Daniel 2:4
in Daniel 2Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
KJV
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verseVerse 4. "The Chaldeans replied to the king in Syriac." Up to this point what we have read has been recounted in Hebrew. From this point on until the vision of the third year of King Balthasar which Daniel saw in Susa, the account is written in Hebrew characters, to be sure, but in the Chaldee language, which he here calls Syriac.
This site's exposition
in Syriack
on Daniel 2:4-6
The Chaldeans answer in Syriack, the Aramaic that carries the book from here through chapter seven, the empire's own diplomatic tongue used for an empire's own oracle of its end. Their opening flattery, O king, live for ever, is court form rather than confidence, and their request, tell thy servants the dream, exposes that they expect only to interpret, not to discover. The king's answer removes that escape, dismemberment and a leveled house for failure, wealth and honor for success, stakes set high enough that no vague answer can survive them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"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 Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In Syriack - That is in the Chaldee tongue, for Syria or Aram is sometimes taken in a large sense, containing, Assyria, Babylon, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Palestine, 2 Kings xviii, 26. From hence all is written in the Chaldee language, to the eighth chapter.
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in, Syriac,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
In it the course, character, and crisis of the Gentile power are treated; whereas, in the other parts, which are in Hebrew, the things treated apply more particularly to the Jews and Jerusalem.
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac - ארמית aramith, the language of Aram or Syria. What has been generally called the Chaldee. O king, live for ever - מלכא לעלמין חיי Malca leolmin cheyi. With these words the Chaldee part of Daniel commences; and continues to the end of the seventh chapter. These kinds of compliments are still in use in the East Indies.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king - The meaning is, either that the Chaldeans spoke in the name of the entire company of the soothsayers and magicians (see the notes, Dan 1:20; Dan 2:2), because they were the most prominent among them, or the name is used to denote the collective body of soothsayers, meaning that this request was made by the entire company. In Syriac - In the original - ארמית 'ărâmı̂yt - in “Aramean.” Greek, Συριστὶ Suristi - “in Syriac.” So the Vulgate. The Syriac retains the original word. The word means Aramean, and the reference is to that language which is known as East Aramean - a general term embracing the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the languages which were spoken in Mesopotamia. See the notes at Dan 1:4. This was the vernacular tongue of the king and of his subjects, and was that in which the Chaldeans would naturally address him. It is referred to here by the author of this book, perhaps to explain the reason why he himself makes use of this language in explaining the dream. The use of this, however, is not confined to the statement of what the magicians said, but is continued to the close of the seventh chapter. Compare the Intro. Section IV. III. The language used is what is commonly called Chaldee. It is written in the same character as the Hebrew, and differs from that as one dialect differs from another. It was, doubtless, well understood by the Jews in their captivity, and was probably spoken by them after their return to their own land. O king, live for ever - This is a form of speech quite common in addressing monarchs. See 1Sa 10:24; 1Ki 1:25 (margin); Dan 3:9; Dan 5:10. The expression is prevalent still, as in the phrases, “Long live the king,” “Vive l’ empereur,” “Vive le roi,” etc. […]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ | vaydaberu | and they spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים | hakasdim | the Chaldeans | H3778 → | 80 times |
| לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲרָמִ֑ית | ʾaramit | Aramaic | H762 → | |
| מַלְכָּא֙ | malka' | king O | H4430 → | 180 times |
| לְעָלְמִ֣ין | lealmin | for ever | H5957 → | 20 times |
| חֱיִ֔י | cheyi | live! | H2418 → | 6 times |
| אֱמַ֥ר | ʾemar | tell! | H560 → | 71 times |
| חֶלְמָ֛א | chelma' | dream the | H2493 → | 22 times |
| לְעַבְדָ֖ךְ | leavdayikh | to servant your | H5649 → | 7 times |
| וּפִשְׁרָ֥א | ufishra' | and interpretation the | H6591 → | 31 times |
| נְחַוֵּֽא׃ | nechave' | we will declare | H2324 → | 14 times |
וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּand they spoke
vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛יםthe Chaldeans
hakasdimH3778 →80 times
לַמֶּ֖לֶךְto the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲרָמִ֑יתAramaic
ʾaramitH762 →
מַלְכָּא֙king O
malka'H4430 →180 times
לְעָלְמִ֣יןfor ever
lealminH5957 →20 times
חֱיִ֔יlive!
cheyiH2418 →6 times
אֱמַ֥רtell!
ʾemarH560 →71 times
חֶלְמָ֛אdream the
chelma'H2493 →22 times
לְעַבְדָ֖ךְto servant your
leavdayikhH5649 →7 times
וּפִשְׁרָ֥אand interpretation the
ufishra'H6591 →31 times
נְחַוֵּֽא׃we will declare
nechave'H2324 →14 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
Daniel 3:9saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
it leads to
- Daniel 6:21
Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 6:6
So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 6:21
Through
1 Kings 1:31Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
it leads to
- Daniel 3:9
saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 5:10
Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 3:9
Through
Ezra 4:7And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 18:26
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the…
- Ezra 4:17
Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
- 2 Kings 18:26
Through
Isaiah 36:11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on…
it leads to
- Ezra 4:7
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
- 2 Kings 18:26–27
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the…
- Ezra 4:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.