Daniel 2:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

NIV: During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

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

CSB: The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel praised the God of the heavens

NLT: That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

KJV: Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

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

When Nebuchadnezzar's royal advisors could not tell him the content of his own dream, he knew they had been lying about their spiritual powers (Daniel 2:8–9). The magicians admitted that only a true god could know such things (Daniel 2:10–11), and in a rage the king ordered all the wise men of Babylon be executed. Daniel, despite knowing nothing about the king's dream, promised he would be able to give an answer (Daniel 2:12–16). He and his three friends prayed, and God granted their request (Daniel 1:6; 2:17–18).

Scripture does not say when Daniel was to meet with Nebuchadnezzar, but it was likely very soon after his request for an audience, perhaps even the next day. The Bible does not say exactly when this vision came to Daniel, but it came in response to his earnest prayer. In most contexts, the Bible uses the term "dream" to refer to something seen while sleeping, while a "vision" occurs when a person is awake. Prophets were known to experience both dreams and visions, both of which were supernatural revelations. Perhaps he and his three friends prayed far into the night, and then God gave Daniel the vision.

God provided the answer which only He could give (Daniel 2:27–28). He always answers prayer at exactly the appropriate time (Hebrews 4:16). True to his character, Daniel responded to this revelation by blessing the God of heaven. He did not rush to reveal the dream's meaning to Nebuchadnezzar. First, he praised the Lord for granting him knowledge. It is always appropriate to praise God for answered prayer.

Daniel 2:17–23 explains what happened after Daniel requested an appointment to explain king Nebuchadnezzar's dream. When royal magicians could not explain his dream, the king gave an extreme command: to kill all his advisors, even those not involved with his request (Daniel 2:1–15). Daniel, despite knowing nothing about the dream, at first, promised the king an answer (Daniel 2:16). This passage shows what happened next and reveals more information about Daniel's character. This continues a stretch of Scripture recorded in Aramaic (Daniel 2:4—7:28).

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.