Daniel 2:19-30

The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel

19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night ¹vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;

20 Daniel said, "Let the name of God be ²blessed forever and ever, For ³wisdom and power belong to Him.

21 "It is He who ⁴changes the times and the epochs; He ⁵removes kings and establishes kings; He gives ⁶wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.

22 "It is He who ⁷reveals the profound and hidden things; ⁸He knows what is in the darkness, And the ⁹light dwells with Him.

23 "To You, O ¹⁰God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me ¹¹wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we ¹²requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter."

24 Therefore * *, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: "¹³Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king."

25 Then Arioch hurriedly ¹⁴brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among * the ¹⁵exiles * from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!"

26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was ¹⁶Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?"

27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither ¹⁷wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

28 "However, there is a ¹⁸God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the ¹⁹latter days. This was your dream and the ²⁰visions in your mind while on your bed.

29 "As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and ²¹He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

30 "But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any ²²wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the ²³thoughts of your mind.

Daniel 2:19-30 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 12:6; Job 33:15, 16; Daniel 1:17; Daniel 7:2, 7, 13
• 2. Psalms 103:1, 2; Psalms 113:1, 2; Psalms 115:18; Psalms 145:1, 2, 21
• 3. 1 Chronicles 29:11, 12; Job 12:13, 16-22; Daniel 2:21-23
• 4. Psalms 31:15; Daniel 2:9; Daniel 7:25
• 5. Job 12:18; Psalms 75:6, 7; Daniel 4:17, 32
• 6. 1 Kings 3:9, 10; 1 Kings 4:29; James 1:5
• 7. Job 12:22; Psalms 25:14; Daniel 2:19, 28
• 8. Job 26:6; Psalms 139:12; Isaiah 45:7; Jeremiah 23:24; Hebrews 4:13
• 9. Psalms 36:9; Daniel 5:11, 14; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5
• 10. Genesis 31:42; Exodus 3:15
• 11. Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:21
• 12. Psalms 21:2, 4; Dan 2:18, 29, 30
• 13. Daniel 2:12, 13; Acts 27:24
• 14. Genesis 41:14
• 15. Daniel 1:6; Daniel 5:13; Daniel 6:13
• 16. Daniel 1:7; Daniel 4:8; Daniel 5:12
• 17. Dan 2:2, 10, 11; Daniel 5:7, 8
• 18. Genesis 40:8; Genesis 41:16; Daniel 2:22, 45
• 19. Genesis 49:1; Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 10:14; Micah 4:1
• 20. Daniel 4:5
• 21. Daniel 2:23, 47
• 22. Genesis 41:16; Daniel 1:17
• 23. Psalms 139:2; Amos 4:13

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "sets up"
• [b]. Lit "knowers"
• [c]. Lit "in before the king"
• [d]. Lit "in before the king"
• [e]. Lit "sons of the exile of"
• [f]. Or "soothsayer priests"
• [g]. Lit "end of the days"
• [h]. Lit "of your head"
• [i]. Lit "came up"
• [j]. Lit "after this"
• [k]. Lit "which is"
• [l]. Lit "know"
• [m]. Lit "heart"