Daniel 1:20

Geneva Bible (1560)

And in all matters of wisedome, and vnderstanding that the King enquired of them, hee founde them tenne times better then all the inchanters and astrologians, 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 Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, & a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore, 30 And Salomons wisdome excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser then any man: yea, then were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about. 32 And Salomon spake three thousand prouerbs: and his songs were a thousand and fiue. 33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of foules, and of creeping thinges, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all people to heare the wisedome of Salomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisedome.
• Gen 31:7 : 7 But your father hath deceiued me, & changed my wages tenne times: but God suffred him not to hurt me.
• Gen 41:8 : 8 Nowe when the morning came, his spirit was troubled: therefore he sent and called all the soothsayers of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh tolde them his dreames: but none coulde interprete them to Pharaoh.
• Exod 7:22 : 22 And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Phraoh was hardened: so that he did not hearken vnto them, as the Lord had sayde.
• Exod 8:7 : 7 And the sorcerers did likewise with their sorceries, and brought frogges vp vpon the land of Egypt.
• Exod 8:19 : 19 Then saide the enchanters vnto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. But Pharaohs heart remained obstinate, and hee hearkened not vnto them, as the Lorde had said.
• Num 14:22 : 22 For all those men which haue seene my glory, and my miracles which I did in Egypt, and in the wildernes, and haue tempted me this ten times, and haue not obeyed my voyce,
• 1 Kgs 10:23-24 : 23 So King Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisedome. 24 And al the world sought to see Salomon, to heare his wisedome, which God had put in his heart,
• Neh 4:12 : 12 But when the Iewes (which dwelt beside them) came, they told vs ten times, From all places whece ye shal returne, they wil be vpon vs.
• Job 19:3 : 3 Ye haue now ten times reproched me, and are not ashamed: ye are impudent toward mee.
• Dan 2:13 : 13 And when sentence was giuen, the wise men were slayne: and they sought Daniel and his fellowes to be put to death.
• Isa 19:3 : 3 And the spirite of Egypt shall faile in the middes of her, and I will destroy their counsell, and they shall seeke at the idoles, and at the sorcerers, and at them that haue spirits of diuination, and at the southsayers.
• Isa 47:12-14 : 12 Stand now among thine inchanters, and in the multitude of thy southsaiers (with whome thou hast wearied thy selfe from thy youth) if so be thou maist haue profit, or if so be thou maist haue strength. 13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the starre gasers, and prognosticatours stand vp, & saue thee from these things, that shall come vpon thee. 14 Beholde, they shall be as stubble: the fire shall burne them: they shal not deliuer their owne liues from the power of the flame: there shalbe no coles to warme at, nor light to sit by.
• Dan 2:2-9 : 2 Then the King commaunded to call the inchanters, and the astrologians and the sorcerers, and the Caldeans for to shewe the King his dreames: so they came and 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 Then spake the Caldeans to the King in the Aramites language, O King, liue for euer: shewe thy seruants thy dreame, and wee shall shewe the interpretation. 5 And the King answered & sayd to the Caldeans, The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make me vnderstande the dreame with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be drawen in pieces, and your houses shall be made a iakes. 6 But if yee declare the dreame and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receyue of me gifts and rewardes, and great honour: therefore shewe me the dreame and the interpretation of it. 7 They answered againe, and sayde, Let the King shewe his seruantes the dreame, and wee will declare the interpretation thereof. 8 Then the King answered, and sayd, I knowe certeinly that ye would gaine the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not declare mee the dreame, there is but one iudgement for you: for ye haue prepared lying and corrupt wordes, to speake before me till the time bee changed: therefore tell me the dreame, that I may knowe, if yee can declare me the interpretation thereof. 10 Then the Caldeans answered before the King, and sayde, There is no man vpon earth that can declare the Kings matter: yea, there is neither king nor prince nor lorde that asked such things at an inchanter or astrologian or Caldean. 11 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.
