Daniel 2:8

8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the word is gone forth from me;

Daniel 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 2:8

The king answered and said, I know of certainty
I see plainly and clearly what you are at, and am fully assured you mean nothing, but that ye would gain the time:
or buy F6, or redeem time, as in ( Ephesians 5:16 ) , prolong time, put off the answer to longer time; spin out time, as people do in buying and selling; or have it in their possession and power when to answer; and so by gaining time, or being master of it, might hope something would turn up to their advantage, and extricate them out of their present difficulties: because ye see the thing is gone from me;
the dream he could not remember; or because the decree was certain which he had determined concerning them; (See Gill on Daniel 2:5).


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Nynbz Nwtna ande yd) "quod tempus vos emitis", Pagninus, Munster; "ementes", Montanus; "vos tempus redimere", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Daniel 2:8 In-Context

6 But if ye shew the dream and its interpretation, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour; therefore shew me the dream and its interpretation.
7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the word is gone forth from me;
9 but if ye do not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me its interpretation.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter; therefore there is no king, however great and powerful, that hath asked such a thing of any scribe, or magician, or Chaldean.

Footnotes 1

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.