Daniel 2:20 - Printer Friendly

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

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

NASB: Daniel said, 'May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.

CSB: and declared: May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.

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

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

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

The enraged king Nebuchadnezzar had ordered the deaths of his entire corps of wise men, because his court magicians could not meet his challenge regarding a dream (Daniel 2:1–2; 10–13). Daniel, however, calmly promised he could answer the king's questions and prayed for guidance from the Lord (Daniel 2:14–18). God responded by giving Daniel a vision uncovering the secrets he needed to know (Daniel 2:19). Daniel's immediate response was to bless the Lord, leading into this section of praise.

Daniel's praise reads very much like a psalm. Apparently, Daniel was well acquainted with hymns of praise in the book of Psalms. In praising God's "name," Daniel celebrates His entire character. In this celebration, Daniel will focus primarily on God's perfect knowledge and control of all things (Daniel 2:21–23).

Psalms 103:1–2 and 113:1–2 also extoll God's name. Although he was under great stress, Job trusted that God had complete understanding of his situation and the power to bring something good out of it (Job 12:10–13). When people gave free-will offerings for the temple in David's day, David blessed the Lord. Like Daniel, he praised God for his might. First Chronicles 29:10–11 quotes him as saying, "Blessed are you, O Lᴏʀᴅ the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lᴏʀᴅ, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in earth is yours."

Daniel 2:17–23 explains what happened after Daniel requested an appointment to explain king Nebuchadnezzar's dream. When royal magicians could not explain his dream, the king gave an extreme command: to kill all his advisors, even those not involved with his request (Daniel 2:1–15). Daniel, despite knowing nothing about the dream, at first, promised the king an answer (Daniel 2:16). This passage shows what happened next and reveals more information about Daniel's character. This continues a stretch of Scripture recorded in Aramaic (Daniel 2:4—7:28).

King Nebuchadnezzar tests his magicians, demanding they tell him what he has dreamed, rather than merely inventing an interpretation. When they fail, he prepares to execute the entire department of wise men. Daniel promises he can meet the king's request and is given a special vision from God. The king dreamed of a massive statue shattered into powder by a supernatural rock. Daniel accurately describes this and interprets it as a prophecy about kingdoms which would come after Babylon. The king appoints Daniel and his friends to positions of power and influence over Babylon.

Chapter 1 introduced King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Daniel—a captive youth from Jerusalem—and three other Jewish boys. After three years of education, the four Hebrew captives outperformed all the other trainees, even surpassing the wise men in Babylon. In chapter 2, Daniel describes and interprets Nebuchadnezzar's disturbing dream, though the court magicians could not. As a result, the king promotes Daniel and his three friends to high positions over the provinces of Babylon. This sets the stage for a severe test of faith in chapter 3.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.