Daniel 1:20

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

18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of expertise and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.

Daniel 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

• As for everyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• expertiseחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• and understandingבִּינָהbîynâh · understandingH998
• about whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• consultedבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• them, he foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• timesיָדyâd · hand: timesH3027
• betterעַל‛al · uponH5921
• soothsayerחַרְטֹםcharţôm · magicianH2748
• conjurersאַשָּׁף'ashshâph · enchanterH825
• his realmמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438

Cross-references for Daniel 1:20

• 1 Kings 4:29Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.
• 1 Kings 10:1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with riddles.
• Psalms 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
• Genesis 31:7Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to do me harm.
• Numbers 14:22Certainly all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,
• Nehemiah 4:12When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”
• Job 19:3These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me.
• Daniel 2:2Then the king gave orders to call in the soothsayer priests, the conjurers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
• Daniel 4:7Then the soothsayer priests, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.
• Daniel 5:7The king called aloud to bring in the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.”
• Genesis 41:8Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
• Exodus 7:11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they too, the soothsayer priests of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
• Exodus 8:7However, the soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
• Isaiah 19:3Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confuse their strategy, So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead, And to mediums and spiritists.
• Isaiah 47:12“Persist now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to benefit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.
• 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.

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

• Abed-Nego
• Astrology
• Civil Service
• Government
• Instruction
• Integrity
• Magician
• Mishael
• School

In the dictionaries

• Astrologer
• Hananiah
• Liking
• Magicians
• Genealogy
• Number
• Shadrach
• Witch; Witchcraft
• Daniel, the Book of
• Meshach

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