Daniel 2:11

Good News Translation

What Your Majesty is asking for is so difficult that no one can do it for you except the gods, and they do not live among human beings."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

Hebrew Names Version
It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

King James Version
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

English Standard Version
The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

New American Standard Bible
"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."

New Century Version
the king is asking something that is too hard. Only the gods could tell the king this, but the gods do not live among people."

Amplified Bible
"Furthermore, what the king demands is an unusual and difficult thing indeed! No one except the gods can reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [mortal] flesh."

Geneva Bible (1587)
For it is a rare thing that the King requireth, and there is none other that can declare it before the King, except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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."

Berean Standard Bible
What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals."

Contemporary English Version
It can't be done, except by the gods, and they don't live here on earth."

Complete Jewish Bible
The king is asking a difficult thing; nobody but the gods could tell this to your majesty, and they don't live with mere mortals."

Darby Translation
For the thing that the king demandeth is extraordinary, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Easy-to-Read Version
The king is asking something that is too hard to do. Only the gods could tell the king his dream and what it means. But the gods don't live with people."

George Lamsa Translation
For the thing that the king is asking is very difficult, and there is no man who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with men born of flesh.

Lexham English Bible
And the thing that the king is asking is too difficult and there is no one who can reveal it to the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with mortals."

Literal Translation
And the thing that the king asks is rare. And there is no other who may reveal it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for it is a very harde matter, that the kynge requyreth. Nether is there eny, that can certifie the kynge theroff, excepte the goddes: whose dwellinge is not amonge the creatures.

American Standard Version
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Bible in Basic English
The king's request is a very hard one, and there is no other who is able to make it clear to the king, but the gods, whose living-place is not with flesh.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it is a hard thing that the king asketh, and there is none other that can declare it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.'

King James Version (1611)
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the King, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For it is a rare matter that the king requireth, neither is there any that can certifie the king therof, except the gods whose dwelling is not with fleshe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For the question which the king asks is difficult, and there is no one else who shall answer it before the king, but the gods, whose dwelling is not with any flesh.

English Revised Version
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

World English Bible
It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For the word which thou, kyng, axist, is greuouse, nether ony schal be foundun, that schal schewe it in the siyt of the king, outakun goddis, whos lyuyng is not with men.

Update Bible Version
And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Webster's Bible Translation
And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

New English Translation
What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods—but they don't live among mortals!"

New King James Version
It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

New Living Translation
The king's demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people."

New Life Bible
What the king asks is too hard. No one can do it for you except the gods, who do not live among men."

New Revised Standard
The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, the thing which the king hath asked, is difficult, and, none other, is there, who can declare it before the king, - saving the gods whose dwelling is, not with flesh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the thing that thou asketh, O king, is difficult: nor can any one be found that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.

Revised Standard Version
The thing that the king asks is difficult, and none can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

Young's Literal Translation
and the thing that the king is asking [is] precious, and others are there not that do shew it before the king, save the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.'

Contextual Overview

¹ In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. It worried him so much that he couldn't sleep, ² so he sent for his fortunetellers, magicians, sorcerers, and wizards to come and explain the dream to him. When they came and stood before the king, ³ he said to them, "I'm worried about a dream I've had. I want to know what it means." ⁴ They answered the king in Aramaic, "May Your Majesty live forever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you." ⁵ The king said to them, "I have made up my mind that you must tell me the dream and then tell me what it means. If you can't, I'll have you torn limb from limb and make your houses a pile of ruins. ⁶ But if you can tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honor. Now then, tell me what the dream was and what it means." ⁷ They answered the king again, "If Your Majesty will only tell us what the dream was, we will explain it." ⁸ At that, the king exclaimed, "Just as I thought! You are trying to gain time, because you see that I have made up my mind ⁹ to give all of you the same punishment if you don't tell me the dream. You have agreed among yourselves to go on telling me lies because you hope that in time things will change. Tell me what the dream was, and then I will know that you can also tell me what it means." ¹⁰ The advisers replied, "There is no one on the face of the earth who can tell Your Majesty what you want to know. No king, not even the greatest and most powerful, has ever made such a demand of his fortunetellers, magicians, and wizards.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and there: This was their decision, and when the living and true God, who indeed condescends to dwell with men, and who alone could reveal the dream and the secrets contained in it, actually made it known to Daniel, he evinced the infinite difference between Jehovah and his prophets, and the idols and magicians of Babylon. Daniel 2:27, Daniel 2:28, Daniel 5:11, Genesis 41:39, Exodus 8:19, Matthew 19:26

whose: Exodus 29:45, Numbers 35:34, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 6:18, Psalms 68:18, Psalms 113:5, Psalms 113:6, Psalms 132:14, Isaiah 8:18, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 66:1, Isaiah 66:2, Joel 3:21, John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 14:17, John 14:23, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Revelation 21:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 40:8 - Do not Exodus 8:18 - they could 2 Kings 5:7 - Amos I God Isaiah 41:28 - I beheld Daniel 2:22 - revealeth Daniel 4:8 - and in Acts 12:19 - commanded

Cross-References

Genesis 10:7
The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan.

