Daniel 1:17
in Daniel 1To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
KJV
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
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This verse in Daniel 1
Commentary
11 notes on this verseVerse 17. "But God gave these lads knowledge and learning in every book and branch of wisdom, and He gave to Daniel besides an understanding of all visions and dreams." Note that God is said to have given the holy lads knowledge and learning in secular literature, in every book and branch of wisdom. Symmachus rendered this by "grammatical art," implying that they understood everything they read, and by the Spirit of God could make a judgment concerning the lore of the Chaldeans.
This site's exposition
these four children
on Daniel 1:17-18
As for these four children, the text credits God rather than the diet or the discipline for what follows, knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom given to all four, and to Daniel alone the further gift of understanding in all visions and dreams, the ability the rest of the book will run on. The distinction matters to the bench, Clarke among them: the four stand equal in the schoolroom, but one of them is marked from this verse for the prophetic office the others never carry. The end of the days set by the king now arrives, and the prince of the eunuchs brings them in to be examined by Nebuchadnezzar himself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In regard to the prophets among the Jews, some of them were wise men before they became divinely inspired prophets, while others became wise by the illumination that their minds received when divinely inspired. They were selected by divine providence to receive the divine Spirit and to be the depositaries of his holy oracles, on the ground of their leading a life of almost unapproachable excellence, intrepid, noble, unmoved by danger or death.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The third key is the understanding of the Inspired Word by whom all things are revealed; for there is no revelation except through this Inspired Word. Daniel understood the words: understanding is needed in the case of a vision. For unless the word resound in …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 8 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Of Daniel and his companions, who were continent, it is said that "God gave them knowledge and discipline in every book and wisdom." Delight concerning touch assails the gift of understanding most greatly: drunkenness from the anterior part and lust from the posterior part.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They were very sober and diligent, and studied hard; and we may suppose their tutors, finding them of an uncommon capacity, took a great deal of pains with them, but, after all, their achievements are ascribed to God only. It was he that gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; for every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of the lights.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
As for these four children - On the word “children,” see the notes at Dan 1:4. Compare Dan 1:6. God gave them knowledge and skill - See the notes at Dan 1:9. There is no reason to suppose that in the “knowledge and skill” here referred to, it is meant to be implied that there was anything miraculous, or that there was any direct inspiration.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Daniel had understanding in . . . dreams--God thus made one of the despised covenant-people eclipse the Chaldean sages in the very science on which they most prided themselves. So Joseph in the court of Pharaoh (Ge 40:5; Daniel, in these praises of his own "understanding," speaks not through vanity, but by the direction of God, as one transported out of himself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
As for these four children - Young men or youths. Our translation gives a false idea. In all visions and dreams - That is, such as are Divine; for as to dreams in general, they have as much signification as they have connection, being the effects of the state of the body, of the mind, or of the circumstances of the dreamer. A dream may be considered supernatural, if it have nothing preposterous, nothing monstrous, and nothing irregular. If the whole order and consequences of the things be preserved in them, from beginning to end, then we may presume they are supernatural. In such dreams Daniel had understanding.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַיְלָדִ֤ים | vehayladim | and the youths | H3206 → | 89 times |
| הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אַרְבַּעְתָּ֔ם | ʾarba'tam | [the] four of them | H702 → | 318 times |
| נָתַ֨ן | natan | he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֧ם | lahem | to them | ||
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מַדָּ֥ע | mada' | knowledge | H4093 → | |
| וְהַשְׂכֵּ֖ל | vehaskel | and insight | H7919 → | 62 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| סֵ֣פֶר | sefer | writing | H5612 → | 186 times |
| וְחָכְמָ֑ה | vechakhemah | and wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| וְדָנִיֵּ֣אל | vedaniyel | and Daniel | H1840 → | 24 times |
| הֵבִ֔ין | hevin | he understood | H995 → | 170 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | <in> every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חָז֖וֹן | chazon | vision | H2377 → | 35 times |
| וַחֲלֹמֽוֹת׃ | vachalomot | and dreams | H2472 → | 65 times |
וְהַיְלָדִ֤יםand the youths
vehayladimH3206 →89 times
הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
אַרְבַּעְתָּ֔ם[the] four of them
ʾarba'tamH702 →318 times
נָתַ֨ןhe gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֧םto them
lahem
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
מַדָּ֥עknowledge
mada'H4093 →
וְהַשְׂכֵּ֖לand insight
vehaskelH7919 →62 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
סֵ֣פֶרwriting
seferH5612 →186 times
וְחָכְמָ֑הand wisdom
vechakhemahH2451 →153 times
וְדָנִיֵּ֣אלand Daniel
vedaniyelH1840 →24 times
הֵבִ֔יןhe understood
hevinH995 →170 times
בְּכָל־<in> every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
חָז֖וֹןvision
chazonH2377 →35 times
וַחֲלֹמֽוֹת׃and dreams
vachalomotH2472 →65 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
James 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 2:3–6
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
- 1 John 5:14–15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 15:7
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
- Jeremiah 29:12–13
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Proverbs 3:5–7
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- Proverbs 2:3–6
Through
Daniel 2:21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
it leads to
- Psalms 75:5–7
Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’”
- Psalms 31:14–15
But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
- Psalms 113:7–8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Psalms 75:5–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 3; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 8; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER ONE; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 7:7.