Daniel 2:23

To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Daniel addresses God directly, immediately after receiving the dream and its interpretation in a vision, and just before going to Arioch to request an audience with the king.

The words — Daniel stacks two distinct Hebrew verbs for praise: מְהוֹדֵא (mehode', "giving thanks") and מְשַׁבַּח (meshabach, "praising"), layering gratitude in two registers.

The thread — The title "God of my fathers" echoes the self-identification God gave Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:15), and the act of revealing hidden things to a chosen servant parallels Amos 3:7.

Why it lands — Daniel names wisdom and power as things received, not possessed; the verse asks a reader to locate the source of their own insight before claiming it.

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

לָ֣ךְ׀la/kh<obj.>/ youאֱלָ֣הּ'e.LahO God of אֲבָהָתִ֗י'a.va.ha.T/ifathers/ my מְהוֹדֵ֤אme.ho.De'[am] praising וּמְשַׁבַּח֙u./me.sha.Bachand/ [am] praising אֲנָ֔ה'a.NahI דִּ֧יdithat חָכְמְתָ֛אcha.khe.me.Ta/'<the>/ wisdom וּגְבוּרְתָ֖אu./ge.vu.re.Ta/'and/ <the>/ power יְהַ֣בְתְּye.Havtyou have givenלִ֑יL/ito/ meוּכְעַ֤ןu./khe.'Anand/ now הֽוֹדַעְתַּ֙נִי֙ho.da'.Ta./niyou have made known to/ me דִּֽי־di-that בְעֵ֣ינָאve.'Ei.na'we asked מִנָּ֔ךְmi.Na/khfrom/ you דִּֽי־di-that מִלַּ֥תmi.Lat[the] matter of מַלְכָּ֖אmal.Ka/'king/ the הוֹדַעְתֶּֽנָא׃ho.da'.Te./na'you made known to/ us

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Daniel 2:18 urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Exodus 3:15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
Psalms 25:14 The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
Daniel 2:20 and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
Daniel 2:29 As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.
Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Genesis 18:17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
1 Kings 8:57 May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He never leave us or forsake us.
1 Kings 18:36 At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.