4 Then spake H1696 the Chaldeans H3778 to the king H4428 in Syriack, H762 O king, H4430 live H2418 for ever: H5957 tell H560 thy servants H5649 the dream, H2493 and we will shew H2324 the interpretation. H6591
Now the queen, H4433 by reason H6903 of the words H4406 of the king H4430 and his lords, H7261 came H5954 into the banquet H4961 house: H1005 and the queen H4433 spake H6032 and said, H560 O king, H4430 live H2418 for ever: H5957 let not H409 thy thoughts H7476 trouble H927 thee, nor let thy countenance H2122 be changed: H8133
They spake H6032 and said H560 to the king H4430 Nebuchadnezzar, H5020 O king, H4430 live H2418 for ever. H5957
And in the days H3117 of Artaxerxes H783 wrote H3789 Bishlam, H1312 Mithredath, H4990 Tabeel, H2870 and the rest H7605 of their companions, H3674 unto Artaxerxes H783 king H4428 of Persia; H6539 and the writing H3791 of the letter H5406 was written H3789 in the Syrian tongue, H762 and interpreted H8638 in the Syrian tongue. H762
Then H116 said H4449 Daniel H1841 unto H5974 the king, H4430 O king, H4430 live H2418 for ever. H5957
Then H116 these H459 presidents H5632 and princes H324 assembled together H7284 to the king, H4430 and said H560 thus H3652 unto him, H5922 King H4430 Darius, H1868 live H2418 for ever. H5957
Then said H559 Eliakim H471 and Shebna H7644 and Joah H3098 unto Rabshakeh, H7262 Speak, H1696 I pray thee, unto thy servants H5650 in the Syrian language; H762 for we understand H8085 it: and speak H1696 not to us in the Jews' language, H3066 in the ears H241 of the people H5971 that are on the wall. H2346
Then Bathsheba H1339 bowed H6915 with her face H639 to the earth, H776 and did reverence H7812 to the king, H4428 and said, H559 Let my lord H113 king H4428 David H1732 live H2421 for ever. H5769
And G1161 the multitudes G3793 that went before, G4254 and G2532 that followed, G190 cried, G2896 saying, G3004 Hosanna G5614 to the Son G5207 of David: G1138 Blessed G2127 is he that cometh G2064 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord; G2962 Hosanna G5614 in G1722 the highest. G5310
And G2532 they that went before, G4254 and G2532 they that followed, G190 cried, G2896 saying, G3004 Hosanna; G5614 Blessed G2127 is he that cometh G2064 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord: G2962 Blessed G2127 be the kingdom G932 of our G2257 father G3962 David, G1138 that cometh G2064 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord: G2962 Hosanna G5614 in G1722 the highest. G5310
And Laban H3837 called H7121 it Jegarsahadutha: H3026 but Jacob H3290 called H7121 it Galeed. H1567
Then H116 came H5954 in all H3606 the king's H4430 wise H2445 men: but they could H3546 not H3809 read H7123 the writing, H3792 nor make known H3046 to the king H4430 the interpretation H6591 thereof.
Then H116 Daniel, H1841 whose name H8036 was Belteshazzar, H1096 was astonied H8075 for one H2298 hour, H8160 and his thoughts H7476 troubled H927 him. The king H4430 spake, H6032 and said, H560 Belteshazzar, H1096 let not H409 the dream, H2493 or the interpretation H6591 thereof, trouble H927 thee. Belteshazzar H1096 answered H6032 and said, H560 My lord, H4756 the dream H2493 be to them that hate H8131 thee, and the interpretation H6591 thereof to thine enemies. H6146
Then H116 came H5954 in the magicians, H2749 the astrologers, H826 the Chaldeans, H3779 and the soothsayers: H1505 and I H576 told H560 the dream H2493 before H6925 them; but they did not H3809 make known H3046 unto me the interpretation H6591 thereof.
