Daniel 2:47
in Daniel 2The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.
KJV
The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verseVerse 47. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshipped Daniel, and ordered sacrifices and incense to be offered up to him. Therefore the king spoke and said to Daniel." Porphyry falsely impugns this passage on the ground that a very proud king would never worship a mere captive, as if, forsooth, the Lycaonians had not been willing to offer blood sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas on account of the mighty miracles they had wrought (Acts 14:8-18).
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
But prophecy, on the contrary, is both free from reproach among the unbelievers, and hath very great credit and usefulness. For none will say in regard to prophesying, "they are mad;" nor will any one deride them that prophesy; but, on the contrary, will be astonished at and admire them.… Thus also Nebuchadnezzar worshipped God, saying, "Of a truth, your God, He is the God that revealeth secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." Seest thou the might of prophecy, how it changed that savage one and brought him under instruction and introduced him to faith?
The king here does not say, What must I do to be saved? but the teaching is plainer in his case than any language whatever; for he straightway becomes a preacher, he needs not to be instructed like the jailor. He proclaims God, and makes confession of His power. "Of a truth your God is the God of Gods and the Lord of Kings, because He hath sent His Angel, and hath delivered you." And what was the sequel? Not one single jailor, but numbers are instructed by the king's writings, by the sight of the facts. For that the king would not have told a falsehood is evident enough to every one, because he never would have chosen to bear such testimony to captives, nor to overthrow his own acts.… Perceive ye how great is the power of bonds? How great the force of those praises that are sung in tribulation?
And so Nebuchadnezzar, having been astounded at what was spoken by Daniel, said, "In truth your God, he himself is God of gods and Lord of those who rule, who also reveals mysteries, because he was able to reveal this mystery!' And the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts and appointed him over all the lands of the Babylonians and appointed him as chief of the satraps over all the wise men of Babylon." [Daniel 2:47-48]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v11
God of gods - The supreme God of all the world, above Baal and all other gods. Lord of kings - The word in the Syriack signifies, high Lord, seeing he is the highest king of all the earth.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The king answered unto Daniel,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Lord of kings--The world power shall at last have to acknowledge this (Re 17:14; 19:16); even as Nebuchadnezzar, who had been the God-appointed "king of kings" (Da 2:37), but who had abused the trust, is constrained by God's servant to acknowledge that God is the true "Lord of kings."
Your God is a God of gods - He is greater than all others. And a Lord of kings - He governs both in heaven and earth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The king answered unto Daniel - Answered either what he had said in the interpretation of the dream, or “possibly” something that he had said in regard to the impropriety of offering this homage to him. Compare the notes at Dan 2:46. It is certain that, for some cause. whatever might have been the homage which he was disposed to render to Daniel, his thoughts were soon turned from him to the true God, and to an acknowledgment of him as superior to all other beings.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עָנֵה֩ | ʾaneh | [was] replying | H6032 → | 30 times |
| מַלְכָּ֨א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| לְדָנִיֵּ֜אל | ledaniyel | to Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
| וְאָמַ֗ר | veamar | and [was] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| קְשֹׁט֙ | keshot | truth | H7187 → | |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| אֱלָהֲכ֗וֹן | ʾelahakhon | God your | H426 → | 95 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1932 → | 22 times |
| אֱלָ֧הּ | ʾelah | [is the] God of | H426 → | 95 times |
| אֱלָהִ֛ין | ʾelahin | gods | H426 → | 95 times |
| וּמָרֵ֥א | umare' | and [the] lord of | H4756 → | 4 times |
| מַלְכִ֖ין | malkhin | kings | H4430 → | 180 times |
| וְגָלֵ֣ה | vegaleh | and [one who] reveals | H1541 → | 9 times |
| רָזִ֑ין | razin | secrets | H7328 → | 9 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יְכֵ֔לְתָּ | yekheleta | you have been able | H3202 → | 11 times |
| לְמִגְלֵ֖א | lemigle' | to reveal | H1541 → | 9 times |
| רָזָ֥ה | razah' | secret the | H7328 → | 9 times |
| דְנָֽה׃ | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
עָנֵה֩[was] replying
ʾanehH6032 →30 times
מַלְכָּ֨אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
לְדָנִיֵּ֜אלto Daniel
ledaniyelH1841 →57 times
וְאָמַ֗רand [was] saying
veamarH560 →71 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
קְשֹׁט֙truth
keshotH7187 →
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
אֱלָהֲכ֗וֹןGod your
ʾelahakhonH426 →95 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1932 →22 times
אֱלָ֧הּ[is the] God of
ʾelahH426 →95 times
אֱלָהִ֛יןgods
ʾelahinH426 →95 times
וּמָרֵ֥אand [the] lord of
umare'H4756 →4 times
מַלְכִ֖יןkings
malkhinH4430 →180 times
וְגָלֵ֣הand [one who] reveals
vegalehH1541 →9 times
רָזִ֑יןsecrets
razinH7328 →9 times
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
יְכֵ֔לְתָּyou have been able
yekheletaH3202 →11 times
לְמִגְלֵ֖אto reveal
lemigle'H1541 →9 times
רָזָ֥הsecret the
razah'H7328 →9 times
דְנָֽה׃this
denahH1836 →58 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
Amos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
it leads to
- Psalms 25:14
The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
- Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
- Revelation 1:1
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
- Daniel 9:22–27
He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.
- Psalms 25:14
Through
Daniel 2:22He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
it leads to
- Job 12:22
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
- Job 12:22
Through
Deuteronomy 10:17For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
it leads to
- Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
- Acts 10:34
Where this verse is studied
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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); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 2.9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TWO; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 36:3; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS 8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.