Daniel 2:48
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. | Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. | Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedAfter Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar his dream and its meaning, the king kept the promise he had made in 2:6. He raised Daniel to high rank, gave him gifts, and set him over the province of Babylon and over all its wise men. These were the same wise men who had been sentenced to death a few verses earlier. Daniel 2:48Daniel 2:6Daniel 2:12Daniel 2:13
SpeakingThe narrator tells this part of the book about Daniel in the third person. Chapters 1-6 speak of him this way, while chapters 7-12 use "I Daniel." Daniel overview
ToThe book is written for God's people in exile and after it. Daniel overview
Also involvedDaniel, a captive from Judah, is the one honored. The wise men of Babylon are now placed under him. Earlier he had told Arioch, the captain sent to kill them, "Destroy not the wise men of Babylon" (2:24). Daniel 2:25Daniel 2:24Daniel 2:48
Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel great, gave him many gifts, made him ruler of the province of Babylon, and made him chief of the prefects over the wise men. Later passages remember him as "master of the magicians" (4:9) and say Nebuchadnezzar gave him that post (5:11). Joseph's rise in Egypt is a close parallel: Pharaoh saw that God had shown him the meaning and "made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:39, 43). Daniel 2:48Daniel 4:9Daniel 5:11Genesis 41:39Genesis 41:43
The scene is the king's court in Babylon, the capital of Babylonia on the Euphrates. Daniel was given rule over the whole province of Babylon, and the next verse says he "sat in the gate of the king." Strong's H0895Babylon 1Daniel 2:25Daniel 2:48Daniel 2:49
The eventsThese events took place in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, right after Daniel explained the dream. Daniel 2:1Daniel 2:46Daniel 2:47
WrittenTraditional view: Daniel wrote the book in the 500s BC. Scholarly view: many critical scholars date its final form to about 167-164 BC, while others keep the traditional date. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows the king's response to God's revelation. He had just confessed that Daniel's God is "a God of gods, and a Lord of kings" (2:47). Daniel himself said the secret came from God, not from his own wisdom (2:28, 30). Daniel 2:47Daniel 2:28Daniel 2:30
In the whole of ScriptureThe God who "removeth kings, and setteth up kings" (2:21) also lifts up his servant in a foreign court. Daniel went on to serve Babylonian and then Persian kings. Belshazzar later made him "third ruler in the kingdom" (5:29). Daniel 2:21Daniel overviewDaniel 5:29
For readersFor God's people living under foreign rulers, the account shows a faithful servant who gave God the credit. That servant was then placed where he could serve, and he used his position to help his friends (2:49). Daniel overviewDaniel 2:30Daniel 2:49
- made greatרְבָה
The verb means "to grow great," and in this form "to make great." The king raised Daniel's standing, which fulfilled the "great honour" he had promised in 2:6. Strong's H7236Daniel 2:6
- governors (prefects)סְגַן
The word means prefect or governor. Daniel was made chief of these officials over the wise men, not only a leading wise man himself. Strong's H5460Daniel 2:48
- wise menחַכִּים
This is the same group the king had ordered destroyed in 2:12-13. Daniel had told Arioch, "Destroy not the wise men of Babylon" (2:24), and now he is placed over them. Strong's H2445Daniel 2:12Daniel 2:13Daniel 2:24
Takeaway
Daniel's promotion was the king's response to a secret that God, not Daniel, had revealed. It shows the God who sets up kings raising up a faithful captive in a foreign land, much as he did with Joseph in Egypt. Daniel 2:28Daniel 2:21Daniel 2:48Genesis 41:43
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Where
- Babylon 1 settlementMapAbout this place
Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.
Original Aramaic words
This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.
| English | Aramaic | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| then | אֱדַ֨יִן | 'e-DA-yin | H0116 | thenאֱדַ֫יִן (e.da.yin) then, afterwards, thereupon, from that time Aramaic of az (אָז "then" H0227A) |
| king the | מַלְכָּ֜א | mal-KA' | H4430 | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king |
| obj. Daniel | לְדָנִיֵּ֣אל | le-da-ni-YEL | H1841H | Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵל (da.niy.yel) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.8.2 § Daniel = "God is my judge" 1) the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel 1a) also, 'Belteshazzar' (H01095 or H01096) |
| he made great | רַבִּ֗י | ra-BI | H7236 | to grow greatרְבָה (re.vah) 1) to grow great 1a) (P'al) to grow long, grow tall and large, grow great, increase 1b) (Pael) to make great |
| and gifts | וּמַתְּנָ֨ן | u-ma-te-NAN | H4978 | giftמַתְּנָא (mat.t.na) gift Aramaic of mat.ta.nah (מַתָּנָה "gift" H4979) |
| great | רַבְרְבָ֤ן | rav-re-VAN | H7260 | greatרַבְרַב (rav.rav) adj 1) great 1a) great 1b) great (fig. of power) n 2) captain, chief |
| many | שַׂגִּיאָן֙ | sa-gi-'AN | H7690 | greatlyשַׂגִּיא (sag.gi) adj 1) great, much 1a) great 1b) much, many adv 2) exceedingly |
| he gave | יְהַב־ | ye-hav- | H3052 | to giveיְהַב (ye.hav) 1) to give, provide 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to give 1a2) to place, lay (foundations) 1b) (Hithp'al) 1b1) to be given 1b2) to be paid |
| and he made ruler him | וְהַ֨שְׁלְטֵ֔הּ | ve-HASH-le-TEH | H7981 | to ruleשְׁלֵט (she.let) 1) to have power, rule, domineer, rule over 1a) (P'al) have power upon or over, rule, fall upon, assault, be ruler 1b) (Aphel) make ruler |
| over | עַ֖ל | 'al | H5922 | sinceעַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction) |
| all | כָּל־ | kol- | H3606 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, whole, the whole 1a) the whole of, all 1b) every, any, none |
| [the] province of | מְדִינַ֣ת | me-di-NAT | H4083 | provinceמְדִינָה (me.di.nah) district, province Aramaic of me.di.nah (מְדִינָה "province" H4082) |
| Babylon | בָּבֶ֑ל | ba-VEL | H0895 | Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶל (ba.vel) Aramaic of ba.vel (בָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶל "Babylon" H0894) § Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)" Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates |
| and chief of | וְרַב־ | ve-rav- | H7229 | greatרַב (rav) adj 1) great 1a) great 1b) great (fig of power) n 2) captain, chief |
| prefects | סִגְנִ֔ין | sig-NIN | H5460 | prefectסְגַן (se.gan) prefect, governor Aramaic of sa.gan (סָגָן "ruler" H5461) |
| over | עַ֖ל | 'al | H5922 | sinceעַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction) |
| all | כָּל־ | kol- | H3606 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, whole, the whole 1a) the whole of, all 1b) every, any, none |
| [the] wise men of | חַכִּימֵ֥י | cha-ki-MEI | H2445 | wiseחַכִּים (chak.kim) wise man, wise |
| Babylon | בָבֶֽל׃ | va-VEL | H0895 | Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶל (ba.vel) Aramaic of ba.vel (בָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶל "Babylon" H0894) § Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)" Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.