Daniel 2:10

Study note

Setting — The Chaldean astrologers answer King Nebuchadnezzar immediately after he threatens them with a single decree for alleged conspiracy and fabricated words. They deliver this response directly to the monarch in the presence of his court.

The words — The text foregrounds אִיתַ֤י ('i.Tai), literally "there is," and אֲנָשׁ֙ ('a.Nash), literally "a person," to declare that no human exists who can meet the king’s demand. These terms anchor the king’s impossible standard in the complete absence of any capable mortal.

The thread — This claim of human inability to access hidden knowledge reappears in Daniel 2:11, which notes that only gods whose dwelling is not with mortals can fulfill the request. Daniel later echoes the same boundary in Daniel 2:27, stating that no wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain the mystery.

Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to acknowledge that certain knowledge lies entirely beyond human capability and earthly authority. It directs attention to the necessity of divine intervention when human wisdom reaches its absolute limit.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.