Daniel 2:18
in Daniel 2urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
KJV
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
3 notes on this verseO what a craftsman this Spirit is! There is no delay in learning whatever he wills. As soon as he touches the mind, he teaches, and merely to have touched is to have taught. For as soon as he illuminates the human soul, he transforms it; he suddenly takes away what it was, and suddenly produces what it was not.
This site's exposition
made the thing known to Hananiah
on Daniel 2:17-19
Daniel brings the crisis home to his three companions and asks them to desire mercies of the God of heaven together, the chapter's answer to how faith carries an impossible deadline, prayer shared rather than carried alone. The secret is revealed unto Daniel in a night vision, the same gift promised him at 1:17 now exercised for the first time, and his first act is to bless the God of heaven before he tells another soul. The order matters to the bench, worship comes before the report, gratitude before the reward it makes possible.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
on Daniel 2:17-18
St. Paul often entreats his friends to pray for him. Thus we must show that we put a value upon our friends, upon prayer, upon their prayers. (2.) He was particular in this prayer, but had an eye to, and a dependence upon, the general mercy of God: That they would desire the mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret,
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְרַחֲמִ֗ין | verachamin | and compassion<s> | H7359 → | |
| לְמִבְעֵא֙ | lemive' | to ask | H1156 → | 12 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| קֳדָם֙ | kodam | before | H6925 → | 42 times |
| אֱלָ֣הּ | ʾelah | [the] God of | H426 → | 95 times |
| שְׁמַיָּ֔א | shemaiya' | heavens the | H8065 → | 38 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | concerning | H5922 → | 104 times |
| רָזָ֖ה | razah' | secret the | H7328 → | 9 times |
| דְּנָ֑ה | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| לָ֤א | la' | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| יְהֹֽבְדוּן֙ | yehoedun | they will destroy | H7 → | 7 times |
| דָּנִיֵּ֣אל | daniyel | Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
| וְחַבְר֔וֹהִי | vechavrohi | and companions his | H2269 → | 6 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5974 → | 22 times |
| שְׁאָ֖ר | shear | [the] rest of | H7606 → | 12 times |
| חַכִּימֵ֥י | chakimei | [the] wise men of | H2445 → | 14 times |
| בָבֶֽל׃ | vavel | Babylon | H895 → | 25 times |
וְרַחֲמִ֗יןand compassion<s>
verachaminH7359 →
לְמִבְעֵא֙to ask
lemive'H1156 →12 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
קֳדָם֙before
kodamH6925 →42 times
אֱלָ֣הּ[the] God of
ʾelahH426 →95 times
שְׁמַיָּ֔אheavens the
shemaiya'H8065 →38 times
עַל־concerning
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
רָזָ֖הsecret the
razah'H7328 →9 times
דְּנָ֑הthis
denahH1836 →58 times
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
לָ֤אnot
la'H3809 →82 times
יְהֹֽבְדוּן֙they will destroy
yehoedunH7 →7 times
דָּנִיֵּ֣אלDaniel
daniyelH1841 →57 times
וְחַבְר֔וֹהִיand companions his
vechavrohiH2269 →6 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5974 →22 times
שְׁאָ֖ר[the] rest of
shearH7606 →12 times
חַכִּימֵ֥י[the] wise men of
chakimeiH2445 →14 times
בָבֶֽל׃Babylon
vavelH895 →25 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
Jeremiah 33:3Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Isaiah 48:6
You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge them? From now on I will tell you of new things, hidden things unknown to you.
- Isaiah 65:24
Through
Matthew 18:19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Matthew 7:7
Through
Psalms 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
it leads to
- Psalms 107:28
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.
- Psalms 34:3–4
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
- Psalms 107:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonBabylonian Exile (6th century BCE)DanielExilic prophet and Judean court official serving under Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius the Mede, and Cyrus; traditionally named…
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
This page draws on Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 30; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.