Daniel 2:16 kjv
Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
Daniel 2:16 nkjv
So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
Daniel 2:16 niv
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
Daniel 2:16 esv
And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
Daniel 2:16 nlt
Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.
Daniel 2 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 2:17-18 | "Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to his companions... And that they might ask mercy from the God of heaven concerning this secret..." | Daniel and his friends seeking God's intervention together. |
| Ezra 8:21 | "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from Him a straight way for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions." | Fasting and humbling oneself to seek God's guidance. |
| Ps 25:4-5 | "Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." | Petition for God's guidance and teaching. |
| Ps 119:105 | "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." | God's word as a source of wisdom and direction. |
| Prov 2:6 | "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." | Wisdom originates from God. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." | Trusting and acknowledging God for guidance. |
| Isa 11:2 | "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." | The Spirit of God grants wisdom and understanding. |
| Jer 33:3 | "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." | God promises to reveal hidden things when called upon. |
| Matt 7:7-8 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." | Jesus encourages asking, seeking, and knocking for God's help. |
| Matt 11:25 | "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to little children.'" | God reveals His mysteries to the humble. |
| 1 Cor 1:20 | "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" | Worldly wisdom is insufficient and can be foolish to God. |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." | God's wisdom surpasses human wisdom. |
| 1 Cor 2:10 | "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." | The Holy Spirit reveals God's deep truths. |
| 1 Cor 2:12 | "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." | Receiving the Spirit of God to understand spiritual matters. |
| Col 1:9 | "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" | Prayer for wisdom and spiritual understanding. |
| Jas 1:5 | "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." | Direct encouragement to ask God for wisdom. |
| Rev 1:1 | "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John," | God revealing future events through intermediaries. |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 16 Meaning
Daniel, facing a perplexing situation, seeks divine intervention. This verse highlights his direct appeal to God for wisdom and understanding regarding the king's unremembered dream and its interpretation, a situation demanding supernatural insight beyond human capacity.
Daniel 2 16 Context
The king Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream that he forgot. He commanded his wise men, including Daniel and his companions, to reveal both the dream and its interpretation, threatening them with death if they failed. Facing an impossible task from a human perspective, Daniel recognized that this situation could only be resolved through divine intervention. This verse marks Daniel's immediate and focused prayer to God, acknowledging God as the sole source of the required knowledge. It occurs within the broader context of Daniel's faithfulness and God's sovereign plan for Israel's future as a testimony to the surrounding nations.
Daniel 2 16 Word Analysis
- and: conjunction linking clauses.
- Daniel: Hebrew 'Dānîʼēl', meaning "God is my judge".
- went: past tense verb, signifying an action taken.
- in: preposition indicating location or circumstance.
- to: preposition indicating direction or purpose.
- his: possessive pronoun referring to Daniel.
- house: dwelling place, personal space.
- and: conjunction.
- made: past tense verb, signifying accomplishment.
- the: definite article.
- matter: Hebrew 'dābār', can mean word, thing, affair, matter, command. Here refers to the king's decree and the unknown dream.
- known: past participle of know, to be understood or revealed.
- to: preposition.
- his: possessive pronoun.
- companions: Hebrew 'chaḇērîn', meaning friends, associates, fellows. Referring to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
- Group: "Daniel went in to his house and made the matter known to his companions" - This phrase describes Daniel's immediate action after hearing the decree. Instead of despairing or trying to solve it alone, he sought support and unity in prayer with his friends. This act of communal faith is crucial for their success.
Daniel 2 16 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word translated as "matter" ('dābār') is significant because it encompasses not just the problem but potentially also the king's command and the unknown word (dream). This unity of purpose and shared faith among Daniel and his friends is a recurring theme and a key to their supernatural empowerment throughout their time in Babylon. Their united petition reflects the principle found in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them."
Daniel 2 16 Commentary
Daniel's response to the impossible demand was not to panic but to immediately turn to God in prayer with his companions. This demonstrates a profound trust in God's ability to reveal mysteries and grant wisdom, even when humanly impossible. The "matter" known to his companions was the imminent danger of death and the need for divine revelation of the forgotten dream and its interpretation. Their subsequent actions of praying and seeking mercy emphasize corporate reliance on God for deliverance.