Daniel 2:10
in Daniel 2The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
KJV
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseon Daniel 2:10-11
And so since they said that what the king sought was impossible to be recounted by a man, God showed them that the things which are impossible with men, are possible with God.
This site's exposition
shew the king's matter
on Daniel 2:10-11
The Chaldeans' answer is candid in a way nothing before it has been, there is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter, no king before Nebuchadnezzar has ever asked such a thing, and the reason follows in a sentence that indicts their own gods, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. The bench notes the irony the narrative sets up without comment, pagan seers confessing that the very gods they serve do not walk among men, in a book about to show the God of heaven doing exactly what they say cannot be done.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
on Daniel 2:9-10
Verses 9, 10. "Therefore tell me the dream, that I may be certain that ye are giving me its true interpretation. The Chaldeans therefore made this reply in the king's presence: 'There is no man on earth who would be able to fulfil what thou hast spoken, O king!'" The magi confess, along with the soothsayers - and all secular learning concurs - that foreknowledge of the future lies not in man's province but in God's. By this test it is proved that the prophets who proclaimed things to come spoke by the Spirit of God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
There is not a man upon the earth - The thing is utterly impossible to man. This was their decision: and when Daniel gave the dream, with its interpretation, they knew that the spirit of the holy gods was in him. So, even according to their own theology, he was immeasurably greater than the wisest in Babylon or in the world.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
who..the king’s word who will be able to tell the king’s word.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עֲנ֨וֹ | ano | they replied | H6032 → | 30 times |
| כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤י | khasdai | Chaldeans the | H3779 → | 8 times |
| קֳדָם־ | kodom- | before | H6925 → | 42 times |
| מַלְכָּא֙ | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| וְאָ֣מְרִ֔ין | veamerin | and [they were] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| לָֽא־ | la'- | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| אִיתַ֤י | ʾitai | there | H383 → | 17 times |
| אֲנָשׁ֙ | ʾanash | [is] a person | H606 → | 25 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5922 → | 104 times |
| יַבֶּשְׁתָּ֔א | yabeshta' | earth the | H3007 → | |
| דִּ֚י | di | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| מִלַּ֣ת | milat | [the] matter of | H4406 → | 24 times |
| מַלְכָּ֔א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| יוּכַ֖ל | yukhal | he will be able | H3202 → | 11 times |
| לְהַחֲוָיָ֑ה | lehachavayah | to declare | H2324 → | 14 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | as to | ||
| קֳבֵ֗ל | kovel | because | H6903 → | 29 times |
| דִּ֚י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3606 → | 82 times |
| מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ | melekh | king | H4430 → | 180 times |
| רַ֣ב | rav | great | H7229 → | 15 times |
| וְשַׁלִּ֔יט | veshalit | and powerful | H7990 → | 10 times |
| מִלָּ֤ה | milah | a matter | H4406 → | 24 times |
| כִדְנָה֙ | khidnah | like this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| לָ֣א | la' | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| שְׁאֵ֔ל | sheel | he has asked | H7593 → | 6 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to any | H3606 → | 82 times |
| חַרְטֹּ֖ם | charttom | magician | H2749 → | 5 times |
| וְאָשַׁ֥ף | veashaf | and conjurer | H826 → | 6 times |
| וְכַשְׂדָּֽי׃ | vekhasdai | and Chaldean | H3779 → | 8 times |
עֲנ֨וֹthey replied
anoH6032 →30 times
כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤יChaldeans the
khasdaiH3779 →8 times
קֳדָם־before
kodom-H6925 →42 times
מַלְכָּא֙king the
malka'H4430 →180 times
וְאָ֣מְרִ֔יןand [they were] saying
veamerinH560 →71 times
לָֽא־not
la'-H3809 →82 times
אִיתַ֤יthere
ʾitaiH383 →17 times
אֲנָשׁ֙[is] a person
ʾanashH606 →25 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
יַבֶּשְׁתָּ֔אearth the
yabeshta'H3007 →
דִּ֚יwho
diH1768 →345 times
מִלַּ֣ת[the] matter of
milatH4406 →24 times
מַלְכָּ֔אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
יוּכַ֖לhe will be able
yukhalH3202 →11 times
לְהַחֲוָיָ֑הto declare
lehachavayahH2324 →14 times
כָּל־as to
kol-
קֳבֵ֗לbecause
kovelH6903 →29 times
דִּ֚יthat
diH1768 →345 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3606 →82 times
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙king
melekhH4430 →180 times
רַ֣בgreat
ravH7229 →15 times
וְשַׁלִּ֔יטand powerful
veshalitH7990 →10 times
מִלָּ֤הa matter
milahH4406 →24 times
כִדְנָה֙like this
khidnahH1836 →58 times
לָ֣אnot
la'H3809 →82 times
שְׁאֵ֔לhe has asked
sheelH7593 →6 times
לְכָל־to any
lekholH3606 →82 times
חַרְטֹּ֖םmagician
charttomH2749 →5 times
וְאָשַׁ֥ףand conjurer
veashafH826 →6 times
וְכַשְׂדָּֽי׃and Chaldean
vekhasdaiH3779 →8 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Daniel 2:27Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
it leads to
- Daniel 2:2
So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,
- Isaiah 44:25
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
- Isaiah 47:12–14
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
- Daniel 2:10–11
The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.
- Daniel 5:7–8
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be…
- Daniel 2:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 2.4; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TWO and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.
