Daniel 2:1
in Daniel 2In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
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.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
13 notes on this verseVerse 1. "In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar saw a dream and his spirit was terrified, and his dream fled from him." If the three lads had entered before him at the end of three years, as he himself had commanded, how is it that he is now said to have seen the dream in the second year of his reign?
This site's exposition
his spirit was troubled
on Daniel 2:1-3
Nebuchadnezzar's dream comes in the second year of a reign already begun by the deportation of chapter one, and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him is the text's own note that this is no ordinary unease. The king summons the full guild of Babylon's wisdom, magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, four terms the bench reads as overlapping schools rather than four distinct offices, all called to the same impossible task. He does not ask them to interpret a dream he will describe; he demands they name it first, which turns the whole scene into a test of whether their arts reach beyond guesswork.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Augustine of HippoON VARIOUS QUESTIONS TO SIMPLICIAN 2:1.1 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
The Spirit of prophecy does not affect everyone in the same way. The Spirit's infusion in some people confers images of things; others are granted the mental fruit of understanding; others are given both by inspiration; and still others know nothing. But the Spirit works through the infusion in two ways. The first way comes during sleep, and not only to saints, but even Pharoah and King Nebuchadnezzar saw what neither of them was able to understand but both of them were able to see. The second way is through demonstration in ecstasy (which some Latins translate as "trembling"—astonishingly idiosyncratic, but close in meaning nonetheless), where the mind is separated from the bodily senses so that the human spirit, which is assumed by the divine Spirit, might be free of perceiving and intuiting ideas, as, for instance, when it was shown to Daniel what he had not understood, and to Peter, the sheet let down from heaven by its four corners, who only later recognized what this vision represented. One way is through the mental fruit of understanding, when the significance and relevance of the things demonstrated through images is revealed, which is a more certain prophecy, for the apostle calls such prophecy "greater," as Joseph deserved to understand but Pharaoh only to see, and as Daniel explained to the king that he saw but did not know.
There is a type of dream that comes from God, since he has promised to pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit on all flesh and has ordained that his sons and handmaidens shall utter prophecies and dream dreams. Such dreams may be compared with the grace of God as being honest, holy, prophetic, inspired, edifying and inducing to virtue. Their bountiful nature causes them to overflow even to the unbelievers since God with divine impartiality causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on just and unjust alike.
We learned earlier that at the beginning of his [Nebuchadnezzar's] reign, he advanced with the army to Judea in the third year of the reign of Joachim.… So most blessed Daniel, recalling the first year after the capture of the Jews, … now adds, "in …
"In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream and his spirit was amazed, and his sleep departed from him. And the king said to call the enchanters and the magicians and the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to proclaim to the king his dream. And they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, 'I dreamed and my spirit was amazed to know the dream.' And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriac, 'O king, live forever! Tell the dream to all your servants, and we will proclaim the interpretation.' But the king answered the Chaldeans, 'The memory has departed from me. And so, if you do not make known the dream to me and its interpretation you shall be destroyed and your houses shall be plundered. But if you do make known the dream and its interpretation to me, you will receive gifts and presents and much honor from me, only proclaim to me the dream and its interpretation.'" [Daniel 2:1-6] And so, the dream which was seen by the king was not earthly, that it might be interpreted by the wise men of the world, but it was heavenly, according to the plan and foreknowledge of God, which is fulfilled in their own times. And on account of this it was concealed from men who comprehend earthly things, so that to those who seek heavenly things, the heavenly mysteries may be revealed.
The Reformation1 voice
In this explanation there is nothing forced, and as the history agrees with it, I adopt it as the best. He says -- he dreamt dreams, and yet only one Dream is narrated; but since many things were involved in this dream, the use of the plural number is not surprising.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,....
Now Daniel was carried to Babylon in his first year, and, it should seem, he was three years under tutors and governors before he was presented to the king, ch. i.
This dream of Nebuchadnezzar's had nothing in the thing itself but what might be paralleled in many a common dream, in which are often represented to men things as foreign as are here mentioned; but there was something in the impression it made upon him which carried with it an incontestable evidence of its divine original and its prophetic significancy.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar - There is an apparent chronological difficulty in this statement which has given some perplexity to expositors. It arises mainly from two sources. (1) That in Jer 25:1, it is said that the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar corresponded with the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and as the captivity was in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim Dan 1:1, the time here would be the “fourth” year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, instead of the second.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The very difficulty is a proof of genuineness; all was clear to the writer and the original readers from their knowledge of the circumstances, and so he adds no explanation. A forger would not introduce difficulties; the author did not then see any difficulty in the case. Nebuchadnezzar is called "king" (Da 1:1), by anticipation.
The second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar - That is, the second year of his reigning alone, for he was king two years before his father’s death. See the notes on Dan 1:1 (note). This was therefore the fifth year of his reign, and the fourth of the captivity of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled - The dream had made a deep and solemn impression upon his mind; and, having forgotten all but general circumstances, his mind was distressed.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign It is impossible to say this, except that [it happened] in the second year after the destruction of the Temple. So it is taught in Seder Olam (ch.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת | uvishnat | and in year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שְׁתַּ֗יִם | shetayim | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| לְמַלְכוּת֙ | lemalkhut | of [the] reign of | H4438 → | 91 times |
| נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֔ר | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| חָלַ֥ם | chalam | he dreamed | H2492 → | |
| נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| חֲלֹמ֑וֹת | chalomot | dreams | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וַתִּתְפָּ֣עֶם | vatitpaem | and it was troubled | H6470 → | |
| רוּח֔וֹ | rucho | spirit his | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וּשְׁנָת֖וֹ | ushenato | and sleep his | H8142 → | |
| נִהְיְתָ֥ה | nihyetah | it happened | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וּבִשְׁנַ֣תand in year
uvishnatH8141 →877 times
שְׁתַּ֗יִםtwo
shetayimH8147 →768 times
לְמַלְכוּת֙of [the] reign of
lemalkhutH4438 →91 times
נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֔רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5019 →60 times
חָלַ֥םhe dreamed
chalamH2492 →
נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֖רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5019 →60 times
חֲלֹמ֑וֹתdreams
chalomotH2472 →65 times
וַתִּתְפָּ֣עֶםand it was troubled
vatitpaemH6470 →
רוּח֔וֹspirit his
ruchoH7307 →378 times
וּשְׁנָת֖וֹand sleep his
ushenatoH8142 →
נִהְיְתָ֥הit happened
nihyetahH1961 →3559 times
עָלָֽיו׃on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Esther 6:1That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
it leads to
- Daniel 6:18
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
- Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Esther 5:8
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the…
- Esther 2:23
After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
- Daniel 6:18
Through
Daniel 2:3he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
it leads to
- Genesis 41:15
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
- Genesis 40:8
“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- Genesis 41:15
Through
Daniel 4:5I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
it leads to
- Daniel 2:28–29
But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your…
- Daniel 2:28–29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS TO SIMPLICIAN 2:1.1; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 2.1-2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TWO; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, ON THE SOUL 47 and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 2:1.