Daniel 2:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

NIV: I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.'

NASB: To You, God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king’s matter.'

CSB: I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the king's mystery.

NLT: I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.'

KJV: I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

NKJV: “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

This completes Daniel's prayerful thanks to God (Daniel 2:20–22), for answering prayer in a dangerous situation (Daniel 2:12–19).

Daniel addresses his praise to "God of my fathers." Despite being taken from his home and family as a young boy (Daniel 1:1–6), Daniel remained faithful to the God of Israel (Daniel 1:8–16). Even now, he identifies himself as one of the people of Israel, connecting his experience to Hebrew people of the past. Furthermore, he did not forget that his companions' prayer was just as effective as his own. As a humble servant of God, he acknowledged the role of his three friends in the prayer that God answered.

The first six books of the Old Testament are especially focused on how faithful God had been to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. He provided for them and protected them in accordance with the covenant he had given to the patriarchs and their descendants.

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.