Daniel 12:10 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Daniel 12:10
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
abundant (in quantity · adjective, masculine plural absolute
purified
יִ֠תְבָּֽרֲרוּYit.ba.ra.ru
H1305
to clarify (i.e. brighten) · verb, hithpael imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
white
וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּve.yit.la.be.Nu
H3835
to be (or become) white · conjunction + verb, hithpael, 3rd person masculine plural
tried
וְיִצָּֽרְפוּ֙ve.yi.tza.re.Fu
H6884
to fuse (metal) · conjunction + verb, niphal, 3rd person masculine plural
wicked
רְשָׁעִ֔יםre.sha.'Im
H7563
morally wrong · noun, common masculine plural absolute
wickedly
וְהִרְשִׁ֣יעוּve.hir.Shi.'u
H7561
to be (causatively · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
wicked
רְשָׁעִ֑יםre.sha.'Im
H7563
morally wrong · noun, common masculine plural absolute
understand
יָבִ֖ינוּya.Vi.nu
H995
to separate mentally (or distinguish) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
wise
וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִ֖יםve.ha.mas.ki.Lim
H7919
to be (causatively · conjunction + definite article + verb, hiphil active participle, masculine plural absolute
understand
יָבִֽינוּya.Vi.nu
H995
to separate mentally (or distinguish) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous…
Daniel 11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is…
Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall w…
John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be save…
Revelation 9:20-21 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship de…
Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
Isaiah 32:6-7 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to mak…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Daniel 12:5–end
Daniel had been made to foresee the amazing revolutions of states and kingdoms, as far as the Israel of God was concerned in them; in them he foresaw troublous times to the church, suffering trying times, the prospect of which much affected him and filled him with concern. Now there were two questions proper to be asked upon this head: - When shall the end be? And, What shall the end be? These two questions are asked and answered here, in the close of the book; and though the comforts prescribed in the foregoing verses, one would think, were satisfactory enough, yet, for more abundant satisfaction, this is added.
I. The question, When shall the end be? is asked by an angel, Dan 12:5, Dan 12:…
There is no need of a fuller explanation as to the time; for when the predictions so far given shall have come to pass, the godly shall be "purified" by the foretold trials and shall understand that the end is at hand; but the wicked shall not understand, and so shall rush on to their own ruin (Dan 11:33-35) [MAURER]. The "end" is primarily, of Antiochus' persuasion; antitypically, the end of Antichrist's. It is the very clearness in the main which renders necessary the obscurity. The fulfilment of God's decree is not a mere arithmetical problem which the profane may understand by arithmetical calculations, but a holy enigma to stimulate to a faithful observance of God's ways, and to a dilig…
Many shall be purified - During the interim, the great work of God's providence and grace shall be carried on in the salvation of men; who, in the midst of trials, temptations, and difficulties, shall be purified and made white - be fully saved from their sins.
None of the wicked shall understand - Because they are wicked, and will continue in their sins, the eyes of their understanding shall be closed, and their hearts hardened; so that they shall not see the light of the glorious Gospel.
But the wise - Those who open their hearts to God, that he may pour in his light, shall understand the things that make for their peace.
The Church Fathers
They maintain that Daniel also set forth the same thing when he begged of the angels explanations of the parables, as being himself ignorant of them. But the angel, hiding from him the great mystery of Bythus, said unto him, "Go thy way quickly, Daniel, for these sayings are closed up until those who have understanding do understand them, and those who are white be made white." Moreover, they vaunt themselves as being the white and the men of good understanding.
"And I heard, and understood not. And I said, 'O my lord, what shall happen after these things?' And he said, 'Go, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be chosen and made white and shall be tried as fire; and the wicked shall deal wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the learned shall understand.'" The prophet wished to comprehend what he had seen, or rather, what he had heard, and he desired to understand the reality of the things to come. For he had heard of the various wars of kings, and of battles between them, and a detailed narrative of events; but he had not heard the names of the individual persons involved. And if the prophet himself heard and did not understand, what will be the case with those men who presumptuously expound a book which has been sealed, and that too unto the time of the end, a book which is shrouded with many obscurities? But he comments that when the end comes, the ungodly will lack comprehension, whereas those who are learned in the teaching of God will be able to understand. "For wisdom will not enter the perverted soul, nor can it impart itself to a body which is subject to sins."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Temptation — (1.) Trial; a being put to the test. Thus God “tempted [Gen. 22: 1; R.V., ‘did prove’] Abraham;” and afflictions are said to tempt, i.e., to try, men (James 1:2, 12; comp. Deut. 8:2), putting their…
Ablution · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Blindness · 21:14;22:13,14; — 21:14;22:13,14;
Purity · OF HEART — OF HEART
Temptation · 1:8-22;2:3-10; — 1:8-22;2:3-10;
Wisdom · .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Daniel 12:10
Many shall be purged, and made white, and tried,.... Though Christ does not give, in plain, clear, and explicit terms, an answer to the above question, when, and how, and what would be the end of the church's troubles and afflictions; yet he here points out the use of them, which for the present should be chiefly attended to; and, when duly considered, would be a means of causing the saints to endure them with more patience and cheerfulness: many should be hereby made more pure and holy, and more free from their spots, their chaff, and their dross; their corruptions, and the power of them, weakened; their graces tried, and become more bright and shining; and they themselves a greater ornamen…
Daniel 12:10
10. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
10. Mundabuntur, et dealbabuntur, et fundentur multi, [200] et impie se gerent impii: et non intelligent omnes impii, et prudentes intelligent.
Again, the angel mentions the persecutions which were at hand for the purpose of arming the faithful for the approaching conflicts. We know from other sources how tender and weak our minds naturally are, for as soon as any cause for fear arises, before it comes to blows, we fall down lifeless through terror. As, therefore, our natural imbecility is so great, we necessarily req…
The first clause of this verse is interpreted from Dan 11:35. The being purified is effected through tribulation and affliction, which the people shall endure to the end. The prophecy shall serve for the gaining of this object. It is true, indeed, that this perfection shall not be attained by all; they that are ungodly shall remain ungodly still, and therefore they do not come to the understanding of the words which all the wise shall gain. יבינוּ and יבינוּ לא stand in such distinct relation to the אבין לא (I understood not), Dan 12:8, that they must be taken in the same sense in both places, i.e., not to have insight in general, but by supplying הדּברים as the object from Dan 12:8, to have…
God withheld exactly how and when all this would finally end. Daniel would not see the end (12:13); his job was to finish out his life in faith. • purified, cleansed, and refined: God would use violent and terrifying times to improve the moral and religious character of his people (cp. 11:35). • Being wise includes having insight into God’s ways and walking accordingly. The wicked will not understand or change their wickedness even if the vision is explained to them.
Rashi on Daniel 12:10
They will be clarified and whitened [i.e.,] these calculations.
and...will be purified [i.e.,] many [will be purified] by them to understand them.
and the wicked will pervert the calculations by computing them incorrectly, and when they terminate, they will say that there is no more redemption.
will not understand All the wicked [will not understand] them.
but the wise will understand them when the time of the end arrives.