Genesis 10:29
Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of them were descended from Joktan.

Genesis 25:18
The descendants of Ishmael lived in the territory between Havilah and Shur, to the east of Egypt on the way to Assyria. They lived apart from the other descendants of Abraham.

1 Samuel 15:7
Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it is a rare thing the king requireth, e.] Meaning not scarce, or seldom heard of for they had before asserted it never had been required; but that it was hard and difficult, yea, with them, and as they supposed with any other, impossible to be done:

and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh; these men own there was a God, though, they held, more than one; and the omniscience of God, though they seem to have no notion of his omnipresence; and to suggest as if he had no concern with mortals; had no regard to men on earth, nor communicated the knowledge of things unto them. Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Saadiah, interpret this of angels, who are incorporeal; but the superior deities of the Gentiles are rather designed; who were supposed to dwell in heaven, and to have no conversation with men on earth; these, it is owned, could declare to the king what he desired, and no other; and therefore should not persist in his demand on them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And it is a rare thing that the king requireth - Chaldee, יקירה yaqqı̂yrâh - meaning, “choice, valuable, costly;” then, “heavy, hard, difficult.” Greek, βαρύς barus. Vulgate, “gravis - heavy, weighty.” The idea is not so much that the thing demanded by the king was “uncommon” or “rarely made” - though that was true, as that it was so difficult as to be beyond the human powers. They would not have been likely on such an occasion to say that the requirement was absolutely unjust or unreasonable. The term which they used was respectful, and yet it implied that no man could have any hope of solving the question as it was proposed by him.

And there is none other that can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh - This was clearly true, that a matter of that kind could not be disclosed except by Divine assistance. It would seem from this that these persons did not claim to be inspired, or to have communication with the gods; or, at least, that they did not claim to be inspired by the Supreme God, but that they relied on their own natural sagacity, and their careful and long study of the meaning of those occurrences which prefigured future events, and perhaps on the mystic arts derived from their acquaintance with science as then understood. The word “gods” here - אלהין 'ĕlâhı̂yn, the same as the Hebrew אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym - is in the plural number, but might be applied to the true God, as the Hebrew אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym often is. It is by no means certain that they meant to use this in the plural, or to say that it was an admitted truth that the gods worshipped in Babylon did not dwell with people.

It was, undoubtedly, the common opinion that they did; that the temples were their abode; and that they frequently appeared among men, and took part in human affairs. But it was a very early opinion that the Supreme God was withdrawn from human affairs, and had committed the government of the world to intermediate beings - internuncii - demons, or aeons: beings of power far superior to that of men, who constantly mingled in human affairs. Their power, however, though great, was limited; and may not the Chaldeans here by the word אלהין 'ĕlâhı̂yn - have meant to refer to the Supreme God, and to say that this was a case which pertained to him alone; that no inferior divinity could be competent to do such a thing as he demanded; and that as the Supreme God did not dwell among men it was hopeless to attempt to explain the matter? Thus understood, the result will convey a higher truth, and will show more impressively the honor put on Daniel. The phrase, “whose dwelling is not with flesh,” means “with men - in human bodies.”

On the supposition that this refers to the Supreme God, this undoubtedty accords with the prevailing sentiment of those times, that however often the inferior divinities might appear to men, and assume human forms, yet the Supreme God was far removed, and never thus took up his abode on the earth. They could hope, therefore, for no communication from Him who alone would be competent to the solution, of such a secret as this. This may be regarded, therefore, as a frank confession of their entire failure in the matter under consideration. They acknowledged that “they” themselves were not competent to the solution of the question, and they expressed the opinion that the ability to do it could not be obtained from the help which the inferior gods rendered to men, and that it was hopeless to expect the Supreme God - far withdrawn from human affairs - to interpose. It was a public acknowledgment that their art failed on a most important trial, and thus the way was prepared to show that Daniel, under the teaching of the true God, was able to accomplish what was wholly beyond all human power.

The trial had been fairly made. The wisest men of the Chaldean realm had been applied to. They on whom reliance had been placed in such emergencies; they who professed to be able to explain the prognostics of future events; they who had been assembled at the most important and magnificent court of the world - the very center of Pagan power; they who had devoted their lives to investigations of this nature, and who might be supposed to be competent to such a work, if any on earth could, now openly acknowledged that their art failed them, and expressed the conviction that there was no resource in the case.