As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

DANIEL 2:29KJV
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Daniel 2:29 (KJV)

What does Daniel 2:29 mean?

Daniel 2:29 means that King Nebuchadnezzar was lying in bed thinking about what would happen in the future, and God—the one who reveals hidden things—made known to him what will take place. The verse highlights that the king’s thoughts about the future were answered by a divine revelation.

Daniel is speaking directly to King Nebuchadnezzar, explaining why the king had his troubling dream. The setting is Daniel interpreting the king’s dream, which Nebuchadnezzar could not understand. Daniel points out that it was not by his own wisdom, but because God chose to reveal these secrets, that he can explain what will happen in the days to come.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 2:29

  • "thoughts" (רַעְיוֹנָךְ, raʿyonakh): This word refers to deep, inner thoughts or concerns. Here, it emphasizes that Nebuchadnezzar was genuinely troubled and pondering significant matters about the future.
  • "revealeth" (גָּלֵא, galeʾ): This verb means to uncover or make known something hidden. Daniel stresses that only God can truly reveal mysteries, not human wisdom or magic.
  • "secrets" (רָזִין, razin): This word means hidden things or mysteries. It underlines that the knowledge of the future is not accessible by ordinary means, but only by divine disclosure.

Why Daniel 2:29 matters

  • Daniel 2:29 clarifies that the dream was not random, but a direct response to the king’s own concerns about the future, showing a personal connection between Nebuchadnezzar’s thoughts and God’s revelation.
  • The verse emphasizes that Daniel’s ability to interpret the dream comes from God, not from any human source, setting up the theme of God’s sovereignty over human affairs.
  • This verse connects the king’s private worries to the broader message of the chapter: that God alone reveals the course of history and the fate of kingdoms.

Where else these words appear

“hereafter” Hebrew H311 · used in 3 verses

  • Daniel 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
  • Daniel 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

“came” Hebrew H5559 · used in 5 verses

  • Ezra 4:12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
  • Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
  • Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

“thoughts” Hebrew H7476 · used in 6 verses

  • Daniel 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
  • Daniel 4:19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
  • Daniel 5:10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

“bed” Hebrew H4903 · used in 6 verses

  • Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
  • Daniel 4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
  • Daniel 4:13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;