Daniel 12:8 (KJV)

Passage

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Nearby Context

Daniel 12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Daniel 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Daniel 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "understood", "said", "lord", "shall", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "understood", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And I heard the man clothed in..." into verse 9's "And he said Go thy way Daniel...", so "heard" and "understood" belong inside that flow. In Daniel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heard" and "understood" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.