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 dead people who lie under the ground will become alive again. Some of them will receive life that continues for ever with God. But other people will receive shame that continues for ever. 3People who are wise will shine like the bright sky. Those who help many people to do what is right will also shine brightly for ever. They will shine like the stars in the sky at night. Daniel, you must now close this message. Put seals on the book so that nobody can open it until it is time for the end of this world. Many people will try to understand about these things. They will travel everywhere to get more knowledge.’ 5After the angel said this, I, Daniel, looked up. I saw two other people. One of them stood on the same side of the river as me. The other one stood on the other side of the river. 6One of them spoke to the man who wore linen clothes and who now stood above the river. He asked that man, ‘How long will it be until these wonderful things finish?’

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 8:26This vision about the evenings and the mornings is true. I have told you what it means. But keep the vision as a secret now. It will be a long time before these things happen.’
• Revelation 10:4When the seven voices of thunder spoke, I was ready to write. But I heard a voice that came from heaven. The voice said to me, ‘Keep secret what the seven voices of thunder have said. Do not write it down.’
• Revelation 22:10Then he said to me, ‘Do not hide the words of God's prophecy that are written in this book. The time is near when these things will happen.
• Daniel 12:9He said to me, ‘You must go now, Daniel. This message will remain secret until it is time for the end of this world. The seals will keep the book closed.
• Daniel 8:17So Gabriel came towards me, where I was standing. I was very afraid and I fell down onto the ground. He said to me, ‘You, as a human, need to understand that the vision is about the end of time.’
• Daniel 10:1In the third year that King Cyrus ruled Persia, God gave a message to Daniel. (Daniel's other name was Belteshazzar.) The message was true. It was about a great war. Daniel had a vision which helped him to understand the message.
• Daniel 11:40At the time of the end, the king of the south will attack him. The king of the north will fight against him very strongly. He will march out quickly with chariots and soldiers who ride on horses. He will also have many ships. His army will attack many countries. He will go through those countries like a strong flood of water.
• Daniel 11:33Wise Israelite leaders will teach many other people. But these teachers will suffer for some time. People will kill them in battle, or with fire. People will rob them. People will put some of them in prison.
• Isaiah 11:9Nothing will hurt or destroy anything else anywhere on my holy mountain. Instead, people will know the Lord all over the earth, as water fills the whole sea.
• Isaiah 29:18At that time, deaf people will be able to hear when someone is reading words from a book. Blind people who have been living in a dark place will be able see what is happening.
• Isaiah 30:26At that time, the moon will shine as bright as the sun. Light from the sun will be seven times brighter. It will be like the light of seven days at the same time! At that time, the Lord will make the wounds of his people better. He has hurt them, but now he will make them better.
• Isaiah 32:3At that time, everyone who has eyes will be able to see clearly. Everyone who has ears will be able to listen well.
• Zechariah 14:6On that day, it will not be light in some places and dark in other places.
• Matthew 24:14People will tell the good news about God's kingdom to people all over the world. People in every country will hear the true message from God. Then God will cause the world to come to an end.
• Romans 10:18Let me ask you this: ‘Did Israel's people hear that message?’ They certainly did! The Bible says: ‘People have spoken God's message everywhere. People have heard his message in every part of the world.’
• Revelation 14:6Then I saw another angel who was flying high in the sky above me. He brought God's message of good news that is always true. He came to tell this news to everyone who lives on the earth. He would tell it to people from every nation, from every tribe and from every language.

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