Dan 2:1-45 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Dan 2:1-6:28: 2:1–6:28 This section contains stories and dreams from the experiences of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Daniel exercised his special gift of understanding the meaning of dreams and his mastery of literature and science (1:17 ). Chapter 2 gives a broad schematic view of all history until the appearance of God’s kingdom (2:44-49 ). Chapters 3–6 portray the demise of Babylon and the rise of Persia. History moves toward its inexorable goal—the everlasting Kingdom of God (2:44 ; 4:2-3 , 34 ; 6:26 ). Summary for Dan 2:1-49: 2:1-49 God gave a dream that encompassed the flow of world history over the centuries, and Daniel interpreted the enigmatic imagery of this revelation. This dream and its interpretation reflect a key theme of the book—the assured final establishment of the Kingdom of God as the ultimate goal of history (2:44-45 ; 7:9-14 , 26-27 ). This chapter also demonstrates the inability of paganism to discern the activity and plans of Israel’s God. Summary for Dan 2:1-3: 2:1-3 Nebuchadnezzar’s dream disturbed him so much that he called on his specially trained advisers to help him. 2:1 second year: If the three-year training period for Daniel and his friends is understood as having occurred in parts of three calendar years, it could have been completed by this time (cp. 2:48 ).

Summary for Dan 2:1-6:28: 2:1–6:28 ^a This section contains stories and dreams from the experiences of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Daniel exercised his special gift of understanding the meaning of dreams and his mastery of literature and science (1:17 ^b). Chapter 2 gives a broad schematic view of all history until the appearance of God’s kingdom (2:44-49 ^c). Chapters 3–6 ^d portray the demise of Babylon and the rise of Persia. History moves toward its inexorable goal—the everlasting Kingdom of God (2:44 ^e; 4:2-3 ^f, 34 ^g; 6:26 ^h).
Summary for Dan 2:1-49: 2:1-49 ⁱ God gave a dream that encompassed the flow of world history over the centuries, and Daniel interpreted the enigmatic imagery of this revelation. This dream and its interpretation reflect a key theme of the book—the assured final establishment of the Kingdom of God as the ultimate goal of history (2:44-45 ^j; 7:9-14 ^k, 26-27 ^l). This chapter also demonstrates the inability of paganism to discern the activity and plans of Israel’s God.
Summary for Dan 2:1-3: 2:1-3 ^m Nebuchadnezzar’s dream disturbed him so much that he called on his specially trained advisers to help him. 2:1 ⁿ second year: If the three-year training period for Daniel and his friends is understood as having occurred in parts of three calendar years, it could have been completed by this time (cp. 2:48 ^o).
2:2 ^p magicians, enchanters: See study note on 1:20.

• Sorcerers were incantation priests or ritual technicians.

• Astrologers studied the heavenly bodies to discern the times and seasons of major events.
2:3 ^q a dream that deeply troubles me: The king had reason to fear that his throne might be in danger from other groups.
2:4 ^r Aramaic had been established by the Assyrians as the lingua franca of international communication. The practice was continued by the Babylonians.

• Tell us the dream: The Babylonian wise men needed to know the contents of the dream in order to look them up in reference books. They did not depend on divine revelation.
2:9 ^s Only someone with supernatural insight could tell Nebuchadnezzar the contents of his dream (cp. Mark 2:9-12 ^t).
Summary for Dan 2:10-11: 2:10-11 ^u The Babylonian wise men could possibly interpret dreams, but they could not retell them without being told, and they recognized that such a thing was only possible for divinity (cp. 2:17-23 ^v, 27-28 ^w).
2:12 ^x The king was furious because contradicting or refusing the king’s command was an offense punishable by death. The king was supposed to be treated as divine, so they were violating protocol in saying that he was not. The king’s sages were also supposed to have a connection with the divine, but they admitted that they did not. The offense to the king was so severe that he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. The king’s rage foreshadows 11:11-35 ^y.
2:16 ^z The fact that Daniel could go at once to see the king shows his authority and influence. Daniel demonstrated his wisdom and excellent protocol at the royal court by using gentle words to turn away anger (cp. Prov 15:1 ^aa).
Summary for Dan 2:17-23: 2:17-23 ^ab With faith and wisdom, Daniel prayed for God’s intervention (cp. Phil 4:6 ^ac). When God answered his prayer, Daniel praised God for giving him wisdom and knowledge (Dan 2:20-21 ^ad). The God of heaven produced the dream and its meaning, demonstrating his supremacy over all other gods, including the gods of Babylon.
2:18 ^ae Daniel appealed to God’s mercy (see Exod 34:6-7 ^af). God was not obligated to answer Daniel’s prayer, but doing so would accord with his character.
Summary for Dan 2:20-23: 2:20-23 ^ag Daniel acknowledged and praised Israel’s God (God of my ancestors, 2:23 ^ah) as the source of the dream and its interpretation.
2:21 ^ai The dream revealed the Lord as the sovereign king of history (see 2:29-45 ^aj).
2:24 ^ak Daniel’s influence with Arioch indicates Daniel’s wisdom and stature in the royal service.
2:25 ^al There were captives in Babylon from other nations besides Judah.

