Daniel 2.26-Nebuchadnezzare Asks Daniel If He Can Make Known To Him The Content Of His Dream As Well As Its Interpretation
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday March 15, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 2:25-Arioch Wrongly Claims Credit For Finding Daniel And Quickly Ushers Him Into The Presence Of The King
Lesson # 49
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2:1.
Daniel 2:1 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter. 18 so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. 22 It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. 23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, for You have made known to us the king’s matter.” 24 Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.” 25 Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!” (NASB95)
“Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows” is composed of the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin (אֱדַיִן) (ed-ah´-yin), “then” which is followed by the masculine singular proper noun ʾǎr∙yôḵ (אַרְיֹוךְ) (ar-yoke´), “Arioch” and then we have the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beth), which is not translated and its object is the hitpeʿel (Hebrew: qal passive) passive infinitive construct form of the verb behǎl (בְּהַל) (bĕ-hal´), “hurriedly” which is followed by the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil stem) active perfect form of the verb ʿǎlǎl (עֲלַל) (al-al´), “went in” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), which is not translated and its object the masculine singular proper noun dā∙niy∙yē(ʾ)l (דָּנִיֵּאל) (daw-nee-yale), “Daniel” which is followed by the preposition qǒḏām (קֳדָם) (kod-awm´), “into presence” and its object is the masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh´-lek), “the king’s” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the adverb kēn (כֵּן) (kane), “as follows” and then we have the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew equivalent is the qal) active perfect form of the verb ʾǎmǎr (אֲמַר) (am-ar´), “spoke” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and its object is the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “him.”
The temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin is a temporal coordinator and introduces a statement that tells the reader the next event that took place after Daniel approached Arioch and requested that he not execute the wise men because he could reveal the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as well as its interpretation.
The proper noun ʾǎr∙yôḵ “Arioch” is identified as the captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguards in Daniel 2:15 and the king’s executioners’ commander in Daniel 2:14.
The verb behǎl means “to hasten” in the sense of moving or acting quickly and here it is used of Arioch “hastening” Daniel into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar once the former told him he could meet the king’s demands.
The word expresses the idea that Arioch did not delay in bringing Daniel into the presence of the king once Daniel told him he could meet the king’s demands.
The word is in the infinitive construct form and is the object of the preposition bĕ, which functions as a marker of manner.
When the verb is in the infinitive construct form and is the object of a preposition, then the nuance of the infinitive construct is then a function of the preposition and the context.
Here this prepositional phrase is marking the manner in which Arioch brought Daniel into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar.
Together, they function as an adverb modifying the verb ʿǎlǎl, “brought” and means “immediately.”
The verb ʿǎlǎl means “to usher, bring or lead into the presence” of someone and here it refers to Arioch “bringing” Daniel “into” the presence of Nebuchadnezzar.
“I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king” is composed of the relative particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which is not translated and then we have the first person singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil stem) active perfect form of the verb šeḵǎḥ (שְׁכַח) (shek-akh´), “I have found” which is followed by the masculine singular noun geḇǎr (גְּבַר) (gheb-ar´), “a man” and then we have the preposition min (מִן) (min), “among” and its object is the masculine plural construct form of the noun bǎr (בַּר) (bar), which is not translated is followed by the feminine singular noun gā∙lû (גָּלוּ) (gaw-looth´), “the exiles” and then we have the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which is not translated and it is followed by the feminine singular proper noun yehûḏ (יְהוּד) (yeh-hood´), “Judah” and then we have the relative particle dî (דִּי) (dee), “who” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun pešǎr (פְּשַׁר) (pesh-ar´), “interpretation” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and its object is the masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh´-lek), “the king” which is followed by the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active imperfect form of the verb yeḏǎʿ (יְדַע) (yed-ah´), “can make known.”
The verb šeḵǎḥ means “to find” or “to discover” and is used here with Arioch as its subject.
Arioch is saying to Nebuchadnezzar that “he discovered” or “he found” a person among the Jewish exiles who could tell the king the content of his dream and interpret it as well, which is untrue of course since Daniel approached Arioch and not the other way around.
This indicates that he is attempting to get as much credit as he can since he knows how important it is to the king that someone tell him his dream and the dream’s interpretation.
The noun bǎr is an idiom referring to a class or kind and means “people” and here it refers to the Jewish exiles.
