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Daniel 2:16-26

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16 And Daniel went in and requested from the king that he would give him time, and {he would tell the king} the explanation.
17 Then Daniel went to his home, and he made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, his companions,
18 and [told them] to seek mercy {from the God of heaven} concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed.
19 Then in a vision of the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel {said}: "Let his name, [the name] of God, be blessed {throughout the ages}, for the wisdom and the power {are his}.
21 And he changes the times and the seasons, and he deposes kings and he sets up kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to [men who] know understanding.
22 He reveals the deep and the hidden things; he knows what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and I give praises, for the wisdom and the power you gave to me, and now you have made known to me what we have asked from you, for you have made known to us the matter of the king."

Daniel Praises God and Interprets the King’s Dream

24 {Therefore} Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and thus he said to him: "You must not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me in before the king and I will give the explanation to the king."
25 Then Arioch {quickly} brought Daniel in before the king and thus he said to him: "I have found a man among {the exiles} of Judah who {can relate} the explanation to the king.
26 {The king then asked} and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its explanation?"
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Daniel 2:16-26 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

Footnotes 16

  • [a]. Literally "to tell/reveal to the king"
  • [b]. Or "interpretation"
  • [c]. Literally "from before the God of the heaven"
  • [d]. Literally "answered and he said"
  • [e]. Aramaic "the wisdom"
  • [f]. Or "fathers"
  • [g]. Literally "Now because this"
  • [h]. Aramaic "has appointed"
  • [i]. Or "interpretation"
  • [j]. Literally "in haste"
  • [k]. Literally "the children of exiles"
  • [l]. Aramaic "Jehud"
  • [m]. Literally "he will make known"
  • [n]. Or "interpretation"
  • [o]. Literally "The king answered"
  • [p]. Or "interpretation"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.