Daniel 1:20

Bishops' Bible (1568)

In all matters of wysdome and vnderstanding that the king enquired of them, he founde them ten times better then all the wyse men and soothsayers that were in all his realme.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְכֹ֗ל דְּבַר֙ חָכְמַ֣ת בִּינָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בִּקֵּ֥שׁ מֵהֶ֖ם הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַֽיִּמְצָאֵ֞ם עֶ֣שֶׂר יָד֗וֹת עַ֤ל כָּל־הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙ הָֽאַשָּׁפִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּכָל־מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃

Transliteration

and-every dəbhar ḥokhmath bînāh ʾăsher-biqqēsh from-them the-melekh wayyimtsāʾēm ten yādhôth above all-the-ḥarṭummîm the-ʾashshāphîm ʾăsher in-all-malkhûthô

Grammar Details

• *dəbhar*: noun masculine singular construct - matter of
• *ḥokhmath*: noun feminine singular construct - wisdom of
• *bînāh*: noun feminine singular - understanding
• *ʾăsher*: relative pronoun - who
• *biqqēsh*: piel perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he sought
• *melekh*: noun masculine singular with definite article - the king
• *wayyimtsāʾēm*: qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix - and he found them
• *yādhôth*: noun feminine plural - hands/times
• *ḥarṭummîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article - the magicians
• *ʾashshāphîm*: noun masculine plural with definite article - the enchanters/astrologers
• *malkhûthô*: noun feminine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his kingdom

Word Meanings

• *dəbhar ḥokhmath bînāh*: matter of wisdom and understanding/question requiring wisdom
• *biqqēsh*: sought/inquired/asked
• *wayyimtsāʾēm*: and he found them/and he discovered them
• *ʿeśer yādhôth*: ten times/tenfold
• *ḥarṭummîm*: magicians/diviners/dream interpreters
• *ʾashshāphîm*: enchanters/astrologers/conjurers
• *malkhûthô*: his kingdom/his realm/his domain

