Then 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:
Read it in contextThe Dream Revealed to Daniel
Start reading at Daniel 2:14 (Daniel 2:14 to Daniel 2:23).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
Dreams, deliverances, and judgments confront royal pride and show faithful witnesses living under successive rulers.
2:14Then 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:
2:15He 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.
2:16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
2:17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
2:18That 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.
2:19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2:21And 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:
2:22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
2:23I 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.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Daniel is the traditional author and the named recorder of the later visions. Jesus refers to Daniel the prophet; the date and compilation of the book are debated in historical scholarship. Biblical references: Daniel 7:1; Daniel 8:1; Daniel 12:4; Matthew 24:15. traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Daniel 1:1–2:49): Daniel and his Judean companions live under Babylonian officials. Nebuchadnezzar, his wise men, and Daniel are central to the dream and its interpretation. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? God's people living under foreign empires and later faithful readers seeking understanding. Within the stories, messages are also delivered to particular Babylonian and Persian rulers. Biblical references: Daniel 1:6; Daniel 4:1; Daniel 12:4. book background
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? The Dream Revealed to Daniel. Read Daniel 2:14 through Daniel 2:23 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? Dreams, deliverances, and judgments confront royal pride and show faithful witnesses living under successive rulers. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The narratives and visions name rulers of Babylon and succeeding powers. Dates of visions and periods represented by symbols are different kinds of information. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? The narratives are set in exile under foreign rulers, while visions portray additional realms and future conflicts. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in The Dream Revealed to Daniel (Daniel 2:14 to Daniel 2:23).
Start reading at Daniel 2:14. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? Jesus uses the title Son of man and refers to Daniel. The New Testament supplies connections to Daniel's visions; precise modern identifications and timetables still require careful argument. See Daniel 7:13, Matthew 24:15, Matthew 26:64. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Remain faithful under pressure and reject confidence rooted in human power. Distinguish the book's supplied interpretations from later attempts to identify every symbol. interpretation
Cited: Daniel 2:14, Daniel 2:23, Daniel 7:13, Matthew 24:15, Matthew 26:64
Who wrote it, and how we know
DanielNamed in Scripture
What Scripture saysLarge sections are written in the first person by Daniel, and Jesus refers to Daniel the prophet. Daniel 7:2Daniel 8:1Matthew 24:15
Early traditionJewish and Christian tradition names Daniel in the sixth century B.C.
What is debatedMany critical scholars date the book to the second century B.C. because of its detailed prophecy of that period. Jesus naming Daniel as a prophet is a significant argument for the traditional view.
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Daniel 2
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Daniel places its narratives and visions in the setting of foreign empires and exile. The book itself supplies some interpretations of symbols; further timetables and modern identifications require separate argument and should be labeled accordingly. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. Dreams, deliverances, and judgments confront royal pride and show faithful witnesses living under successive rulers.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. Dreams, deliverances, and judgments confront royal pride and show faithful witnesses living under successive rulers.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Daniel
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Daniel places its narratives and visions in the setting of foreign empires and exile. The book itself supplies some interpretations of symbols; further timetables and modern identifications require separate argument and should be labeled accordingly.