Book of Daniel, Part 13 - a podcast by Evg. K V Thomas

(Daniel 2:4-13, ESV) 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." 7 They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." 8 The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm- 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." 12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them./// Dan. 2:4 Aramaic. This language, to which Daniel suddenly switches in v. 4b and retains through 7:28, was written with an alphabet like Hebrew, yet had distinctive differences. Aramaic was the popular language of the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian areas, and was useful in governmental and trade relations. Daniel 1:1–2:4a; 8:1–12:13 were written in Hebrew, possibly because the focus was more directly on Hebrew matters. Daniel 2:4b–7:28 switches to Aramaic because the subject matter is centered more on other nations and matters largely involving them.

Dan. 2:5 The word . . . is firm. The king shrewdly withheld the dream, though he remembered it, to test his experts. He was anxious for a straight interpretation, with no deception.

Dan. 2:7 Let the king tell. The worldly men of human skill failed (cf. the magicians in Pharaoh’s court, Ex. 8:16–19, with Joseph, Gen. 41:1ff.). Daniel 2:8–13 show how impossible it is for humans to truly interpret dreams from God (cf. v. 27). But Daniel, who trusted God in prayer (v. 18), received his supernatural interpretation (vv. 19; 30). He gave credit to God in his prayer (vv. 20–23) and his testimony before Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 23; 45). Later the king, too, gave God the glory (v. 47).

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