Daniel 2:4 "Then spake the
Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live forever: tell thy servants the
dream, and we will shew the interpretation."
These worldly wise men were smart
enough to begin by saying something nice to the king. "Syriack" means
they spoke in Syrian.
This language, to which Daniel
suddenly switches in v.4b and retains through 7:28, was written with an
alphabet like Hebrew, yet had distinctive differences. Aramaic was the popular
language of the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian areas, and was useful in
governmental and trade relations.
Daniel 1:1-2:4a and
8:1-12:13 were written in Hebrew, possibly because the focus was more directly
on Hebrew matters. Daniel 2:4b-7:28 switches to Aramaic because the subject
matter is centered more on other nations and matters largely involving them.
Daniel 2:5 "The king answered and
said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known
unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces,
and your houses shall be made a dunghill."
Even though the king has forgotten the
details of the dream, he is still greatly troubled by the dream. The
astrologers, sorcerers, and magicians were supposed to be able to read the
minds of their people. If
they had the power they claimed to have, this would be no problem for them. The
truth is they do not have power.
Daniel 2:6 "But if ye shew the
dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards
and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof."
We saw in the previous Scripture,
threat of cruel death, if they did not know and bring the meaning of the dream
to the king. Now, we see they will be blessed greatly, if they can bring the
king his dream.
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