Daniel 12:2 · Bible study
Daniel 12:2 Commentary: Resurrection, Judgment, and the Two Eternal Destinies
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Daniel 12:2 mean? Discover the first clear OT promise of bodily resurrection, the debate over "many," and the two eternal outcomes: life or shame.
Research Summary
- Meaning: At the end, a multitude of the dead will rise, some to eternal life, others to everlasting shame and contempt.
- Key words: “many” (rabbim), “sleep” (yashen), “dust” (‛apar), “awake” (quts), “everlasting” (‛olam).
- Main debate: Does “many” mean all humanity, or only a group within Israel? And does the verse describe the general resurrection or a specific first resurrection at Christ’s coming?
- Theological theme: Resurrection and final judgment; the division of humanity into two eternal destinies.
- Best use: To establish the Old Testament hope of bodily resurrection and to warn and comfort with the reality of God’s final justice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
KJV King James Version 1769
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And the multitude of those sleeping in the dust of the ground do awake, some to life age-during, and some to reproaches--to abhorrence age-during.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, to everlasting contempt.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake: some unto life everlasting, and others unto reproach, to see it always.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y muchos de los que duermen en el polvo de la tierra serán despertados, unos para vida eterna, y otros para vergüenza y confusión perpetua.
E muitos dos que dormem no pó da terra ressuscitarão, uns para a vida eterna, e outros para a vergonha e o desprezo eterno.
Plusieurs de ceux qui dorment dans la poussière de la terre se réveilleront, les uns pour la vie éternelle, et les autres pour l’ opprobre, pour la honte éternelle.
Und viele, so unter der Erde schlafen liegen, werden aufwachen: etliche zum ewigen Leben, etliche zu ewiger Schmach und Schande.
En velen van die, die in het stof der aarde slapen, zullen ontwaken, dezen ten eeuwigen leven, en genen tot versmaadheden, en tot eeuwige afgrijzing.
E molti di coloro che dormono nella polvere della terra si risveglieranno: gli uni per la vita eterna, gli altri per l’obbrobrio, per una eterna infamia.
A wiele z tych, którzy śpią w prochu ziemi, ocucą się, jedni ku żywotowi wiecznemu, a drudzy na pohańbienie i na wzgardę wieczną.
И многие из спящих в прахе земли пробудятся, одни для жизни вечной, другие на вечное поругание и посрамление.
睡 在塵埃中的，必有多 人復醒。其中有 得永 生的，有 受羞辱 永遠 被憎惡的。
And a number of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will come out of their sleep, some to eternal life and some to eternal shame.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 12:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse proclaims a literal, bodily resurrection of the dead. Gill and Barnes both reject any merely figurative reading (such as national deliverance) and insist on a real awakening from the grave. The verse is the first in the Old Testament to use the phrase “everlasting life” (Cambridge Bible). It also introduces, for the first time, a resurrection of the wicked as well as the righteous, earlier passages (Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37) spoke only of Israel’s restoration. Calvin sees the angel connecting the preservation of the Church with the final resurrection, teaching that the Church’s true life is hidden until that day. The main area of debate is the scope of the word “many” (rabbim): does it mean a large number within Israel, or does it imply all humanity? Barnes examines the Hebrew carefully, noting that “many” sometimes denotes “all” in Semitic usage (as in Romans 5:15,19) but is ambiguous. Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible limit the resurrection to Israelites, while others (like Gill and Adam Clarke) see it as the general resurrection of all people. Despite this disagreement, the core truth is clear: those who sleep in death will awake, some to eternal life and some to everlasting shame.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- General resurrection of all people: “Many” is understood as a Semitic way of saying “all,” supported by Romans 5:15-19 and the universal language of Daniel 12:1-3, which contrasts two groups without limiting them to Israel.
- Resurrection of the righteous only (first resurrection): The word “many” suggests only a part of the dead rise, and the context (the time of trouble and deliverance) points to the first resurrection at Christ’s coming (Revelation 20:4-5).
- Resurrection of Israelites only: The passage focuses on Daniel’s people (Daniel 12:1), and the phrases “everyone who is found written in the book” and “the multitude of those sleeping” refer to the covenant community, not the whole world.
