Daniel 12:3

Romanian Cornilescu Translation

Cei înţelepţi vor străluci ca strălucirea cerului, şi cei ce vor învăţa pe mulţi să umble în neprihănire vor străluci ca stelele, în veac şi în veci de veci.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they that be: Daniel 11:33, Daniel 11:35, Proverbs 11:30, Matthew 24:45, 1 Corinthians 3:10, 2 Peter 3:15

wise: or, teachers, Acts 13:1, Ephesians 4:11, Hebrews 5:12

shine: Proverbs 4:18, Matthew 13:43, Matthew 19:28, 1 Corinthians 15:40-42, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 Thessalonians 2:20, Revelation 1:20

turn: Jeremiah 23:22, Luke 1:16, Luke 1:17, John 4:36, Philippians 2:16, Philippians 2:17, James 5:19, James 5:20

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:35 - General Judges 5:31 - the sun Psalms 19:1 - the firmament Psalms 113:7 - out of Psalms 119:6 - shall I Psalms 150:1 - in the firmament Proverbs 3:35 - but Proverbs 4:8 - General Proverbs 14:18 - the prudent Daniel 12:13 - rest Obadiah 1:21 - saviours Malachi 2:6 - and did Malachi 2:9 - made Matthew 5:19 - great Matthew 22:29 - not Matthew 24:47 - That Luke 12:44 - that he will Luke 14:14 - the resurrection Luke 20:35 - to John 5:29 - come John 11:24 - I know 1 Corinthians 3:8 - and every 1 Corinthians 3:14 - General 1 Corinthians 15:42 - is 1 Peter 5:4 - a crown 2 John 1:8 - that we receive Revelation 1:16 - he had

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament,.... That are wise, not in things natural and civil, but in things spiritual; who are wise unto salvation; that are wise to know themselves, their state and condition by nature; their impurity and impotence; the insufficiency of their own righteousness; the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the dangerous circumstances they are in; that are wise to know Christ, and him crucified; to believe in him, and trust in him for everlasting life and salvation: these at the resurrection shall shine, both in body and soul; their bodies shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ; their souls shall be filled with perfect light and knowledge, and be completely holy, without any sin upon them; and this light and glory that will be upon both soul and body will be like the brightness of the heavens when the sun is risen; yea, it will be like the brightness and glory of the sun itself, as our Lord affirms; having, as it seems, respect to this passage, Matthew 13:43. Some render it, "they that instruct" i; or make others wise, and so restrain it to ministers of the word; but the more general sense is best; and, besides, they are more particularly described in the next clause:

and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever; or, "that justify many" k; that teach the doctrine of a sinner's free justification by the righteousness of Christ; that lead and direct souls sensible of sin, and of the weakness of their own righteousness, to the righteousness of Christ, as being that only which justifies before God; otherwise it is God alone that justifies men, by imputing the righteousness of his Son unto them: but these show men the way of justification, or that which God takes to justify sinners; and this being the principal doctrine of the GospeL, they are denominated from it; and no man deserves the name of a Gospel minister that does not preach it, though this is not all that they preach; they preach all other doctrines of the Gospel in connection with it, and also instruct men thus justified to live soberly, righteously, and godly: now, as these are stars in the church of Christ below, who receive their light from Christ the sun of righteousness, and communicate it to his people; so they will continue stars in the Millennium state, and appear exceeding glorious, having the glory of God and Christ upon them, and not only then, but to all eternity. These words are applied to the days of the Messiah by the Jews l.

i משכילים "erudiunt", Munster; "erudientes", Junius Tremellius "qui alios instituerint", Grotius. k מצדיקי "justificantes", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius "qui justificaverint", Calvin, Piscator. l Shemot Rabba sect. 15. fol. 102. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they that be wise - This is the language which, in the Scriptures, is employed to denote the pious, or those who serve God and keep his commandments. See the book of Proverbs, passim. True religion is wisdom, and sin is folly, and they who live for God and for heaven are the truly wise. The meaning is, that they have chosen the path which true wisdom suggests as that in which man should walk, while all the ways of sin are ways of folly. The language used here is expressive of a general truth, applicable in itself to all the righteous at all times, and nothing can be inferred from the term employed as to what was designed by the angel.

Shall shine as the brightness of the firmament - As the sky above us. The image is that of the sky at night, thick set with bright and beautiful stars. No comparison could be more striking. The meaning would seem to be, that each one of the righteous will be like a bright and beautiful star, and that, in their numbers, and order, and harmony, they would resemble the heavenly constellations at night. Nothing can be more sublime than to look on the heavens in a clear night, and to think of the number and the order of the stars above us as an emblem of the righteous in the heavenly world. The word rendered firmament means, properly, expanse, or what is spread out, and it is applied to the sky as it appears to be spread out above us.

And they that turn many to righteousness - Referring to those who would be instrumental in converting men to the worship of the true God, and to the ways of religion. This is very general language, and might be applied to any persons who have been the means of bringing sinners to the knowledge of the truth. It would apply in an eminent degree to ministers of the gospel who were successful in their work, and to missionaries among the pagan. From the mere language, however, nothing certain can be argued as to the original reference as used by the angel, and it seems to have been his intention to employ language so general that it might be applied to all, of all ages and countries, who would be instrumental in turning men to God.

As the stars - As the stars that are distinguished by their size and luster in the firmament. In the former part of the verse, when speaking of those who were “wise,” the design seems to be to compare them to the sky as it appears, set over with innumerable stars, and in their numbers and groupings constituting great beauty; in this member of the sentence the design seems to be to compare these who are eminent in converting men, to the particular beautiful and bright stars that strike us as we look on the heavens - those more distinguished in size and splendor, and that seem to lead on the others. The meaning is, that amidst the hosts of the saved they will be conspicuous, or they will be honored in proportion to their toils, their sacrifices, and their success.

Forever and ever - To all eternity. This refers to those who shall turn many to righteousness; and the meaning is, that they shall continue thus to be distinguished and honored to all eternity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 12:3. And they that be wise — Those who are thoroughly instructed in Christ's word and doctrine, shall shine - shall be eminently distinguished in the Christian Church by the holiness of their lives, and the purity of their creed.

And they that turn many to righteousness — They who, by preaching Christ crucified among their brethren, shall be the means of converting them to the Christian faith; shall be as the stars - bright luminaries in the Gospel kingdom of Jesus Christ. This also may be applied to the case of holy and useful men, particularly the faithful ministers of the Gospel, in the day of judgment. See the parallel texts in the margin, and the notes on them. (James 5:20; 1 Corinthians 15:41-42)