Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 1:20
And in all matters of wisdom [and] understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] astrologers that [were] in all his realm.
20. The king found further, upon putting to them difficult questions, that in a knowledge of the technicalities of their science the four Jewish youths excelled even the wise men of Babylon themselves.
and in every particular of reasoned wisdom ] lit. wisdom of understanding, i.e. wisdom determined or regulated by understanding, ‘wisdom’ having the same concrete sense of ‘science’ which it has in Dan 1:17. Marti, however, following Theod., reads ‘wisdom and understanding.’
magicians ] arummim, recurring in Dan 2:2; Dan 2:10; Dan 2:27, Dan 4:7; Dan 4:9, Dan 5:7, probably of Egyptian origin (though not at present known to occur in Egyptian inscriptions), used otherwise only of the ‘magicians’ of Egypt (Gen 41:8; Gen 41:24; Exo 7:11; Exo 7:22; Exo 8:7; Exo 8:18-19; Exo 9:11), and no doubt borrowed from the Pent. by the author of Daniel. The precise sense of the term is difficult to fix. It is not improbable that originally it denoted the sacred scribes ( ) [186] of Egypt; but, even if this opinion be accepted, it is doubtful how far the idea was consciously present to the Hebrews who in later times used the word. In Gen. the arummim appear as interpreters of dreams (LXX. ), in Ex. as men able to work magic (LXX. , in Dan 9:11 ): Theod. in Dan. renders by . Probably the word was used by the author of Daniel in the sense of men acquainted with occult arts in general, so that the rendering ‘magician’ may be allowed to stand.
[186] Clem. Alex. Strom. vi. 36; cf. Ebers, Aeg. u. die Bb. Mose’s, pp. 343, 347. On the functions of these sacred scribes, and the nature of the literature with which they had to deal (which included a knowledge of magic and charms), see Brugsch, Aegyptologie (1891), pp. 77, 85, 149 159.
astrologers ] enchanters, Heb. ’ashshph, Aram. ’shaph, found only in the Book of Daniel (Dan 2:2; Dan 2:10; Dan 2:27, Dan 4:4, Dan 5:7; Dan 5:11; Dan 5:15), the Assyrian ashipu (Schrader, KAT [187][188] ad loc), which passed also into Syriac, where it is used specially of the charmers of serpents.
[187] AT. Eb. Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das A. T., ed. 2, 1883 (translated under the title The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the O.T. 1885, 1888). The references are to the pagination of the original, which is given on the margin of the English translation.
[188] Eb. Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das A. T., ed. 2, 1883 (translated under the title The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the O.T. 1885, 1888). The references are to the pagination of the original, which is given on the margin of the English translation.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding – Margin, of. The Hebrew is, Everything of wisdom of understanding. The Greek, In all things of wisdom and knowledge. The meaning is, in everything which required peculiar wisdom to understand and explain it. The points submitted were such as would appropriately come before the minds of the sages and magicians who were employed as counselors at court.
He found them ten times better – Better counselors, better informed. Hebrew, ten hands above the magicians; that is, ten times, or many times. In this sense the word ten is used in Gen 31:7, Gen 31:41; Num 14:22; Neh 4:12; Job 19:3. They greatly surpassed them.
Than all the magicians – Greek, tous epaoidous. The Greek word means, those singing to; then those who propose to heal the sick by singing; then those who practice magical arts or incantations – particularly with the idea of charming with songs; and then those who accomplish anything surpassing human power by mysterious and supernatural means. – Passow. The Hebrew word ( charetummym), occurs only in the following places in the Scriptures, in all of which it is rendered magicians: – Gen 41:8, Gen 41:24; Exo 7:11, Exo 7:22; Exo 8:7 (3), 18 (14), 19 (15); Exo 9:11; Dan 1:20; Dan 2:2. From this it appears that it applied only to the magicians in Egypt and in Babylon, and doubtless substantially the same class of persons is referred to. It is found only in the plural number, perhaps implying that they formed companies, or that they were always associated together, so that different persons performed different parts in their incantations.
