Daniel 2:3-13

3 Then the king said to them: "I had a dream, and I'm anxious to know its meaning."
4 The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic:[a]"Long live the king! Tell your servants the dream, and we will explain its meaning."
5 The king answered the Chaldeans: "My decision is final: If you can't tell me the dream and its meaning, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into trash dumps.
6 But if you do explain the dream and its meaning, you'll receive generous gifts and glorious honor from me. So explain to me the dream as well as its meaning."
7 They answered him again: "The king must tell his servants the dream. We will then explain the meaning."
8 The king replied: "Now I definitely know you are stalling for time, because you see that my decision is final
9 and that if you can't tell me the dream, your fate is certain. You've conspired to make false and lying speeches before me until the situation changes. Tell me the dream now! Then I'll know you can explain its meaning to me."
10 The Chaldeans answered the king: "No one on earth can do what the king is asking! No king or ruler, no matter how great, has ever asked such a thing of any dream interpreter, enchanter, or Chaldean.
11 What the king is asking is impossible! No one could declare the dream to the king but the gods, who don't live among mere humans."
12 At this, the king exploded in a furious rage and ordered that all Babylon's sages be wiped out.
13 So the command went out: The sages were to be killed. Daniel and his friends too were hunted down; they were to be killed as well.

Daniel 2:3-13 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.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The book switches into Aramaic at this point, returning to Hebrew in 8:1.
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