Daniel 2.23-Daniel Thanks And Praises God For Answering His Prayer And Giving Him Wisdom And Power By Revealing To Him Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 13, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 2:23-Daniel Thanks And Praises God For Answering His Prayer And Giving Him Wisdom And Power By Revealing To Him Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Lesson # 47
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2:1.
Daniel 2:1 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter. 18 so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. 22 It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. 23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, for You have made known to us the king’s matter.” (NASB95)
“To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise” is composed of the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and its object is the second person masculine singular pronomial suffix -ḵ (־ךְ), “You” and then we have the masculine singular noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “God” which is followed by the masculine plural construct form of the noun ʾǎḇ (אַב) (ab), “fathers” which is modified by the first person singular pronomial suffix -î (־י) (ee), “my” and then we have the masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew equivalent is the hiphil stem) active participle form of the verb yeḏā(h) (יְדָה) (yed-aw´), “give thanks” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb šeḇǎḥ (שְׁבַח) (sheb-akh´), “praise” and then we have the first person singular personal pronoun ʾǎnā(h) (אֲנָה) (an-aw´), “I.”
The second person masculine singular pronomial suffix -ḵ is a reference to God the Father and is the object of the preposition lĕ, which functions as a marker of advantage meaning that the Father is benefited by Daniel’s thanksgiving and praise.
The noun ʾělāh means “the God” and refers to the Father since in context Daniel is speaking to Him in prayer.
The independent personal pronoun ʾǎnā(h) functions as the subject of the participle form of the verbs yeḏā(h), “give thanks” and šeḇǎḥ, “praise” indicating that it is performing the action of these two verbs.
In this role, the pronoun is used for clarity rather than for emphasis and here it serves to clarify the subject of these verbs and to contrast the subject with someone else to indicate emotion.
Here it serves to contrast Daniel with the Father and expressing Daniel’s emotion toward the Father for mercifully answering his prayer and thus sparing his life and the lives of his friends.
The verb yeḏā(h) means “to give thanks” and refers to the act of Daniel expressing his gratitude toward the Father as a result of the latter answering his prayer which will spare his life and the lives of three friends.
So Daniel is expressing his gratitude to the Father because He delivered him and his three friends from death.
The verb šeḇǎḥ means “to praise” in the sense of Daniel acknowledging and esteeming the excellence of God’s character with emphasis upon His mercy, which is based upon His attribute of love.
Thus, the verb denotes Daniel acknowledging and esteeming or expressing a high regard for the excellence of God’s merciful love, which was demonstrated toward him when the Father answered his prayer by revealing Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as its interpretation.
This resulted in delivering Daniel and his friends from death.
This praise expresses Daniel’s great joy for God demonstrating His merciful love toward him and his friends.
The conjunction wa is used to coordinate the verbs yeḏā(h), “give thanks” and šeḇǎḥ, “praise” and is used to join these two verbs together in order to communicate one idea, which is called “hendiadys.”
This figure takes place when two nouns or verbs are used to express one idea or concept and it literally means “one by means of two” and takes place when the author uses two words but only one idea is intended.
Here Daniel 2:23, the participle šeḇǎḥ, “praise” intensifies the meaning of the verb yeḏā(h), “give thanks”.
Therefore, these two words express one idea, namely that Daniel thanked God for delivering him and his friends from death by revealing the content of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation, yes, and praised Him too.
So this figure of hendiadys emphasizes the intensity of Daniel’s gratitude and joy for delivering him and his friends from death by revealing the king’s dream and its interpretation.
“For You have given me wisdom and power” is composed of the conjunction dî (דִּי) (dee), “for” which is followed by the feminine singular noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h) (חָכְמָה) (khok-maw´), “wisdom” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the feminine singular noun geḇû∙rā(h) (גְּבוּרָה) (gheb-oo-raw´), “power” and then we have the second person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb yehǎḇ (יְהַב) (yeh-hab´), “You have given” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and its object is the first person singular pronomial suffix -î (־י) (ee), “me.”
The conjunction dî is a marker of cause meaning that it is introducing a statement which presents the reason why Daniel thanks the Father and praises Him as well.
The verb yehǎḇ means “to give” in the sense of imparting something to someone.
Here the word is used with God as its subject and Daniel as its indirect object and wisdom and power as its direct objects.
