2:1–16 Following Daniel and his friends’ success in ch. 1, another test comes their way. The Hebrew youths pass this challenge through prayer and Yahweh’s intervention. The chapter is divided into three sections; the first establishes the predicament Daniel and his friends will face.

2:1 in the second year Probably sometime in 603 bc, Nebuchadnezzar’s reign began late in 605 bc. Babylonian records usually followed a system where year one of the king’s reign was the first full calendar year beginning after he took the throne. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, 604 bc was his first year, so 603 bc would be his second year. The year he ascended to the throne—605 bc—was his accession year.

dreams See 1:17 and note.

his spirit was troubled Nebuchadnezzar’s anxiety is accompanied by sleeplessness. The Hebrew phrase used here indicates a turmoil that would disrupt normal sleeping patterns. Similar Hebrew phrases occur elsewhere in the ot in connection with dreams, such as in the Joseph narrative. In Gen 41:8, the ruler of Egypt (the Pharaoh) is similarly troubled by a dream. Daniel will assist Nebuchadnezzar in understanding the dream just as Joseph did for Pharaoh.

2:2 the magicians and the conjurers and the sorcerers Titles belonging to members of the priestly class who interpreted omens. They claimed to be able to predict the future and communicate with spirits for the sake of altering the course of future events.

astrologers The Hebrew term for “Chaldeans” was originally a designation for an Aramaic-speaking people-group in Babylon, so some biblical passages use “Chaldean” as a synonym for “Babylonian” (Ezra 5:12; Ezek 12:13). The label later became a became a technical term for people trained in astrology and so is sometimes translated “astrologers” “or “diviners.”

2:4–7:28 From here to the end of ch. 7, the book is written in Aramaic instead of Hebrew. The presentation of Aramaic-speaking Chaldeans here provides a convenient means within the narrative to transition from the use of Hebrew to Aramaic. One possible reason for this switch is that Aramaic was the primary international language of the period. Since chs. 2–7 is meant to demonstrate God’s sovereignty over the nations, this part of the book needed to be readable to the whole empire—not just the Jews. In contrast, the apocalypses of chs. 8–12—written in Hebrew—were intended for a Jewish audience. Aramaic AYBD

Linguistic Structure of Daniel
Hebrew: 1:1–2:3	Aramaic: 2:4–7:28	Hebrew: 8:1–12:13

2:4 Tell the dream The advisors expect that Nebuchadnezzar will follow standard procedure: He will describe his dream, and then they will confer together to arrive at an interpretation.

2:5 the dream and its explanation In making this command, the king intends to prevent the Babylonians (Chaldeans) from deceiving him with a fictional interpretation. Only a person with legitimate divine contact could fulfill his demand.

you will be broken into pieces Reminiscent of the fate that was supposed to befall Daniel in chapter six. Dismemberment was threatened here as an extreme form of punishment to dissuade false testimony and fraud.

2:6 But if you tell me the dream “Blessing and cursing” and “promise and threat” motifs are common throughout the literature of the ancient Near East, particularly in treaties (see Deut 28).

2:7 They answered once more Indicates growing desperation.

Let the king tell the dream to his servants The magicians and advisors desire a return to proper protocol; the king’s request was impossible.

2:8 are trying to gain time Dumbfounded by the king’s request, the magicians and advisors stall to gain time to formulate an alternative plan.

2:9 your verdict is fixed A reference to death (see Dan 2:5).

lying and deceitful word Nebuchadnezzar’s experience was so vivid and troubling that he is reluctant to believe the Chaldeans. He does not want their omens and false interpretations; he desires a realistic and thorough evaluation of what he has seen.

2:10 not a man on earth The magicians and advisors do not know that Daniel is able to meet Nebuchadnezzar’s demand. This phrase sets him in contrast with them.

no great and powerful king The magicians and advisors hope Nebuchadnezzar will change his mind if he realizes the lack of precedence for his request.

2:11 the gods whose dwelling is not with mortals Daniel is later said to have the spirit of the holy gods (or Holy God) in him (see 4:8–9).