What is clear: A literal awakening of the dead will occur, and the outcome will be two eternal and opposite destinies: life for the righteous and shame for the wicked.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Literal vs. figurative resurrection | The verse teaches a real awakening of dead bodies, not merely a national restoration. | A few interpreters (including some ancient Jewish readers like Porphyry) understood it as the return of persecuted Jews from hiding places; modern critical scholars sometimes see it as metaphorical. But the majority of Christian and traditional Jewish commentators read it as literal. |
| Scope of the resurrection | The resurrection involves a great multitude, taken from those who have died. | Some (Barnes, Gill) take “many” as equivalent to “all,” meaning the general resurrection. Others (Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch) limit it to Israelites, since the context is the deliverance of Daniel’s people. A third view (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) sees it as the first resurrection of the righteous only, with the wicked raised later. |
| Nature of the two destinies | The life of the righteous is eternal; the wicked face shame and contempt that likewise have no end. | Some traditions (including some in Judaism) interpret the punishment as annihilation rather than conscious torment; most Christian interpreters read it as eternal, conscious punishment or rejection. The Hebrew <em>‛olam</em> can mean indefinite duration, but the context suggests a permanent state. |
| Timing of the resurrection | The resurrection is connected with the time of great tribulation and the deliverance of God’s people. | Premillennial interpreters see it as a resurrection at Christ’s return before the millennial kingdom; amillennial and postmillennial interpreters often see it as the general resurrection at the final judgment. The passage itself does not specify a millennium, leaving room for both views. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Daniel 12:2 sits at the climax of Daniel’s final vision, which describes a time of unparalleled trouble (Daniel 12:1). The book of Daniel is set in the Babylonian exile (6th century BC) but many scholars, including Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible, connect this prophecy to the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (167, 164 BC), when faithful Jews were tortured and killed for their obedience to God. This fits the context: the “time of trouble” is so great it could not be limited to any earlier era. The resurrection hope was a growing theme in Jewish thought; earlier passages like Hosea 6:2 and Isaiah 26:19 used resurrection as a metaphor for national restoration, but Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) still focused on the nation. Here, for the first time, individuals are raised to two different eternal destinies. The language “sleep in the dust of the earth” echoes common Old Testament descriptions of death (Job 20:11; Psalm 22:29). The word ‛apar (“dust”) recalls the curse of Genesis 3:19, while adamah (“ground”) evokes the material from which humans were formed. The Hebrew phrase for “the ground of dust” is unique to this verse (Cambridge Bible), emphasizing the humility and mortality of the grave. The surrounding verses (Daniel 12:3) promise that the wise who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars, reinforcing the dual outcome. This passage provided immense comfort during the Maccabean crisis, the mother and her sons in 2 Maccabees 7 echo its language as they face martyrdom (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Daniel 12:2. The Masoretic Text is stable, and the Greek versions (LXX and Theodotion) agree in the main with the Hebrew, though they render “many” consistently. The unique Hebrew phrase “ground of dust” is preserved across all witnesses.
Reception History
Daniel 12:2 became the primary Old Testament foundation for the doctrine of bodily resurrection. In the intertestamental period, the book of 2 Maccabees (ch. 7) shows martyrs confessing the resurrection in language drawn from this verse. Early Christian writers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus appealed to it to defend the resurrection of the body against Gnostic spiritualizing. Later, theologians like Augustine and Thomas Aquinas used it to articulate the two eternal destinies. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant interpreters read it as literal, though they differed on whether it referred to a general or limited resurrection. In Jewish tradition, the verse is central to discussions of the world to come and the resurrection of the dead, appearing in the daily Amidah prayer. Its imagery of the wise shining as stars (Daniel 12:3) also influenced Christian hymnody and art.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sleeping bodies. “Those who sleep in the dust of the earth”, death is real, but it is not the end. Like sleep, it is temporary and ended by an awakening.
- The two awakenings. “Many will awake”, the same power raises both the righteous and the wicked, but to very different futures.
- The two destinies. “Some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This is the first biblical mention of “everlasting life” and the first clear teaching of eternal punishment.
Five-point outline
- Daniel’s vision of the end. The connection to the “time of trouble” shows that resurrection is not a theory but a lifeline for those facing extreme persecution.
- “Sleep” as a metaphor for death. The body rests in the dust, but the person is not annihilated. This metaphor is used elsewhere (Jeremiah 51:39; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).
- “Many”, a multitude, not a limitation. The Hebrew word rabbim can mean a vast number; even if the immediate context is Israel, the principle points to a general resurrection (cf. John 5:28-29).
- Two eternal outcomes. “Everlasting life” is life in God’s presence; “shame and everlasting contempt” is the opposite, lasting disgrace and rejection.
- Hope for the faithful. This promise sustained the Maccabean martyrs (2 Maccabees 7) and later became the foundation of Christian resurrection hope.
