Daniel 2:20-21
Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Daniel doesn't just thank God for wisdom and might in general; he highlights them as belonging to God eternally. This emphasizes that these qualities aren't temporary gifts but are God’s very nature, the foundational source from which He acts, especially in revealing secrets and orchestrating world events.
King Nebuchadnezzar has just threatened to execute all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel, because no one can tell him his forgotten dream and its meaning. Daniel, after learning from his friends about the king's decree, calls for a meeting to pray and seek divine revelation. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's prayer and thanksgiving to God for the wisdom and power needed to address the crisis.
Daniel's words aren't just a polite response; they're a heartfelt reaction to divine intervention. What does it mean to 'answer' God?
The word 'answered' here (often translated as 'spoke' or 'said') doesn't always mean a direct reply to a question. For Daniel, it's a response to God's goodness and power, launching into praise. It's like saying, 'Because God acted, this is what I feel compelled to say!' This is a pattern in Scripture – great acts of God often lead to songs of praise, from Moses at the Red Sea to Hannah's prayer. Daniel is giving voice to his feelings of awe and gratitude in a way that acknowledges God's character.
Daniel immediately points to God's supreme qualities. Why wisdom and might specifically, and what does this tell us about God?
Daniel blesses God's name by declaring that 'wisdom and might are His.' This isn't just a poetic statement; it's a theological declaration grounded in the immediate circumstances. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was filled with wise men, but none could interpret his dream. God's wisdom was revealed when He gave Daniel the answer. Furthermore, the dream itself pointed to future kingdoms, showcasing God's sovereign power – His 'might' – to establish and depose rulers. These are the attributes that make God truly God: He knows all things, can do all things, and has a perfect plan.
Daniel's praise isn't limited to the present moment. What does 'forever and ever' signify about God and our worship?
The phrase 'forever and ever' (or 'from eternity to eternity') points to God's eternal nature. His wisdom and might aren't temporary; they are everlasting. This elevates Daniel's praise beyond just the specific miracle of the dream. It's an acknowledgment that God's attributes and His worthiness of worship transcend time. This also reminds us that our worship is meant to have an eternal dimension. While Daniel's immediate context was urgent, his doxology looks beyond it, reflecting a heart that recognizes God's enduring glory and faithfulness.
Understand the original words
shem · Aramaic Noun
In biblical thought, a name represents the person's character, reputation, authority, and essence. To bless the name of God is to honor His very nature and all that He has revealed Himself to be.
chokmah · Aramaic Noun
The insight, discernment, and capacity to understand divine truth and order. Biblically, true wisdom originates with God and is granted to those who fear Him; it is deeper than mere human intellect.
geburah · Aramaic Noun
The inherent power, strength, or ability to act and accomplish one's purposes. In a theological sense, it attributes all sovereign capability and ability to intervene in human history to God alone.
iddan · Aramaic Noun
Daniel's heartfelt praise isn't just a response to personal deliverance; it's a profound acknowledgment of God's sovereignty over history, a truth powerfully demonstrated by Nebuchadnezzar's forgotten dream and its prophetic interpretation.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II deports Jewish nobles, including Daniel and his friends, to Babylon after conquering Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Great Statue
King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream about a large statue made of different metals, symbolizing future kingdoms. He forgets the dream but demands his wise men tell him both the dream and its interpretation.
c. 605 BC
Wise Men Threatened with Execution
When the king's wise men cannot reveal his forgotten dream, Nebuchadnezzar decrees that all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his companions, must be executed.
c. 605 BC— this verse
Daniel's Prayer and Divine Revelation
Daniel and his friends pray for mercy, and God reveals the king's dream and its interpretation to Daniel in a night vision. This is the immediate context for Daniel's prayer of thanksgiving.
This passage echoes Daniel's praise, stating 'Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore,' highlighting the enduring and praiseworthy nature of God's name.
Job 12:13This verse directly parallels Daniel's declaration by stating, 'With God are wisdom and might,' emphasizing these divine attributes as inseparable from the Lord's being.
Nehemiah 9:5Nehemiah's prayer includes a similar doxology, 'Bless the LORD your God, from everlasting to everlasting. Blessing and praise be to your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise,' showing this was a recognized form of worship in response to God's acts.
Jeremiah 32:19This verse connects God's attributes of wisdom and power, stating He is 'great in counsel and mighty in work,' underscoring that God's might is always directed by His profound wisdom, just as Daniel experienced.
Matthew 11:25Jesus gives thanks to the Father, saying, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children,' reflecting Daniel's awe that God, not human wisdom, was the source of the revelation.
clarkeDaniel 2:20: "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:"
Wisdom and might are his - He knows all things, and can do all things.
barnesDaniel 2:20: "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:"
Daniel answered and said - The word "answer," in the Scriptures, often occurs substantially in the sense of "speak" or "say." It does not always denote a reply to something that has been said by another, as it does with us, but is often used when a speech is commenced, as if one were replying to something that "might" be said in the case, or as meaning that the circumstances in t…
Daniel doesn't just thank God for wisdom and might in general; he highlights them as belonging to God eternally. This emphasizes that these qualities aren't temporary gifts but are God’s very nature, the foundational source from which He acts, especially in revealing secrets and orchestrating world events.
King Nebuchadnezzar has just threatened to execute all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel, because no one can tell him his forgotten dream and its meaning. Daniel, after learning from his friends about the king's decree, calls for a meeting to pray and seek divine revelation. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's prayer and thanksgiving to God for the wisdom and power needed to address the crisis.
King Nebuchadnezzar has just threatened to execute all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel, because no one can tell him his forgotten dream and its meaning. Daniel, after learning from his friends about the king's decree, calls for a meeting to pray and seek divine revelation. This verse marks the beginning of Daniel's prayer and thanksgiving to God for the wisdom and power needed to address the crisis.
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Refers to the fixed, recurring appointments in the divine calendar or historical eras ordained by God, highlighting His sovereignty over the unfolding of human history.
zeman · Aramaic Noun
Specifically refers to the appropriate or defined periods for events, often implying God's appointed timing for fulfilling His purposes.
hokhmah · Aramaic Noun
Refers to the divine attribute of knowing all things, including secrets, hidden motives, and the future, which is inherently possessed by God alone.
c. 605 BC
Daniel Interprets the Dream
Daniel boldly approaches Nebuchadnezzar, explains the forgotten dream, and reveals its meaning: a succession of world empires, with God ultimately establishing an eternal kingdom.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire is conquered by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus the Great, illustrating the prophetic accuracy of Daniel's interpretation.
"Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and kno…" — Daniel doesn't just thank God for wisdom and might in general; he highlights them as *belonging* to God eternally. This emphasizes that these qualities aren't temporary gifts but are God’s very natur…