4 “Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, ‘O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.’ 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, ‘My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 6 However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.’ 7 They answered again and said, ‘Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.’ 8 The king answered and said, ‘I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: 9 if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.’ 10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, ‘There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.’ 12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.”
2:4
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
Daniel switches in 2:4b to the Aramaic from the Hebrew. He continues in Aramaic until 7:28. Daniel 1:1-2:4a and 8:1-12:13 are written in Hebrew. Aramaic was the language of Babylon, Assyria, and Persia. It was the language of trade and government. Daniel switched to Aramaic because 2:4b to 7:28 deal with Gentile matters.
The Chaldeans took the initiative in replying to the king. These religious leaders insisted on knowing the content of the dream.
2:5
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.
King Nebuchadnezzar astutely withheld the dream’s content because he did not want any fake interpretation by a bunch of deceivers; he issued an ultimatum.
2:6
“However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
The king’s hypothesis was that if they could tell him the dream’s content without him revealing it, their interpretation of the dream would likely be true. Nebuchadnezzar promised them reward and honor for doing this.
2:7
They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
Again, the wise men of Babylonia requested that the king tell them the content of the dream.
2:8
The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
Nebuchadnezzar charged them with stalling for time. He saw through their delaying tactics. They might have hoped that the king would forget about the dream.
2:9
“if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
The only way for the king to have confidence in the wise men’s interpretation was for them to tell the content of the dream.
2:10
The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.”
The wise men declared that the king’s request was unfair and unreasonable. They stated that it was patently impossible to do what the king requested.
2:11
“It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
The wise men declared that the sphere of knowing content beforehand belonged exclusively to the “gods.” This admission set up Daniel’s God as the authentic God.
2:12
For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar reacted violently and declared that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. It was patently obvious that the wise men of pantheism could not reveal the dream or its meaning. They were demonstrated to be inept at meeting the king’s request.
2:13
So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
Daniel and his three friends fell into the category of wise men to be killed.
PRINCIPLE:
Christians know the future outcome of the world.
APPLICATION:
Where is this world going? The Bible says that the “times of the Gentiles” (the time of Gentile domination) will come to an end. Secular governments and all governments other than Israel will cease to exist. They do not do a good job of dealing with the major issues of mankind.
The church will be raptured before the end of Gentile domination. The end of Gentile rule will come in the Tribulation after Jesus Christ comes for His church.
Ps 89:34-7, “’My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.’ Selah”
God will govern the world by His Messiah and the nation Israel.
