Daniel 2:4

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

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}.

The astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic: "May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

Daniel 2:4 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream, setting the stage for Daniel's divine intervention. In this verse, the king's summoned wise men, identified as the Chaldeans, address him in a specific language, pleading for him to reveal the dream's content before they can attempt an interpretation.

Context

Following King Nebuchadnezzar's disturbing dream and his subsequent command in Daniel 2:2 for his wise men to not only interpret but also *reveal* the dream itself, the scene intensifies. The "Chaldeans" here refer to a specific class of Babylonian astrologers, soothsayers, and magicians who were considered the intellectual elite of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. They were the king's primary advisors on matters requiring supernatural insight or mystical knowledge. Their response in this verse reveals their immediate predicament: they are accustomed to interpreting signs and omens, but not to discerning a forgotten dream, which was an unprecedented and impossible demand from a human perspective.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack" is highly significant. "Syriack" is the KJV term for Aramaic, which was the common international language of diplomacy and commerce throughout the ancient Near East during the Neo-Babylonian and Persian empires. This verse marks a crucial linguistic shift in the book of Daniel; the original Hebrew text transitions to Aramaic from this point until Daniel 7:28. This shift suggests that the portions written in Aramaic (chapters 2-7) were intended for a broader audience, reflecting God's universal sovereignty over all nations, not just Israel. Their opening salutation, "O king, live for ever," was a traditional formula of respect and well-wishing when addressing a monarch.

Key Themes

  • Human Inability vs. Divine Revelation: This verse starkly highlights the limitations of human wisdom and supernatural arts when confronted with a truly divine mystery. The Chaldeans' plea underscores their complete reliance on the king revealing the dream, confessing their inability to discern it themselves.
  • The King's Unprecedented Test: Nebuchadnezzar's demand was not merely for interpretation but for the dream's content itself, a test designed to expose charlatans and confirm genuine divine insight.
  • Setting the Stage for God's Glory: By presenting an impossible scenario for the Babylonian wise men, God sets the stage for Daniel, His servant, to demonstrate that true wisdom and knowledge of hidden things come only from Him. This foreshadows Daniel's declaration in Daniel 2:27 that no wise man, astrologer, magician, or soothsayer can reveal the king's dream, but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets.

Reflection and Application

Daniel 2:4 serves as a powerful reminder of the contrast between human limitation and God's infinite knowledge. In our own lives, we often face challenges or mysteries that seem beyond our grasp, whether personal dilemmas, societal issues, or questions about the future. This verse encourages us to recognize that true answers and deeper understanding ultimately stem from a divine source, not merely from human intellect or worldly wisdom. It invites us to seek God for wisdom and revelation when faced with the unknown, trusting that He "reveals deep and hidden things" (Daniel 2:22). The failure of the Chaldeans emphasizes that dependence on worldly systems for ultimate truth will always fall short, pointing us instead to the One who knows all things.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Daniel 5:10

    ¶ [Now] the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

  • Daniel 3:9

    They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

  • Ezra 4:7

    And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter [was] written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

  • Isaiah 36:11

    ¶ Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that [are] on the wall.

  • Daniel 6:21

    Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

  • Daniel 6:6

    ¶ Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

  • 1 Kings 1:31

    Then Bathsheba bowed with [her] face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

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