• Dan 2:21 : 21 And hee changeth the times & seasons: he taketh away kings: he setteth vp kings: he giueth wisedome vnto the wise, and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand.
• Dan 2:27-28 : 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the King, and sayd, The secret which the King hath demanded, can neither the wise, the astrologians, the inchanters, nor the southsayers declare vnto the King. 28 But there is a God in heauen that reueileth secrets, and sheweth the King Nebuchad-nezzar what shall bee in the latter dayes. Thy dreame, and the things which thou hast seene in thine heade vpon thy bed, is this.
• Dan 4:7-9 : 7 (4:4) So came the inchanters, the astrologians, the Caldeans and the sothsayers, to whom I tolde the dreame, but they could not shew me the interpretation thereof, 8 (4:5) Till at the last Daniel came before mee, (whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, which hath the spirite of the holy gods in him) and before him I tolde the dreame, saying, 9 (4:6) O Belteshazzar, chiefe of the enchanters, because I know, that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell mee the visions of my dreame, that I haue seene and the interpretation thereof. 10 (4:7) Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; beholde, I sawe a tree in the middes of the earth and the height thereof was great: 11 (4:8) A great tree and strong, and the height thereof reached vnto heauen, and the sight thereof to the endes of all the earth. 12 (4:9) The boughes thereof were faire & the fruite thereof much, and in it was meate for all: it made a shadow vnder it for the beastes of the fielde, and the foules of the heauen dwelt in the boughes thereof, and all flesh fedde of it. 13 (4:10) I sawe in the visions of mine head vpon my bed, and beholde, a watchman and an holy one came downe from heauen, 14 (4:11) And cried aloude, and said thus, Hew downe the tree, and breake off his branches: shake off his leaues, and scatter his fruite, that the beastes may flee from vnder it, and the foules from his branches. 15 (4:12) Neuerthelesse leaue the stumpe of his rootes in the earth, and with a band of yron and brasse binde it among the grasse of the fielde, and let it be wet with the dewe of heauen, and let his portion be with the beastes among the grasse of the fielde. 16 (4:13) Let his heart be changed from mans nature, and let a beasts heart be giuen vnto him, and let seuen times be passed ouer him. 17 (4:14) The sentence is according to the decree of the watchmen, and according to the word of the holy ones: the demaunde was answered, to the intent that liuing men may knowe, that the most High hath power ouer the kingdome of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will, and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men. 18 (4:15) This is the dreame, that I King Nebuchad-nezzar haue seene: therefore thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof: for all the wisemen of my kingdome are not able to shewe mee the interpretation: but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
• Dan 5:7-8 : 7 Wherefore the King cryed loude, that they should bring the astrologians, the Caldeans and the soothsayers; the King spake, and sayd to the wise men of Babel, Whosoeuer can reade this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shalbe clothed with purple, and shall haue a chaine of golde about his necke, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdome. 8 Then came all the Kings wise men, but they could neither reade the writing, nor shewe the King the interpretation.
• Dan 5:17 : 17 Then Daniel answered, and sayd before the King, Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe, and giue thy giftes to another: yet I will reade the writing vnto the King, and shew him the interpretation.
• 2 Tim 3:8-9 : 8 And as Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moses, so doe these also resist the trueth, men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall preuaile no longer: for their madnesse shalbe euident vnto all men, as theirs also was.
• Ps 119:99 : 99 I haue had more vnderstading then all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
• Exod 7:11-12 : 11 Then Pharaoh called also for the wise men and sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like maner with their enchantmens, 12 For they cast downe euery man his rod, & they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rods.
• 1 Kgs 10:1-3 : 1 And the Queene of Sheba hearing ye fame of Salomon (concerning the Name of the Lord) came to proue him with hard questions. 2 And she came to Ierusalem with a verie great traine, and camels that bare sweete odours, and golde exceeding much, and precious stones: and shee came to Salomon, & communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Salomon declared vnto her all her questions: nothing was hid from the King, which he expounded not vnto her.