Daniel 2:15
in Daniel 2“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
KJV
He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
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This verse in Daniel 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain - The word “captain” - a different word from what occurs in Dan 2:14, שׁליטא shallı̂yṭa' - denotes one who has rule or dominion; one who is powerful or mighty; and it would be applied only to one who sustained a post of honor and responsibility. See the use of the word שׁלט shālaṭ, as meaning “to rule,” in Neh 5:15; Ecc 2:19; Ecc 6:2; Ecc 8:9; Est 9:1; Psa 119:1
This site's exposition
Daniel replied with discretion and tact
on Daniel 2:14-16
When Arioch comes to execute them, Daniel asks with “discretion and tact”, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” Daniel goes to the king. The wise men's delay in verse 8 met a charge of stalling; Daniel asks for time “so that he could give him the interpretation”.
This site's exposition
Why is the decree
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the question as asking why the rest had been condemned without being consulted. Daniel had known nothing until now. Albert Barnes notes that Arioch's title in this passage marks an officer of real power.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Verse 15. "And he inquired of him who had received authority from the king as to why so cruel a decree had gone forth from the presence of the king." Knowing that Daniel and the three youths possessed a knowledge and intelligence tenfold as great as that of all the soothsayers of Chaldea put together, the Chaldeans concealed from them the king's inquiry, lest they should receive preference over them in the matter of interpreting the dream. On this account Daniel inquired concerning the cruelty of the decree, being ignorant of the cause of his own peril.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain,....
And whereas the rest of the wise men had insisted upon it that it was utterly impossible for him ever to have his demand gratified, which did but make him more outrageous, Daniel undertakes, if he may but have a little time allowed him, to give the king all the satisfaction he desired,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Why is the decree so hasty--Why were not all of us consulted before the decree for the execution of all was issued? the thing--the agitation of the king as to his dream, and his abortive consultation of the Chaldeans. It is plain from this that Daniel was till now ignorant of the whole matter.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עָנֵ֣ה | ʾaneh | [he was] replying | H6032 → | 30 times |
| וְאָמַ֗ר | veamar | and [he was] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| לְאַרְיוֹךְ֙ | learyokh | to Arioch | H746 → | 7 times |
| שַׁלִּיטָ֣א | shalita' | captain the | H7990 → | 10 times |
| דִֽי־ | di- | of | H1768 → | 345 times |
| מַלְכָּ֔א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5922 → | 104 times |
| מָ֥ה | mah | what? | H4101 → | 13 times |
| דָתָ֛א | data' | [is] decree the | H1882 → | 14 times |
| מְהַחְצְפָ֖ה | mehachtzefah | harsh | H2685 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| קֳדָ֣ם | kodam | before | H6925 → | 42 times |
| מַלְכָּ֑א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| אֱדַ֣יִן | ʾedayin | then | H116 → | 57 times |
| מִלְּתָ֔א | mileta' | matter the | H4406 → | 24 times |
| הוֹדַ֥ע | hoda' | he made known | H3046 → | 47 times |
| אַרְי֖וֹךְ | ʾaryokh | Arioch | H746 → | 7 times |
| לְדָנִיֵּֽאל׃ | ledaniyel | to Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
עָנֵ֣ה[he was] replying
ʾanehH6032 →30 times
וְאָמַ֗רand [he was] saying
veamarH560 →71 times
לְאַרְיוֹךְ֙to Arioch
learyokhH746 →7 times
שַׁלִּיטָ֣אcaptain the
shalita'H7990 →10 times
דִֽי־of
di-H1768 →345 times
מַלְכָּ֔אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
מָ֥הwhat?
mahH4101 →13 times
דָתָ֛א[is] decree the
data'H1882 →14 times
מְהַחְצְפָ֖הharsh
mehachtzefahH2685 →
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
קֳדָ֣םbefore
kodamH6925 →42 times
מַלְכָּ֑אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
אֱדַ֣יִןthen
ʾedayinH116 →57 times
מִלְּתָ֔אmatter the
mileta'H4406 →24 times
הוֹדַ֥עhe made known
hoda'H3046 →47 times
אַרְי֖וֹךְArioch
ʾaryokhH746 →7 times
לְדָנִיֵּֽאל׃to Daniel
ledaniyelH1841 →57 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this chapter
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; 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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.