God’s Word Translation
Daniel 1:20
20Whenever the king asked them about things that required wisdom and insight, he found that they knew ten times more than all the magicians and psychics in his whole kingdom.
Daniel 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
- New International Version (NIV)In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
Context of Daniel 1:20
18At the end of the three-year training period, the chief-of-staff brought all the young men to Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king talked to them and found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah among all of them. So these four men served the king. Whenever the king asked them about things that required wisdom and insight, he found that they knew ten times more than all the magicians and psychics in his whole kingdom. 21Daniel served the royal palace until the first year of King Cyrus ⌞of Persia⌟.
Read all of Daniel 1Daniel 1:20 word by word
וְכֹ֗ל דְּבַר֙ חָכְמַ֣ת בִּינָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בִּקֵּ֥שׁ מֵהֶ֖ם הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַֽיִּמְצָאֵ֞ם עֶ֣שֶׂר יָד֗וֹת עַ֤ל כָּל־הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙ הָֽאַשָּׁפִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And in all mattersדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- of wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
- understandingבִּינָהbîynâh · understandingH998
- that the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- enquiredבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- of them, he foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- them ten timesעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- betterיָדyâd · hand: timesH3027
- than all the magiciansחַרְטֹםcharţôm · magicianH2748
- astrologersאַשָּׁף'ashshâph · enchanterH825
- in all his realmמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
Cross-references for Daniel 1:20
- 1 Kings 4:29God gave Solomon wisdom—keen insight and a mind as limitless as the sand on the seashore.
- 1 Kings 10:1The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s reputation. (He owed his reputation to the name of the Lord.) So she came to test him with riddles.
- Psalms 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers, because your written instructions are in my thoughts.
- Genesis 31:7Your father has cheated me. He has changed my wages 10 times. But God hasn’t let him harm me.
- Numbers 14:22none of the people who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I did in Egypt and in the desert will see the land which I promised their ancestors. They have tested me now ten times and refused to obey me.
- Nehemiah 4:12Jews who were living near our enemies warned us ten times that our enemies would attack us from every direction.
- Job 19:3You have insulted me ten times now. You’re not even ashamed of mistreating me.
- Daniel 2:2The king sent for the magicians, psychics, sorcerers, and astrologers so that they could tell him what he had dreamed. So they came to the king.
- Daniel 4:7The magicians, psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers came to me. I told them the dream, but they couldn’t tell me its meaning.
- Daniel 5:7The king screamed for the psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers to be brought to him. He told these wise advisers of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its meaning will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain on his neck, and become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom.”
- Genesis 41:8In the morning he was so upset that he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant.
- Exodus 7:11Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.
- Exodus 8:7But the magicians did the same thing using their magic spells and brought frogs onto the land.
- Isaiah 19:3The Egyptians will lose courage. I will unravel their plans. They will turn to idols, ghosts, mediums, and fortunetellers.
- Isaiah 47:12Keep practicing your spells and your evil magic. You have practiced them ever since you were young. You may succeed. You may cause terror.
- 2 Timothy 3:8As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth. Their minds are corrupt, and the faith they teach is counterfeit.
Commentaries on Daniel 1:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Magicians and astrologers - Probably the same as philosophers and astronomers among us.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding - Margin, “of.” The Hebrew is, “Everything of wisdom of understanding.” The Greek, “In all things of wisdom “and” knowledge.” The meaning is, in everything which required peculiar wisdom to understand and explain it. The points submitted were such as would appropriately come before the minds of the sages and magicians who were employed as counselors at court. He found them ten times better - Better…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 Daniel and his fellows kept to their religion; and God rewarded them with eminence in learning. Pious young persons should endeavour to do better than their fellows in useful things; not for the praise of man, but for the honour of the gospel, and that they may be qualified for usefulness. And it is well for a country, and for the honour of a prince, when he is able to judge who are best fitted to serve him, and prefers them on that account…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The magicians were priests who could predict the future and interpret dreams (see Genesis 44:1–15). They could also perform wonders (see Exodus 7:11). The term enchanters, from the Hebrew word ’ashap, appears only in the book of Daniel. It comes from an Akkadian term for people who spoke spells.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. ten times--literally, "ten hands." magicians--properly, "sacred scribes, skilled in the sacred writings, a class of Egyptian priests" [Gesenius]; from a Hebrew root, "a pen." The word in our English Version, "magicians," comes from mag, that is, "a priest." The Magi formed one of the six divisions of the Medes. astrologers--Hebrew, "enchanters," from a root, "to conceal," pactisers of the occult arts.Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 1:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 1
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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