The word is defined by Gesenius to mean, Sacred scribes, skilled in the sacred writings or hieroglyphics – hierogrammateis – a class of Egyptian priests. It is, according to him (Lex.), of Hebrew origin, and is derived from cheret, stylus – an instrument of writing, and the formative (m). It is not improbable, he suggests, that the Hebrews with these letters imitated a similar Egyptian word. Prof. Stuart (in loc.) says that the word would be correctly translated pen-men, and supposes that it originally referred to those who were busied with books and writing, and skilled in them. It is evident that the word is not of Persian origin, since it was used in Egypt long before it occurs in Daniel. A full and very interesting account of the Magians and their religion may be found in Creuzer, Mythologie und Symbolik, i. pp. 187-234. Herodotus mentions the Magi as a distinct people, i. 101.
The word Mag or Mog (from the magoi of the Greeks, and the magi of the Romans) means, properly, a priest; and at a very early period the names Chaldeans and Magi were interchangeable, and both were regarded as of the same class. – Creuzer, i. 187, note. They were doubtless, at first, a class of priests among the Medes and Persians, who were employed, among other things, in the search for wisdom; who were connected with pagan oracles; who claimed acquaintance with the will of the gods, and who professed to have the power, therefore, of making known future events, by explaining dreams, visions, preternatural appearances, etc. The Magi formed one of the six tribes into which the Medes were formerly divided (Herodotus, i. 101), but on the downfall of the Median empire they continued to retain at the court of the conqueror a great degree of power and authority. The learning of the Magi was connected with astrology and enchantment, in which they were so celebrated that their name was applied to all orders of magicians and enchanters. – Anthon, Class. Dic. These remarks may explain the reason why the word magician comes to be applied to this class of men, though we are not to suppose that the persons referred to in Genesis and Exodus, under the appellation of the Hebrew name there given to them ( charetummym), or those found in Babylon, referred to in the passage before us, to whom the same name is applied, were of that class of priests.
The name magi, or magician, was so extended as to embrace all who made pretensions to the kind of knowledge for which the magi were distinguished, and hence, came also to be synonymous with the Chaldeans, who were also celebrated for this. Compare the notes at Dan 2:2. In the passage before us it cannot be determined with certainty, that the persons were of Magian origin, though it is possible, as in Dan 2:2, they are distinguished from the Chaldeans. All that is certainly meant is, that they were persons who laid claim to the power of diving into future events; of explaining mysteries; of interpreting dreams; of working by enchantments, etc.
And astrologers – – ha’ashapym. This word is rendered by the Septuagint, magous, magians. So also in the Vulgate, magos. The English word astrologer denotes one who professes to foretell future events by the aspects and situation of the stars. – Webster. The Hebrew word – ‘ashapym – according to Gesenius, means enchanters, magicians. It is derived, probably, from the obsolete root ‘ashap, to cover, to conceal, and refers to those who were devoted to the practice of occult arts, and to the cultivation of recondite and cabalistic sciences. It is supposed by some philologists to have given rise, by dropping the initial to the Greek sophos, wise, wise man, and the Persian sophi, an epithet of equivalent import. See Gesenius on the word, and compare Bush on Dan 2:2. The word is found only in Daniel, Dan 1:20; Dan 2:2, Dan 2:10, Dan 2:27; Dan 4:7 (4); Dan 5:7, Dan 5:11, Dan 5:15, in every instance rendered astrologer and astrologers. There is no evidence, however, that the science of astrology enters into the meaning of the word, or that the persons referred to attempted to pracrise divination by the aid of the stars. It is to be regretted that the term astrologer should have been employed in our translation, as it conveys an intimation which is not found in the original. It is, indeed, in the highest degree probable, that a part of their pretended wisdom consisted in their ability to cast the fates of men by the conjunctions and opposition of the stars, but this is not necessarily implied in the word. Prof. Stuart renders it enchanters.
