Daniel 2

Daniel · Chapter 2

Daniel 2:11

1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.6But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.7They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.8The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.12For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.13And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.14Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:15He 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.16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:18That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.24Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;29As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.32This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.38And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.48Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.49Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his wise men tell him both his dream and its meaning. The Chaldeans answered that no man could do this, and only the gods, who do not live among human beings, could show it. Their words set up Daniel's answer that there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. Daniel 2:5Daniel 2:10Daniel 2:11Daniel 2:28

SpeakingThe Chaldeans, the king's wise men, are speaking. They continue the reply they began in the verse before. Daniel 2:10Daniel 2:11

ToThey speak to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who has threatened to kill them if they cannot tell his dream. Daniel 2:1Daniel 2:5Daniel 2:9

Also involvedTheir failure brings a death sentence on all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his friends. Daniel 2:12Daniel 2:13

The wise men admit that no man on earth can do what the king asks. They say only the gods could reveal it, and the gods do not dwell with flesh, so the answer is out of their reach. The king grows furious and orders all the wise men destroyed. Daniel 2:10Daniel 2:11Daniel 2:12

The scene is the royal court of Babylon, where the king called his wise men before him. Daniel 2:2Daniel 2:12Daniel overview

BABYLONIAMEDIABabylon 1SusaUlai

The eventsThis happened in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Daniel 2:1

WrittenTraditional: Daniel wrote the book in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date its final form to about 167-164 BC, while others keep the 500s BC date. Daniel overview

HereThe verse shows the limit of Babylon's wisdom. The wise men confess that only a divine source could reveal the dream. This prepares for Daniel's words that the wise men cannot show the secret, but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. Daniel 2:11Daniel 2:27Daniel 2:28

In the whole of ScriptureThe book shows that God rules over the kingdoms of men and reveals secrets to those who seek him. The wise men were right that no man could do it. They were wrong that God is far off, for the God of heaven answered Daniel's prayer and made the dream known. Daniel overviewDaniel 2:18Daniel 2:19Daniel 2:22Daniel 2:23

For readersOther Scripture answers the claim that God does not dwell with flesh. God promised, "I will dwell among the children of Israel" (Exodus 29:45), and he dwells "with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). And "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Exodus 29:45Isaiah 57:15John 1:14John 14:17John 14:23

  • rare thingיַקִּיר
    Aramaic · yaq.qir · H3358

    The word can mean rare, noble, famous, or difficult, and here it is glossed "difficult." Either way, the wise men are saying the king's request is beyond what any man can meet. Strong's H3358Daniel 2:10

  • godsאֱלָהּ
    Aramaic · e.lah · H0426

    This word can mean a heathen god or the God of Israel. Here pagan wise men use the plural "gods." Daniel later points instead to one "God in heaven that revealeth secrets." Strong's H0426Daniel 2:28

  • dwellingמְדָר
    Aramaic · me.dar · H4070B

    The word means a dwelling and is linked to a Hebrew word for sojourning. The wise men picture gods who make no home among people. Scripture elsewhere speaks of God dwelling with his people. Strong's H4070BExodus 29:45John 14:23

  • fleshבְּשַׁר
    Aramaic · be.shar · H1321

    "Flesh" here stands for human beings, matching the wise men's words that "there is not a man upon the earth" who can do this. The same word idea appears in John 1:14, where "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Strong's H1321Daniel 2:10John 1:14

Takeaway

The wise men of Babylon admitted that no human could reveal the dream and that the gods did not dwell among people. The God of heaven proved them wrong by revealing the secret to Daniel. As Jesus said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Daniel 2:11Daniel 2:19Daniel 2:28Matthew 19:26

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

Behind this verse

Wise men and dream readers
Babylon's court kept magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans who read omens in dreams and the stars. Isaiah mocks Babylon's "astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators." Daniel 2:2Daniel 2:27Isaiah 47:13

About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.

Who ruled
  • King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC

    The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  • Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC

    Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus

  • Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC

    Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)

  • King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC

    He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder

  • King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC

    Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11

What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
  1. 612 BC
    WarNineveh falls

    Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)

  2. 605 BC
    WarBattle of Carchemish

    Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  3. 597 BC
    WarJerusalem surrenders

    Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  4. 586 BC
    WarJerusalem and the temple destroyed

    Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17

  5. c. 575 BC
    BuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor

    Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183

  6. 562 BC
    RulersNebuchadnezzar dies

    His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34

  7. c. 553-543 BC
    RulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar

    King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1

  8. 550 BC
    WarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians

    Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130

  9. October 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder

  10. 538 BC
    God's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return

    In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder

  11. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid

    The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3

  12. 334-331 BC
    WarAlexander the Great conquers Persia

    Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3

  13. 323-301 BC
    WarAlexander's empire is divided

    Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30

  14. 167 BC
    WarAntiochus IV defiles the temple

    The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Original Aramaic words

This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.

EnglishAramaicSay itStrong'sMeaning
and matter theוּמִלְּתָ֨אu-mi-le-TA'H4406
word

מִלָּה (mil.lah) 1) word, thing 1a) word, utterance, command 1b) thing, affair, matter

whichדִֽי־di-H1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

king theמַלְכָּ֤הmal-KAH'H4430
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king

[is] askingשָׁאֵל֙sha-'ELH7593
to ask

שְׁאֵל (she.el) 1) to ask 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to ask for, request 1a2) to enquire for or about

[is] difficultיַקִּירָ֔הya-ki-RAHH3358
honorable

יַקִּיר (yaq.qir) 1) rare, noble, famous, difficult 1a) honourable 1b) difficult (meton)

and [is] anotherוְאָחֳרָן֙ve-'o-cho-RANH0321
another

אׇחֳרָן (o.cho.ran) other, another Aramaic of a.cher (אַחֵר "another" H0312)

notלָ֣אla'H3809
not

לָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808)

thereאִיתַ֔י'i-TAIH0383
there is

אִיתַי (i.tay) 1) there is, there are 2) particle denoting existence

whoדִּ֥יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

he will declare itיְחַוִּנַּ֖הּye-chav-vi-NAHH2324
to show

חֲוָה (cha.vah) 1) to show, interpret, explain, inform, tell, declare 1a) (Pael) to show, interpret 1b) (Aphel) to show

beforeקֳדָ֣םko-DAMH6925
before

קֳדָם (qo.dam) 1) before, in front of 1a) before 1b) from before

king theמַלְכָּ֑אmal-KA'H4430
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king

exceptלָהֵ֣ןla-HENH3861
except

לָהֵן (la.hen) 1) therefore 2) except, but 2a) except (with negative) 2b) however, but

godsאֱלָהִ֔ין'e-la-HINH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

whoדִּ֚יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

dwelling place theirמְדָ֣רְה֔וֹןme-DA-re-HONH4070B
dwelling

מְדָר (me.dar) dwelling Aramaic of ma.gur (מָגוֹר "sojourning" H4033)

[is] withעִם־'im-H5974
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) together with, with 1b) with, during

the fleshבִּשְׂרָ֖אbis-RA'H1321
flesh

בְּשַׁר (be.shar) flesh Aramaic of ba.sar (בָּשָׂר "flesh" H1320)

notלָ֥אla'H3809
not

לָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808)

there itאִיתֽוֹהִי׃'i-TO-hiH0383
there is

אִיתַי (i.tay) 1) there is, there are 2) particle denoting existence

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.