In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
17 Then Daniel went to his house and 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 might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked 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 said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
Daniel Interprets the Dream
31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel Is Promoted
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. Daniel 2 ESV
Daniel 2: 1-16
Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Genesis 41: 9-16
In the second year - This use to baffle so called scholars, because to accept the time in which Daniel was written, some 600 years before the advent of Christ, is to acknowledge a wealth of history before it happened. This book speaks to the supernatural, and not just any, but to a God Whose claim is against a sinful, fallen mankind. To admit the time of this would be to confess the prophetic, which is to confess the sovereignty of the Creator Who works all things according to the counsel of His will. What scholars have learned is that this dating, the second year, draws scrutiny which reveals authenticity, for we know that the first year of Nebuchadnezzar would be accounted to his father's reign, and would be considered the year of Nebuchadnezzar's ascension. His second year would be the boy's third year in this place, the finishing of their education and the time to be presented to the king.
Garland writes - The situation before us is actually evidence of the genuineness of the book because a forgery would have no doubt attempted to smooth over the tension between this verse and Daniel 1:5, 18. "A forger would not introduce difficulties; the author did not then see any difficulty in the case." (A. R. Fausset)
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams - This is written as dreams in the plural, but then in verse 3 it says "I had a dream", so it is possible that these are a string of dreams over nights that are all part of the same, or the same recurring dream that is plaguing him to the point of sleeplessness.
My spirit is troubled to know the dream - Now some think it a clever test that he sets before his wise men, that they must tell not only the interpretation but also the dream. It is a difficulty, because an enchanter or sorcerer can possibly call to the spirits, the demonic, and maybe receive some help with the interpretation, and these wise fellows may have some predetermined method, psychology, to help them if they already know the dream, but to not have it told to them leaves them at a disadvantage. It removes much of the hope of trickery. But I think he knows what he was thinking about, yet he says, "troubled to know the dream", which I believe shows that he actually forgot the details of his dream, and God is using this to bring up Daniel and expose the inferiority of earthly wisdom. Nebuchadnezzar knows he had a dream but cannot recount it, but God knows all things even the hearts of men. False prophets like to claim to have had dreams to give the interpretation and manipulate those willing to listen. Many of these men that work for Nebuchadnezzar are purely occultist, practicing what God has forbidden, making alliances with demons.
…24“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. 25“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds?… Jeremiah 23: 24-26
…30You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD. 31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. 32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.… Leviticus 19: 30-32
…5then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech. 6Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. 7Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.… Leviticus 20: 5-7
Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums and magicians from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled; they came and camped at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified. 6 So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him—not by dreams nor by Urim nor by the prophets. 7 So Saul instructed his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants replied to him, “There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.” 1 Samuel 28: 3-7
The LXX translates conjurers with the Greek word magos (from Persian "Magus" = great -). Thayer has an interesting note stating that "a magus; the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augurs, soothsayers, sorcerers etc. (Ed note: As discussed in more detail below, this is the word used in Mt 2:1, 7, 16 for the oriental wise men who discovered by the rising of the star that the Messiah had just been born and came to Jerusalem to worship Him). Magos is also used of false prophets and sorcerers in Acts 13:6, 8."
Sorcerers (Hebrew = kashaph - 6 uses = Ex 7:11; 22:18; Dt 18:10; 2Chr 33:6; Da 2:2; Mal 3:5) means to practice magi or sorcery. Properly meant to whisper a spell, i.e. to enchant or practise magic. It is used in context with words exhibiting a similar occult meaning in Dt 18:10 and 2Chr 33:6. The penalty for practicing sorcery in Israel was death (Ex 22:18). King Manasseh became deeply involved with the occult as recorded in 2Chr 33:6 (cp 2Ki 24:3, 4). Given the evil nature of this practice it is amazing that Daniel asked that these and the other wise men not be executed! (Da 2:24)
The Hebrew word is translated (Septuagint--LXX) with the Greek noun pharmakos (English = pharmacology) who is defined as "one who prepares and uses drugs for magical purposes or ritual witchcraft" (Friberg - Analytical Lexicon of the Greek NT) and is used in Rev 21:8-note "sorcerers" and Rev 22:15-note (pharmakos - 14x in Scripture = Ex 7:11; 9:11; 22:17; Dt 18:10; Ps 57:6; Mal 3:5; Jer 34:9; Da 2:2, 27; 5:7, 8; Rev 21:8; 22:15). The related word pharmakon is used in Rev 9:21-note and another related word pharmakeia [word study] is found in the list of the works of the flesh in Gal 5:20-note. Pharmakon describes the sorcery by which Babylon deceived all the nations (Isa 47:9, 12; Re 18:23-note, cp use of the Egyptian sorceries = Ex 7:22). - Precept Austin
Tell your servants the dream and we will show the interpretation - They were pretty confident by this method, you tell then they roll the bones, confer with one another and then they give you the answer they agree upon.
If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation you will be torn limb from limb - He's not going to tell them and he is being firm about this, but is also vexed because it is troubling to him, and I don't think he actually remembers it that well, just that he had it and it scared him.
You shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor - This is what the prophet Balaam sought, even above the honor of God was the temporal for him. Philip cursed Simon the magician for seeking these things, wanting to buy the power of the Holy Spirit. These guys have every reason to want to interpret the king's dream, to keep their lives and get cool stuff.
…19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.… Acts 8: 19-21
…14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.… 2 Peter 2: 14-16
…13I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. 15In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.… Revelation 2: 13-15
Lying and corrupt words - There is one sentencing for lying to the king, he holds the power of life and death, and has set the bar for truth really high now; they can't know the dream, so they can't interpret it either.
Or loosely paraphrased - You know that if you can't tell me my dream, you're doomed. I see right through you—you're going to cook up some fancy stories and confuse the issue until I change my mind. Nothing doing! First tell me the dream, then I'll know that you're on the up and up with the interpretation and not just blowing smoke in my eyes." (Msg)
So the decree went out and the wise men were about to be killed - Oddly, he was about to do what the Israelite kings failed to do, Saul started to, but proved a hypocrite and went to a sorceress when God would not answer him. Saul also killed God's priest, and the kingdom was taken from his line, yet he refused to obey in this as well, and sought to take David's life.
Daniel replied with discretion and discernment - Not panicking! Not running for cover! He has already put his life on the line for what he believes, and Nebuchadnezzar is not God.
…6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. 7Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.… Psalm 20: 6-8
