^1:1In the third¹ year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar² of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem³ and laid it under siege.⁴^1:2Now the Lord⁵ delivered⁶ King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power,⁷ along with some of the vessels⁸ of the temple of God.⁹ He brought them to the land of Babylonia¹⁰ to the temple of his god¹¹ and put¹² the vessels in the treasury of his god.

^1:3The king commanded¹³ Ashpenaz,¹⁴ who was in charge of his court officials,¹⁵ to choose¹⁶ some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent¹⁷—^1:4young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome,¹⁸ well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated¹⁹ and having keen insight,²⁰ and who were capable²¹ of entering the king’s royal service²²—and to teach them the literature and language²³ of the Babylonians.²⁴^1:5So the king assigned them a daily ration²⁵ from his royal delicacies²⁶ and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained²⁷ for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service.²⁸^1:6As it turned out,²⁹ among these young men³⁰ were some from Judah:³¹ Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.³²^1:7But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave³³ Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego.³⁴

^1:8But Daniel made up his mind³⁵ that he would not defile³⁶ himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine.³⁷ He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. ^1:9Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel.³⁸^1:10But he³⁹ responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided⁴⁰ your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age?⁴¹ If that happened,⁴² you would endanger my life⁴³ with the king!” ^1:11Daniel then spoke to the warden⁴⁴ whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ^1:12“Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ^1:13Then compare our appearance⁴⁵ with that of⁴⁶ the young men who are eating the royal delicacies;⁴⁷ deal with us⁴⁸ in light of what you see.” ^1:14So the warden⁴⁹ agreed to their proposal⁵⁰ and tested them for ten⁵¹ days.

^1:15At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier⁵² than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. ^1:16So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine⁵³ from their diet⁵⁴ and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. ^1:17Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom—and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

^1:18When the time appointed by the king arrived,⁵⁵ the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. ^1:19When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group⁵⁶ anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.⁵⁷^1:20In every matter of wisdom and⁵⁸ insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times⁵⁹ better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. ^1:21Now Daniel lived on until the first⁶⁰ year of Cyrus the king.

Nebuchadnezzar Has a Disturbing Dream

^2:1In the second year of his¹ reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams.² His mind³ was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia.⁴^2:2The king issued an order⁵ to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men⁶ in order to explain his dreams to him.⁷ So they came and awaited the king’s instructions.⁸

^2:3The king told them, “I have had a dream,⁹ and I¹⁰ am anxious to understand the dream.” ^2:4The wise men replied to the king: What follows is in Aramaic¹¹ “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its¹² interpretation.” ^2:5The king replied¹³ to the wise men, “My decision is firm.¹⁴ If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered¹⁵ and your homes reduced to rubble! ^2:6But if you can disclose the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, a reward, and considerable honor. So disclose to me the dream and its interpretation!” ^2:7They again replied, “Let the king inform us¹⁶ of the dream; then we will disclose its¹⁷ interpretation.” ^2:8The king replied, “I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm. ^2:9If you don’t inform me of the dream, there is only one thing that is going to happen to you.¹⁸ For you have agreed among yourselves to report to me something false and deceitful¹⁹ until such time as things might change. So tell me the dream, and I will have confidence²⁰ that you can disclose its interpretation.”

^2:10The wise men replied to the king, “There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king’s secret,²¹ for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man. ^2:11What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods—but they don’t live among mortals!”²²

^2:12Because of this the king got furiously angry²³ and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. ^2:13So a decree went out, and the wise men were about²⁴ to be executed. They also sought²⁵ Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed.

^2:14Then Daniel spoke with prudent counsel²⁶ to Arioch, who was in charge of the king’s executioners and who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. ^2:15He inquired of Arioch the king’s deputy, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?”²⁷ Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. ^2:16So Daniel went in and²⁸ requested the king to grant him time, that he might disclose the interpretation to the king. ^2:17Then Daniel went to his home and informed his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the matter. ^2:18He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he²⁹ and his friends would not be destroyed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ^2:19Then in a night vision the mystery was revealed to Daniel. So Daniel praised³⁰ the God of heaven, ^2:20saying,³¹

“Let the name of God³² be praised³³ forever and ever,

for wisdom and power belong to him.

^2:21He changes times and seasons,

deposing some kings

and establishing others.³⁴

He gives wisdom to the wise;

he imparts knowledge to those with understanding;³⁵

^2:22he reveals deep and hidden things.

