Daniel 4:7
in Daniel 4When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
KJV
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
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This verse in Daniel 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThen he described what happened in his second vision, as none of the magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans were able to declare the matter to the king, until Daniel was called who also described to Nebuchadnezzar his first vision, so that in all things God might glorify his own slaves the prophets beyond the other barbarians and foreign nations, who pretend to be flattered in their human wisdom, having practiced earthly learning.
This site's exposition
they could not interpret it
on Daniel 4:7-9
The magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners hear the dream and “could not interpret it,” the court failing a second time. Daniel comes last, and the king credits his gift to “the spirit of the holy gods”. His words “no mystery baffles you” rest on what Daniel had already done.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
He did not give these details casually: it was in parallel so as to make clear to everyone the prophet's wisdom by comparison—hence his listing the nationalities of the wise men of Babylon so as to highlight the fact that whereas they understood absolutely nothing, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Providence ordered it so that they should be first puzzled with it, that Daniel's interpreting it afterwards might redound to the glory of the God of Daniel. Now was fulfilled what Isaiah foretold ( ch. xlvii. 12, 13 ), that when the ruin of Babylon was drawing on her enchantments and sorceries, her astrologers and star-gazers, should not be able to do her any service.
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers,.... See Gill on Dan 2:2, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof; because they could not; before they pretended, if the dream was told, they could give the interpretation of it; but now, though it was told, they could not do it; which shows the vanity of their art, the falsehood of their pretensions, and that they were but jugglers and impostors.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then came in the magicians ... - All the words occurring here are found in Dan 2:2, and are explained in the note at that verse, except the word rendered “soothsayers.” This occurs in Dan 2:27. See it explained in the note at that verse. All these words refer to the same general class of persons - those who were regarded as endued with eminent wisdom; who were supposed to be qualified to explain remarkable occurrences, to foretell the future, and to declare the will of heaven from portents and wonders.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֵּאדַ֣יִן | bedayin | <in> then | H116 → | 57 times |
| עָלִּ֗ין | alalin | [were] going in | H5954 → | 14 times |
| חַרְטֻמַיָּא֙ | chartumaiya' | magicians the | H2749 → | 5 times |
| אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔א | ʾashefaiya' | conjurers the | H826 → | 6 times |
| כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖י | kasdai | Chaldeans the | H3779 → | 8 times |
| וְגָזְרַיָּ֑א | vegazeraiya' | and astrologers the | H1505 → | 6 times |
| וְחֶלְמָ֗א | vechelma' | and dream the | H2493 → | 22 times |
| אָמַ֤ר | ʾamar | [was] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| אֲנָה֙ | ʾanah | I | H576 → | 16 times |
| קֳדָ֣מֵיה֔וֹן | kodameihon | before them | H6925 → | 42 times |
| וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ | ufishreh | and interpretation its | H6591 → | 31 times |
| לָא־ | la'- | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| מְהוֹדְעִ֥ין | mehodin | [they were] making known | H3046 → | 47 times |
| לִֽי׃ | li | to me |
בֵּאדַ֣יִן<in> then
bedayinH116 →57 times
עָלִּ֗ין[were] going in
alalinH5954 →14 times
חַרְטֻמַיָּא֙magicians the
chartumaiya'H2749 →5 times
אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔אconjurers the
ʾashefaiya'H826 →6 times
כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖יChaldeans the
kasdaiH3779 →8 times
וְגָזְרַיָּ֑אand astrologers the
vegazeraiya'H1505 →6 times
וְחֶלְמָ֗אand dream the
vechelma'H2493 →22 times
אָמַ֤ר[was] saying
ʾamarH560 →71 times
אֲנָה֙I
ʾanahH576 →16 times
קֳדָ֣מֵיה֔וֹןbefore them
kodameihonH6925 →42 times
וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּand interpretation its
ufishrehH6591 →31 times
לָא־not
la'-H3809 →82 times
מְהוֹדְעִ֥ין[they were] making known
mehodinH3046 →47 times
לִֽי׃to me
li
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
Isaiah 44:25who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
it leads to
- Psalms 33:10
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
- 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!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 5:12–14
He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- 2 Samuel 15:31
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
- Jeremiah 50:36
A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror.
- Psalms 33:10
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,
- 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 2:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Daniel
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.2.2-6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 4:7-8.