Daniel 2:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

NIV: When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.

NASB: Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

CSB: Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon.

NLT: When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.

KJV: Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

NKJV: Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

Arioch, captain of Nebuchadnezzar's royal bodyguard, seems to have wasted no time in carrying out the order to kill all the wise men (Daniel 2:12). This was in response to Nebuchadnezzar's rage at his court conjurers being unable to tell him the contents of his own dream (Daniel 2:1–9). Unfortunately, that command extended to all the wise men, even those with no knowledge of the situation.

However, when Arioch came to kill Daniel and his friends, Daniel remained calm. He did not argue or whimper; he spoke to Arioch wisely and persuasively. Lives were at stake, including Daniel's, those of his three friends, and many others. One wrong word by Daniel could have proven disastrous, but tactful, persuasive words could stop Nebuchadnezzar's reign of terror and perhaps end it. Christians can learn from Daniel's speech in the face of imminent death. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." When a perilous situation confronts a Christian, it is wise not to lash out at the accuser. A wise, tactful response may lower the heat of the moment. Believers need to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).

The Babylonian occultists had admitted the king was asking for knowledge no human could uncover (Daniel 2:10–11), but Daniel (Daniel 1:17) had access to the perfect knowledge of God (Daniel 2:27–35). He will declare, in confident faith, that he can answer the king's questions (Daniel 2:16).

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.