Daniel 2 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Daniel 2:1-6
The King of Babylon has a dream and demands that his wisemen not only tell him what it meant, but also tell him what he saw in the dream.
Daniel 2:7-13
The wisemen tell the king that only gods can accomplish this task. Because of their failure, the king orders that all the wisemen be killed.
Daniel 2:14-16
Daniel seeks an audience with the king so that he might, with wisdom from God, interpret the dream
Daniel 2:17-23
Daniel seeks wisdom from God and gives thanks when it is given to him.
Daniel 2:24-30
Before interpreting the dream, Daniel tells the king that it is only because of the one true God that he is able to explain it to him.
Daniel 2:31-35
Daniel describes the king's dream: an extravagant statue made of precious metals. A rock destroyed the statue and grew into a mountain.
Daniel 2:36-38
Each piece of the statue in the dream represents a present or future kingdom on earth.
Daniel 2:39
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reveals that after Babylon, an inferior kingdom will rise to prominence (Medo-Persia), and then a third kingdom will rise (Greece), ruling over all the earth.
Daniel 2:40-43
Daniel explains the fourth kingdom (Rome), which will crush the kingdoms before it.
Daniel 2:44-45
After the fourth kingdom, God will set up His eternal kingdom.
Daniel 2:46-49
Nebuchadnezzar professes God as the God of Gods and rewards Daniel and his friends for the interpretation of his dream.
Additional Resources
King Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream. He orders his wisemen and magicians to explain to him what the dream meant. His wisemen ask him what he dreamt, but Nebuchadnezzar demands they first tell him what he dreamt and then interpret it. The wisemen explain they cannot do this, only a god could, so Nebuchadnezzar orders that all of his wisemen be killed. Daniel, who belongs to this group, learns of the decree, and prays to God to give him understanding of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. God reveals the king’s dream to Daniel, and Daniel blesses and praises God. He goes to the king, and tells him he knows his dream and the interpretation, but makes clear over and over again that it is the God of heaven who gave Daniel this knowledge. Daniel has no power or gift of his own; God has given him understanding.
He describes the king’s dream exactly how it happened, and then explains it. The dream was of a great statue of valuable metals: a golden head, silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, iron legs, and iron-clay feet. A stone is thrown by an invisible force outside of the statue; it crushes the statue to bits. Then the stone grows into a great mountain that covers the entire earth.
The interpretation: the statue represents earthly kingdoms. The golden head is Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, ruler over all for the present. An inferior kingdom (silver chest/arms, Medo-Persia) will replace Babylon. A third kingdom (bronze belly/thighs, Greece) will replace that one. A violent, destructive fourth kingdom (iron legs, iron-clay feet, Rome) will come after that one, but it will crumble over time. The rock that crushes the statue is thrown by God, who will destroy these manmade kingdoms and replace it with His own kingdom, which will endure forever.
King Nebuchadnezzar is amazed. He pays respect to Daniel and rewards him. The king recognizes God as the God of gods, Lord of lords, who reveals secrets. Daniel is promoted over the other wisemen, and made a ruler over the province of Babylon. He asks that his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego also be promoted with him. The king grants this request.
God turns a difficult circumstance (the threat of death) into great blessings for those who follow Him faithfully (Daniel).
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