and declared:This phrase indicates a proclamation or announcement. In the context of
Daniel 2, Daniel is responding to God revealing Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation. This declaration is a form of praise and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and intervention in human affairs. It reflects the biblical tradition of vocalizing gratitude and recognition of God's actions, similar to the Psalms.
Blessed be the name of God
The phrase "Blessed be the name of God" is a form of doxology, a short hymn of praises to God. In Jewish tradition, the name of God is sacred and represents His character and essence. This blessing acknowledges God's holiness and His active role in the world. It is reminiscent of other biblical passages where God's name is blessed, such as inPsalm 113:2 andJob 1:21, emphasizing reverence and worship.
forever and ever,
This phrase underscores the eternal nature of God. It reflects the biblical theme of God's unchanging and everlasting presence, as seen in passages likePsalm 90:2 andRevelation 1:8. The eternal aspect of God contrasts with the temporal nature of human kingdoms, a central theme in the Book of Daniel, where God's kingdom is shown to outlast all earthly powers.
for wisdom and power belong to Him.
This statement attributes two key divine attributes to God: wisdom and power. Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is not just knowledge but the ability to apply it perfectly, as seen inProverbs 2:6. Power refers to God's omnipotence, His ability to execute His will. These attributes are crucial in the context ofDaniel 2, where God reveals the future through dreams and their interpretations, demonstrating His control over history. This also connects to the New Testament, where Christ is described as the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), highlighting a typological connection to Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God's wisdom and power.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DanielA young Hebrew prophet and wise man in Babylon, known for his faithfulness to God and his ability to interpret dreams.
2.
BabylonThe empire where Daniel was taken captive. It was a place of great power and influence during Daniel's time.
3.
NebuchadnezzarThe king of Babylon who had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret, leading to Daniel's involvement.
4.
GodThe central figure in this verse, acknowledged by Daniel as the source of wisdom and power.
5.
The DreamThe event that prompted Daniel to seek God's wisdom, resulting in the revelation of the dream's meaning and the subsequent praise in this verse.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging God's SovereigntyRecognize that wisdom and power are attributes of God alone. In our lives, we should seek His guidance and strength in all situations.
Prayer and PraiseDaniel's response to God's revelation was immediate praise. We should cultivate a habit of thanking God for His wisdom and intervention in our lives.
Dependence on GodJust as Daniel depended on God for understanding, we should rely on God for insight and direction in our daily decisions.
God's Eternal NatureDaniel's praise emphasizes God's eternal nature. We should find comfort in knowing that God's wisdom and power are unchanging and everlasting.
Witnessing Through FaithDaniel's faith and acknowledgment of God served as a witness to those around him, including King Nebuchadnezzar. Our faith and testimony can impact others and point them to God.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 2:20?
2.How does Daniel 2:20 inspire us to praise God's wisdom and power daily?
3.What does "wisdom and power belong to Him" reveal about God's nature?
4.How can we apply God's wisdom in decision-making according to Daniel 2:20?
5.Connect Daniel 2:20 with another verse emphasizing God's sovereignty and wisdom.
6.How can acknowledging God's power in Daniel 2:20 strengthen our faith today?
7.What does Daniel 2:20 reveal about God's sovereignty and wisdom?
8.How does Daniel 2:20 support the belief in divine intervention in human affairs?
9.Why is Daniel's praise in Daniel 2:20 significant for understanding biblical prophecy?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 2?
11.What does the Bible say about God's wisdom?
12.How does Daniel interpret dreams and visions in Babylon?
13.If Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:1 was as significant as described, why is there no historical record outside the Bible that confirms any such event or demand from the king?
14.What does millenarianism mean?What Does Daniel 2:20 Mean
Context of the verseDaniel has just received from God the dream and interpretation that King Nebuchadnezzar demanded (Daniel 2:17-19). In response, “Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (v. 19), acknowledging that the revelation came solely from the Lord. His outburst of praise begins with verse 20, setting the tone for what he will tell the king (Daniel 2:27-28).
