God’s Word Translation
Daniel 12:4
4“But you, Daniel, keep these words secret, and seal the book until the end times. Many will travel everywhere, and knowledge will grow.”
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 sleeping in the ground will wake up. Some will wake up to live forever, but others will wake up to be ashamed and disgraced forever. 3Those who are wise will shine like the brightness on the horizon. Those who lead many people to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret, and seal the book until the end times. Many will travel everywhere, and knowledge will grow.” 5When I, Daniel, looked up, I saw two men standing there. One man stood on one side of the river, and the other one stood on the other side. 6One of them asked the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river, “How long will it be until these miracles are over?”
Read all of Daniel 12Daniel 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 about the ⌞2,300⌟ evenings and mornings that was explained to you is true. Seal the vision, because it is about things that will happen in the distant future.”
- Revelation 10:4When the seven thunders spoke, I was going to write it down. I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and don’t write it down.”
- Revelation 22:10Then the angel said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book because the time is near.
- Daniel 12:9He replied, “Go, Daniel. These words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end times.
- Daniel 8:17Gabriel came up beside me, and when he came, I was terrified and immediately knelt down. He said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision is about the end times.”
- Daniel 10:1In Cyrus’ third year as king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel (who had been renamed Belteshazzar). The message was true. It was about a great war. Daniel understood the message because he was given insight during the vision.
- Daniel 11:40“In the end times the southern king will attack him. The northern king will rush at him like a storm with chariots, horses, and many ships. He will invade countries, overwhelm them, and pass through their land.
- Daniel 11:33“People who are wise will help many to understand. But for some time they will be defeated by swords and flames. They will be captured and looted.
- Isaiah 11:9They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain. The world will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord like water covering the sea.
- Isaiah 29:18When that day comes, the deaf will hear the words written in the book. The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness.
- Isaiah 30:26Then the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun. The light of the sun will be seven times as strong, like the light of seven days. When that day comes, the Lord will bandage his people’s injuries and heal the wounds he inflicted.
- Isaiah 32:3Then the vision of those who can see won’t be blurred, and the ears of those who can hear will pay attention.
- Zechariah 14:6On that day there will be neither heat nor freezing cold.
- Matthew 24:14“This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.
- Romans 10:18But I ask, “Didn’t they hear that message?” Certainly they did! “The voice of the messengers has gone out into the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth.”
- Revelation 14:6I saw another angel flying overhead with the everlasting Good News to spread to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, 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
In the dictionaries
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
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