Daniel 2:24-30

2:24 Then Daniel went in to see ¹  Arioch (whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon). He came ²  and said to him, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Escort me ³  to the king, and I will disclose the interpretation to him!” ⁴ 

2:25 So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king’s presence, saying to him, “I ⁵  have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king.” 2:26 The king then asked Daniel (whose name was also Belteshazzar), “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw, as well as its interpretation?” 2:27 Daniel replied to the king, “The mystery that the king is asking about is such that no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or diviners can possibly disclose it to the king. 2:28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, ⁶  and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the times to come. ⁷  The dream and the visions you had while lying on your bed ⁸  are as follows.

2:29 “As for you, O king, while you were in your bed your thoughts turned to future things. ⁹  The revealer of mysteries has made known to you what will take place. 2:30 As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom ¹⁰  than any other living person, but so that the king may understand ¹¹  the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind. ¹² 

[2:24]  ¹ tc The MT has עַל עַל (’al ’al, “he entered upon”). Several medieval Hebrew MSS lack the verb, although this may be due to haplography.

[2:24]  ² tc The LXX and Vulgate, along with one medieval Hebrew MS, lack this verb.

[2:24]  ³ tn Aram “cause me to enter.” So also in v. 25.

[2:24]  ⁴ tn Aram “the king.”

[2:25]  ⁵ sn Arioch’s claim is self-serving and exaggerated. It is Daniel who came to him, and not the other way around. By claiming to have found one capable of solving the king’s dilemma, Arioch probably hoped to ingratiate himself to the king.

[2:28]  ⁶ tn Aram “a revealer of mysteries.” The phrase serves as a quasi-title for God in Daniel.

[2:28]  ⁷ tn Aram “in the latter days.”

[2:28]  ⁸ tn Aram “your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed.”

[2:29]  ⁹ tn Aram “your thoughts upon your bed went up to what will be after this.”

[2:30]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “not for any wisdom which is in me more than [in] any living man.”

[2:30]  ¹¹ tn Aram “they might cause the king to know.” The impersonal plural is used here to refer to the role of God’s spirit in revealing the dream and its interpretation to the king. As J. A. Montgomery says, “it appropriately here veils the mysterious agency” (Daniel [ICC], 164-65).

[2:30]  ¹² tn Aram “heart.”