Daniel 2:46 kjv
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Daniel 2:46 nkjv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.
Daniel 2:46 niv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
Daniel 2:46 esv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.
Daniel 2:46 nlt
Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him.
Daniel 2 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 17:3 | Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him... | Reverence before God's presence/word. |
| Gen 42:6 | ...Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him... | Humiliation before a superior human. |
| Exod 34:8 | Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. | Proper worship directed at God. |
| Num 22:31 | ...Balaam bowed down his head and fell on his face. | Awe before a divine messenger/intervention. |
| Josh 5:14 | ...Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped... | Worship of God's angelic commander. |
| Judg 13:20 | For when the flame went up toward heaven...they fell on their faces. | Recognition of divine activity through an angel. |
| 1 Sam 25:23 | When Abigail saw David, she hurried...and fell on her face to the ground... | Profound respect/submission to a human authority. |
| 1 Kings 18:39 | When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord, he is God!" | Acknowledging God's supremacy through a prophet's act. |
| 2 Chron 7:3 | When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down...they bowed down with their faces... | Reverence to God's manifested glory. |
| Isa 45:14 | ...they will make supplication to you, saying: ‘God is with you alone...’ | Nations bowing to God's chosen, recognizing divine presence. |
| Ezek 1:28 | ...I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. | Prophet's prostration before divine glory. |
| Matt 2:11 | And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary...and they fell down and worshiped him. | Wise Men worshipping Christ. |
| Matt 4:10 | ...Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’" | Condemnation of worshipping anyone other than God. |
| Matt 28:17 | And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. | Disciples worshipping the resurrected Christ. |
| Acts 10:25-26 | When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." | Peter's rejection of worship from a man. |
| Acts 14:13-15 | But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it...crying out, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men..." | Paul and Barnabas rejecting being worshipped. |
| Rev 5:14 | And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. | Heavenly beings worshipping God. |
| Rev 19:10 | Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you..." | Angel's rejection of worship from John, directs to God. |
| Dan 2:47 | The king answered Daniel and said, "Truly, your God is God of gods..." | King Nebuchadnezzar's verbal acknowledgement of God. |
| Dan 3:1-7 | Nebuchadnezzar sets up an idol and commands worship, leading to conflict. | Contrast to King's worship here, setting up idolatrous command. |
| Dan 4:34-35 | At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven...and blessed the Most High... | Nebuchadnezzar's later genuine acknowledgement of God. |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 46 Meaning
This verse describes King Nebuchadnezzar's astonished and profound reaction to Daniel's successful interpretation of his forgotten dream. Overwhelmed by the display of divine wisdom and power through Daniel, the king performed an act of extreme veneration and commanded sacred rites typically reserved for deities or supreme royalty to be given to Daniel. This demonstrates his awe and recognition of a powerful divine presence, although his act was directed at Daniel, the messenger, rather than solely at God, the source of the wisdom.
Daniel 2 46 Context
Daniel 2:46 occurs immediately after Daniel has successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great image and the rock that struck it. This dream had been forgotten by the king, and none of his wise men (magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, Chaldeans) could reveal it or its meaning, resulting in a royal decree for their execution. Daniel, by appealing to God, not only received the dream and its interpretation but also precisely articulated its meaning: the unfolding of world empires culminating in God's eternal kingdom. The king's profound reaction in Daniel 2:46 highlights his astonishment and conviction regarding the supernatural origin of Daniel's wisdom, which far surpassed that of his own human advisors. This specific moment underscores the vast chasm between human knowledge and divine revelation, establishing Daniel's unique position and God's sovereignty.
Daniel 2 46 Word analysis
- Then King Nebuchadnezzar:
- King Nebuchadnezzar: The supreme monarch of the Babylonian Empire, known for his power and conquests. His prostration signifies the profound impact of God's revelation on even the most powerful secular ruler. It challenges typical royal pride.
- fell on his face:
- Original Aramaic: naphal ʿal ʾanpohi (נפל על אנפוהי).