He knows what is in the darkness,

and light resides with him.

^2:23O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you,

for you have bestowed wisdom and power on me.

Now you have enabled me to understand what I³⁶ requested from you.

For you have enabled me to understand the king’s dilemma.”³⁷

^2:24Then Daniel went in to see³⁸ Arioch (whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon). He came³⁹ and said to him, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Escort me⁴⁰ to the king, and I will disclose the interpretation to him!”⁴¹

^2:25So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king’s presence, saying to him, “I⁴² have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king.” ^2:26The king then asked Daniel (whose name was also Belteshazzar), “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw, as well as its interpretation?” ^2:27Daniel replied to the king, “The mystery that the king is asking about is such that no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or diviners can possibly disclose it to the king. ^2:28However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,⁴³ and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the times to come.⁴⁴ The dream and the visions you had while lying on your bed⁴⁵ are as follows.

^2:29“As for you, O king, while you were in your bed your thoughts turned to future things.⁴⁶ The revealer of mysteries has made known to you what will take place. ^2:30As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom⁴⁷ than any other living person, but so that the king may understand⁴⁸ the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind.⁴⁹

^2:31“You, O king, were watching as a great statue—one⁵⁰ of impressive size and extraordinary brightness—was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. ^2:32As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze. ^2:33Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay.⁵¹^2:34You were watching as⁵² a stone was cut out,⁵³ but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. ^2:35Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction⁵⁴ and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth. ^2:36This was the dream. Now we⁵⁵ will set forth before the king its interpretation.

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

^2:37“You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. ^2:38Wherever human beings,⁵⁶ wild animals,⁵⁷ and birds of the sky live—he has given them into your power.⁵⁸ He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold. ^2:39Now after you another kingdom⁵⁹ will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth. ^2:40Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces⁶⁰ all of these metals,⁶¹ so it will break in pieces and crush the others.⁶²^2:41In that you…

