Daniel 2:24-30

24 Therefore Daniel went in to 1Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation."
25 Then 2Arioch brought in Daniel before the king 3in haste and said thus to him: "I have found 4among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation."
26 The king declared to Daniel, 5whose name was Belteshazzar, 6"Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?"
27 Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, 7enchanters, 8magicians, or 9astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,
28 but 10there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar 11what will be in the latter days. Your dream and 12the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, 13and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.
30 But 14as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that 15you may know the thoughts of your mind.

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.

Cross References 15

  • 1. ver. 14, 15
  • 2. [See ver. 24 above]
  • 3. Daniel 3:24
  • 4. Daniel 5:13; Ezra 4:1; Ezra 6:16, 19, 20; Ezra 10:7, 16
  • 5. See Daniel 1:7
  • 6. [Daniel 5:16]
  • 7. See Daniel 1:20
  • 8. See Daniel 1:20
  • 9. Daniel 4:7; Daniel 5:7
  • 10. See ver. 22
  • 11. Daniel 10:14; Hosea 3:5
  • 12. Daniel 4:5; Daniel 7:15
  • 13. ver. 45
  • 14. [Genesis 41:16; Acts 3:12]
  • 15. [Ecclesiastes 3:18]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.