2:12 the king became angry The magicians could not meet his demand. This typical response of kings in court tales often serves to illustrate the timeliness of God’s intervention (see Dan 3:13, 19; Esth 1:12; 7:7).

all the wise men of Babylon Furious that they could not retell and explain his dream, Nebuchadnezzar commands that the whole pagan priestly class be killed. Daniel and his friends are included in this group.

2:13 they searched for Daniel Although they were relatively new to the ranks of the Babylonian priesthood, Daniel and his friends were among those destined for destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. God, however, destined them for great things. Their deliverance is expected following the events of ch. 1.

2:14 prudently and discretely Daniel is presented as the ideal Jewish sage, a teacher of wisdom in the biblical period.

who had gone out Arioch had not yet carried out his assignment (see Dan 2:24).

2:15 is the decree from the king so severe The Hebrew term would likely be translated as “harsh” based on the context.

Arioch explained the matter Daniel is apparently unaware of the king’s initial request. It is unclear why he would have been excluded from the original audience of v. 2—perhaps the Babylonians (Chaldeans) considered him and his friends too young and inexperienced.

2:16 went in and requested See v. 24 and note. Up to this point, Daniel had not interpreted any dreams or visions. Yet his faith in Yahweh was so great that he arranged to explain the interpretation to the king, confident that he would be given the supernatural ability to do so.

2:17–30 After hearing of the king’s harsh edict, Daniel immediately enlists the prayer support of his three friends. God is pleased to honor their request, and the mystery of the king’s dream is revealed to Daniel through a vision in the night. Daniel prays and acknowledges God’s power, then approaches the king with confidence. The king questions Daniel—but Daniel is quick to defer all glory to God.

2:17 he made the matter known Apparently the four Hebrew youths were in close proximity to one another; they may have shared a dwelling place. Daniel informs them of the king’s command so that the four of them might seek Yahweh’s mercy.

2:18 seek mercy from the God of Not only is Daniel quick to give God the glory for the eventual outcome (see vv. 27–28), he also hurriedly seeks God’s help through prayer. After asking his three friends to pray, Daniel sets an example by entreating Yahweh.

2:19 the mystery was revealed A period of time elapses between Daniel’s initial request to appear before the king in v. 16 and his audience in v. 25. Given the urgency of the king’s command, it may have been just one night. This verse introduces the theme of God’s revelation, which continues throughout the text (see v. 47 and note).

2:20 for the wisdom and the power are his The wisdom that Daniel receives comes from God. Daniel’s highlighting of this characteristic suggests that he identifies himself in the tradition of Jewish sages (see v. 14 and note).

2:21 he deposes kings and he sets up kings A prominent theme throughout the book: God is sovereign over all nations and their rulers.

2:22 reveals the deep and the hidden things God as revealer is the second major theme of the book (see vv. 21, 47). God’s revelatory work through Daniel distinguishes him from the other sages in Nebuchadnezzar’s service.

2:23 O God of my ancestors This praise of God and the virtue of wisdom identifies Daniel with the tradition of the Jewish sages. Similar to refusing the king’s food in ch. 1, this phrase connects Daniel to the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and shows resistance to the Babylonian policy of religious pluralism and idol worship (see 1:8 and note).

2:24 take me in before the king The proper method for approaching the king.

2:25 among the exiles Those Jews Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon (see Dan 1:2 and note).

2:26 Belteshazzar Daniel’s Babylonian name. See 1:7 and note.

2:27 no wise men Daniel agrees with the Babylonians’ (Chaldeans’) earlier statement. See v. 10 and note. Apart from God’s revelation, no man can interpret the dream. But Daniel will demonstrate the superiority of his God over those of the other wise men—a recurring process throughout the book.

2:28 there is a God Daniel gives the credit to Yahweh, even before he addresses the king’s dream. He recognizes that Nebuchadnezzar’s request is impossible, but God reveals the meaning of the dream to him through prayer.

the end of days In this context, the Hebrew phrase often translated as “latter days” or “days to come” is not a reference to the end of the world and human history (see 8:17 and note); it denotes events in the future.

