Daniel 2:14

14 Then Daniel answered[a] with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

Daniel 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 2:14

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom
In a discreet manner, using soft words and gentle language, humbly and modestly inquiring what should be the meaning of all this. The Vulgate Latin version is, "he inquired of the law and decree" F9; what was the reason of the king's orders, which this officer had in commission to execute; with which others agree: or, "he made to return the counsel and decree" F11, as some choose to render it; he stopped the execution of it for the present, by his inquiries and prudent behaviour but neither seem to agree with what follows; the first sense is best: to Arioch the captain of the king's guards:
there was a king of this name, ( Genesis 14:1 ) , this man, according to the Septuagint version, and others that follow it, was the chief of the king's cooks; and Aben Ezra says the word in the Arabic language so signifies: or, as it may be rendered, "the chief of the slaughterers" F12; the executioners of malefactors, so Jarchi; he was the king's chief executioner, with which agrees the business he was now charged with: the Vulgate Latin version calls him the prince of the militia; and others the king's provost marshal: which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
who by the king's order went forth from the court into the city, to slay all in Babylon who went under the character of wise men; they were not among those that could not answer the king's demand, since they declared none could do it; and therefore he ordered them all to be slain, as a set of useless men in his kingdom.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Mejw aje byth) "interrogavit de lege et decreto", V. L.; "super consilio", Munster, Calvin; "de eo consilio", Castalio.
F11 "Redire fecit consilium et statutum", Pagninus, Montanus; "reverti fecit", Michaelis.
F12 (ayxbj br) "principem carnificum", Montanus, Grotius.

Daniel 2:14 In-Context

12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. answered...: Chaldee returned
The King James Version is in the public domain.