Daniel 2:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.

NIV: In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.

NASB: Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.

CSB: In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.

NLT: One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.

KJV: And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

NKJV: Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.

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.

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.