2:30 more than any other living person An ironic phrase. Daniel is indeed portrayed as a righteous sage, possessing more wisdom than all others in the realm (see v. 14 and note).

2:31–45 With the court formalities out of the way, Daniel proceeds to tell the king his dream and its interpretation. The king saw a massive statue, indicative of his kingdom and the future kingdoms of the world. The contents of the vision come up again in the latter portion of the book (chs. 7–12), where several of Daniel’s visions are recorded.

2:31 appearance was frightening The statue was massive and alarming in appearance. It was composed of varying materials—from gold to clay—that represent a progressive decline in value.

2:32 The head of The interpretation of vv. 32–35 is given below in vv. 36–45.

2:35 they became like chaff In the ancient Near East, harvesters would throw wheat into the air to remove its seed coverings. The wind would carry off the debris while the good grain fell to the ground.

a great mountain and it filled the whole earth Prophetic figures in the ot often used mountain and filling motifs (see Isa 2:2; 6:3; 11:9; Mic 4:1).

2:36 we will tell The plural “we”—instead of “I”—implies that Daniel’s three friends accompany him on this occasion.

2:37 has given the kingdom Emphasizes God’s sovereignty over the nations. This theme will persist throughout the rest of the narrative (see Dan 1:2 and note; v. 21 and note).

2:38 the head of gold Nebuchadnezzar—representative of the Babylonian Empire—is the head of the statue. The fact that he is “gold” may indicate that subsequent kingdoms will be inferior until the kingdom of the Messiah is established (see v. 31 and note).

Part of Statue	Kingdom
Head of Gold	Babylon
Chest and Arms of Silver	Media or Media-Persia
Middle and Thighs of Bronze	Persia or Greece
Legs of Iron, Feet of Iron and Clay	Greece or Rome

2:39 This verse references two kingdoms, and there are two main options for interpreting them. One interpretation sees the first as the Medo-Persian Empire (see 5:28) and the second as the Greek Empire. The other sees the first as the Median Empire and the second as the Persian Empire.

2:40 kingdom This could be either Rome or Greece, depending on how the two kingdoms in v. 39 are interpreted.

2:41 a divided kingdom At his death, Alexander’s empire was divided among four of his generals. Though they did not retain the full strength of his empire, Greece remained powerful and influential (particularly over the affairs of Palestine) for several years afterwards.

2:44 will never be destroyed The fifth and final kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the kingdom God Himself will establish universally. This is the great hope for Daniel’s readers.

the kingdom will not be left for another nation While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, Jerusalem and Judah were left for others to inhabit. The kingdom of God would never be left desolate for others to occupy.

2:45 a stone While this refers to the destruction of the empires represented by the statue, its precise meaning is uncertain.

not by hands A divinely initiated act.

its explanation trustworthy The events Daniel describes will happen in the manner revealed to him by God (see Dan 8:26).

2:46–49 After Daniel discloses the dream and its meaning, Nebuchadnezzar promotes him and his three friends. Ironically, those who were excluded from the initial audience in v. 2 are set over all the other wise men in positions of leadership. The king’s actions in v. 46 symbolize the point of the book: the kings of the earth must bow to the sovereignty of God.

2:46 fell on his face No king would ever bow down and pay homage to a slave in the ancient Near East. This action would have shocked everyone present.

he paid homage to Daniel The events described in vv. 46–49 may refer to the same events of 1:18–20. If so, this would help explain the sequence of events from the end of chapter one to chapter two. The homage Nebuchadnezzar pays to Daniel—which should be read in light of v. 47—is likely his way of honoring Daniel’s God.

2:47 the Lord of kings, and he reveals mysteries The two primary themes of Daniel (see v. 21 and note, v. 22 and note).

2:48 the whole province of Babylon The Babylonian Empire was divided into administrative districts with governors set over them (similar to the satrapies of Darius; see 6:1 and note). Daniel was likely made a chief administrator of a region and placed over the council of the wise men.

2:49 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Reintroduces Daniel’s friends into the narrative. The book will focus on them in chapter three.