Daniel's Prayer of Thanksgiving
P. H. Hunter. Daniel 2:20-23 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:… Such a prayer sheds a flood of light upon the character of the man who utters it. It was addressed to the "God of Heaven," and that title has a peculiar significance when the facts of Daniel's history are taken into account. He had been brought up among an idolatrous people, who worshipped "gods many and lords many," the sun, moon, and planets, and a host of inferior deities. Despite these influences he had kept untainted the faith of his fathers, God was for him the God, the true, the only existing; and He was "the God of Heaven," the Almighty Ruler who had fashioned that mighty host of stars which the Chaldeans adored, and had traced out those courses from which they professed to gain their knowledge of the future. As regards the prayer itself, it will be observed how an ascription of praise both begins and ends it, as with that prayer which the Saviour taught. He "changeth the times and seasons" — not conjunctions of the planets. He "removeth kings and setteth up kings"— not human ambitions and earthly armies. He "giveth wisdom to the wise "— not the exponents of Chaldean lore. He "revealeth the deep and secret things" — not the astrologers and diviners that call on heathen gods. There is a kind of subdued triumph in the prayer, a spirit of exultation in its language, without any alloy of mere mortal pride, but beseeming one who had trusted so fully and been rewarded so richly. (P. H. Hunter.) Parallel Verses KJV: Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: WEB: Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.