Illustration hooks
- A cemetery at dusk. The headstones mark bodies that will not stay there forever. The “sleep” is deep but not permanent.
- A court verdict being read. The judge’s decision is final and public. So it will be at the resurrection: the verdict is life or shame for all to see.
- Two different harvest bins: one for grain, one for chaff. Both come from the same field, but their destinations are completely different.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Will everyone be resurrected, or only believers? Does this verse teach a general resurrection?
- What does “everlasting contempt” mean? Is it punishment without end, or final destruction?
- How can I be sure of the “everlasting life” part? Does this verse give any comfort beyond the Old Testament?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is one of the clearest Old Testament statements about resurrection and final judgment. It appears in the midst of a prophecy about severe persecution, which reminds us that the hope of resurrection is not an abstract idea, it is a lifeline for people under pressure. As you discuss, focus on what is certain: God will awaken the dead, and the outcome of that awakening will be final and eternal.
Discussion questions
- Read Daniel 12:1-3 together. What do you think “at that time” refers to? How does the “time of trouble” connect to the resurrection?
- “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.” Why does the Bible use “sleep” to describe death? What does that tell us about God’s power over death?
- The word “many” has caused debate, does it mean all people, or just some? Look at Barnes’ comment that “many” can sometimes mean “all” in the Bible. What difference does it make for how we read this verse?
- This is the first time in the Old Testament that we see “everlasting life” and “everlasting contempt” side by side. What does that tell us about God’s justice and mercy?
- How do verses 2 and 3 (the wise shining like stars) work together? What does righteousness have to do with the resurrection?
- If you were one of the Maccabean martyrs facing death, how would this verse have given you courage? How does it speak to believers today who face persecution?
- Jesus quoted Daniel 12:1 in Matthew 24:21, and John 5:28-29 echoes the two resurrections. How does the New Testament build on this Old Testament foundation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 19:25 | But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth. |
| Job 19:27 | whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me. |
| Isaiah 26:19 | Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits. |
| Isaiah 66:24 | “They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” |
| Jeremiah 20:11 | But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they won’t prevail. They will be utterly disappointed because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which will never be forgotten. |
| Ezekiel 37:1 | Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. |
| Ezekiel 37:4 | Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word. |
| Ezekiel 37:12 | Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that while this passage is often applied to the future restoration of the Jewish people, it also applies to all humanity at the final judgment. For him the prophecy has a double meaning: one for Israel and another for the general resurrection of the dead.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the Hebrew word for "many" in this prophecy is deliberately ambiguous, capable of meaning either a large portion or the entire multitude considered as many. He interprets the angel's vision as pointing to a vast general resurrection from the dust, where the emphasis falls on the great host coming forth rather than on the precise number involved.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the angel deliberately joins the Church's salvation with the final resurrection because, in the present age, the Church is like a dead body, preserved by God but visibly oppressed. True hope cannot be found on earth; it comes only by raising minds to Christ's second coming, when hidden life is revealed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary finds that Daniel is the first Old Testament passage to teach a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked, with each receiving a different eternal destiny. It notes the resurrection still seems limited to Israelites, focusing especially on the martyrs and apostates from the reign of Antiochus.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes present this verse as a clear prophecy of bodily resurrection, where many who lie dead in the earth will rise again. The commentator underscores the permanent separation that follows: some awake to everlasting life, others to everlasting shame and contempt.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists this verse describes a literal, bodily resurrection at the last day, not a figurative deliverance from trouble. He notes the righteous awake to everlasting life, while the wicked rise to shame and endless contempt. He also distinguishes the timing: the just rise first, the unjust later.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists that "many" in this verse does not mean all people but refers specifically to those who share in the first resurrection. The rest of the dead do not rise until after the thousand years. This is not the general resurrection but a limited awakening of the faithful.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Daniel 12:1-3 does not describe the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes but points to an unprecedented end-time tribulation and a literal resurrection. They insist this future distress, which Christ also referenced, is global and culminates in the final salvation and judgment of God's people.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists that the resurrection in this passage is universal, not limited to Israel. He argues the many who awake refer to all the dead, leading to eternal life for the wise and eternal contempt for the wicked. This general resurrection, he contends, is the foundational Old Testament expectation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that in times of deepest trouble, the prophet offers the ultimate remedy: Christ himself, as the great prince Michael, rises to defend his people. He points out that this deliverance comes through providence, precisely when the church's own strength is gone and persecution is fiercest.