Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

DANIEL 2:20KJV
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Daniel 2:20 (KJV)

What does Daniel 2:20 mean?

Daniel 2:20 records Daniel praising God, declaring that God's name is to be blessed forever because all wisdom and power belong to Him. Daniel is recognizing that God alone is the source of true understanding and strength, deserving of honor that never ends.

Daniel is speaking after God has revealed to him the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream. In this moment, Daniel responds with gratitude and worship, acknowledging God’s unique ability to give wisdom and might. The verse sets the tone for Daniel’s prayer, showing his humility and dependence on God in a situation where human ability had failed.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 2:20

  • "Blessed" (בָּרוּךְ, barukh): This word means to speak well of or praise. In this context, Daniel is not just expressing thanks but is publicly honoring God’s reputation and character.
  • "Wisdom" (חָכְמָה, ḥokhmah): This word refers to insight or skill, especially the kind that comes from God. Daniel highlights that true wisdom is not found in people or magicians, but comes from God alone.
  • "Might" (גְּבוּרָה, geburah): This word means strength or power. Daniel is emphasizing that God not only knows all things but also has the power to act on that knowledge.

Why Daniel 2:20 matters

  • Daniel 2:20 clarifies that Daniel’s ability to interpret the king’s dream is not due to his own intelligence or skill, but entirely because God has given him wisdom and power.
  • The verse shifts the focus away from human achievement and highlights God’s sovereignty and generosity in sharing wisdom with those who seek Him.
  • Daniel’s praise sets an example for responding to answered prayer or divine help, showing that recognition and gratitude should go to God rather than to oneself or others.

Where else these words appear

“might” Hebrew H1370 · used in 2 verses

  • Daniel 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

“Blessed” Hebrew H1289 · used in 5 verses

  • Daniel 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
  • Daniel 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
  • Daniel 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

“wisdom” Hebrew H2452 · used in 7 verses

  • Ezra 7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
  • Daniel 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
  • Daniel 5:11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

“are” Hebrew H1932 · used in 7 verses

  • Ezra 6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
  • Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
  • Daniel 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?