New English Translation
Daniel 2:13
13So a decree went out, and the wise men were about to be executed. They also sought Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed.
Daniel 2:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
- New International Version (NIV)So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
Context of Daniel 2:13
11What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!” 12Because of this the king got furiously angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So a decree went out, and the wise men were about to be executed. They also sought Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed. 14Then Daniel spoke with prudent counsel to Arioch, who was in charge of the king’s executioners and who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15He inquired of Arioch the king’s deputy, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.
Read all of Daniel 2Daniel 2:13 word by word
וְדָתָ֣א נֶפְקַ֔ת וְחַכִּֽימַיָּ֖א מִֽתְקַטְּלִ֑ין וּבְע֛וֹ דָּנִיֵּ֥אל וְחַבְר֖וֹהִי לְהִתְקְטָלָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Daniel 2:13
- Daniel 6:9So King Darius issued the written interdict.
- Esther 3:12So the royal scribes were summoned in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month. Everything Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps and governors who were in every province and to the officials of every people, province by province according to its script and people by people according to its language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring.
- Psalms 94:20Cruel rulers are not your allies, those who make oppressive laws.
- Proverbs 28:15Like a roaring lion or a roving bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
- Isaiah 10:1Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, those who are always instituting unfair regulations,
- Daniel 1:19When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.
- Daniel 6:12So they approached the king and said to him, “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.”
Commentaries on Daniel 2:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13They sought Daniel and his fellows - As the decree stated that all the wise men of Babylon should be slain, the four young Hebrews, being reputed among the wisest, were considered as sentenced to death also.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain - The original here will bear a somewhat different translation, meaning, “the decree went forth, “and” the wise men were slain;” that is, the execution of the sentence was actually commenced. So the Vulgate: Et egressa sententia, sapientes interficiebantur. So also the Greek version: ̀ ̔ ́ ̓́ kai hoi sophoi apektennonto - “and the wise men were slain.” This seems to me to be the more probable…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-49God gave a dream that showed the course of world history over the centuries, and Daniel explained its mysterious images. This dream and its interpretation highlight a key theme of the book—the certain final establishment of the kingdom of God as the ultimate goal of history (Daniel 2:44–45; 7:9–14, 26–27). This chapter also shows that paganism cannot understand the actions and plans of Israel’s God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1312-13. Daniel and his companions do not seem to have been actually numbered among the Magi or Chaldeans, and so were not summoned before the king. Providence ordered it so that all mere human wisdom should be shown vain before His divine power, through His servant, was put forth. Da 2:24 shows that the decree for slaying the wise men had not been actually executed when Daniel interposed.Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 2:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 2
- 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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Commentaries