TRV
Translation
King James Version
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Complete Jewish Bible
The king replied, "I see you're only trying to gain time, because you see that I've decided
Berean Standard Bible
The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final.
American Standard Version
The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
World English Bible Messianic
The king answered, I know of a certainty that you would gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then the King answered, and sayd, I knowe certeinly that ye would gaine the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Young's Literal Translation
The king hath answered and said, `Of a truth I know that time ye are gaining, because that ye have seen that the thing is gone from me,
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In the KJVVerse 21,767 of 31,102
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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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Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 2:8-9
While the demand in these words was high-handed and insane, the accusation was very true: You want to learn what the dream was, he is saying, so as to hatch in common some false interpretation and trick me as usual, using the lapse in time as an advantage and waiting for the moment of fulfillment.
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
In Daniel 2:8, King Nebuchadnezzar, with shrewd insight, directly confronts his Babylonian wise men, expressing his absolute conviction that their repeated requests for him to reveal his forgotten dream are nothing more than a calculated stratagem to "gain the time." He perceives their deceitful intentions, understanding that they are attempting to delay their inevitable failure because they themselves recognize that the dream has truly "gone" from his memory, rendering their human wisdom utterly impotent to fulfill his extraordinary demand. This pivotal verse underscores the king's formidable discernment, his mounting frustration with his advisors' profound limitations, and the escalating tension that permeates the narrative.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated at a critical and highly dramatic juncture within Daniel chapter 2. It immediately follows King Nebuchadnezzar's profound disturbance over a dream he cannot recall, yet demands to be both revealed and interpreted by his wise men, under penalty of death (Daniel 2:1-3). The wise men's initial response was to ask the king to tell them the dream first, a standard and expected practice for interpretation in ancient courts (Daniel 2:4). However, the king's unyielding decree in Daniel 2:5 made it unequivocally clear that failure to both recall and interpret the dream would result in their brutal execution. Verse 8 serves as the king's sharp, accusatory retort to their second attempt to gain time (Daniel 2:7), revealing his full awareness of their manipulative tactics and his unwavering resolve. The immediate consequence of this tense exchange is the king's escalating rage, culminating in the terrifying decree to destroy all the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:12).
Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Near Eastern courts, particularly the Neo-Babylonian Empire, heavily relied on various classes of "wise men"—including magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers—to advise rulers, interpret omens, and provide spiritual or supernatural guidance. These individuals often held significant power, prestige, and influence within the royal court. Nebuchadnezzar, as the absolute monarch of a vast empire, wielded immense and unquestionable authority, with his word being law. The concept of a king's dream being a divine message or omen was deeply ingrained in the culture, and its interpretation was considered vital for the kingdom's well-being and future. The king's demand in this passage, however, pushes far beyond typical expectations, challenging the very foundation of the wise men's claims to supernatural insight and divine connection. Their desperate attempts to "gain the time" reflect a desperate strategy to preserve their lives and status within a culture where failure to appease the king often meant a swift, brutal, and public end.
Key Themes: Daniel 2:8 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that are central to the book of Daniel. Firstly, it starkly highlights the limitations of human wisdom when confronted with divine mysteries. The most learned and powerful men in Babylon are utterly helpless before a forgotten dream, setting a profound contrast with the divine wisdom that Daniel later demonstrates (Daniel 2:27-28). Secondly, the verse underscores the absolute sovereignty of God over all earthly rulers and their supposed sources of knowledge. Nebuchadnezzar's frustration and the wise men's impotence serve to magnify the unique and unparalleled power of the one true God to reveal "deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22) and to control the course of human history. Finally, the verse showcases the king's shrewdness and discerning nature, as he is not easily fooled by the wise men's transparent attempts at deception, demonstrating his formidable character as a ruler and his capacity to see through their manipulative tactics.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices to heighten its dramatic impact and underscore its theological message. Irony is profoundly prominent, as the "wise men" of Babylon, renowned for their vast knowledge and supposed supernatural insight, are exposed as utterly foolish and deceitful when confronted with a true test of their abilities. Their claims to wisdom are shown to be impotent without divine revelation. Dramatic Tension is masterfully built through the king's escalating frustration and the wise men's desperate, transparent attempts to evade his wrath, creating a palpable sense of impending doom and high stakes. The king's sharp, accusatory tone further contributes to this tension. Furthermore, the king's statement powerfully foreshadows the ultimate triumph of divine wisdom over human cunning, setting the stage for Daniel's entrance as the one who possesses true, God-given insight and the ability to reveal what is hidden.