The Meaning of Daniel 2:11 Explained

Daniel 2:11

KJV: And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

YLT: and the thing that the king is asking is precious, and others are there not that do shew it before the king, save the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.'

Darby: For the thing that the king demandeth is extraordinary, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

ASV: And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [it is] a rare  thing  that the king  requireth,  and there is  none  other  that can shew  it before  the king,  except  the gods,  whose dwelling  is  not  with  flesh. 

What does Daniel 2:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 2:1-13 - The Forgotten Dream
This was the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's sole reign. At first he was joint-governor with his father. From Daniel 2:4 b to Daniel 7:28 the Syriac language is employed, and as this was the vernacular tongue of the king and his court, it is possible that this part of Daniel's record is based upon documents of state. The king's argument throughout his discussion with the magicians and astrologers, was that if they could not recall the past, they certainly could not be trusted to foretell the future; and the failure of the wise-men provided the opportunity for the greater triumph of the servant of God. The wise-men of Babylon said truly that only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, could recover lost dreams. Daniel thought so, too, only he looked to the Lord God of his fathers. Irresponsible power is a temptation to the ruler, and perilous to the ruled. No mortal should have despotic power over life and death. But a movement is afoot in our times which is likely to give to all nations what Abraham Lincoln described as, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 2

1  Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream,
5  requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats
10  They acknowledging their inability are judged to die
14  Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream
19  He blesses God
24  He staying the decree is brought to the king
31  The dream
36  The interpretation
46  Daniel's advancement

What do the individual words in Daniel 2:11 mean?

And thing that king the requests [it is] a difficult and other no [there] is who can tell it to king the except the gods whose dwelling with flesh not is
וּמִלְּתָ֨א דִֽי־ מַלְכָּ֤ה שָׁאֵל֙ יַקִּירָ֔ה וְאָחֳרָן֙ לָ֣א אִיתַ֔י דִּ֥י יְחַוִּנַּ֖הּ קֳדָ֣ם מַלְכָּ֑א לָהֵ֣ן אֱלָהִ֔ין דִּ֚י מְדָ֣רְה֔וֹן עִם־ בִּשְׂרָ֖א לָ֥א אִיתֽוֹהִי

וּמִלְּתָ֨א  And  thing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מִלָּה  
Sense: word, thing.
דִֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
מַלְכָּ֤ה  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
שָׁאֵל֙  requests 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שְׁאֵל  
Sense: to ask.
יַקִּירָ֔ה  [it  is]  a  difficult 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: יַקִּיר  
Sense: rare, noble, famous, difficult.
וְאָחֳרָן֙  and  other 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אָחֳרָן  
Sense: other, another.
לָ֣א  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
אִיתַ֔י  [there]  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אִיתַי  
Sense: there is, there are.
יְחַוִּנַּ֖הּ  can  tell  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: חֲוָה  
Sense: to show, interpret, explain, inform, tell, declare.
מַלְכָּ֑א  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
לָהֵ֣ן  except 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לָהֵן 
Sense: therefore.
אֱלָהִ֔ין  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
דִּ֚י  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
מְדָ֣רְה֔וֹן  dwelling 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מְדֹור  
Sense: dwelling place.
בִּשְׂרָ֖א  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בְּשַׂר  
Sense: flesh.