In all his realm – Not only in the capital, but throughout the kingdom. These arts were doubtless practiced extensively elsewhere, but it is probable that the most skillful in them would be assembled at the capital.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Magicians and astrologers] Probably the same as philosophers and astronomers among us.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is a further confirmation of the kings noble endowments of mind, and of his great care whom he chose to be in offices of trust; namely, persons excellently qualified to serve him in the great affairs of the kingdom, not to serve his lusts by them for base jobs, for which men of no abilities or honour are usually chosen.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. ten timesliterally, “tenhands.”
magiciansproperly,”sacred scribes, skilled in the sacred writings, a class ofEgyptian priests” [GESENIUS];from a Hebrew root, “a pen.” The word in our EnglishVersion, “magicians,” comes from mag, that is,”a priest.” The Magi formed one of the six divisions of theMedes.
astrologersHebrew,“enchanters,” from a root, “to conceal,”pactisers of the occult arts.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them,…. At the time of their examination before him, when he put questions to them, which they gave a ready, pertinent, and solid answer to: and afterwards, when he had occasion to consult them on any affair,
he found them ten times, or ten hands g better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm; than all the magi and sophies, the enchanters, diviners, soothsayers, and such who pretended to judicial astrology, and to judge of and foretell things by the position of the stars; these young men were able to give more pertinent answers to questions put to them, and better advice and counsel when asked of them, than all the persons before described, throughout the king’s dominions.
g “decem manibus”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Dan 1:20. Magicians and astrologers These names may perhaps be taken in a good sense, as the wise men in St. Matthew; and the astrologers perhaps were then in general the same as astronomers with us. However, it cannot be collected from these words, that Daniel applied himself to the study of magic arts; but to the sciences of the Chaldees; in the same manner as Moses, long before, had applied himself to the study of the wisdom of Egypt. See Houbigant. The word ashaphim, rendered astrologers, possibly, says Parkhurst, might be derived from neshep, to breathe, on account of the divine inspirations that they pretended to. Others have given a different account of the word: tzapha, or sapha, as the Assyrians and Babylonians commonly speak it, signifies to speculate, look about, inquire nicely; which being part of the office of the prophets, they were called zophim. For the same cause, such as spent their time in contemplating the works of nature, the situation of the stars, and their influence on the earth, as the magi (by which word, except in one place, the LXX render ashaphim,) and astrologers did, were named assaphim at Babylon; as much as to say, contemplative men. See Vindic. of Defence, chap. 1: sect. 2.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Dan 1:20 And in all matters of wisdom [and] understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] astrologers that [were] in all his realm.
Ver. 20. And in all matters of wisdom. ] God will honour them that honour him: his gifts and graces he giveth to pure souls, and according to their study of purity, as to Daniel chiefly.
He found them ten times better.
a Mr Fuller.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
magicians and astrologers. See notes on Dan 2:2. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read this “and” in the text.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
in all: 1Ki 4:29-34, 1Ki 10:1-3, 1Ki 10:23, 1Ki 10:24, Psa 119:99
wisdom and understanding: Heb. wisdom of understanding
ten: Gen 31:7, Num 14:22, Neh 4:12, Job 19:3
the magicians: Dan 2:2-11, Dan 2:21-23, Dan 4:7, Dan 4:8-18, Dan 5:7, Dan 5:8, Dan 5:17, Gen 41:8, Exo 7:11, Exo 7:12, Exo 7:22, Exo 8:7, Exo 8:19, Isa 19:3, Isa 47:12-14, 2Ti 3:8, 2Ti 3:9
Reciprocal: Deu 4:6 – Surely 1Sa 18:30 – behaved himself 1Ki 4:30 – the children Ezr 8:18 – a man of understanding Isa 44:25 – maketh Eze 28:3 – thou art Dan 2:13 – and they Dan 4:9 – master
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 1:20. There is very little difference between the meaning of wisdom and understanding. The latter could be regarded as knowledge and the former as the ability to use the knowledge rightly. Dike the two words italicized above, the words magicians and astrologers differ very little in their meaning. They both refer to persons who pretend to acquire knowledge of the past, present and future by the relative position of the stars either to each other, or to men and things on the earth. The wisdom manifested by Daniel and his tree companions was ten times better than that possessed by all the socalled wise men of Babylon.