Daniel 12:4

Daniel 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
• New International Version (NIV)But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Context of Daniel 12:4

2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake (resurrect), these to everlasting life, but some to disgrace and everlasting contempt (abhorrence). 3Those who are [spiritually] wise will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead many to righteousness, [will shine] like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the scroll until the end of time. Many will go back and forth and search anxiously [through the scroll], and knowledge [of the purpose of God as revealed by His prophets] will [greatly] increase.” 5Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood two others, the one [angel] on this bank of the river and the other [angel] on that bank of the river. 6And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?”

Daniel 12:4 word by word

וְאַתָּ֣ה דָֽנִיֵּ֗אל סְתֹ֧ם הַדְּבָרִ֛ים וַחֲתֹ֥ם הַסֵּ֖פֶר עַד־עֵ֣ת קֵ֑ץ יְשֹׁטְט֥וּ רַבִּ֖ים וְתִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדָּֽעַת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But thou, O Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵלdânîyê'l dâni'êl · DanielH1840
• shut upסָתַםsâtham ώâtham · to closeH5640
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• and sealחָתַםchâtham · to sealH2856
• the bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
• to the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• of the endקֵץqêts · endH7093
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• shall run to and froשׁוּטshûţ · to roveH7751
• and knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• shall be increasedרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235

Cross-references for Daniel 12:4

• Daniel 8:26The vision of the evenings and the mornings Which has been told [to you] is true. But keep the vision a secret, For it has to do with many days in the now distant future.”
• Revelation 10:4And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them down.”
• Revelation 22:10And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [of their fulfillment] is near.
• Daniel 12:9And the angel said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are concealed and sealed up until the end of time.
• Daniel 8:17So he came near where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell face downward; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the [fulfillment of the] vision pertains to [events that will occur in] the time of the end.”
• Daniel 10:1In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and it referred to great conflict (warfare, misery). And he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.
• Daniel 11:40“At the end time the king of the South will push and attack him (the Antichrist), and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots and horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overwhelm them and pass through.
• Daniel 11:33They who are wise and have spiritual insight among the people will instruct many and help them understand; yet for many days some [of them and their followers] will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder.
• Isaiah 11:9They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
• Isaiah 29:18On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see [the words of the book].
• Isaiah 30:26The light of the full moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days [concentrated in one], in the day the Lord binds up the fracture of His people and heals the wound He has inflicted [because of their sins].
• Isaiah 32:3Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.
• Zechariah 14:6In that day there will be no light; the glorious ones (heavenly bodies) shall be darkened.
• Matthew 24:14This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.
• Romans 10:18But I say, did they not hear? Indeed they have; “Their voice [that of creation bearing God’s message] has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the [farthest] ends of the world.”
• Revelation 14:6Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people;

Commentaries on Daniel 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Shut up the words, and seal the book - When a prophet received a prediction concerning what was at a considerable distance of time, he shut his book, did not communicate his revelation for some time after. This Daniel was commanded to do, Daniel 8:26. See also Isaiah 29:10, Isaiah 29:11; Revelation 22:10. Among the ancients, those were said to seal, who in the course of their reading stamped the places of which they were yet doubtful, in order to keep…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words - To wit, by sealing them up, or by closing the book, and writing no more in it. The meaning is, that all has been communicated which it was intended to communicate. The angel had no more to say, and the volume might be sealed up. And seal the book - This would seem to have been not an unusual custom in closing a prophecy, either by affixing a seal to it that should be designed to confirm it as the prophet‘s work - as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Daniel had to keep the prophecy a secret (compare Daniel 7:28; 8:26). God would reveal it at the right time, at the end.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. shut up ... seal the book--John, on the contrary, is told (Re 22:10) not to seal his visions. Daniel's prophecy refers to a distant time, and is therefore obscure for the immediate future, whereas John's was to be speedily fulfilled (Re 1:1, 3; 22:6). Israel, to whom Daniel prophesied after the captivity, with premature zeal sought after signs of the predicted period: Daniel's prophecy was designed to restrain this. The Gentile Church, on the contrary…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 12:4

• Church
• Knowledge
• Wisdom
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Daniel
• Bel, and the Dragon
• Seal
• Writing

Commentaries on Daniel 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings