TRV
Translation
King James Version
But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
Complete Jewish Bible
But if you do state the dream and its interpretation, I will give you presents, rewards and great honor. Just tell me the dream and its interpretation."
Berean Standard Bible
But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
American Standard Version
But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof.
World English Bible Messianic
But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But if yee declare the dreame and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receyue of me gifts and rewardes, and great honour: therefore shewe me the dreame and the interpretation of it.
Young's Literal Translation
and if the dream and its interpretation ye do shew, gifts, and fee, and great glory ye receive from before me, therefore the dream and its interpretation shew ye me.'
Study This Verse
Commentary on Daniel 2 verses 1–13
1 ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
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.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
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, Dan 2:1. 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, Dan 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,
I. The perplexity that Nebuchadnezzar was in by reason of a dream which he had dreamed but had forgotten (Dan 2:1): He dreamed dreams, that is, a dream consisting of divers distinct parts, or which filled his head as much as if it had been many dreams. Solomon speaks of a multitude of dreams, strangely incoherent, in which there are divers vanities, Ecc 5:7. This dream of Nebuchadnezzar's had nothing in the thing itself but what might be paralleled in many a common dream, in which are often represented to men things as foreign as are here mentioned; but there was something in the impression it made upon him which carried with it an incontestable evidence of its divine original and its prophetic significancy. Note, The greatest of men are not exempt from, nay, they lie most open to, those cares and troubles of mind which disturb their repose in the night, while the sleep of the labouring man is sweet and sound, and the sleep of the sober temperate man free from confused dreams. The abundance of the rich will not suffer them to sleep at all for care, and the excesses of gluttons and drunkards will not suffer them to sleep quietly for dreaming. But this recorded here was not from natural causes. Nebuchadnezzar was a troubler of God's Israel, but God here troubled him; for he that made the soul can make his sword to approach to it. He had his guards about him, but they could not keep trouble from his spirit. We know not the uneasiness of many that live in great pomp, and, one would think, in pleasure, too. We look into their houses, and are tempted to envy them; but, could we look into their hearts, we should pity them rather. All the treasures and all the delights of the children of men, which this mighty monarch had command of, could not procure him a little repose, when by reason of the trouble of his mind his sleep broke from him. But God gives his beloved sleep, who return to him as their rest.
II. The trial that he made of his magicians and astrologers whether they could tell him what his dream was, which he had forgotten. They were immediately sent for, to show the king his dreams, Dan 2:2. There are many things which we retain the impressions of, and yet have lost the images of the things; though we cannot tell what the matter was, we know how we were affected with it; so it was with this king. His dream had slipped out of his mind, and he could not possibly recollect it, but he was confident he should know it if he heard it again. God ordered it so that Daniel might have the more honour, and, in him, the God of Daniel. Note, God sometimes serves his own purposes by putting things out of men's minds as well as by putting things into their minds. The magicians, it is likely, were proud of their being sent for into the king's bed-chamber, to give him a taste of their office, not doubting but it would be for their honour. He tells them that he had dreamed a dream, Dan 2:3. They speak to him in the Syriac tongue, which was then the same with the Chaldee, but now they differ much. And henceforward Daniel uses that language, or dialect of the Hebrew, for the same reason that those words, Jer 10:11, are in that language because designed to convince the Chaldeans of the folly of their idolatry and to bring them to the knowledge and worship of the true and living God, which the stories of these chapters have a direct tendency to. But ch. 8 and forward, being intended for the comfort of the Jews, is written in their peculiar language. They, in their answer, complimented the king with their good wishes, desired him to tell his dream, and undertook with all possible assurance to interpret it, Dan 2:4. But the king insisted upon it that they must tell him the dream itself, because he had forgotten it and could not tell it to them. And, if they could not do this, they should all be put to death as deceivers (Dan 2:5), themselves cut to pieces and their houses made a dunghill. If they could, they should be rewarded and preferred, Dan 2:6. And they knew, as Balaam did concerning Balak, that he was able to promote them to great honour, and give them that wages of unrighteousness which, like him, they loved so dearly. No question therefore that they will do their utmost to gratify the king; if they do not, it is not for want of good-will, but for want of power, Providence so ordering it that the magicians of Babylon might now be as much confounded and put to shame as of old the magicians of Egypt had been, that, how much soever his people were both in Egypt and Babylon vilified and made contemptible, his oracles might in both be magnified and made honourable, by the silencing of those that set up in competition with them. The magicians, having reason on their side, insist upon it that the king must tell them the dream, and then, if they do not tell him the interpretation of it, it is their fault, Dan 2:7. But arbitrary power