Paragraph # 2 Study # 1
March 6, 2018
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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1769 KJV Translation:
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [
men] of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why [
is] the decree [
so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 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.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [
is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [
now] made known unto us the king's matter.
1901 ASV Translation:
14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would
appoint him a time,
and he would show the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 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.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding;
22 he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.
- I. The Near Context.
- A. The focus of the first paragraph is upon the impossibility of anyone but "the gods" being able to know what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and what the dream meant.
- B. Daniel set the stage of "prophetic revelation" by making sure that his readers would know without dispute that the king had set a life/death requirement that only the "omniscient" could meet.
- II. This Next Paragraph.
- A. Its focus.
- 1. It begins with the issues of "counsel" and "wisdom" as Daniel addresses the executor of the king's decree of death to all the wise men of Babylon.
- a. The issue of "counsel" appears to be "an ability to give solid advice" (as the root term is typically translated "counsellor"). In this sentence, Daniel responds to Arioch's pursuit of the king's death sentence as though he had received "good advice" from someone).
- b. The issue of "wisdom" is not the typical concept of "knowing how to use knowledge to obtain sought after results", but is related to the king's "decree" in the particular sense of "yielding to the demand(s) made" (as in 3:12 where Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah do not "submit to the decree").
- 2. It develops with Daniel's appeal to the king for enough time to fulfill the king's demands.
- 3. Then the issue progresses to collective prayer to "the God of Heaven" so that Habakkuk 2:4 might stand.
- 4. The prayers were answered and Daniel responds to "the God of Heaven".
- a. God possesses "wisdom" and "might". This "wisdom" is the typical term (skillful use of knowledge to obtain desired results) and this "might" seems to be equivalent to the Greek term that signifies "inherent strength" (as that built into a man's right arm).
- b. God "changes" the times and seasons.
- c. God "removes kings and sets up kings".
- d. God gives "wisdom" to the "wise" and "knowledge" to them that know understanding. This "wisdom" is the same as "4a" above.
- e. God reveals the "deep and secret things".
- f. God knows what is in the darkness and light dwells with Him.
- g. God has given "wisdom" and "might" and has made known what "we desired" of Him: the king's dream and its meaning. These are the same terms as in "a" under "4" above.
- 5. Summary: Daniel's focus is upon how "the God of Heaven" responded to Nebuchadnezzar's "decree".
- B. Its Significance.
- 1. Daniel builds upon the prior paragraph's thesis so that his readers clearly understand that there is a "God of Heaven", as opposed to "the gods", Who reveals His existence and knowledge by doing what no man, or even "other" "gods" can do.
- 2. There is a serious "T"heology undergirding Daniel in his Life/Death situation.
