The Prophet Daniel

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- Chapter 2 -

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar saw a dream, and his spirit was terrified, and his dream fled from him.(a)

(b)

Yet the king commanded that the seers, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be gathered together to reveal to the king his dreams. When they arrived, they stood in front of the king.(c)

(d)

And the king said to them, “I saw a dream, and, being confused in mind, I do not know what I saw.”

And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac, “O king, live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we will reveal its interpretation.”

And in answer, the king said to the Chaldeans, “The memory of it has slipped away from me. Unless you reveal the dream to me, and its meaning, you will be put to death, and your houses will be confiscated.(e)

But if you explain the dream and its meaning, you will receive from me rewards, and gifts, and great honor. Therefore, reveal to me the dream and its interpretation.”

They answered again and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will reveal its interpretation.”

The king answered and said, “I am certain that you are stalling for time because you know that the memory of it has slipped away from me.(f)

Therefore, if you do not reveal to me the dream, there is only one conclusion to be reached about you, that the interpretation is likewise false, and packed full of deception, so as to speak before me until the time passes away. And so, tell me the dream, so that I will also know that the interpretation that you tell me is likewise true.”

Then the Chaldeans answered before the king, and they said, “There is no man on earth who can accomplish your word, O king. For neither has any king, however great and mighty, asked for an answer of this kind from every seer, and astrologer, and Chaldean.

For the answer that you seek, O king, is very difficult. Neither can anyone be found who can reveal it in the sight of the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.”

When he heard this, the king commanded, in fury and in great wrath, that all the wise men of Babylon should be destroyed.

And when the decree had gone forth, the wise men were put to death; and Daniel and his companions were sought, to be destroyed.(g)

The Dream Revealed to Daniel

Then Daniel inquired, about the law and the sentence, of Arioch, the general of the king’s army, who had gone forth to execute the wise men of Babylon.

And he asked him, who had received the orders of the king, for what reason such a cruel sentence had gone forth from the face of the king. And so, when Arioch had revealed the matter to Daniel,

Daniel went in and asked of the king that he would grant him time to reveal the solution to the king.

And he went into his house and explained the task to Hananiah, and Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

so that they would seek mercy before the face of the God of heaven, about this mystery, and so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the other wise men of Babylon.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night. And Daniel blessed the God of heaven,

and speaking aloud, he said, “May the name of the Lord be blessed by the present generation and forever; for wisdom and fortitude are his.

And he alters the times and the ages. He takes away kingdoms and he establishes them. He gives wisdom to those who are wise and teaching skills to those who understand.(h)

He reveals deep and hidden things, and he knows what has been established in darkness. And the light is with him.

To you, God of our fathers, I confess, and you, I praise. For you have given wisdom and fortitude to me, and now you have revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have uncovered for us the king’s thoughts.”

Daniel Interprets the Dream

After this, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and he spoke to him in this way, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will explain the solution to the king.”

Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel to the king, and he said to him, “I have found a man of the sons of the transmigration of Judah, who would announce the solution to the king.”

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Do you really think that you can reveal to me the dream that I saw and its interpretation?”

And Daniel, facing the king, answered and said, “The secret that the king seeks, the wise men, the seers, and the soothsayers are unable to reveal to the king.

But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, who has revealed to you, king Nebuchadnezzar, what will happen in the latter times. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed, are such as these.

You, O king, began to think, while in your blanket, about what will be hereafter. And he who reveals secrets showed you what will happen.

To me, likewise, this mystery is revealed, not according to the wisdom that is in me more than in other living things, but so that the interpretation might be made manifest to the king, and so that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

You, O king, saw, and behold, something like a great statue. This statue, which was great and high, stood exalted above you, and you considered how terrible it was.

The head of this statue was of the finest gold, but the breast and the arms were of silver, and further on, the belly and the thighs were of brass;

but the shins were of iron, a certain part of the feet were of iron and another part were of clay.

And so you looked until a stone was broken off without hands from a mountain, and it struck the statue on its feet, which were of iron and clay, and it shattered them.

Then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold were crushed together and diminished like the ashes of a summer courtyard, and they were quickly taken away by the wind, and no place was found for them; but the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

This is the dream; we will also tell its interpretation before you, O king.

You are a king among kings, and the God of heaven has given to you a kingdom, and fortitude, and power, and glory,

and all the places wherein the sons of men and the beasts of the field dwell. He has likewise given the flying creatures of the air into your hand, and he has placed all things under your realm. Therefore, you are the head of gold.

