Daniel 2:8 kjv
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Daniel 2:8 nkjv
The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
Daniel 2:8 niv
Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided:
Daniel 2:8 esv
The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm ?
Daniel 2:8 nlt
The king replied, "I know what you are doing! You're stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say,
Daniel 2 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 2:11 | ... who can show it to you except gods whose dwelling is not with flesh? | Direct acknowledgement of divine knowledge |
| Job 28:13 | Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of the living. | God’s wisdom is inaccessible to humans |
| Isa 40:13 | Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has taught him? | God's knowledge surpasses all human understanding |
| 1 Cor 2:11 | For what person knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of the person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. | The Spirit as the revealer of God's thoughts |
| Rom 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his paths! | The unfathomable nature of God’s wisdom |
| Jer 10:11 | Thus you shall say to them, “The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” | Distinguishing God from false gods |
| Psa 115:3-4 | Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. | God's sovereignty over creation vs. idols |
| Gal 4:8 | Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are no gods. | Acknowledging the reality of the divine |
| Acts 14:15 | and proclaiming, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain idols to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them.” | Distinction between the living God and idols |
| Exo 19:5-6 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” | God's special relationship with His people |
| Exo 25:8 | And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. | God's desire to dwell among His people |
| John 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. | Christ dwelling among humanity |
| Isa 44:24 | Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, | God as the sole creator |
| Isa 45:18 | For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it, who set it fast, who did not create it a waste; he formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. | Emphasis on God’s singular role as creator |
| Ps 135:6 | Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all depths. | God's sovereign dominion |
| John 1:3 | All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. | Christ as the agent of creation |
| 1 Kings 8:27 | But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! | Solomon acknowledging God's transcendence |
| Matt 11:27 | All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. | Christ’s unique knowledge of the Father |
| 1 Thess 4:16 | For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. | God's direct intervention from heaven |
| Heb 1:1-2 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke in time past to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. | God revealing Himself through the Son |
| Gen 1:1 | In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. | God as the absolute creator |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 8 Meaning
The king acknowledges the impossibility of his request and recognizes the men’s claim that only gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals, could reveal such a secret.
Daniel 2 8 Context
Nebuchadnezzar had a terrifying dream that deeply troubled him, causing him to forget the dream’s content. He summoned his wise men (including Daniel) and demanded they tell him the dream and its interpretation. When they failed to meet his impossible demand, his fury escalated, leading to a decree to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel, unaware of the dream himself, recognized that only supernatural intervention could satisfy the king’s demand. This verse occurs during the consultation phase when Daniel is seeking wisdom from God, emphasizing the limitations of human knowledge in the face of divine mysteries.
Daniel 2 8 Word Analysis
- Now (עַתָּה
attâ): Here, it marks a shift in the conversation, moving from the accusation of the king to the acknowledgment of the reality of the situation from the perspective of the wise men. - the king (מַלְכָּא
malkâ): Referring to Nebuchadnezzar, the sovereign ruler of Babylon, whose decree holds ultimate authority in the empire. - spake (אֲמַר
ʾəmɑr): The king stated, uttered. - and (וְ
wə): Conjunction. - said (אָמַר
ʾɑmar): The king spoke his statement. - to (לְ
lə): Preposition indicating the recipient of the speech. - the Chaldeans (כַּשְׂדָּיִן
kaśdāyin): The diviners, astrologers, and wise men of Babylon, who were considered experts in the mystical arts and interpretation. - know (יָדְעִין
yāḏəʿīn): They possess knowledge. - that (דִּי
dî): Introducing the reason or the subject of their knowledge. - it (הוּא
hûʾ): Referring to the king’s dream. - is (הֵן
hēn): An emphatic particle, meaning "truly" or "indeed," often translated as "for" or "behold." - plain (אָזְדָּא
ʾozdâ): Clear, manifest, evident. - from (מִן
min): Preposition indicating source or origin. - before (עִם
ʿim): With, before, in the presence of. - me (שָׁלְטָן
šāləṭān): My dominion or authority, used here to mean "me" in the sense of "in my presence" or "under my observation."
Words-Group Analysis
- "There is not another nation (לָא אִית מַלְכִּין אָחֳרִין
lâʾ ît malḵîn ʾaḥŏrīn)...know it to be.": This phrase signifies the absolute uniqueness of the situation. The king asserts that no other earthly kingdom or group of wise men possesses the ability to recall or reveal his forgotten dream. This highlights his despair and the extreme nature of his demand, underscoring the supernatural element required. - "except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.": This clause explicitly contrasts human capability with divine power. The king recognizes that the source of such knowledge must transcend the physical realm and mortal limitations. It acknowledges a realm of beings superior to humanity, possessing insight beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Daniel 2 8 Bonus Section
Nebuchadnezzar’s decree was not a mere test of intellect but a matter of life and death for all the wise men, including Daniel. This harsh consequence stemmed from the Babylonian view that kings were intermediaries between the gods and the people, and failing the king was akin to failing the divine. The dream itself represented a spiritual crisis for Babylon, as dreams were often interpreted as divine messages. By forgetting the dream, Nebuchadnezzar feared he had incurred divine displeasure. Daniel's eventual revelation of the dream and its meaning, a feat beyond any human capability, would serve to vindicate Daniel and elevate his status and the God he served above all others in the eyes of the Babylonian court. The "dwelling not with flesh" reflects the pervasive dualistic thinking in many ancient Near Eastern religions, where the divine was seen as wholly separate from the corruptible human realm, a concept Daniel’s God transcended through His unique interventions and eventual Incarnation.
Daniel 2 8 Commentary
Nebuchadnezzar's declaration in Daniel 2:8 underscores the critical turning point in the chapter. His admission, "that you guard the words and see its interpretation," reveals his realization of the inherent impossibility of his earlier command. He, as the absolute monarch, issues an order: "Tell me the dream and its interpretation." However, the Chaldeans, representatives of human wisdom and occult arts, truthfully admit their inability. The king’s acknowledgement that "there is not another nation... except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" is significant. It is an unwitting testimony to the God of Israel’s supreme power. He perceives the necessity of divine intervention because human understanding and occult practices have proven insufficient. This statement also contrasts the omnipresent, transcendent God with the often localized and material deities of pagan religions. Daniel’s subsequent reliance on prayer, seeking wisdom from the "God of heaven" (Dan 2:18), aligns perfectly with the king's pronouncement, positioning him as the solution to the king’s seemingly insurmountable problem.