Bel And The Dragon 1:19 kjva — Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose…

King James Version with Apocrypha

“Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.”

— Bel And The Dragon 1:19, King James Version with Apocrypha

What does this verse mean?

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Bel And The Dragon 1 — Context

16

In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.

17

And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole.

18

And as soon as he had opened the dour, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all.

19

Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

20

And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry,

21

And took the priests with their wives and children, who shewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.

22

Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who destroyed him and his temple.

Bel And The Dragon 1:19 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Bel And The Dragon 1:19 say?
Bel And The Dragon 1:19 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.”
Where is Bel And The Dragon 1:19 in the Bible?
Bel And The Dragon 1:19 is found in the Apocrypha, in the book of Bel And The Dragon, chapter 1, verse 19.
Who wrote Bel And The Dragon?
Bel And The Dragon is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (Greek addition to Daniel). Daniel 14 in the Greek and Vulgate. Two short narratives joined together. It was written c. 150 BC.
What is the book of Bel And The Dragon about?
Two short, satirical anti-idolatry tales. In the first, Daniel proves that the Babylonian god Bel is a lifeless idol by sprinkling ash on the temple floor and showing the priests' footprints in the morning. In the second, he kills a dragon worshipped as a god by feeding it cakes that burst it open. Thrown into the lions' den for a week as punishment, Daniel is fed when an angel transports the prophet Habakkuk from Judea by his hair.
What are the major themes of Bel And The Dragon?
Bel And The Dragon explores themes including Anti-idolatry, Wisdom, Providence, Deliverance. These themes shape the meaning and context of Bel And The Dragon 1:19.
What translation should I read Bel And The Dragon 1:19 in?
Bel And The Dragon 1:19 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Bel And The Dragon 1:19?
Bel And The Dragon 1:19 reads (KJVA): “Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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