The word is the object of the preposition min, which is a marker of the relation of a part to the whole and here it is marking the relation of Daniel to the exiles from Judah.
The noun gā∙lû is in the singular and means “exile” or “deported” and is modifying the noun bǎr, “people,” thus, Arioch is telling the king that he found a man from the exiled or deported people, the Jews.
This time the particle dî should be translated as the genitive “from” since it marking a genitive relationship that exists between the noun gā∙lû and the proper noun yehûḏ.
The proper name yehûḏ, “Judah” and refers to the southern kingdom.
After the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel had a civil war and was divided into a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom and the latter took the name Judah.
The verb yeḏǎʿ means “to inform, make known” and indicates that Arioch is telling the king that he has found a man, one of the people of the exile from Judah who can make known the interpretation of his recurring dream.
Daniel 2:25 tells the reader that upon hearing from Daniel that he could make known to Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his recurring dream, Arioch immediately ushered Daniel into the presence of the king.
Arioch wastes no time because he sympathizes with the wise men who were highly respected by Babylonian society and throughout the ancient world at that time.
He himself quite likely felt the same towards them and would thus have no pleasure in executing all of them.
There would have been a great outcry against Nebuchadnezzar and Arioch for executing the wise men because they were so highly respected.
Notice that Arioch says to the king that he found or discovered a man from among the Jewish exiles who could interpret his dream for him, which is of course false since Daniel approached Arioch and not the other way around.
Obviously he was attempting to get as much credit as he could since he knows how important it is to the king that someone tell him his dream and the dream’s interpretation.
The question arises as to why would he risk lying to the king when not too long ago he brought Daniel in to speak to the king in order that Daniel could have some time to meet the king’s demands?
Daniel 2:16 tells the reader that Daniel approached Arioch requesting an audience with the king and he got it.
Daniel requested that the king give him some time in order that he could tell the king his dream and its interpretation.
Now, here in Daniel 2:25 Arioch is telling the king that he found a man who could tell him the dream and its interpretation but not mentioning Daniel by name or that Daniel already spoke with him.
Thus, Arioch is inserting the idea that he found or discovered Daniel.
But only after Daniel told him he received from God the content of the dream and its interpretation.
Despite Arioch’s attempt to gain credit, he does demonstrate complete confidence in Daniel, which seems to imply that Arioch knew of Daniel’s ability though this is not explicitly stated in Daniel.
Or, it could be because he was so against killing the wise men that Arioch was willing to place his confidence in Daniel since the latter was the last hope to save the lives of the wise men.
Or the prospect of getting a great reward could have also been why Arioch shows so much confidence in Daniel.
Now, Arioch could suffer the wrath of the king for bringing a fraud into his presence.
Thus, Arioch’s confidence in Daniel must have been well-founded.
Daniel must have exuded confidence, which in turn caused Arioch to not even flinch in bringing him into the presence of the king.
The fortunes of Arioch and Daniel would be tied together.
If Daniel failed, Arioch would suffer and if he succeeded Arioch would be rewarded or at the very least gain Nebuchadnezzar’s respect.
Also, notice that Arioch says that he found someone who could make known to the king the interpretation of his dream whereas the king demanded that his occult priests, necromancers, witches and astrologers make known to him both the content of the dream or the dream itself as well as its interpretation.
This does not imply that Daniel was not required to make known the content of the dream and only its interpretation since the writer, Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit leaves this out for the sake of brevity, which is the same reason why the text does not say that Arioch granted Daniel’s request to see the king.
The following verses make clear that Arioch did grant Daniel his request just as the rest of the chapter makes clear that Daniel made known to Nebuchadnezzar both the content of his dream as well as its interpretation.
Furthermore, if Daniel knew the interpretation of the dream he certainly knew the content of the dream.
Interestingly, we can also see that Arioch seeks to disassociate Daniel from the wise men by identifying him as one of the Jewish exiles even though he was considered as one of the wise men.
There is no mention of the king and Daniel meeting previously on two different occasions.
The first when the king interviewed Daniel after completing his three year training program at the Royal Academy and prior to his entering into service for the king.
The second was the result of Daniel requesting that Arioch give him a meeting with the king in which he requested that king give him some time in order to come up with the content of his dream and its interpretation.
Of course, he went to God in prayer and requested this and God granted him his request.
