New Living Translation
Daniel 12:4
4But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
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 of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” 5Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. 6One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events 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 8:26“This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”
- Revelation 10:4When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”
- Revelation 22:10Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near.
- Daniel 12:9But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end.
- Daniel 8:17As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. “Son of man,” he said, “you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.”
- Daniel 10:1In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.
- Daniel 11:40“Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood.
- Daniel 11:33“Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed.
- Isaiah 11:9Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.
- Isaiah 29:18In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.
- Isaiah 30:26The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.
- Isaiah 32:3Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it.
- Zechariah 14:6On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,
- Matthew 24:14And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
- Romans 10:18But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”
- Revelation 14:6And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—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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