What does Daniel 2:1 mean?

In the prior chapter, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the captive children of Jewish nobility be reeducated to serve as Babylonian advisors. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah perform extraordinarily well, while maintaining their committed faith in the God of Israel. Daniel was especially skilled in interpreting dreams and visions (Daniel 1:17). Here, his God-given ability saves the lives of countless court officials and establishes the four Hebrew men as important leaders.

Scripture indicates this incident occurred in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. Yet the prior chapter noted that Nebuchadnezzar had ordered a three-year training program for Daniel and other captives (Daniel 1:5). One possible explanation is that the events of this chapter occurred over the course of the second and third year. The king's dreams may have begun in the second year, and only by the third did he become desperate for an answer (Daniel 2:2).

A much more likely reason is that Babylonian records didn't begin counting a ruler's reign until the beginning of a new calendar year. The first months of Nebuchadnezzar's regime, then, would have come before what was called his "first" year. In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians and captured Judah (Daniel 1:1). That same year, his father Nabopolassar died and Nebuchadnezzar became the sole king of Babylon. This would make 603 BC the third year of Daniel's training, while only being counted as the "second" of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. This is when the king is said to have experienced his disturbing dreams.