That frustrateth H6565 the tokens H226 of the liars, H907 and maketh diviners H7080 mad; H1984 that turneth H7725 wise H2450 men backward, H268 and maketh their knowledge H1847 foolish; H5528
And said H559 unto the king, H4428 Let the king H4428 live H2421 for ever: H5769 why should not my countenance H6440 be sad, H3415 when the city, H5892 the place H1004 of my fathers' H1 sepulchres, H6913 lieth waste, H2720 and the gates H8179 thereof are consumed H398 with fire? H784
For he is gone down H3381 this day, H3117 and hath slain H2076 oxen H7794 and fat cattle H4806 and sheep H6629 in abundance, H7230 and hath called H7121 all the king's H4428 sons, H1121 and the captains H8269 of the host, H6635 and Abiathar H54 the priest; H3548 and, behold, they eat H398 and drink H8354 before H6440 him, and say, H559 God save H2421 king H4428 Adonijah. H138
And Samuel H8050 said H559 to all the people, H5971 See H7200 ye him whom the LORD H3068 hath chosen, H977 that there is none like him among all the people? H5971 And all the people H5971 shouted, H7321 and said, H559 God save H2421 the king. H4428
And it came to pass in the morning H1242 that his spirit H7307 was troubled; H6470 and he sent H7971 and called H7121 for all the magicians H2748 of Egypt, H4714 and all the wise men H2450 thereof: and Pharaoh H6547 told H5608 them his dream; H2472 but there was none that could interpret H6622 them unto Pharaoh. H6547
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Daniel 2
Commentary on Daniel 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
It was said (ch. 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation of it. Pharaoh's dream, and Joseph's interpretation of it, related only to the years of plenty and famine and the interest of God's Israel in them; but Nebuchadnezzar's dream here, and Daniel's interpretation of that, look much higher, to the four monarchies, and the concerns of Israel in them, and the kingdom of the Messiah, which should be set up in the world upon the ruins of them. In this chapter we have,
Dan 2:1-13
We meet with a great difficulty in the date of this story; it is said to be in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, v. 1. Now Daniel was carried to Babylon in his first year, and, it should seem, he was three years under tutors and governors before he was presented to the king, ch. 1:5. How then could this happen in the second year? Perhaps, though three years were appointed for the education of other children, yet Daniel was so forward that he was taken into business when he had been but one year at school, and so in the second year he became thus considerable. Some make it to be the second year after he began to reign alone, but the fifth or sixth year since he began to reign in partnership with his father. Some read it, and in the second year, (the second after Daniel and his fellows stood before the king), in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, or in his reign, this happened; as Joseph, in the second year after his skill in dreams, showed and expounded Pharaoh's, so Daniel, in the second year after he commenced master in that art, did this service. I would much rather take it some of these ways than suppose, as some do, that it was in the second year after he had conquered Egypt, which was the thirty-sixth year of his reign, because it appears by what we meet with in Ezekiel, that Daniel was famous both for wisdom and prevalence in prayer long before that; and therefore this passage, or story, which shows how he came to be so eminent for both these must be laid early in Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Now here we may observe,
Dan 2:14-23
When the king sent for his wise men to tell them his dream, and the interpretation of it (v. 2), Daniel, it seems, was not summoned to appear among them; the king, though he was highly pleased with him when he examined him, and thought him ten times wiser than the rest of his wise men, yet forgot him when he had most occasion for him; and no wonder, when all was done in a heat, and nothing with a cool and deliberate thought. But Providence so ordered it; that the magicians being nonplussed might be the more taken notice of, and so the more glory might redound to the God of Daniel. But, though Daniel had not the honour to be consulted with the rest of the wise men, contrary to all law and justice, by an undistinguishing sentence, he stands condemned with them, and till he has notice brought him to prepare for execution he knows nothing of the matter. How miserable is the case of those who live under arbitrary government, as this of Nebuchadnezzar's! How happy are we, whose lives are under the protection of the law and methods of justice, and lie not thus at the mercy of a peevish and capricious prince!
We have found already, in Ezekiel, that Daniel was famous both for prudence and prayer; as a prince he had power with God and by man; by prayer he had power with God, by prudence he had power with man, and in both he prevailed. Thus did he find favour and good understanding in the sight of both, and in these verses we have a remarkable instance of both.
Dan 2:24-30
We have here the introduction to Daniel's declaring the dream, and the interpretation of it.
Dan 2:31-45
Daniel here gives full satisfaction to Nebuchadnezzar concerning his dream and the interpretation of it. That great prince had been kind to this poor prophet in his maintenance and education; he had been brought up at the king's cost, preferred at court, and the land of his captivity had hereby been made much easier to him than to others of his brethren. And now the king is abundantly repaid for all the expense he had been at upon him; and for receiving this prophet, though not in the name of a prophet, he had a prophet's reward, such a reward as a prophet only could give, and for which that wealthy mighty prince was now glad to be beholden to him. Here is,
Dan 2:46-49
One might have expected that when Nebuchadnezzar was contriving to make his own kingdom everlasting he would be enraged at Daniel, who foretold the fall of it and that another kingdom of another nature should be the everlasting kingdom; but, instead of resenting it as an affront, he received it as an oracle, and here we are told what the expressions were of the impressions it made upon him.