Blessed be the name of God• “Blessed be the name of God…” centers praise on God’s character and reputation, not merely on what He gives.
• Scripture consistently ties God’s “name” to His revealed nature and covenant faithfulness (Exodus 3:15;Psalm 113:2-3;Matthew 6:9).
• By blessing God’s name first, Daniel models worship that exalts who God is before addressing human needs—echoingJob 1:21, “Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Forever and ever• The phrase “forever and ever” emphasizes God’s unchanging glory (Psalm 90:2;Revelation 1:8).
• Daniel contrasts God’s eternal constancy with the fleeting kingdoms symbolized in the king’s dream (Daniel 2:44).
• This timelessness reassures God’s people that His purposes stand untouched by shifting political powers (Isaiah 40:8).
Wisdom belongs to Him• God alone possesses complete understanding; human intellect is always derivative (Romans 11:33-34;Proverbs 2:6).
• The immediate context proves it: no Babylonian wise man could reveal the mystery, but God did so effortlessly (Daniel 2:10-11, 28-30).
• For believers, this truth invites humility and confident dependence on God’s guidance (James 1:5).
Power belongs to Him• God’s power, like His wisdom, is absolute (Psalm 62:11). He “removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21), highlighting sovereignty over world events.
• Throughout Scripture, divine power accomplishes what human strength cannot—parting seas (Exodus 14:21), toppling idols (1 Samuel 5:3-4), and raising the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20).
• Recognizing God’s power anchors hope when circumstances appear overwhelming (2 Chronicles 20:6).
SummaryDaniel 2:20 unfolds as a concise hymn: God’s name is worthy of unending praise because all wisdom and power are His. In the face of an impossible royal decree, Daniel’s worship proclaims that the Lord is eternally sovereign and perfectly wise, fully able to reveal mysteries and rule kingdoms. Trusting this same God today grounds believers in reverent awe, humble reliance, and steadfast hope.
(20)
Blessed be the name.--Daniel's prayer is for the most part framed upon the model of scriptural language, while on the other hand it appears to have been adapted to their own special needs by later pious servants of God. The Doxology, with which it commences, is founded upon the liturgical formula concluding Psalms 41, the substance of it being repeated by Nehemiah (
Nehemiah 9:5).
Verse 20. -
And Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. The Septuagint, having practically given the beginning of this verse as the end of ver 19. omits it now: hence it renders, "Blessed be the Name of the great Lord for ever, because the wisdom and the greatness are his." The fact that
מִן־עָלְמָא (
min'alma), "from eternity," is not rendered in this version, and that the adjective "great" is added in its place, indicates a difference of reading. Probably there was a transposition of
מברך and
מן־עלמא and the
מן omitted. Then
עלמא would be regarded as
status em-phaticus of the adjective
עלּים (
allim) This is not likely to be a correct reading, as
allim means "
robust," - possessing the vigour of youth." Theodotion differs somewhat more from the Massoretic text than is his custom, "And he said, Be the Name of God blessed from eternity to eternity, for (the) wisdom and (the) understanding are his." This is shorter; the omission of the pleonastic formula, "answered and said," has an appearance of genuineness that is impressive. It would seem as if Theodotion had
בינְתָא (
beenetha), "
understanding," instead of
גְבוּרָה (
geboorah), "might." The Peshitta and the Vulgate do not differ from the Massoretic text. The first, word of the Hebrew text of this song of thanksgiving has an interest for us, as throwing light on the question of the original language,
לְהֶוֵא has the appearance of an infinitive, but it is the third person plural of the imperfect;
ל is here the preformative of the third person singular and plural as in Eastern Aramaic as distinct from Western. This preformative is found occasionally in the Aramaic of the Babylonian Talmud, along with
נ, the preformative we find regularly in Syriac. In Biblical Aramaic this pre-formative is found only with the substantive verb; the reason of this, however, we have considered in regard to the language (see Introduction, p. 23.). Suffice it that we regard this as an evidence that Daniel was originally written in Eastern Aramaic. Professor Bevan's explanation, that the phenomenon is due to the likeness these parts of this verb have to the Divine Name, is of force to afford a reason why, in the midst of the general process of Occidentalizing the Aramaic, they shrank from applying it to this verb. That they had no scruple in writing it first hand, we find in the Targums; thus Onkelos,
Genesis 18:18,
יֶהֲוֵי. We might refer to ether examples in the later Aramaic of the Talmud and other Rabbinic works.
