2:1-11Dreams were considered to be messages from the gods, and the astrologers were expected to interpret them. Usually the astrologers could give some sort of interpretation as long as they knew what the dream was about. This time, however, Nebuchadnezzar demanded to be told the dream also. God sent a series of dreams to Nebuchadnezzar with prophetic messages that could be revealed and understood only by a servant of God. People from other time periods who received dreams from God inctude Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15), Joseph (Genesis 37:5-11), Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and his baker (Genesis 40), Pharaoh (Genesis 41), Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-15), and Joseph (Matthew 1:20-24).
Life Application Study BibleDanielChapter 2
Daniel 2
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1378, 1379, 1380
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
2Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
12 One night during the second year of his reign,* Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn't sleep. 2He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers,* and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, She said, “Ihave hada dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.” 4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic,* “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” 5But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don't tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! 6But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!” 7They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” 8The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You're stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, “If you don't tell me the dream, you are doomed. 9So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I'll know that you can tell me what it means.” 10The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! 11The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” 12The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. 13And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends. 14When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. 8He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. 16Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant. 17Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. 19That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
20He said,“Praise the name of God forever and ever,for he has all wisdom and power.
21He controls the course of world events;he removes kings and sets up other kings.He gives wisdom to the wiseand knowledge to the scholars.
22He reveals deep and mysterious thingsand knows what lies hidden in darkness,though he is surrounded by light.
23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,for you have given me wisdom and strength.You have told me what we asked of youand revealed to us what the king demanded.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
2424Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.” 25Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” 26The king said to Daniel {also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” 27Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king's secret. 28But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed. 29" While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. 30And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart. 31“In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. Itwasa frightening sight. 32The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, 33its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. 34As you watched, a rock was cut froma mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. >The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. 36“ That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. 37Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 38He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. 39“But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. 40Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, justas iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. 41The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. 42But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. 43This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. 44"During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 45That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”.
Nebuchadnezzar Rewards Daniel
4646Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. 4”The king said to Daniel, “ Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the LORD over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” 48Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. 49At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
Textual footnotes
- 2:1 The second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was 603 B.c.
- 2:2 Or Chaldeans, also in 2:4, 5, 10.
- 2:4 The original text from this point through chapter 7 is in Aramaic.
Life Application Notes 13 notes
2:10,11The astrologers told the king that “no one on earth” could know the dreams of another person. What the king asked was humanly impossible. But Daniel could tell what the king had dreamed, and he could also give the interpretation because God was working through him. In daily life, we face many apparently impossible situations that would be hopeless if we had to handle them with our limited strength. But God specializes in working through us to achieve the impossible.
2:10,11The astrologers were unable to persuade the king with any amount of logic or rational argument. The king asked for something impossible and didn’t want anyone to change his mind. When power goes to a leader's head, whether at work, at home, or in the church, that leader may sometimes demand the impossible from subordinates. At times, he may motivate workers to achieve more than they thought they could. At other times, they may ignore his rantings and ravings. Just as Daniel dealt wisely in the situation, we can ask God to give us wisdom to know how to deal with unreasonable bosses.
2:11The astrologers admitted that their gods did not “live here among people.” Of course their gods didn’t—they didn’t even exist! This exposed the limitations of the astrologers. They could invent interpretations of dreams but could not tell Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed. Although his request was unreasonable, Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated by their reply. It was not unusual in these times for astrologers to be in conflict with the king. They sometimes used their craft to gain political power.
2:11By answering that the gods “do not five here among people,” the astrologers betrayed their concept of the gods. Theirs was a hollow religion, a religion of convenience. They believed in the gods, but that belief made no difference in their conduct. Today, many people profess to believe in God, but it is also a hollow belief. In essence, they are practical atheists because they don’t listen to him or do what he says. Do you believe in God? He does live among people, and he wants to change your life.
2:16-18Daniel was at a crisis point. Imagine going to see the powerful, temperamental king who had just angrily ordered your death! Daniel did not shrink back in fear, however, but confidently believed God would tell him all the king wanted to know. When the king gave Daniel time to find the answer, Daniel found his three friends and they prayed. When you find yourself in a tight spot, share your needs with trusted friends who also believe in God’s power. Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God. Daniel’s trust in God saved not only himself but also his three friends and all the other wise men of Babylon.