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Daniel 2:8 serves as a powerful theological statement about the inherent limitations of human wisdom and the unique, unchallengeable nature of divine knowledge. The king's absolute certainty that his wise men are merely "gaining time" because they "see the thing is gone from me" highlights the profound futility of human effort, cunning, and intellectual prowess when confronted with a divinely ordained mystery. This serves to magnify God's absolute sovereignty, as He alone possesses the ability to reveal secrets and interpret the future, demonstrating His unparalleled control over all earthly affairs and even the minds of kings. This inability of Babylon's most elite and learned individuals to solve the king's dilemma sets the stage for Daniel's God-given revelation, emphasizing that true wisdom comes from above, not from earthly sources, manipulative tactics, or human ingenuity.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The intense scene in Daniel 2:8 offers profound insights into the nature of truth, wisdom, and the limitations of human understanding. Just as King Nebuchadnezzar, with his keen discernment, recognized the deceitful intentions of his wise men, we too are called to cultivate spiritual discernment in our own lives. This means recognizing when others (or even our own hearts) attempt to "gain time" or evade accountability rather than confronting difficult truths with integrity. This verse also powerfully reminds us of the inherent futility of relying solely on human intellect, cunning, or worldly strategies when faced with challenges that demand divine intervention or insight. It beckons us to a posture of humility, acknowledging that true wisdom and revelation ultimately come from God, not from our own cleverness, accumulated knowledge, or the collective wisdom of humanity. When we encounter situations where "the thing is gone from us"—where human solutions fail, our understanding is limited, and our resources are exhausted—it is precisely then that we are invited to turn in faith to the One who knows all things and delights in revealing mysteries to those who seek Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Nebuchadnezzar so certain that the wise men were trying to "gain the time"?
Answer: Nebuchadnezzar's certainty stemmed from the wise men's repeated and identical responses, which revealed their lack of genuine ability. After his initial demand and severe threat in Daniel 2:5, they reiterated their request for him to reveal the dream first (Daniel 2:7). This consistent refusal to even attempt to provide the dream, coupled with their insistence on a prerequisite they knew he could not fulfill, convinced the king that they were merely stalling. He understood that if they truly possessed the supernatural insight they claimed, they would not need him to recall the dream. Their transparent tactics exposed their lack of genuine ability and their desperate attempt to buy time, hoping for a change in the king's mood or for him to miraculously remember the dream.
What does "the thing is gone from me" tell us about Nebuchadnezzar's state of mind?
Answer: This phrase confirms that Nebuchadnezzar genuinely could not recall the dream. His memory was truly blank regarding its specific details, despite its profound impact on him. This is a crucial admission because it elevates the challenge from merely interpreting a known dream to divining a forgotten dream, a task far beyond human capability. His statement is not a trick or a test of their honesty; it's an honest admission of his amnesia, which ironically makes his demand an even greater and seemingly impossible test of the wise men's supposed supernatural powers. His intense frustration is rooted in this genuine forgetfulness and the wise men's utter inability to compensate for it.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The profound inability of the Babylonian wise men to discern the king's forgotten dream in Daniel 2:8 powerfully foreshadows humanity's inherent inability to comprehend divine mysteries or to bridge the chasm of sin through human wisdom, effort, or philosophy alone. Just as the dream was "gone" from Nebuchadnezzar, so too was true knowledge of God and His redemptive plan "gone" from a fallen humanity, lost in the darkness of sin and spiritual amnesia. The wise men's futile attempts to "gain the time" mirror humanity's endless efforts throughout history to find salvation, meaning, or reconciliation with God through self-effort, intellectual pursuits, philosophical systems, or religious rituals, all of which ultimately fall tragically short. The "certainty" Nebuchadnezzar possessed about their deceit finds its ultimate parallel in God's perfect knowledge of humanity's true condition and our desperate need for a divine revelation that transcends human capacity. This revelation comes definitively and perfectly in Jesus Christ, who is not merely an interpreter of mysteries but the very embodiment of God's wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30) and the ultimate truth. He is the one who reveals the Father fully and intimately (Matthew 11:27), brings light to what was lost in spiritual darkness (John 8:12), and provides the ultimate "certainty" of salvation and truth, not through human cunning or earthly wisdom, but through His divine sacrifice, resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 11:1). In Christ, the "thing" that was "gone" from us—intimate knowledge of God, the path to eternal life, and true understanding of divine purpose—is fully restored and gloriously revealed.