Daniel 12:2 (LSB)

Passage

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt.

Nearby Context

Daniel 12:1 “Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will stand. And there will be a time of distress such as never happened since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:3 And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Daniel 12:4 But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end; many will go to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "everlasting life", "sleep", "dust", "ground", "awake", "others", and "reproach". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "everlasting life" and "sleep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Now at that time Michael the great..." into verse 3's "And those who have insight will shine...", so "everlasting life" and "sleep" 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 "everlasting life" and "sleep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.