Therefore, it denotes that God the Father gave Daniel wisdom as well as power as a result of revealing to him the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as its interpretation.
The noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h) means “wisdom” and is describing the revelation that God gave Nebuchadnezzar in a dream.
But in what sense is this revelation wisdom?
It is wisdom in the sense that it gave Daniel the skill to solve Nebuchadnezzar’s problem.
It denotes that God gave Daniel the ability to “discern” or “understand” the revelation that God gave Nebuchadnezzar in a dream.
He wanted to know what the dream meant to him and his kingdom.
Now, by answering Daniel’s prayer, God gave Daniel the ability to discern or understand this revelation, which would solve the king’s dilemma.
So ḥā∙ḵemā(h) denotes God giving Daniel the ability to not only solve the king’s problem but also to understand the meaning of the dream.
The noun geḇû∙rā(h) means “power” and is also describing the revelation that God gave Nebuchadnezzar in a dream.
God revealed to Daniel not only the content of this dream but also its interpretation.
It is power in the sense that it gave Daniel the ability to solve Nebuchadnezzar’s problem.
He wanted to know what the dream meant to him and his kingdom.
Now, by answering Daniel’s prayer, God gave Daniel the ability to solve the king’s dilemma.
Here Daniel 2:23, the noun geḇû∙rā(h), “power” intensifies the meaning of the noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h), “wisdom” and they contain the figure of hendiadys.
Therefore, these two words express one idea, namely that God gave Daniel wisdom to solve the king’s problem by revealing to him the content of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation, yes, and He gave him power too in the sense of giving him the ability to solve the king’s dilemma.
So this figure of hendiadys emphasizes that by revealing the king’s dream and its interpretation to Daniel, God gave him wisdom in the sense of understanding as to the meaning of the king’s dream, which in turn gave him power in the sense of the ability to solve the king’s problem.
“Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “even” which is followed by the adverb of time keʿǎn (כְּעַן) (keh-an´), “now” and then we have the second person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew equivalent is the hiphil stem) active perfect form of the verb yeḏǎʿ (יְדַע) (yed-ah´), “You have made known to” which is followed by the first person singular pronomial suffix -î (־י) (ee), “me” and then we have the relative particle dî (דִּי) (dee), “what” which is followed by the first person plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb beʿā(h) (בְּעָה) (beh-aw´), “we requested” and then we have the preposition min (מִן) (min), “of” and its object is the second person masculine singular pronomial suffix -ḵ (־ךְ), “You.”
This time the conjunction wa is used in an emphatic sense meaning that the word is introducing a statement that is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement, which records Daniel thanking and praising God for giving him wisdom and power.
The adverb of time keʿǎn denotes Daniel’s moment of need and the need of his friends who were under the sentence of death because of Nebuchadnezzar’s order to execute all the wise men of the city of Babylon for failing to tell him the content of his recurring dream and its interpretation.
The verb yeḏǎʿ means “to make known” and is used with God as its subject and Daniel as its indirect object and its direct object is Daniel’s request that God reveal to him the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as its interpretation.
The verb beʿā(h) means “to request” and is used of Daniel and his three friends making a request of the Father that He reveal to them the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as its interpretation.
“For You have made known to us the king’s matter” is composed of the conjunction dî (דִּי) (dee), “for” which is followed by the feminine singular construct form of the noun mil∙lā(h) (מִלָּה) (mil-law´), “matter” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh´-lek), “king” which is followed by the second person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew equivalent is the hiphil stem) active perfect form of the verb yeḏǎʿ (יְדַע) (yed-ah´), “You have made known” and then we have the first person plural pronomial suffix -nā(ʾ) (־נָא) (nah), “to us.”
The conjunction dî is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which presents the result of God answering Daniel and his three friends prayer request.
The first person plural pronomial suffix -nā(ʾ) means “to us” referring to Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The noun mě∙lěḵ means “king” and of course is used with reference to Nebuchadnezzar referring to the fact that he was governmental head of Babylon.
The noun mil∙lā(h) means “secret” since the word is referring to the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which the king won’t reveal.
However, God has revealed to Daniel this secret.
Here the word is used in the construct form meaning that it is governing the noun mě∙lěḵ, which follows indicating the latter has a genitive relationship.
This would indicate that this secret is Nebuchadnezzar’s.