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He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
Daniel 2:22 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB he reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
  • BSB He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
  • NKJV He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
  • NASB “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.
  • NLT He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God reveals deep and secret things and knows what lies in darkness, for light dwells with Him. Nothing is hidden from Him.

Overview

Daniel praises God's omniscience: He alone uncovers mysteries beyond human reach. The imagery of light dwelling with God contrasts His clarity with the darkness of human ignorance. This is the God who can make known the king's dream when no one else can.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 32

  • Job 12:22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
  • 1 Jn 1:5This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
  • Jer 23:24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
  • Jas 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
  • Heb 4:13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
  • Ps 25:14The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
  • Ps 139:11–12If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
  • Dan 5:11There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
  • 1 Tim 6:16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
  • Ps 36:9For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
  • 1 Cor 2:9–11But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
  • Isa 45:7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
  • Luke 12:2–3For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
  • Dan 2:11And 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.
  • Gen 41:25–28And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
  • Eph 3:5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
  • Isa 41:22Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
  • Dan 2:28–29But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
  • 1 Cor 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
  • Job 26:6Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
  • Ps 104:2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
  • John 8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
  • Dan 5:14I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
  • John 21:17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
  • Isa 41:26Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
  • Matt 13:13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
  • John 1:9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
  • Rom 16:25–26Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
  • Gen 37:5–9And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
  • Gen 41:16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
  • John 12:45–46And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
  • Isa 42:9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Daniel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Daniel 2:22YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DanielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.

How Daniel 2:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.