2:19-23After Daniel asked God to reveal Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him, he saw a vision of the dream. Daniel's prayer was answered. Before rushing to Arioch with the news, Daniel took time to give God credit for all wisdom and power, thanking God for answering his request. How do you feel when your prayers are answered? Excited? Surprised? Relieved? There are times when we seek God in prayer and, after having been answered, dash off in our excitement, forgetting to give God credit for the answer. Match your persistence in prayer with gratitude when your Tequests are answered.
2:21Ifyou know that you still have much to learn in life, and if you have ever wished that you knew more about how to deal with people, then look to God for wisdom. While educational institutions Provide diplomas at great expense, God gives wisdom freely to ail who ask. (See James 1:5 for more on asking God for wisdom.)
2:21When we see evil leaders who live long and good leaders who die young, we may wonder if God is still in control. Daniel saw evil rulers with almost limitless power, but he knew that God “removes kings and sets up other kings” and that he controls everything that happens. God governs the world according to his purposes. You may be dismayed when you see evil people prosper, but God is in control. Let this knowledge give you confidence and peace no matter what happens.
2:24Daniel did not use his success to promote his own self-interest. He thought of others. When striving to succeed or survive, remember the needs of others.
2:27-30Before Daniel told the king anything else, he gave credit to God, explaining that he did not know the dream through his own wisdom but only because God revealed it. How easily we take credit for what God does through us! This robs God of the honor that he alone deserves. Instead, we should be like Danie! and point people to God so that we give him the glory.
2:31ffThe head of gold on the statue in the dream represented Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian Empire. The silver chest and two arms represented the Medo-Persian Empire, which conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. The belly and thighs of bronze were Greece and Macedonia under Alexander the Great, who conquered the Medo-Persian Empire (334-330 B.C.). The legs of iron represented Rome, which conquered the Greeks in 63 B.C. The feet of clay and iron represented the breakup of the Roman Empire, when the territory Rome ruled divided into a mixture of strong and weak nations. The type of metal in each part depicted the strength of the political power it represented. The rock cut out of the mountain depicted God’s Kingdom, which would be ruled eternally by the Messiah, the King of kings. The dream revealed Daniel's God as the power behind ail earthly kingdoms.
2:44God's Kingdom will never be destroyed. If you are upset by threats of war and the prosperity of evil leaders, remember that God, not world leaders, decides the outcome of history. leader, shared the burden of administration with dozens of assistants. (This story is in Exodus 18:13-27.)
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1379
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM FULFILLED
The large statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2:24-45) represented the four kingdoms that would dominate as world powers. We recognize these as the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Grecian Empire, and the Roman Empire. All of these will be crushed and brought to an end by the Kingdom of God, which will continue forever.
Part
Material
Empire
Period of Domination
Head Chest and Arms
Gold Silver
Babylonian Medo-Persian
606 B.C.-539 B.C. 539 B.C.-331 B.C.
Belly and Thighs Legs and Feet
Bronze Iron and Clay
Grecian Roman
331 B.C.-146 B.C. 146 B.C.-A.D. 476
🗺 This feature includes a map, chart or picture — view the original page image.
Study feature · page 1380
Under God’s protection, God’s Kingdom is indestructible. Those who trust in God are members of his Kingdom and are secure in him. 2:47 Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel and Daniel's God. If Daniel had taken the credit himself, the king would have honored only Daniel. Because Daniel gave God the credit, the king honored both of them. Part of our mission in this world is to show unbelievers what God is like. We can do that by acts of love and compassion; and if we give God credit for our actions, they will want to know more about him. Give thanks to God for what he is doing in and through you. 2:49 After being named ruler over the whole province of Babylon and placed in charge of the wise men, Daniel requested that his companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, be appointed as his assistants. Daniel knew that he could not handle such an enormous responsibility without capable assistants, so he chose the best men he knew—his three Hebrew companions. A competent leader never does all the work alone; he or she knows how to delegate and supervise. Moses, Israel's greatest
🗺 This feature includes a map, chart or picture — view the original page image.