Daniel 2:12 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.

NASB: Because of this, the king became angry and extremely furious, and he gave orders to kill all the wise men of Babylon.

CSB: Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

NLT: The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.

KJV: For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

NKJV: For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

This incident occurred early in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1). The royal magicians and sorcerers were likely those of his father, and he may not have trusted their advice. Rather than simply asking for the meaning of a troubling dream, the king demanded the occultists tell him what the dream was. He intends to either prove they have spiritual insight, or that they are liars (Daniel 2:2–9). The astrologers are desperate, appealing to Nebuchadnezzar that his request is impossibly unfair (Daniel 2:10–11).

As promised (Daniel 2:5), the enraged king responds with violence. As were most rulers of ancient empires, Nebuchadnezzar was not accustomed to being contradicted. Apparently his pride was equaled only by his anger. While Nebuchadnezzar's rage is terrible, it is not without cause. If these men have no spiritual power, then their words have been lies (Daniel 2:9). Anger in response to sin or evil is sometimes called "righteous indignation." Jesus exhibited this emotion against those who had corrupted the temple and made it into a crass marketplace (John 2:13–17).

Here, Nebuchadnezzar's approach is unjustified. At least some of his anger is motivated by vengeance and a sense of superiority. It also extends to cruelty and brutality, by insisting on the deaths of those uninvolved in his current situation (Daniel 2:13). Daniel and his three friends are "wise men," part of a larger group of royal counselors. They are not among those lying to Nebuchadnezzar about spiritual insight. The king's command to have them murdered is an act of spiteful arrogance.

The reference to "Babylon," in this context, may refer to the whole empire, but it most likely refers to the city of Babylon. Most of the diviners and astrologers would have lived near to the king.

Daniel 2:1–16 builds on the introduction to Daniel and his three friends given in chapter 1. Babylon's king, Nebuchadnezzar, is deeply disturbed by a recurring dream. He insists that his pagan advisors tell him what the dream contained, to prove they have genuine insight. When the Babylonian counselors say that only a god could do that, the king plans to have every advisor in Babylon killed. Daniel, however, claims he can meet Nebuchadnezzar's challenge. The text switches from Hebrew to Aramaic in verse 4 and will not revert until chapter 8.

King Nebuchadnezzar tests his magicians, demanding they tell him what he has dreamed, rather than merely inventing an interpretation. When they fail, he prepares to execute the entire department of wise men. Daniel promises he can meet the king's request and is given a special vision from God. The king dreamed of a massive statue shattered into powder by a supernatural rock. Daniel accurately describes this and interprets it as a prophecy about kingdoms which would come after Babylon. The king appoints Daniel and his friends to positions of power and influence over Babylon.

Chapter 1 introduced King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Daniel—a captive youth from Jerusalem—and three other Jewish boys. After three years of education, the four Hebrew captives outperformed all the other trainees, even surpassing the wise men in Babylon. In chapter 2, Daniel describes and interprets Nebuchadnezzar's disturbing dream, though the court magicians could not. As a result, the king promotes Daniel and his three friends to high positions over the provinces of Babylon. This sets the stage for a severe test of faith in chapter 3.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.