Read in Logos

This passage has been shortened. Keep reading Daniel 1–12 in Logos

Footnotes

1 The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim would be 605 B.C. At this time Daniel would have been a teenager. The reference to Jehoiakim’s third year poses a serious crux interpretum, since elsewhere these events are linked to his fourth year (Jer 25:1; cf. 2 Kgs 24:1; 2 Chr 36:5–8). Apparently Daniel is following an accession year chronology, whereby the first partial year of a king’s reign was reckoned as the accession year rather than as the first year of his reign. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is following a nonaccession year chronology, whereby the accession year is reckoned as the first year of the king’s reign. In that case, the conflict is only superficial. Most modern scholars, however, have concluded that Daniel is historically inaccurate here.
2 King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon from 605–562 B.C.
3 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
4 This attack culminated in the first of three major deportations of Jews to Babylon. The second one occurred in 597 b.c. and included among many other Jewish captives the prophet Ezekiel. The third deportation occurred in 586 b.c., at which time the temple and the city of Jerusalem were thoroughly destroyed.
5 The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
6 Heb “gave.”
7 Heb “hand,” which is often used idiomatically for one’s power and authority. See 390 יָד 2.
8 Or “utensils”; or “articles.”
9 Heb “house of God.”
10 The land of Babylonia (Heb “the land of Shinar”) is another name for Sumer and Akkad, where Babylon was located (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Josh 7:21; Isa 11:11; Zech 5:11).
11 Or “gods” (, , ; also later in this verse). The Hebrew term can be used as a numerical plural for many gods or as a plural of majesty for one particular god. Since Nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist, it is not clear if the reference here is to many gods or one particular deity. The plural of majesty, while normally used for Israel’s God, is occasionally used of foreign gods (cf. 43 אֱלֹהִים 1, 2). See Judg 11:24 (of the Moabite god Chemosh); 1 Sam 5:7 (of the Philistine god Dagon); 1 Kgs 11:33 (of the Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom); 2 Kgs 19:37 (of the Assyrian god Nisroch). Since gods normally had their own individual temples, Dan 1:2 probably refers to a particular deity, perhaps Marduk, the supreme god of Babylon, or Marduk’s son Nabu, after whom Nebuchadnezzar was named. The name Nebuchadnezzar means “Nabu has protected the son who will inherit” ( נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר). For a discussion of how temples functioned in Babylonian religion see H. Ringgren, Religions of the Ancient Near East, 77–81.
12 Heb “brought.” Though the Hebrew verb “brought” is repeated in this verse, the translation uses “brought … put” for stylistic variation.
13 Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”
14 It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all, but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), , n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.
15 The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see סָרֹיס.
16 Heb “bring.”
17 Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”
18 Heb “good of appearance.”
19 Heb “knowers of knowledge.”
20 Heb “understanders of knowledge.”
21 Heb “who had strength.”
22 Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.
23 The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.
24 Heb “Chaldeans” (so , , , ). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.
25 Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”
26 Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”
27 Or “educated.” See I גדל.
28 Heb “stand before the king.”
29 Heb “and it happened that.”
30 Heb “among them”; the referent (the young men taken captive from Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 Heb “the sons of Judah.”
32 The names reflect a Jewish heritage. In Hebrew Daniel means “God is my judge”; Hananiah means “the Lord is gracious”; Mishael means “who is what God is?”; Azariah means “the Lord has helped.”
33 The and lack the verb here.
34 The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
35 Heb “placed on his heart.”
36 Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; “become ritually unclean.” Various reasons have been suggested as to why such food would defile Daniel. Perhaps it had to do with violations of Mosaic law with regard to unclean foods, or perhaps it had to do with such food having been offered to idols. Daniel’s practice in this regard is strikingly different from that of Esther, who was able successfully to conceal her Jewish identity.
37 Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”
38 Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.
39 Heb “The overseer of the court officials.” The subject has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
40 Heb “assigned.” See v. 5.
41 Heb “Why should he see your faces thin from the young men who are according to your age?” The term translated “thin” occurs only here and in Gen 40:6, where it appears to refer to a dejected facial expression. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “be weak.” See II זעף.
42 The words “if that happened” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
43 Heb “my head.” Presumably this is an implicit reference to capital punishment (cf. , , , ), although this is not entirely clear.
44 Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.
45 Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”
46 Heb “the appearance of.”
47 Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.
48 Heb “your servants.”
49 Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
50 Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”
51 The number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number of completeness. Cf. v. 20; Zech 8:23; Rev 2:10.
52 Heb “fat of flesh”; , “fatter in flesh”; , “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).
53 Heb “the wine of their drinking.”
54 The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
55 Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
56 Heb “from all of them.”
57 Heb “stood before the king.”
58 The lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the , the , and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.
59 Heb “hands.”
60 The Persian king Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon was 539 B.C. Daniel actually lived beyond the first year of Cyrus, as is clear from 10:1. The purpose of the statement in 1:21 is merely to say that Daniel’s life spanned the entire period of the neo-Babylonian empire. His life span also included the early years of the Persian control of Babylon. However, by that time his age was quite advanced; he probably died sometime in the 530’s B.C.