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 4:29-34 : 29 And God gaue Solomon wysdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, and a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomons wysdome excelled the wysedome of all the children of the east countrey, and al the wisdome of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser then al men, yea then Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda the sonnes of Mahol: And his name was spoken of throughout all nations on euery syde. 32 And Solomon spake three thousande prouerbes: And his songes were a thousande and fiue. 33 And he spake of trees, euen from the Cedar tree that groweth in Libanon, vnto the Isope that springeth out of the wall: He spake also of beastes, of foules, of wormes, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all nations to heare the wysdome of Solomon, and from all kinges of the earth, which had heard of his wysdome.
• Gen 31:7 : 7 But your father hath deceaued me, and chaunged my wages ten tymes: but God suffred hym not to hurt me.
• Gen 41:8 : 8 And when the mornyng came, his spirite was troubled, and he sent and called for all the southsayers of Egypt, and all the wyse men thereof: and Pharao tolde them his dreame, but there was none of them that coulde interprete it vnto Pharao.
• Exod 7:22 : 22 And the enchaunters of Egypt dyd lykewyse with their sorceries, and he heardened Pharaos heart, neyther did he hearken vnto them, as the Lorde had sayde.
• Exod 8:7 : 7 And the sorcerers did likewise with their sorcerie, and brought frogges vp vpon the lande of Egypt.
• Exod 8:19 : 19 Then said the enchaunters vnto Pharao: this is the finger of God. And Pharaos heart remayned obstinate, and he hearkened not vnto them, euen as the Lorde had sayde.
• Num 14:22 : 22 But all those men whiche haue seene my glory, and my miracles whiche I did in Egypt and in the wildernesse, and haue tempted me nowe this ten tymes, and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce:
• 1 Kgs 10:23-24 : 23 And so king Solomon exceeded al the kinges of the earth both in ryches and wysdome. 24 And all the worlde resorted to Solomon, to heare his wysdome which God had put in his heart:
• Neh 4:12 : 12 But when the Iewes which dwelt beside them, came, they told vs as good as ten times, that in all places where ye go vnto, they are appoynted to fal vpon vs.
• Job 19:3 : 3 Lo, ten times haue ye reproched me, and are not ashamed, but haue laughed me to scorne.
• Dan 2:13 : 13 So the decree went foorth, and the wise men were slayne: they sought also to slay Daniel, with his companions.
• Isa 19:3 : 3 The mynde also of Egypt shalbe cleane without counsayle within it selfe, and the deuice that they take wil I destroy: and they shall seke counsayle at idols and at sorcerers, at workers with spirites, and at soothsayers.
• Isa 47:12-14 : 12 Nowe go to thy coniurers, and to the multitude of thy witches with whom thou hast weeryed thy selfe from thy youth, if thei may helpe thee or strength thee. 13 Thou hast hitherto had many counsayles of them: So let the heauen gasers, and the beholders of starres, and moone prophetes, come on now and deliuer thee, yea and let them shew when these new thinges shal come vpon thee. 14 Beholde, they shalbe lyke strawe, whiche if it be kindeled with fire, no man may rid it for the vehemencie of the flambe, and yet it geueth no finders to warme a man by, nor cleare fire to sit by.
• Dan 2:2-9 : 2 Then the king commaunded to cal the wise men, and soothsayers, & sorcerers, and the Chaldees, for to shew the king his dreame: So they came, & stoode before the king. 3 And the king sayde vnto them: I haue dreamed a dreame, and my spirite was troubled to knowe the dreame. 4 Upon this the Chaldees aunswered the king in the Syrians speache, O king, God saue thy life for euer: Shewe thy seruauntes the dreame, and we shal shewe the interpretation. 5 The king aunswered and sayde to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone fro me: If ye will not make me vnderstand the dreame with the interpretation therof, ye shall be drawne in peeces, & your houses made a lakes. 6 But if ye tell me the dreame and the interpretation therof, ye shall receaue of me giftes, rewardes, and great honour, therefore shewe me the dreame and the interpretation therof. 7 They aunswered againe, and said: The king must shewe his seruauntes the dreame, and so shal we declare the interpretation therof. 8 Then the king aunswered, saying: I perceaue of a trueth that ye would redeeme the time, for so much as ye see the thing is gone fro me. 9 Therfore if ye wil not tel me the dreame, this is your only purpose, ye haue prepared liyng & corrupt wordes to speake before me, til the time be chaunged: therfore tell me the dreame, that I may knowe that ye can declare me the interpretation therof. 10 Upon this the Chaldees gaue aunswere before the king, and sayde: There is no man vpon earth that can tell the thing which the king speaketh of, yea there is neither king, prince, nor lorde, that euer asked such thinges at a wyse man, soothsayer, or Chaldean. 11 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.
• Dan 2:21 : 21 He chaungeth the times and seasons, he taketh away kinges, he setteth vp kinges: he geueth wysdome vnto the wyse, and vnderstanding to those that vnderstande.
• Dan 2:27-28 : 27 Daniel aunswered in the presence of the king, and sayd: As for this secrete for the whiche the king maketh inquisition, there can neither the men of vnderstanding, nor soothsayers, nor the wyse men, nor readers of destinies declare it vnto the king: 28 But there is a God in heauen that reuealeth secretes, & sheweth the king Nabuchodonozor what is for to come in the latter dayes. Thy dreame and that whiche thou hast seene in thyne head vpon thy bed, is this.
• Dan 4:7-9 : 7 So came the wyse men, the soothsayers, the Chaldeans, and wisardes: to whom I tolde the dreame, but they coulde not shewe me the interpretation therof. 8 Till at the last Daniel came before me (whose name was Baltassar, according to the name of my God) which hath the spirite of the holy gods in hym, & before him I tolde the dreame, saying: 9 O Baltassar, thou prince of wyse men, forsomuch as I knowe that thou hast the spirite of the holy gods, & no secrete troubleth thee: tell me therefore the visions of my dreame that I haue seene, and the interpretation therof. 10 Thus were the visions of my head vpon my bed: And behold, I saw a tree in the mids of the earth, and the heyght therof was great, 11 A great tree and strong, and the heyght therof reached vnto the heauen, and the sight thereof to the endes of all the earth. 12 The leaues therof were fayre, and the fruite therof much, and in it was meate for all: the beastes of the fielde had shadowes vnder it, and the foules of the aire dwelt in the bowes therof: al fleshe fed of it. 13 I sawe in the visions of my head vpon my bed, and beholde a watcher and a holy one came downe from heauen, 14 And cryed mightily, saying thus: Hew downe the tree, breake of his braunches, shake of his leaues, & scatter his fruite abroade: that the beastes may get them away from vnder hym, and the foules from his braunches. 15 Neuerthelesse, leaue the stumpe of his rootes still in the earth, and with a band of iron and brasse binde it among the grasse of the fielde, & let it be wet with the deawe of heauen, and let his portion be with the beastes among the grasse of the fielde. 16 Let his heart be chaunged from mans nature and let a beastes heart be geued vnto hym, and let seuen times be passed ouer hym. 17 This sentence is according to the decree of the watchers, and the request according to the word of the holy ones: because liuing men should knowe that the hyghest hath power ouer the kingdome of men, and geueth it to whom it liketh hym, and setteth vp ouer it the basese among men. 18 This is the dreame that I king Nabuchodonozor haue seene: therfore thou, O Baltassar, declare the interpretation therof, forsomuch as al the wyse men of my kingdome are not able to shewe me what it meaneth: but thou canst do it, for the spirite of the holy gods is in thee.
• Dan 5:7-8 : 7 Wherfore the king cryed mightyly, that they should bring the soothsayers, Chaldees, & wysardes: the king spake also to the wise men of Babylon, & said, Who so can reade this wryting, & shewe me the interpretation thereof, shalbe clothed with purple, and haue a cheyne of golde about his necke, and shalbe the third ruler in the kingdome. 8 Upon this came al the kinges wise men, but they coulde neither reade the wryting, nor shewe the king the interpretation.
• Dan 5:17 : 17 Then Daniel aunswered, and sayd before the king, As for thy rewardes, kepe them to thy selfe, and geue thy giftes to another: yet I wil reade the writing vnto the king, and shewe him the interpretation.
• 2 Tim 3:8-9 : 8 For as Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moyses, so do these also resist the trueth: Men of corrupt myndes, reprobate concernyng the fayth: 9 But they shall preuayle no longer. For their madnesse shalbe manifest vnto all men as also theirs was.
• Ps 119:99 : 99 I am able to geue better instruction then all they that were my teachers: for thy testimonies are my study.
• Exod 7:11-12 : 11 Then Pharao called for the wyse men, and enchaunters: and those sorcerers of Egypt dyd in like maner with their sorcerie. 12 For they cast downe euery man his rod, and they turned to serpentes: but Aarons rodde did eate vp their roddes.
• 1 Kgs 10:1-3 : 1 And the queene of Saba hearing the fame of Solomon (concerning the name of the Lord) came to proue him with harde questions. 2 And she came to Hierusalem with a verie great trayne, with camels that bare sweete odours, and gold exceeding much, & precious stones: And she came to Solomon, and communed with him of al that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon declared vnto her all her questions, so that there was not one thing hyd from the king whiche he expounded not vnto her.