28 But H1297 there is H383 a God H426 in heaven H8065 that revealeth H1541 secrets, H7328 and maketh known H3046 to the king H4430 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 what H4101 shall be H1934 in the latter H320 days. H3118 Thy dream, H2493 and the visions H2376 of thy head H7217 upon H5922 thy bed, H4903 are these; H1836
Now I am come H935 to make thee understand H995 what shall befall H7136 thy people H5971 in the latter H319 days: H3117 for yet the vision H2377 is for many days. H3117
For, lo, he that formeth H3335 the mountains, H2022 and createth H1254 the wind, H7307 and declareth H5046 unto man H120 what is his thought, H7808 that maketh H6213 the morning H7837 darkness, H5890 and treadeth H1869 upon the high places H1116 of the earth, H776 The LORD, H3068 The God H430 of hosts, H6635 is his name. H8034
And it shall come to pass in the last H319 days, H3117 that the mountain H2022 of the LORD'S H3068 house H1004 shall be established H3559 in the top H7218 of the mountains, H2022 and shall be exalted H5375 above the hills; H1389 and all nations H1471 shall flow H5102 unto it.
And Joseph H3130 answered H6030 Pharaoh, H6547 saying, H559 It is not in me: H1107 God H430 shall give H6030 Pharaoh H6547 an answer H6030 of peace. H7965
But in the last H319 days H3117 it shall come to pass, that the mountain H2022 of the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 shall be established H3559 in the top H7218 of the mountains, H2022 and it shall be exalted H5375 above the hills; H1389 and people H5971 shall flow H5102 unto it. And many H7227 nations H1471 shall come, H1980 and say, H559 Come, H3212 and let us go up H5927 to the mountain H2022 of the LORD, H3068 and to the house H1004 of the God H430 of Jacob; H3290 and he will teach H3384 us of his ways, H1870 and we will walk H3212 in his paths: H734 for the law H8451 shall go forth H3318 of Zion, H6726 and the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 from Jerusalem. H3389
Knowing G1097 this G5124 first, G4412 that G3754 there shall come G2064 in G1909 the last G2078 days G2250 scoffers, G1703 walking G4198 after G2596 their G846 own G2398 lusts, G1939
After this manner G3779 therefore G3767 pray G4336 ye: G5210 Our G2257 Father G3962 which G3588 art in G1722 heaven, G3772 Hallowed be G37 thy G4675 name. G3686
And now, behold, I go H1980 unto my people: H5971 come H3212 therefore, and I will advertise H3289 thee what this people H5971 shall do H6213 to thy people H5971 in the latter H319 days. H3117
The king H4430 answered H6032 unto Daniel, H1841 and said, H560 Of H4481 a truth H7187 it is, that H1768 your God H426 is a God H426 of gods, H426 and a Lord H4756 of kings, H4430 and a revealer H1541 of secrets, H7328 seeing thou couldest H3202 reveal H1541 this H1836 secret. H7328
He revealeth H1541 the deep H5994 and secret things: H5642 he knoweth H3046 what H4101 is in the darkness, H2816 and the light H5094 dwelleth H8271 with him. H5974
That they would desire H1156 mercies H7359 of H4481 H6925 the God H426 of heaven H8065 concerning H5922 this H1836 secret; H7328 that Daniel H1841 and his fellows H2269 should not H3809 perish H7 with H5974 the rest H7606 of the wise H2445 men of Babylon. H895
And thou shalt come up H5927 against my people H5971 of Israel, H3478 as a cloud H6051 to cover H3680 the land; H776 it shall be in the latter H319 days, H3117 and I will bring H935 thee against my land, H776 that the heathen H1471 may know H3045 me, when I shall be sanctified H6942 in thee, O Gog, H1463 before their eyes. H5869
After many H7227 days H3117 thou shalt be visited: H6485 in the latter H319 years H8141 thou shalt come H935 into the land H776 that is brought back H7725 from the sword, H2719 and is gathered H6908 out of many H7227 people, H5971 against the mountains H2022 of Israel, H3478 which have been always H8548 waste: H2723 but it is brought forth H3318 out of the nations, H5971 and they shall dwell H3427 safely H983 all of them.
