Daniel 2:15

Translations

Modern

“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

Traditional

He 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.

Literal

He answered and said to Arioch, captain of the king: “For what is this urgent decree from the king?” Then Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.

Latin

Et interrogavit eum, qui a rege potestatem acceperat, quam ob causam tam crudelis sententia a facie regis esset egressa. Cum ergo rem indicasset Arioch Danieli,

Original

Hebrew

English

“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

Notes

Daniel 2:1–49

God gave a dream that showed the course of world history over the centuries, and Daniel explained its mysterious images. This dream and its interpretation highlight a key theme of the book—the certain final establishment of the kingdom of God as the ultimate goal of history (Daniel 2:44–45; 7:9–14, 26–27). This chapter also shows that paganism cannot understand the actions and plans of Israel’s God.

Daniel 2:1–6:28

This section contains stories and dreams from the experiences of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Daniel used his special gift to understand dreams and showed great skill in the study of literature and science (Daniel 1:17). Chapter 2 provides a broad overview of history until God's kingdom appears (Daniel 2:44–49). Daniel 3–6 describes the fall of Babylon and the rise of Persia. History is moving toward a clear goal. That goal is the everlasting kingdom of God (Daniel 2:44; 4:2–3, 34; 6:26).

Theme notes and profiles

Babylon Daniel Nebuchadnezzar II Four World Empires