is deaf to reason. The king falls into a passion, gives them hard words, and, without any colour of reason, suspects that they could tell him but would not; and instead of upbraiding them with impotency, and the deficiency of their art, as he might justly have done, he charges them with a combination to affront him: You have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me. How unreasonable and absurd is this imputation! If they had undertaken to tell him what his dream was, and had imposed upon him with a sham, he might have charged them with lying and corrupt words; but to say this of them when they honestly confessed their own weakness only shows what senseless things indulged passions are, and how apt great men are to think it is their prerogative to pursue their humour in defiance of reason and equity, and all the dictates of both. When the magicians begged of him to tell them the dream, though the request was highly rational and just, he tells them that they did but dally with him, to gain time (Dan 2:8), till the time be changed (Dan 2:9), either till the king's desire to know his dream be over, and he grown indifferent whether he be told it or no, though now he is so hot upon it, or till they may hope he has so perfectly forgotten his dream (the remaining shades of which are slipping from him apace as he catches at them) that they may tell him what they please and make him believe it was his dream, and, when the thing which is going, is quite gone from him, as it will be in a little time, he will not be able to disprove them. And therefore, without delay, they must tell him the dream. In vain do they plead, 1. That there is no man on earth that can retrieve the king's dream, Dan 2:10. There are settled rules by which to discover what the meaning of the dream was; whether they will hold or no is the question. But never were any rules offered to be given by which to discover what the dream was; they cannot work unless they have something to work upon. They acknowledge that the gods may indeed declare unto man what is his thought (Amo 4:13), for God understands our thoughts afar off (Psa 139:2), what they will be before we think them, what they are when we do not regard them, what they have been when we have forgotten them. But those who can do this are gods, that have not their dwelling with flesh (Dan 2:11), and it is they alone that can do this. As for men, their dwelling is with flesh; the wisest and greatest of men are clouded with a veil of flesh, which quite obstructs and confounds all their acquaintance with spirit, and their powers and operations; but the gods, that are themselves pure spirit, know what is in man. See here an instance of the ignorance of these magicians, that they speak of many gods, whereas there is but one and can be but one infinite; yet see their knowledge of that which even the light of nature teaches and the works of nature prove, that there is a God, who is a Spirit, and perfectly knows the spirits of men and all their thoughts, so as it is not possible that any man should. This confession of the divine omniscience is here extorted from these idolaters, to the honour of God and their own condemnation, who though they knew there is a God in heaven, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secret is hid, yet offered up their prayers and praises to dumb idols, that have eyes and see not, ears and hear not. 2. That there is no king on earth that would expect or require such a thing, Dan 2:10. This intimates that they were kings, lords, and potentates, not ordinary people, that the magicians had most dealings with, and at whose devotion they were, while the oracles of God and the gospel of Christ are dispensed to the poor. Kings and potentates have often required unreasonable things of their subjects, but they think that never any required so unreasonable a thing as this, and therefore hope his imperial majesty will not insist upon it. But it is all in vain; when passion is in the throne reason is under foot: He was angry and very furious, Dan 2:12. Note, It is very common for those that will not be convinced by reason to be provoked and exasperated by it, and to push on with fury what they cannot support with equity.
III. The doom passed upon all the magicians of Babylon. There is but one decree for them all (Dan 2:9); they all stand condemned without exception or distinction. The decree has gone forth, they must every man of them be slain (Dan 2:13), Daniel and his fellows (though they knew nothing of the matter) not excepted. See here, 1. What are commonly the unjust proceedings of arbitrary power. Nebuchadnezzar is here a tyrant in true colours, speaking death when he cannot speak sense, and treating those as traitors whose only fault is that they would serve him, but cannot. 2. What is commonly the just punishment of pretenders. How unrighteous soever Nebuchadnezzar was in this sentence, as to the ringleaders in the imposture, God was righteous. Those that imposed upon men, in pretending to do what they could not do, are now sentenced to death for not being able to do what they did not pretend to.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–13. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Daniel 2:6 articulates King Nebuchadnezzar's lavish promise of "gifts and rewards and great honour" to his wise men, contingent upon their ability to not only recall his forgotten dream but also provide its accurate interpretation. This verse functions as the positive incentive within the king's desperate ultimatum, starkly contrasting with the dire consequences threatened for failure, and profoundly highlights the immense value he placed on uncovering the hidden divine message he believed his dream contained, setting the stage for God's sovereign revelation through Daniel.