The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
The king {H4430} answered {H6032} and said {H560}, I {H576} know {H3046} of {H4481} certainty {H3330} that ye {H608} would gain {H2084} the time {H5732}, because {H6903}{H3606} ye see {H2370} the thing {H4406} is gone {H230} from {H4481} me.
The king replied, "I see you're only trying to gain time, because you see that I've decided
The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final.
The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
-
Ephesians 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. -
Colossians 4:5
¶ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
In Daniel 2:8, King Nebuchadnezzar confronts his Babylonian wise men, accusing them of trying to buy time because they know he has truly forgotten the dream he demands they interpret. This verse is pivotal in highlighting the king's absolute authority and his frustration with the inability of his most learned advisors.
Context
This verse is set against the backdrop of King Nebuchadnezzar's deep distress over a forgotten dream (Daniel 2:1). He summoned his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, demanding not only the interpretation but also the dream itself. When they insisted he reveal the dream first, he became enraged, decreeing that they would be cut in pieces and their houses made a dunghill if they failed (Daniel 2:5). His statement in verse 8 is a direct response to their attempts to stall, revealing his awareness of their deceitful intentions.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "gain the time" translates from the Aramaic ze·man (זְמַן), which means to prolong, delay, or buy time. It signifies an attempt to postpone an inevitable outcome or to find a loophole. The king recognizes their strategy to delay, hoping he might remember the dream or that they might contrive a plausible interpretation. "The thing is gone from me" (Aramaic: mil·le·ṯāʾ ʾăzaṯ min·nî) emphasizes the king's genuine and complete forgetfulness, reinforcing the impossibility of the task for mere human wisdom.
Practical Application
This verse offers several insights for contemporary reflection: