Daniel 2:24-30

24 Therefore * *, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: "¹Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king."

25 Then Arioch hurriedly ²brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among * the ³exiles * from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!"

26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was ⁴Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?"

27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither ⁵wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

28 "However, there is a ⁶God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the ⁷latter days. This was your dream and the ⁸visions in your mind while on your bed.

29 "As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and ⁹He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

30 "But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any ¹⁰wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the ¹¹thoughts of your mind.

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Daniel 2:24-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIAL 2

The subject of this chapter is a dream which Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed, but had forgot; upon which he calls his magicians and astrologers together, to tell him it, and the interpretation of it; threatening them with death if they did not, and promising them great rewards and honour if they did, Da 2:1-6, they urge the unreasonableness of the demand, and the impossibility of the thing; which so highly incensed the king, that he ordered their immediate destruction, Da 2:7-13, Daniel and his companions being in danger, he goes in to the king, and desires time, and he would show him what he had dreamed; which being granted, he spent it in prayer to God, Da 2:14-18, and the thing being revealed to him, he gave thanks to God, Da 2:19-23, and being introduced to the king, he both told him his dream, and the interpretation of it; which concerned the four monarchies of the world, and the everlasting kingdom of the Messiah, Da 2:24-45, upon which he was highly honoured, and greatly promoted by the king, Da 2:46-49.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Daniel 2:12, 13; Acts 27:24
2. Genesis 41:14
3. Daniel 1:6; Daniel 5:13; Daniel 6:13
4. Daniel 1:7; Daniel 4:8; Daniel 5:12
5. Dan 2:2, 10, 11; Daniel 5:7, 8
6. Genesis 40:8; Genesis 41:16; Daniel 2:22, 45
7. Genesis 49:1; Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 10:14; Micah 4:1
8. Daniel 4:5
9. Daniel 2:23, 47
10. Genesis 41:16; Daniel 1:17
11. Psalms 139:2; Amos 4:13

Footnotes 11

[a]. Lit "in before the king"
[b]. Lit "in before the king"
[c]. Lit "sons of the exile of"
[d]. Or "soothsayer priests"
[e]. Lit "end of the days"
[f]. Lit "of your head"
[g]. Lit "came up"
[h]. Lit "after this"
[i]. Lit "which is"
[j]. Lit "know"
[k]. Lit "heart"