Daniel 2:4

4 The wise men answered the king in the Aramaic language, "O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then we will tell you what it means."

Daniel 2:4 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 2:4

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in, Syriac
These spake, either because the interpretation of dreams particularly belonged to them; or else as being the chief of the wise men, and of greatest authority; or as chosen by the rest, and spake in their name; and indeed this appellation may include them all, being all of the same country, though they might differ in their profession: they spake in the Syriac or Babylonish language, the same with the Chaldee, being their mother tongue, and that of the king too; and therefore could more easily speak it themselves, and be more easily understood by him, than if they had spoke in another; (See Gill on Daniel 1:4) and from hence, to the end of the "seventh" chapter, Daniel writes in Chaldee; the things he treats of chiefly relating to the Chaldeans: O king, live for ever;
which is a wish of long life, health, and prosperity; and does not intend an everlasting continuance in this world, or an eternal life in another, to the knowledge of which they might be strangers: this was an usual form of salutation of kings in these eastern nations; like to this is that of Sinaetus, a Persian, to Artaxerxes Mnemon F24

``O King Artaxerxes, reign for ever;''
so said F25 Artabazus, a faithful friend of Darius, to Alexander the great, when he met him with the friends and relations of Darius,
``O king, may you flourish in perpetual happiness:''
tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation;
this was not the thing that was asked of them, but the dream itself; and if that had been told them, they promise more than there is reason to believe they would have fulfilled, had that been done; it is more than the Egyptian magicians could do, even when Pharaoh had told them his dream: this they said partly to get time, and partly to make a show of their skill and knowledge; though in a very vain and arrogant manner.
FOOTNOTES:

F24 Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 32.
F25 Curtius, l. 6. c. 5.

Daniel 2:4 In-Context

2 So the king called for his fortune-tellers, magicians, wizards, and wise men, because he wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.
3 Then the king said to them, "I had a dream that bothers me, and I want to know what it means."
4 The wise men answered the king in the Aramaic language, "O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then we will tell you what it means."
5 King Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "I meant what I said. You must tell me the dream and what it means. If you don't, I will have you torn apart, and I will turn your houses into piles of stones.
6 But if you tell me my dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.