What does Daniel 2:2 mean?

Nebuchadnezzar employed a variety of spiritualists, diviners, occultists, and scholars to give him advice (Daniel 1:20; 2:10, 27). Some probably served a function like the magicians of Egypt in the days of Joseph and Moses (Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11). The same Hebrew root word, hartōm, refers to all these men and is translated "magician." The term literally refers to a person who writes, in this case an occult scribe.

This verse also uses the root word assāp, referring to conjurers or necromancers. The third term is kashaph, meaning a witch or sorcerer. Last are kasdim', translated as "Chaldeans;" that cultural group was particularly associated with astrology (Daniel 2:4). The men described by these various terms would have claimed the ability to read stars, commune with spirits, conjure the dead, or cast spells to tell the future and uncover hidden knowledge.

The unusual part of the king's request is that he wants to be told the content of his dream—not merely what it meant (Daniel 2:5). This serves as a test of his diviners and magicians. If they have that much insight, shouldn't they be able to tell him what he'd dreamed? If they cannot, why not think they're lying and inventing their interpretations? The men ultimately admit that only a real god could know Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:11), opening the door for Daniel to explain the power of the God of Israel (Daniel 2:27–28).