Daniel 1:20
in Daniel 1In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm.
KJV
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
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This verse in Daniel 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding - Margin, “of.” The Hebrew is, “Everything of wisdom of understanding.” The Greek, “In all things of wisdom “and” knowledge.” The meaning is, in everything which required peculiar wisdom to understand and explain it. The points submitted were such as would appropriately come before the minds of the sages and magicians who were employed as counselors at court. He found them ten times better - Better counselors, better informed. Hebrew, “ten “hands” above the magicians;” that is, ten “times,” or “many” times.
This site's exposition
the king communed
on Daniel 1:19-21
The king communed with them himself, and the verdict is unanimous and immediate, none like the four is found among all who were gathered, so they stand before Nebuchadnezzar as his own household rather than as prisoners newly arrived. Examined in every matter of wisdom and understanding, they are found ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers of the kingdom, a margin the bench reads as deliberately overstated to make the point that Babylon's own arts cannot rival what God gave. The chapter closes on Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus, a lifespan bracketing the whole captivity, the last verse quietly promising the reader that this man survives to see the end of the empire that took him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Verse 20. "And every word of wisdom and understanding the king inquired of them, he found it in them ten times as great as all the soothsayers and magicians put together who were to be found in his entire realm." For "soothsayers" and "magicians" the Vulgate edition translated "sophists" and "philosophers" - terms to be understood not in the sense of the philosophy and sophistic erudition which Greek learning holds forth, but rather in the sense of the lore of a barbarian people, which the Chaldeans pursue as philosophy even to this day.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
He was soon aware of something extraordinary in these young men, and, which gave him a surprising satisfaction, was soon aware that a little of their true divinity was preferable to a great deal of the divination he had been used to.
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
The king inquired - This is a farther confirmation of the king's noble endowments, and of his great care whom he chose to be in offices of trust, namely persons excellently qualified to serve him in the great affairs of the kingdom.
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Magicians and astrologers - Probably the same as philosophers and astronomers among us.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכֹ֗ל | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דְּבַר֙ | devar | matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| חָכְמַ֣ת | chakhemat | wisdom of | H2451 → | 153 times |
| בִּינָ֔ה | binah | understanding | H998 → | 38 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּקֵּ֥שׁ | bikesh | he sought | H1245 → | 225 times |
| מֵהֶ֖ם | mehem | from them | ||
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַֽיִּמְצָאֵ֞ם | vaiyimtzaem | and he found them | H4672 → | 455 times |
| עֶ֣שֶׂר | ʾeser | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| יָד֗וֹת | yadot | hands | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַ֤ל | ʾal | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙ | hachartumim | the soothsayer-priests | H2748 → | |
| הָֽאַשָּׁפִ֔ים | haashafim | the conjurers | H825 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | [were] in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃ | malkhuto | kingdom his | H4438 → | 91 times |
וְכֹ֗לand every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
דְּבַר֙matter of
devarH1697 →1440 times
חָכְמַ֣תwisdom of
chakhematH2451 →153 times
בִּינָ֔הunderstanding
binahH998 →38 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בִּקֵּ֥שׁhe sought
bikeshH1245 →225 times
מֵהֶ֖םfrom them
mehem
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַֽיִּמְצָאֵ֞םand he found them
vaiyimtzaemH4672 →455 times
עֶ֣שֶׂרten
ʾeserH6235 →176 times
יָד֗וֹתhands
yadotH3027 →1618 times
עַ֤לabove
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙the soothsayer-priests
hachartumimH2748 →
הָֽאַשָּׁפִ֔יםthe conjurers
haashafimH825 →
אֲשֶׁ֖רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּכָל־[were] in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃kingdom his
malkhutoH4438 →91 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
Exodus 8:19“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
it leads to
- Luke 11:20
But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Psalms 8:3
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
- Matthew 12:28
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Exodus 7:5
And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”
- Luke 11:20
Through
Exodus 7:22But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
it leads to
- Exodus 7:11
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 7:11
Through
Genesis 41:8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
it leads to
- Daniel 4:7
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
- Exodus 7:22
But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
- Daniel 4:5
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
- Daniel 4:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER ONE; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.