Daniel 2 20

Daniel 2:20 kjv

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

Daniel 2:20 nkjv

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

Daniel 2:20 niv

and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.

Daniel 2:20 esv

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

Daniel 2:20 nlt

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

Daniel 2 verses

Daniel 2 20 Meaning

Daniel 2:20 is Daniel's immediate hymn of praise to God after the mystery of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream was revealed to him in a night vision. It declares God's eternal nature and attributes of supreme wisdom and omnipotence as the source of all understanding and ability. It expresses profound adoration and acknowledgement of God's unique position as the sovereign ruler of all things, in stark contrast to the futile knowledge of the Babylonian wise men.

Daniel 2 20 Context

Daniel 2:20 is a profound declaration of praise and thanksgiving, spoken by Daniel immediately after God revealed to him King Nebuchadnezzar's forgotten dream and its interpretation. This came at a critical moment when the Babylonian king had decreed the execution of all his wise men, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans because they could not reveal or interpret his dream. Daniel, along with his three companions, faced imminent death under this decree. Upon learning of the severity of the situation, Daniel requested time from the king, then urged his friends to pray with him to the God of heaven for mercy regarding this mystery. God answered their fervent prayer with a night vision, unveiling the secret to Daniel. This verse, therefore, marks Daniel's first response, demonstrating his absolute reliance on and profound reverence for the one true God who alone possesses true wisdom and power to reveal hidden things, thereby saving the lives of the wise men and demonstrating His sovereignty over all earthly authorities and knowledge systems, especially those of Babylon.

Daniel 2 20 Word analysis

• Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל - Dāniyēʾl): Aramaic transliteration. Means "God is my judge." Here, he acts as an intercessor and a prophet, mediating divine revelation. His name foreshadows his role in presenting God's judgment and truth.

• answered (עָנֵה - ‘ānê): Aramaic Qal perfect. Not a typical conversational answer, but a response to the divine revelation given to him. It indicates a spiritual engagement, a direct response to God's gracious act.

• and said (וְאָמַר - wəʾāmar): Aramaic waw-consecutive with imperfect. Indicates a continued utterance, setting the stage for the following hymn of praise.

• Blessed (מְבָרַךְ - mĕḇārach): Aramaic passive participle from root בְּרַךְ (barak). It means "praised," "honored." This is a Doxology—an expression of praise to God. It highlights that blessing God means acknowledging His inherent worth and showering Him with praise, not adding anything to Him, but acknowledging His greatness.

• be (לֶהֱוֵא - lehewēʾ): Aramaic jussive. Expresses a wish, command, or strong declaration. It indicates an emphatic desire or firm assertion that God's name should be eternally praised.

• the name (שְׁמָא - šĕmâ): Aramaic. In Semitic thought, "name" often encapsulates the person's character, reputation, essence, and authority. Blessing God's name means revering His very being, His character, and His authority. It emphasizes His revelation of Himself to humanity.

• of God (דִּי אֱלָהָא - dî ’ĕlāhā’): Aramaic for "God." ’ĕlāhā’ is the generic term for God, but in Daniel, it specifically refers to the one true God of Israel, contrasted sharply with the impotent deities of Babylon. It denotes the supreme Divine Being.

• forever (מִן־עָלְמָא - min-ʿālmā): Aramaic, literally "from eternity/the age." Points to an enduring, unending state beginning in the past.

• and ever (וְעַד־עָלְמָא - wəʿad-ʿālmā): Aramaic, literally "and to eternity/the age." Points to an enduring, unending state extending into the future. Together, "forever and ever" (lit. "from age to age" or "from eternity to eternity") is a superlative expression emphasizing the infinite, unchanging, and timeless nature of God and His glory.

• to whom (דִּי - dî): Aramaic relative pronoun, "to whom" or "that to whom." Links the preceding praise to the attributes that warrant it.

• belong (לֵהּ הִיא - lêh hî’): Aramaic, "to Him it is" or "His it is." A strong affirmation of ownership and inherent possession. Wisdom and might are not merely granted by God; they are fundamental aspects of His being.

• wisdom (חָכְמְתָא - ḥāḵmĕṯā): Aramaic. Refers to divine insight, knowledge, skill, and the ability to understand and execute right judgment, especially concerning hidden or complex matters. It is God's infinite capacity to know all things and act perfectly.

• and might (וּגְבוּרְתָא - ūḡəḇûrtā): Aramaic. Refers to power, strength, prowess, and the ability to achieve and uphold His will. It signifies God's omnipotence—His ability to do all things He purposes, including controlling kingdoms and revealing secrets.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Daniel answered and said": This phrasing signals a profound utterance, not just a casual response, but a divinely inspired pronouncement of truth following a supernatural encounter. It sets a formal, reverent tone for what follows.
  • "Blessed be the name of God": This is a direct act of adoration. Blessing God's "name" emphasizes praise for His revealed character, attributes, and actions, particularly His omniscience in revealing the dream and omnipotence in controlling destinies. It stands in stark contrast to calling on names of false gods.
  • "forever and ever": This emphatic phrase underscores God's eternal nature, transcending all time, human reigns, and finite wisdom. His glory and power are not transient but perpetually inherent.
  • "to whom belong wisdom and might": This statement identifies the specific attributes of God that elicit Daniel's praise in this context. These are precisely the qualities the Babylonian wise men lacked and God demonstrated perfectly, making Him uniquely qualified to solve Nebuchadnezzar's dilemma and control human affairs. It is a polemic against the supposed wisdom and power of pagan gods and their practitioners.

Daniel 2 20 Bonus section

This prayer by Daniel is recorded entirely in Aramaic, like the majority of Daniel chapters 2 through 7, indicating its direct relevance to the gentile empires and universal truths presented within these chapters. The choice of language itself subtly underlines God's sovereignty over gentile nations, not just Israel. Daniel's spontaneous praise before explaining the dream emphasizes that the focus is on God's glory, not on Daniel's skill. This glorifies the Giver of the revelation, establishing Him as the true source of all wisdom and power. Furthermore, this verse sets the stage for Daniel's subsequent bold witness to King Nebuchadnezzar, as it affirms the core truth that this God, the God of Israel, is superior to all gods of the nations, a truth repeatedly underscored throughout Daniel's prophetic visions concerning the rise and fall of world empires.

Daniel 2 20 Commentary

Daniel 2:20 serves as a pivotal theological declaration within the book of Daniel, offering a foundational truth upon which much of the subsequent prophetic narrative rests. It is a spontaneous outpouring of worship that highlights God's unassailable sovereignty and infinite perfections in contrast to human limitations. The dual attributes of "wisdom" and "might" are not randomly chosen; they directly address the preceding crisis. Nebuchadnezzar's wise men failed precisely because they lacked both the wisdom to know the king's secret and the power to conjure it, whereas God demonstrates absolute possession of both. This verse therefore functions as a powerful theological polemic, dismantling the claims of all competing gods and their practitioners in Babylon. It reassures Daniel, and indeed all future readers, that despite the shifting tides of human empires and the apparent chaos of history, a supremely wise and powerful God is ultimately in control. Daniel's immediate response of worship before the full revelation reinforces the proper human posture before a sovereign God: humility, thanksgiving, and acknowledgment of His preeminence in all things, especially in times of crisis and divine intervention.