• Daniel, one of Abraham’s offspring, brought the blessing of God’s revelation to the Babylonian king (see Gen 12:3 ^am).
2:26 ^an Is this true? Nebuchadnezzar was surprised that a non-Babylonian could have this ability since the Babylonian religion and culture strongly emphasized their own wise men as “purveyors of the heavens.”
Summary for Dan 2:27-28: 2:27-28 ^ao Daniel made it clear that no human could do what was required (cp. 2:10-11 ^ap; see also Gen 41:16 ^aq).
2:28 ^ar a God in heaven: Daniel proclaimed one true God who rules all things (2:20-21 ^as), not a limited local deity such as the ones the Babylonians worshiped. The God of Daniel’s ancestors (2:23 ^at) is the God in heaven who reveals secrets. The Babylonian gods could not do this.

• what will happen: In the ancient world, dreams were often understood as revealing the future.
Summary for Dan 2:29-30: 2:29-30 ^au God had shown the king the long march of future history. Nebuchadnezzar was keenly interested in history, pursuing knowledge of the past and seeking to make a place for himself as history went forward. God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to understand the course of history, perhaps to impress upon him that Israel’s God, the God of heaven, is the God of all history.
Summary for Dan 2:31-33: 2:31-33 ^av The progression downward is one of value: from the most valuable, gold (2:32 ^aw), to the least valuable, iron and baked clay (2:33 ^ax).
Summary for Dan 2:32-33: 2:32-33 ^ay There were gradations of gold; fine gold was the highest quality.

• thighs: Above the knees.

• legs: Below the knees.
2:34 ^az The phrase from a mountain is implied (cp. 2:35 ^ba) but is not in the Aramaic text.
2:35 ^bb covered (literally filled) the whole earth: Cp. Gen 1:28 ^bc; Exod 1:7 ^bd; Matt 28:18-20 ^be. This new kingdom would replace all other kingdoms.
Summary for Dan 2:36-38: 2:36-38 ^bf you are the greatest of kings (literally king of kings): Nebuchadnezzar had attained kingship over all other empires and their kings. He was the appointed ruler for that time in history (Jer 25:8-9 ^bg).
2:39 ^bh inferior to yours: Silver was inferior in value to gold, as the chest is lower than the head. Nebuchadnezzar was an extremely stable ruler who held the Neo-Babylonian Empire together. Persia, by contrast, was often threatened with internal divisions and instability around the periphery.
Summary for Dan 2:41-42: 2:41-42 ^bi as weak as clay: Feet are crucial to stability; the feet were brittle and illustrate how precarious the whole image—that is, earthly kingdoms and their power—would be.
2:43 ^bj Just as iron and clay do not mix, ... intermarriage among different people groups could weaken political alliances rather than produce real or lasting unity. This empire would be fragmented.
2:44 ^bk Those kings were probably kings that arose within the fourth kingdom and attempted to strengthen themselves by alliances of intermarriage. However, the phrase might refer to all the kings of the statue as God’s kingdom persistently breaks into the flow of history.

• it will stand forever: Only a kingdom whose authority and power are from God (see John 18:36 ^bl) can never be destroyed, for all earthly kingdoms crumble.
2:45 ^bm The Babylonians often pictured the earth as a mountain (or ziggurat); hence, the rock would cover or replace the entire earth.

• The dream is true: The dream, clearly explained by divine revelation, was truth from God.

• its meaning is certain: God guaranteed that what the dream communicated would certainly take place.