- Fell on his face: A common posture of extreme submission, humility, or profound respect in the ancient Near East. It is used both for veneration of superiors (kings, prophets) and for acts of worship before a deity (e.g., Gen 17:3; Exod 34:8). The immediate context suggests awe and overwhelming deference, though potentially bordering on confused reverence.
- and paid homage to Daniel:
- Original Aramaic: ûləḏāniʾēl sāḡiḏ (ולדניאל סגד).
- paid homage: The Aramaic verb sāḡiḏ (related to Hebrew shāḥāh) means to bow down, to prostrate oneself, often specifically referring to worship or adoration. While it can express deep respect or fealty, in many contexts it denotes an act of worship toward a divine being (e.g., Ps 22:27; Isa 49:7, though these are Hebrew). Its usage here implies that Nebuchadnezzar viewed Daniel as a channel, if not an embodiment, of extraordinary divine power, causing him to direct a form of veneration typically reserved for a deity. It's a misdirection of ultimate worship from God to His servant, even if born of genuine awe.
- to Daniel: The object of this profound act is Daniel, a human being. This is crucial as true worship is due only to God. This act shows Nebuchadnezzar's acknowledgment of Daniel as uniquely favored by God, yet it highlights the danger of elevating the messenger beyond his rightful place.
- and commanded that an offering and incense be presented to him:
- Original Aramaic: ûminḥāh ûqṭōrāh nəlaq lāh.
- commanded that an offering (minḥāh): A minḥāh (מנחה) is often a grain offering or tribute in Hebrew (as in Leviticus). In Aramaic and this context, it generally refers to a gift or tribute. While it can be a non-sacrificial tribute to a king, alongside incense, it takes on cultic connotations often associated with offerings to deities or extreme honor.
- and incense (qṭōrāh): Qṭōrāh (קטורה) specifically means "incense." Incense was primarily used in religious ceremonies, particularly in temple worship for God (e.g., Exod 30:1-10; Lev 16:12-13). Its inclusion here strongly suggests a quasi-sacrificial or quasi-divine honor being rendered to Daniel.
- be presented to him: Further confirms Daniel as the direct recipient of these cultic actions, highlighting the king's over-the-top, albeit impressed, response, bordering on misguided worship.
Daniel 2 46 Bonus section
The Aramaic word for "paid homage," sāḡaḏ, carries a significant weight. While it can signify profound respect for a superior human, its frequent use in religious contexts for divine worship (as seen in the Septuagint and other ancient Near Eastern texts) indicates that Nebuchadnezzar's actions crossed a cultural boundary from mere respect to something verging on the veneration due to a deity. This is not necessarily an indication of Daniel condoning such worship (he never acknowledges or participates in it), nor is it an endorsement of Nebuchadnezzar's belief system. Instead, it powerfully demonstrates the pagan king's understanding and reaction to Daniel's God. It signifies an acknowledgement of YHWH's superiority among the gods, at least for this moment, though not necessarily an abandonment of his polytheistic worldview in its entirety, which is a process we see evolving in Daniel 4.
Daniel 2 46 Commentary
Nebuchadnezzar's immediate and extreme reaction in Daniel 2:46 showcases the overwhelming power of divine revelation over human pride and conventional wisdom. The king, accustomed to being worshipped, himself prostrates before Daniel. This gesture, alongside the command for offerings and incense, indicates Nebuchadnezzar’s recognition of a transcendent power superior to any of his own gods or magicians. While this act is born of profound awe and recognition that "your God is God of gods" (Dan 2:47), it is also problematic. Nebuchadnezzar directs the veneration and sacrificial offerings towards Daniel, the human agent, rather than exclusively to God. This highlights a common human tendency to mistakenly glorify the messenger instead of the One who sent him, and sets up a tension that will later manifest in the conflict of Daniel 3 concerning proper worship. Nevertheless, this moment firmly establishes Daniel's divinely granted authority in the pagan court, paving the way for further revelations of God's sovereignty.