The Meaning of Daniel 2:4 Explained

Daniel 2:4

KJV: Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

YLT: And the Chaldeans speak to the king in Aramaean, 'O king, to the ages live, tell the dream to thy servants, and the interpretation we do shew.'

Darby: And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

ASV: Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then spake  the Chaldeans  to the king  in Syriack,  O king,  live  for ever:  tell  thy servants  the dream,  and we will shew  the interpretation. 

What does Daniel 2:4 Mean?

Study Notes

Syriack
From Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28 the Book of Daniel is written in Aramaic the ancient language of Syria, and substantially identical with Chaldaic, the language of ancient Babylonia. Upon this fact, together with the occurrence of fifteen Persian, and three Greek words has been based an argument against the historicity of Daniel, and in favour of a date after the conquest of Palestine by Alexander (B.C. 332). It has, however, seemed, with some modern exceptions, to the Hebrew and Christian scholarship of the ages an unanswerable proof rather of the Danielic authorship of the book that, living from boyhood in a land the language of which was Chaldaic, a great part of his writing should be in that tongue. It has often been pointed out that the Chaldaic of Daniel is of high antiquity, as is shown by comparison with that of the Targums. The few words of Persian and Greek in like manner confirm the writer's residence at a court constantly visited by emissaries from those peoples. It is noteworthy that the Aramaic section is precisely that part of Daniel which most concerned the peoples amongst whom he lived, and to whom a prophecy written in Hebrew would have been unintelligible. The language returns to Hebrew in the predictive portions which have to do with the future of Israel. "The Hebrew of Daniel is closely related to that of Ezekiel."--Delitzsch.

Verse Meaning

The Chaldeans took the lead in replying to the king. They responded in the Aramaic language that was widely used in business and government throughout the empire.
"Aramaic was called Chaldean until the latter half of the nineteenth century." [1]
This reference to Aramaic introduces the section of the book that Daniel wrote in Aramaic ( Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28), apparently because it concerns matters of worldwide concern. Critics of the Book of Daniel have alleged that Aramaic was not in use when Daniel is supposed to have lived, but there is evidence of its use in the sixth century B.C. [2] The Chaldeans addressed the king with appropriate respect: "O king, live forever!" (cf. 1 Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3; Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6; Daniel 6:21).
"This represented a wish or hope that the king would live on from one age to another, with no foreseeable termination by death." [3]
Evidently it was customary for the Babylonian kings to tell their dreams to their advisers, who would then provide a politically correct interpretation that would satisfy the monarch. However, Nebuchadnezzar wanted his wise men not only to give him an interpretation but also to tell him what he had dreamed.
"The [4] dream manuals, of which several examples have come to light, consist ... of historical dreams and the events that followed them, arranged systematically for easy reference. Since these books had to try to cover every possible eventuality they became inordinately long; only the expert could find his way through them, and even he had to know the dream to begin with before he could search for the nearest possible parallel. The unreasonable demands of the king and the protests of the interpreters in Daniel 2:3-11 are in keeping with his character and the known facts concerning dream books." [5]

Context Summary

Daniel 2:1-13 - The Forgotten Dream
This was the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's sole reign. At first he was joint-governor with his father. From Daniel 2:4 b to Daniel 7:28 the Syriac language is employed, and as this was the vernacular tongue of the king and his court, it is possible that this part of Daniel's record is based upon documents of state. The king's argument throughout his discussion with the magicians and astrologers, was that if they could not recall the past, they certainly could not be trusted to foretell the future; and the failure of the wise-men provided the opportunity for the greater triumph of the servant of God. The wise-men of Babylon said truly that only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, could recover lost dreams. Daniel thought so, too, only he looked to the Lord God of his fathers. Irresponsible power is a temptation to the ruler, and perilous to the ruled. No mortal should have despotic power over life and death. But a movement is afoot in our times which is likely to give to all nations what Abraham Lincoln described as, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 2

1  Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream,
5  requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats
10  They acknowledging their inability are judged to die
14  Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream
19  He blesses God
24  He staying the decree is brought to the king
31  The dream
36  The interpretation
46  Daniel's advancement

What do the individual words in Daniel 2:4 mean?

And spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Aramaic king forever live Tell dream the - your servants and interpretation the we will give
וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲרָמִ֑ית מַלְכָּא֙ ! לְעָלְמִ֣ין חֱיִ֔י אֱמַ֥ר חֶלְמָ֛א [לעבדיך] (לְעַבְדָ֖ךְ) וּפִשְׁרָ֥א נְחַוֵּֽא

וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  to  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָמִ֑ית  in  Aramaic 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָמִי  
Sense: the language of Aram, Aramaic.
מַלְכָּא֙  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
! לְעָלְמִ֣ין  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עָלַם  
Sense: perpetuity, antiquity, for ever.
חֱיִ֔י  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חֲיָה  
Sense: to live.
אֱמַ֥ר  Tell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
חֶלְמָ֛א  dream  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֵלֶם  
Sense: dream.
[לעבדיך]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
(לְעַבְדָ֖ךְ)  your  servants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֵד  
Sense: servant, slave.
וּפִשְׁרָ֥א  and  interpretation  the 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: פְּשַׁר  
Sense: interpretation (of dream).
נְחַוֵּֽא  we  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: חֲוָה  
Sense: to show, interpret, explain, inform, tell, declare.