And after you, another kingdom will rise up, inferior to you, of silver, and another third kingdom of brass, which will rule over the whole world.(i)

(j)

And the fourth kingdom will be like iron. Just as iron shatters and conquers all things, so will it shatter and crush all these.(k)

Furthermore, because you saw the feet and the toes to be part of potter’s clay and part of iron, the kingdom will be divided, but still, from the slip of iron it will take its origin, since you saw the iron mingled with the earthenware from clay.

And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, part of the kingdom will be strong and part will be crushed.

Yet, because you saw the iron mingled with pottery from the earth, they will indeed be combined together with the offspring of man, but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron cannot be mixed with earthenware.(l)

But in the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will inspire a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and his kingdom will not be handed over to another people, and it will crush and will consume all these kingdoms, and this kingdom itself will stand in eternity.(m)

In accordance with what you saw, because the stone was torn away from the mountain without hands, and it crushed the earthenware, and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God has shown the king what will happen after this. And the dream is true, and its interpretation is faithful.”

Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel

Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and adored Daniel, and he commanded that they should offer in sacrifice to him victims and incense.

And so the king spoke with Daniel and said, “Truly, your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and also a revealer of secrets, since you could uncover this mystery.”

Then the king raised Daniel to a high rank and gave him many great gifts, and he appointed him as leader over all the provinces of Babylon and as chief of the magistrates over all the other wise men of Babylon.

However, Daniel required of the king that he appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the works of the province of Babylon. But Daniel himself was at the king’s door.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 Notice that this is the second year of Nebuchadnezzar, yet Daniel spent three years preparing to be chosen by Nebuchadnezzar. This is the second year counting from a different point in time, probably from the time that Daniel was chosen as one of the wise men of the kingdom, i.e., “In (Daniel’s) second year, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar....”(Conte)

(b)2:1 The second year:Viz., from the death of his father Nabopolassar; for he had reigned before as partner with his father in the empire.(Challoner)

(c)2:2 The word malefici, in this context, refers to those who practiced black magic. The word Chaldeans generally refers to an ancient Semitic people from Mesopotamia (particularly Babylonia). But the word can also refer to pagan priests who practice the occult. In this context, it probably refers to the most learned among the Chaldean people, many of whom may have had some knowledge of Chaldean occult practices.(Conte)

(d)2:2 The Chaldeeans:That is, the astrologers, that pretended to divine by stars.(Challoner)

(e)2:5 The king has forgotten his dream. The word sermo means “word,” but can also refer to a concept or an idea or a plan or, as in this case, a memory.(Conte)

(f)2:8 Literally “tempus redimitis” means buying back time or recovering time, but the modern expression “stalling for time” is a fitting, slightly less literal, translation.(Conte)

(g)2:13 The verb “interficiebantur” does not merely mean to kill someone. It implies that the killing has been officially ordered or sanctioned, as in an execution, where a criminal is put to death. This word is not generally used to refer to murder.(Conte)

(h)2:21 The words “scientiam disciplinam” means the skill or knowledge used in teaching; whereas “intelligentibus” means “the understanding” or “those who understand.” The phrase “tempora et ætates” more literally means “shorter periods of time and longer periods of time.”(Conte)

(i)2:39 Another kingdom:Viz., that of the Medes and Persians.(Challoner)

(j)2:39 Third kingdom:Viz., that of Alexander the Great.(Challoner)

(k)2:40 The fourth kingdom, etc:Some understand this of the successors of Alexander, the kings of Syria and Egypt, others of the Roman empire, and its civil wars.(Challoner)

(l)2:43 Man is made from the earth, that is why Daniel’s interpretation of earthenware and pottery from the earth speaks of the offspring of man. Iron mixed with earthenware symbolizes an unwise, and ultimately unworkable, mingling of some type of technology (iron) with human nature (earthenware).(Conte)

(m)2:44 A kingdom:Viz., the kingdom of Christ in the Catholic Church which cannot be destroyed.(Challoner)

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

The king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered the Chaldeans, “The thing has gone from me. If you don’t make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill.

But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”

They answered the second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered, “I know of a certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see the thing has gone from me.

But if you don’t make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the situation changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can show me its interpretation.”

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on the earth who can show the king’s matter, because no king, lord, or ruler has asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or Chaldean.

It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

The Dream Revealed to Daniel

Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

He answered Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?” Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Daniel answered, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Daniel Interprets the Dream

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him: “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers;

but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:

“As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen.

But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

“You, O king, saw, and behold,(a) a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrifying.

As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay.

You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

“This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king.

You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory.

Wherever the children of men dwell, he has given the animals of the field and the birds of the sky into your hand, and has made you rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

“After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you; and another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.

The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush.

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.

As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they won’t cling to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will happen hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him.

The king answered to Daniel, and said, “Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret.”

Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the king’s gate.

Footnotes

(a)2:31 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.