Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 2:22

"he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." — Daniel 2:22 (ASV)

He revealeth the deep and secret things — Things which are too profound for humans to fathom by their own power, and which are concealed or hidden until He makes them known. What is said here is an advance on what was affirmed in the previous verse, and relates to another kind of knowledge.

“That” related to knowledge not properly beyond the grasp of the human intellect when unaided supernaturally, affirming that even then all discoveries and inventions are to be traced to God. “This,” however, refers to a type of knowledge that lies beyond any natural scope of human powers, requiring a supernatural influence—such as the things the Chaldeans and astrologers claimed the power to disclose. The assertion here is that when the highest human wisdom proved insufficient for the need, God was able to reveal those deep truths that it was desirable for people to understand. Applied generally, this refers to the truths made known by revelation—truths that humans could never have discovered by their unaided powers.

He knoweth what is in the darkness — What appears to humans to be involved in darkness, and on which no light seems to shine. This may refer not only to what is concealed from humans in the literal darkness of night, but to all that is mysterious; all that lies beyond the range of human inquiry; all that pertains to unseen worlds. An immensely large portion of the universe lies wholly beyond the range of human investigation at present, and is, of course, dark to humans.

And the light dwelleth with him — The word rendered “dwelleth” (שׁרא sherēl) means, properly, to loose, to unbind, to solve, as, for example, hard questions (Daniel 5:16); and is then applied to travelers who unbind the loads of their beasts to put up for the night, and then it comes to mean to put up for the night, to lodge, to dwell. Therefore, the meaning is that light abides with God. It is there as in its appropriate dwelling-place. He is in the midst of it; all is light around Him. Light, when it is sent out, goes from Him; when it is gathered together, its appropriate place is with Him. Compare (Job 38:19–20):

“Where is the way where light dwelleth?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof?
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?”

See the note at that passage. Compare also (1 Timothy 6:16): “Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.” (1 John 1:5): “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”