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Daniel 2:6 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to heighten the narrative's drama and emphasize the king's absolute authority. A central device is Ultimatum, as the verse presents the positive pole of a stark binary choice: immense reward for success versus certain death for failure, thereby creating extreme tension and suspense for the reader. Repetition is prominently featured in the king's insistent demand, "shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof," which appears twice within this short verse and recurs throughout the broader chapter. This repetition effectively underscores the king's unwavering and relentless demand, simultaneously highlighting the human impossibility of the task. Furthermore, the cumulative phrase "gifts and rewards and great honour" functions as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the extraordinary and overflowing generosity of the king's promise. This deliberate exaggeration vividly portrays the king's desperation and the perceived unparalleled value of the hidden knowledge, setting the narrative stage for a divine intervention that profoundly transcends all human capabilities and wisdom.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Daniel 2:6 powerfully illustrates the profound contrast between human limitation and divine omnipotence. Nebuchadnezzar's offer of immense rewards underscores the desperate human need for truth and understanding, particularly when faced with the unknown or the seemingly supernatural. Yet, the very nature of his demand—to recall a forgotten dream and interpret it—reveals the inherent inability of even the most esteemed human wisdom (represented by the wise men) to access divine secrets without God's direct and sovereign revelation. This pivotal moment sets the stage for God to demonstrate His unique sovereignty, His unparalleled knowledge of "deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22), and His exclusive power to reveal them through His chosen servants. The promise of reward for true revelation also foreshadows the biblical principle that God profoundly honors those who faithfully serve Him and courageously proclaim His truth.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Daniel 2:6 serves as a profound and enduring reminder that there are mysteries and challenges in life that utterly transcend human intellect, capability, and resources. Just as Nebuchadnezzar's wise men were utterly powerless to meet the king's impossible demand, we too will inevitably encounter situations where our own wisdom, accumulated knowledge, material resources, or influential connections fall woefully short. This verse profoundly encourages us to recognize the inherent limits of human understanding and to cultivate a posture of profound dependence on God, who alone possesses "all wisdom and might" (Daniel 2:20). It calls us to diligently seek His divine revelation through His inspired Word and fervent prayer when faced with the unknown, trusting with unwavering faith that He is able to disclose hidden truths and provide solutions far beyond our comprehension. Furthermore, this passage highlights that God often chooses to work through faithful, humble individuals, using them as instruments to reveal His truth to a world in need, sometimes leading to unexpected recognition and influence, not for their own glory, but ultimately for His.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Nebuchadnezzar so insistent on the wise men telling him the dream, not just the interpretation?
Answer: Nebuchadnezzar's insistence on the wise men first revealing the dream itself, rather than just its interpretation, was a critical and ingenious test of their true capabilities and honesty. He had forgotten the dream, and he likely suspected that his advisors, if they were truly charlatans, might simply fabricate an interpretation if they didn't know the dream's actual content. By demanding both the dream's recall and its interpretation, he aimed to verify the authenticity and divine origin of any proposed explanation. This impossible demand also served to highlight the inherent limitations of pagan divination and set the stage for God to demonstrate His unique power through Daniel, proving unequivocally that only the true God could reveal such hidden knowledge, as Daniel himself declares in Daniel 2:27-28.
What kind of "gifts and rewards and great honour" were promised?
Answer: The "gifts" (Aramaic mattᵉnâʼ) would have encompassed valuable presents, likely including gold, silver, precious garments, or other royal treasures. "Rewards" (Aramaic nᵉbizbâh) refers to a largess or bounty, signifying a generous and substantial payment or remuneration. "Great honour" (Aramaic saggîyʼ yᵉqâr) implies a significant and permanent elevation in status, prestige, and influence within the royal court. This would have included appointments to high positions of power, privileged access to the king, and a life of luxury, respect, and authority. This lavish promise was indeed fulfilled for Daniel and his companions later in the narrative, as recorded in Daniel 2:48-49.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Daniel 2:6, with its desperate demand for hidden truth and the promise of immense reward for its revelation, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Nebuchadnezzar, troubled by a forgotten divine message, sought a revealer of secrets, and Daniel, by God's grace, became that revealer, pointing to a God who "reveals deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22). This serves as a powerful foreshadowing of Christ, who is the ultimate revealer of God's mysteries, the very Word made flesh who "has made him known" (John 1:18). The "great honour" promised to Daniel for revealing the king's dream, while significant, pales in comparison to the eternal glory, salvation, and abundant life offered through Christ, who reveals the ultimate mystery of God's redemptive plan for humanity. He is the one who unveils the path to true life, light, and truth, providing not just temporary earthly rewards but eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16). Just as Daniel's wisdom came directly from God, Christ Himself is the "wisdom of God" and the "power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24), in whom "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). He is the only one who truly "shows" us the Father and provides the definitive interpretation of God's grand plan for history and salvation.