1 Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Heb “dreamed dreams.” The plural is used here and in v. 2, but the singular in v. 3. The plural “dreams” has been variously explained. Some interpreters take the plural as denoting an indefinite singular (so §124.o). But it may be that it is describing a stream of related dreams, or a dream state. In the latter case, one might translate: “Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance.” See further, J. A. Montgomery, Daniel (), .
3 Heb “his spirit.”
4 Heb “his sleep left (?) him.” The use of the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) here is unusual. The context suggests a meaning such as “to be finished” or “gone.” Cf. Dan 8:27. Some scholars emend the verb to read נָדְדָה (nadédah, “fled”); cf. Dan 6:19. See further, 2:540 היה I Ni.3; היה nif; 227–28 הָיָה Niph.2.
5 Heb “said.” So also in v. 12.
6 Heb “Chaldeans.” The term Chaldeans (Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּים, kasdim) is used in the book of Daniel both in an ethnic sense and, as here, to refer to a caste of Babylonian wise men and astrologers.
7 Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”
8 Heb “stood before the king.”
9 Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so , ).
10 Heb “my spirit.”
11 Contrary to common belief, the point here is not that the wise men (Chaldeans) replied to the king in the Aramaic language, or that this language was uniquely the language of the Chaldeans. It was this view that led in the past to Aramaic being referred to as “Chaldee.” Aramaic was used as a lingua franca during this period; its origins and usage were not restricted to the Babylonians. Rather, this phrase is better understood as an editorial note (cf. ) marking the fact that from 2:4b through 7:28 the language of the book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. In 8:1, and for the remainder of the book, the language returns to Hebrew. Various views have been advanced to account for this change of language, most of which are unconvincing. Most likely the change in language is a reflection of stages in the transmission history of the book of Daniel.
12 Or “the.”
13 Aram “answered and said,” a common idiom to indicate a reply, but redundant in contemporary English.
14 It seems clear from what follows that Nebuchadnezzar clearly recalls the content of the dream, although obviously he does not know what to make of it. By not divulging the dream itself to the would-be interpreters, he intends to find out whether they are simply leading him on. If they can tell him the dream’s content, which he is able to verify, he then can have confidence in their interpretation, which is what eludes him. The translation “the matter is gone from me” (cf. , ), suggesting that the king had simply forgotten the dream, is incorrect. The Aramaic word used here (אַזְדָּא, ’azda’) is probably of Persian origin; it occurs in the OT only here and in v. 8. There are two main possibilities for the meaning of the word: “the matter is promulgated by me” (see 1048 ) and therefore “publicly known” (cf. ; F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 62–63, §189), or “the matter is irrevocable” (cf. , , , , ; אזד; cf. also 1079 ). The present translation reflects this latter option. See further E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 3.
15 Aram “made limbs.” Cf. 3:29.
16 Aram “his servants.”
17 Or “the.”
18 Aram “one is your law,” i.e., only one thing is applicable to you.
19 Aram “a lying and corrupt word.”
20 Aram “I will know.”
21 Aram “matter, thing.”
22 Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
23 Aram “was angry and very furious.” The expression is a hendiadys (two words or phrases expressing a single idea).
24 The Aramaic participle is used here to express the imminent future.
25 The impersonal active plural (“they sought”) of the Aramaic verb could also be translated as an English passive: “Daniel and his friends were sought” (cf. ).
26 Aram “returned prudence and counsel.” The expression is a hendiadys.
27 The Aramaic word מְהַחְצְפָה (méhakhtséfah) may refer to the severity of the king’s decree (i.e., “harsh”; so חצף; 1093 חֲצַף), although it would seem that in a delicate situation such as this Daniel would avoid this kind of criticism of the king’s actions. The translation above understands the word to refer to the immediacy, not harshness, of the decree. See further, F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 50, §116; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 67.
28 Theodotion and the lack the words “went in and.”
29 Aram “Daniel.” The proper name is redundant here in English, and has not been included in the translation.
30 Or “blessed.”
31 Aram “Daniel answered and said.”
32 As is often the case in the Bible, here the name represents the person.
33 Or “blessed.”
34 Aram “kings.”
35 Aram “the knowers of understanding.”
36 Aram “we.” Various explanations have been offered for the plural, but it is probably best understood as the editorial plural; so also with “me” later in this verse.
37 Aram “the word of the king.”
38 The has עַל עַל (’al ’al, “he entered upon”). Several medieval Hebrew lack the verb, although this may be due to haplography.
39 The and , along with one medieval Hebrew , lack this verb.
40 Aram “cause me to enter.” So also in v. 25.
41 Aram “the king.”
42 Arioch’s claim is self-serving and exaggerated. It is Daniel who came to him, and not the other way around. By claiming to have found one capable of solving the king’s dilemma, Arioch probably hoped to ingratiate himself to the king.
43 Aram “a revealer of mysteries.” The phrase serves as a quasi-title for God in Daniel.
44 Aram “in the latter days.”
45 Aram “your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed.”
46 Aram “your thoughts upon your bed went up to what will be after this.”
47 Aram “not for any wisdom which is in me more than [in] any living man.”
48 Aram “they might cause the king to know.” The impersonal plural is used here to refer to the role of God’s spirit in revealing the dream and its interpretation to the king. As J. A. Montgomery says, “it appropriately here veils the mysterious agency” (Daniel [], ).
49 Aram “heart.”
50 Aram “an image.”
51 Clay refers to baked clay, which—though hard—was also fragile. Cf. the reference in v. 41 to “wet clay.”
52 Aram “until.”
53 The , Theodotion, and the have “from a mountain,” though this is probably a harmonization with v. 45.
54 Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 60.
55 Various suggestions have been made concerning the plural “we.” It is probably the editorial plural and could be translated here as “I.”
56 Aram “the sons of man.”
57 Aram “the beasts of the field.”
58 Aram “hand.”
59 The identity of the first kingdom is clearly Babylon. The identification of the following three kingdoms is disputed. The common view is that they represent Media, Persia, and Greece. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
60 Theodotion and the lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”
61 The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.
62 The words “the others” are supplied from the context.