21 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 e e 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 e 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 e e as no e 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 e 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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 2:1-13
Commentary on Daniel 2:1-13
(Read Daniel 2:1-13)
The greatest men are most open to cares and troubles of mind, which disturb their repose in the night, while the sleep of the labouring man is sweet and sound. We know not the uneasiness of many who live in great pomp, and, as others vainly think, in pleasure also. The king said that his learned men must tell him the dream itself, or they should all be put to death as deceivers. Men are more eager to ask as to future events, than to learn the way of salvation or the path of duty; yet foreknowledge of future events increases anxiety and trouble. Those who deceived, by pretending to do what they could not do, were sentenced to death, for not being able to do what they did not pretend to.