Let them bring them forth, H5066 and shew H5046 us what shall happen: H7136 let them shew H5046 the former things, H7223 what they be, that we may consider H7760 H3820 them, and know H3045 the latter end H319 of them; or declare H8085 us things for to come. H935 Shew H5046 the things that are to come H857 hereafter, H268 that we may know H3045 that ye are gods: H430 yea, do good, H3190 or do evil, H7489 that we may be dismayed, H8159 and behold H7200 it together. H3162
But our God H430 is in the heavens: H8064 he hath done H6213 whatsoever he hath pleased. H2654
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Daniel 2
Commentary on Daniel 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
It was said (ch. 1:17) that Daniel had understanding in dreams; and here we have an early and eminent instance of it, which soon made him famous in the court of Babylon, as Joseph by the same means came to be so in the court of Egypt. This chapter is a history, but it is the history of a prophecy, by a dream and the interpretation of it. Pharaoh's dream, and Joseph's interpretation of it, related only to the years of plenty and famine and the interest of God's Israel in them; but Nebuchadnezzar's dream here, and Daniel's interpretation of that, look much higher, to the four monarchies, and the concerns of Israel in them, and the kingdom of the Messiah, which should be set up in the world upon the ruins of them. In this chapter we have,
Dan 2:1-13
We meet with a great difficulty in the date of this story; it is said to be in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, v. 1. Now Daniel was carried to Babylon in his first year, and, it should seem, he was three years under tutors and governors before he was presented to the king, ch. 1:5. How then could this happen in the second year? Perhaps, though three years were appointed for the education of other children, yet Daniel was so forward that he was taken into business when he had been but one year at school, and so in the second year he became thus considerable. Some make it to be the second year after he began to reign alone, but the fifth or sixth year since he began to reign in partnership with his father. Some read it, and in the second year, (the second after Daniel and his fellows stood before the king), in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, or in his reign, this happened; as Joseph, in the second year after his skill in dreams, showed and expounded Pharaoh's, so Daniel, in the second year after he commenced master in that art, did this service. I would much rather take it some of these ways than suppose, as some do, that it was in the second year after he had conquered Egypt, which was the thirty-sixth year of his reign, because it appears by what we meet with in Ezekiel, that Daniel was famous both for wisdom and prevalence in prayer long before that; and therefore this passage, or story, which shows how he came to be so eminent for both these must be laid early in Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Now here we may observe,
Dan 2:14-23
When the king sent for his wise men to tell them his dream, and the interpretation of it (v. 2), Daniel, it seems, was not summoned to appear among them; the king, though he was highly pleased with him when he examined him, and thought him ten times wiser than the rest of his wise men, yet forgot him when he had most occasion for him; and no wonder, when all was done in a heat, and nothing with a cool and deliberate thought. But Providence so ordered it; that the magicians being nonplussed might be the more taken notice of, and so the more glory might redound to the God of Daniel. But, though Daniel had not the honour to be consulted with the rest of the wise men, contrary to all law and justice, by an undistinguishing sentence, he stands condemned with them, and till he has notice brought him to prepare for execution he knows nothing of the matter. How miserable is the case of those who live under arbitrary government, as this of Nebuchadnezzar's! How happy are we, whose lives are under the protection of the law and methods of justice, and lie not thus at the mercy of a peevish and capricious prince!
We have found already, in Ezekiel, that Daniel was famous both for prudence and prayer; as a prince he had power with God and by man; by prayer he had power with God, by prudence he had power with man, and in both he prevailed. Thus did he find favour and good understanding in the sight of both, and in these verses we have a remarkable instance of both.
Dan 2:24-30
We have here the introduction to Daniel's declaring the dream, and the interpretation of it.
Dan 2:31-45
Daniel here gives full satisfaction to Nebuchadnezzar concerning his dream and the interpretation of it. That great prince had been kind to this poor prophet in his maintenance and education; he had been brought up at the king's cost, preferred at court, and the land of his captivity had hereby been made much easier to him than to others of his brethren. And now the king is abundantly repaid for all the expense he had been at upon him; and for receiving this prophet, though not in the name of a prophet, he had a prophet's reward, such a reward as a prophet only could give, and for which that wealthy mighty prince was now glad to be beholden to him. Here is,
Dan 2:46-49
One might have expected that when Nebuchadnezzar was contriving to make his own kingdom everlasting he would be enraged at Daniel, who foretold the fall of it and that another kingdom of another nature should be the everlasting kingdom; but, instead of resenting it as an affront, he received it as an oracle, and here we are told what the expressions were of the impressions it made upon him.