The Name of God. Later Judaism, to avoid using the sacred covenant name of God, was accustomed to use the "Name," in this sense. This may be noted that throughout this whole book, "Jehovah" occurs only in ch. 9. This may be due to something of that reverence which has led the Jews for centuries to avoid pronouncing the sacred name, and to use instead,
Adonai, "Lord." It is to be observed that all through Daniel the Septuagint has
Κύριος, the Greek equivalent for
Jehovah, while Theodotion follows the Massoretic in having
Θεός. For
ever and ever. This is not an accurate translation, although it appears not only in the Authorized, but also in the Revised Version. The sound of the phrase impresses us with a sense of grandeur, perhaps due to the music with which it has been associated. When we think of the meaning we really give to the phrase, or of its actual grammatical sense, it only conveys to us the idea of unending future duration; it does not at all imply unbeginning duration. More correct is Luther's "veto Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit." The Greek of Theodotion conveys this also,
ἀπό τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Jerome renders, "a saeculo et usque in saeculum." The true rendering is, "from eternity to eternity." It is quite true that the
עָלְמָא means primarily "an age," as does also
αἰών and
saculum: it is also quite true that it is improbable that in ancient days man had definite ideas of eternity; even at the present time, when men strive after definiteness, they have no real conception of unending existence, still less of existence unbeginning. Still, it was used as having that meaning so far as men were able to apprehend it. As
αἰών, it is used for "world."
For wisdom and wight are his. Wisdom is the Divine quality of which they have had proof now, but "might" is united with it as really one in thought. The fact that the usual combination is "wisdom and understanding" (see
Exodus 31:3;
Isaiah 11:2;
Ezekiel 28:4) has led the scribe, whose text Theodotion used, to replace "might" by "understanding." He might feel himself confirmed in his emendation by the fact that, while God's wisdom and, it might be said, his understanding were exhibited in thus revealing to Daniel the royal dream, there was no place for "might." What was in the mind of Daniel and his friends was that they were in the hands of a great Monarch, who was practically omnipotent. They now make known their recognition of the glorious truth that not only does the wisdom of the wise belong to God, but also the might of the strong. Further, there is another thought here which is present in all Scripture - that wisdom and might are really two sides of one and the same thing; hence a truth is proved by a miracle, a work of power.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
and declared:וְאָמַ֔ר(wə·’ā·mar)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 560:To say, tell, command“Blessedמְבָרַ֔ךְ(mə·ḇā·raḵ)Verb - Piel - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 1289:To kneel, to bless God, man, to cursebeלֶהֱוֵ֨א(le·hĕ·wê)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1934:To become, come to pass, bethe nameשְׁמֵ֤הּ(šə·mêh)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8036:A nameofדִּֽי־(dî-)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768:Who, which, that, becauseGodאֱלָהָא֙(’ĕ·lā·hā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 426:Godforeverעָלְמָ֖א(‘ā·lə·mā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 5957:Remote time, the future, past, foreverandוְעַ֣ד־(wə·‘aḏ-)Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5705:Even to, untilever,עָלְמָ֑א(‘ā·lə·mā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 5957:Remote time, the future, past, foreverforדִּ֧י(dî)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768:Who, which, that, becausewisdomחָכְמְתָ֛א(ḥā·ḵə·mə·ṯā)Noun - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 2452:Wisdomand powerוּגְבוּרְתָ֖א(ū·ḡə·ḇū·rə·ṯā)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 1370:Powerbelong to Him.לֵֽהּ־(lêh-)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew
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OT Prophets: Daniel 2:20 Daniel answered Blessed be the name (Dan. Da Dn) 
