45 Forasmuch as H3606 H6903 thou sawest H2370 that the stone H69 was cut out H1505 of the mountain H2906 without H3809 hands, H3028 and that it brake in pieces H1855 the iron, H6523 the brass, H5174 the clay, H2635 the silver, H3702 and the gold; H1722 the great H7229 God H426 hath made known H3046 to the king H4430 what H4101 shall come to pass H1934 hereafter: H311 H1836 and the dream H2493 is certain, H3330 and the interpretation H6591 thereof sure. H540
Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 Behold, I lay H3245 in Zion H6726 for a foundation a stone, H68 a tried H976 stone, H68 a precious H3368 corner H6438 stone, a sure H3245 foundation: H4143 he that believeth H539 shall not make haste. H2363
For from the rising H4217 of the sun H8121 even unto the going down H3996 of the same my name H8034 shall be great H1419 among the Gentiles; H1471 and in every place H4725 incense H6999 shall be offered H5066 unto my name, H8034 and a pure H2889 offering: H4503 for my name H8034 shall be great H1419 among the heathen, H1471 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635
Thou shewest H6213 lovingkindness H2617 unto thousands, H505 and recompensest H7999 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 into the bosom H2436 of their children H1121 after H310 them: the Great, H1419 the Mighty H1368 God, H410 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 is his name, H8034 Great H1419 in counsel, H6098 and mighty H7227 in work: H5950 for thine eyes H5869 are open H6491 upon all the ways H1870 of the sons H1121 of men: H120 to give H5414 every one H376 according to his ways, H1870 and according to the fruit H6529 of his doings: H4611
[[A Song H7892 and Psalm H4210 for the sons H1121 of Korah.]] H7141 Great H1419 is the LORD, H3068 and greatly H3966 to be praised H1984 in the city H5892 of our God, H430 in the mountain H2022 of his holiness. H6944
And for that the dream H2472 was doubled H8138 unto Pharaoh H6547 twice; H6471 it is because the thing H1697 is established H3559 by H5973 God, H430 and God H430 will shortly H4116 bring it to pass. H6213
This is the thing H1697 which I have spoken H1696 unto Pharaoh: H6547 What God H430 is about to do H6213 he sheweth H7200 unto Pharaoh. H6547
And G2532 I saw G1492 an G1520 angel G32 standing G2476 in G1722 the sun; G2246 and G2532 he cried G2896 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 saying G3004 to all G3956 the fowls G3732 that fly G4072 in G1722 the midst of heaven, G3321 Come G1205 and G2532 gather yourselves together G4863 unto G1519 the supper G1173 of the great G3173 God; G2316
After G3326 this G5023 I looked, G1492 and, G2532 behold, G2400 a door G2374 was opened G455 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 the first G4413 voice G5456 which G3739 I heard G191 was as it were of G5613 a trumpet G4536 talking G2980 with G3326 me; G1700 which said, G3004 Come up G305 hither, G5602 and G2532 I will shew G1166 thee G4671 things which G3739 must G1163 be G1096 hereafter. G3326 G5023
(For G1063 the weapons G3696 of our G2257 warfare G4752 are not G3756 carnal, G4559 but G235 mighty G1415 through God G2316 to G4314 the pulling down G2506 of strong holds;) G3794 Casting down G2507 imaginations, G3053 and G2532 every G3956 high thing G5313 that exalteth itself G1869 against G2596 the knowledge G1108 of God, G2316 and G2532 bringing into captivity G163 every G3956 thought G3540 to G1519 the obedience G5218 of Christ; G5547
And G1161 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said G2036 unto them, G846 I also G2504 will ask G2065 you G5209 one G1520 thing, G3056 which G3739 if G1437 ye tell G2036 me, G3427 I in like wise G2504 will tell G2046 you G5213 by G1722 what G4169 authority G1849 I do G4160 these things. G5023
And in that day H3117 will I make H7760 Jerusalem H3389 a burdensome H4614 stone H68 for all people: H5971 all that burden H6006 themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, H8295 H8295 though all the people H1471 of the earth H776 be gathered together H622 against it.
And in the days H3118 of these H581 kings H4430 shall the God H426 of heaven H8065 set up H6966 a kingdom, H4437 which shall never H5957 H3809 be destroyed: H2255 and the kingdom H4437 shall not H3809 be left H7662 to other H321 people, H5972 but it shall break in pieces H1855 and consume H5487 all H3606 these H459 kingdoms, H4437 and it H1932 shall stand H6966 for ever. H5957
Thou sawest H2370 H1934 till H5705 that a stone H69 was cut out H1505 without H3809 hands, H3028 which smote H4223 the image H6755 upon H5922 his feet H7271 that were of iron H6523 and clay, H2635 and brake H1855 them H1994 to pieces. H1855 Then H116 was the iron, H6523 the clay, H2635 the brass, H5174 the silver, H3702 and the gold, H1722 broken to pieces H1855 H1751 together, H2298 and became H1934 like the chaff H5784 of H4481 the summer H7007 threshingfloors; H147 and the wind H7308 carried H5376 them H1994 away, H5376 that H3606 no H3809 place H870 was found H7912 for them: and the stone H69 that smote H4223 the image H6755 became H1934 a great H7229 mountain, H2906 and filled H4391 the whole H3606 earth. H772
Therefore H3606 H6903 H1836 Daniel H1841 went in H5954 unto H5922 Arioch, H746 whom the king H4430 had ordained H4483 to destroy H7 the wise H2445 men of Babylon: H895 he went H236 and said H560 thus H3652 unto him; Destroy H7 not H409 the wise H2445 men of Babylon: H895 bring me in H5954 before H6925 the king, H4430 and I will shew H2324 unto the king H4430 the interpretation. H6591
For I know H3045 that the LORD H3068 is great, H1419 and that our Lord H113 is above all gods. H430
Now therefore, our God, H430 the great, H1419 the mighty, H1368 and the terrible H3372 God, H410 who keepest H8104 covenant H1285 and mercy, H2617 let not all the trouble H8513 seem little H4591 before H6440 thee, that hath come H4672 upon us, on our kings, H4428 on our princes, H8269 and on our priests, H3548 and on our prophets, H5030 and on our fathers, H1 and on all thy people, H5971 since the time H3117 of the kings H4428 of Assyria H804 unto this day. H3117
And I looked, H7200 and rose up, H6965 and said H559 unto the nobles, H2715 and to the rulers, H5461 and to the rest H3499 of the people, H5971 Be not ye afraid H3372 of them: H6440 remember H2142 the Lord, H136 which is great H1419 and terrible, H3372 and fight H3898 for your brethren, H251 your sons, H1121 and your daughters, H1323 your wives, H802 and your houses. H1004
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.