it directly threatened the survival of an entire professional class. This reflects the arbitrary and absolute nature of monarchical power in the ancient world.
- "and Daniel and his companions were sought to be put to death": This emphasizes that even those who might have claimed superior knowledge or wisdom (Daniel and his friends) were not exempt from this universal decree. Their unique spiritual position did not initially grant them immunity; they too were objects of the king's wrath.
Daniel 2 12 Bonus Section
The helplessness described in this verse stands in stark contrast to God's all-knowing and all-powerful nature. The king's demand that the wise men "make known to me the dream... and its interpretation" is an impossibility for any mortal, especially one who has forgotten the dream. This highlights a common theme in Daniel: the contrast between the often arrogant and overreaching power of earthly kingdoms and the supreme authority and perfect knowledge of the God of Israel. The Babylonian system of divination, represented by the wise men, is shown to be ineffective when confronted with a truly supernatural challenge, unlike the direct revelation that Daniel would receive from God. This sets up the narrative for Daniel to be exalted by God, demonstrating that true wisdom and understanding originate from the divine.
Daniel 2 12 Commentary
This verse underscores the dire circumstances facing Daniel and his friends. Nebuchadnezzar's irrational demand to reveal a forgotten dream, coupled with the threat of death, creates a crisis. The Babylonian wise men, relying on human and occult methods, fail, revealing their inherent limitations and the superficiality of their wisdom. Daniel, though also sought for execution, stands apart because he relies on divine wisdom, demonstrating that true understanding comes from God, not from earthly knowledge or mystical practices. The passage sets the stage for God's intervention through Daniel, highlighting the contrast between human powerlessness and divine sovereignty.