Daniel 2:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

NIV: he said to them, 'I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.'

NASB: The king said to them, 'I had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.'

CSB: he said to them, "I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it."

NLT: he said, 'I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.'

KJV: And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

NKJV: And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”

Babylon's king, Nebuchadnezzar, had an especially troublesome dream (Daniel 2:1). As the text points out later, the dream had major prophetic implications for the Gentile—non-Jewish—people (Daniel 2:36–45). So, he asks his spiritual advisors for their wisdom. However, the king adds a new facet to his command: he wants the conjurers and occultists (Daniel 2:2) to tell him the content of the dream, as well as the meaning (Daniel 2:5). This appears to be a test, probably tied to the intense nature of the dream.

Just as God worked to place Daniel in his position as a Babylonian advisor (Daniel 1:1–4; 17–19), He used Nebuchadnezzar to prove the divine nature of true prophecy. The king's astrologers and sorcerers will beg for the king to tell them what the dream was about, stalling for time (Daniel 2:4–9). He will refuse, threatening to kill them all if they cannot prove their spiritual insight by explaining the content of the dream. The Babylonian mediums admit that only a true god's knowledge could meet that challenge (Daniel 2:10–11), setting the stage for Daniel to demonstrate the power of the God of Israel (Daniel 2:27–30).

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.