Daniel 2:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

NIV: So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,

NASB: Then the king gave orders to call in the soothsayer priests, the conjurers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

CSB: So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

NLT: He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king,

KJV: Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

NKJV: Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

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).

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.