Bible Strands
Daniel 2:17
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Daniel acts immediately after requesting time from the king, returning to his residence to brief his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. This occurs at the precise moment of crisis before the execution decree against the Babylonian wise men is carried out.
The words — The Aramaic verb אֲזַ֑ל ('a.Zal) literally means "he went," marking Daniel's physical movement from the royal court to his home. The noun חַבְר֖וֹ/הִי (chav.Ro./hi) identifies his recipients as "his companions," emphasizing their established covenant relationship.
The thread — This specific quartet appears consistently in Daniel's narrative as a unit, first named in Daniel 1:6 and Daniel 1:11, and later referenced in Daniel 3:12. Their repeated association underscores their shared exile status and collective reliance on divine intervention.
Why it lands — The text demands that the reader recognize the necessity of communal intercession before seeking divine revelation. It requires acknowledging that spiritual discernment in crisis is pursued through shared prayer rather than solitary effort.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
Cross-references
- Daniel 1:6 Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
- Daniel 1:11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
- Daniel 3:12 But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”