Daniel 2:12-16

c. SAVED BY THE SUBJUGATED

TEXT: Daniel 2:12-16

12

For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13

So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

14

Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;

15

he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16

And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

QUERIES

a.

Why destroy all the wise men of Babylon?

b.

Why did Daniel think he could do what the others could not?

PARAPHRASE

The admitted inability of the Chaldean wise-men to be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar his secret dream and its interpretation made the king's anger grow exceeding furious. He commanded that all the wise-men of the city of Babylon should be executed. The decree of the arrest and execution of all the wise-men was made official and as it was being carried out they eventually came to arrest Daniel and his three Hebrew companions. When Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, came to arrest Daniel, Daniel reasoned with him with great discretion and prudence. Among other things, Daniel asked Arioch why the decision of the king was so severe. Arioch answered Daniel and told him all about the wise-men's failure and the king's decree. It was then that Daniel, observing all the proper protocol, gained audience with the king and asked for a personal appointment affirming that he would be able to show both the dream and the interpretation.

COMMENT

Daniel 2:12-13. THE KING WAS ANGRY AND VERY FURIOUS. The verb used here indicates a growing mounting anger until it reaches the point of violence. He commanded that all the wise-men of Babylon be put to death. The king is enraged at these who have gained fame and fortune and power by claiming to know the deepest secrets of man and the godsand they cannot even tell him what he has dreamed.

After the king issued his personal command it would have to be transmitted in formal publication throughout the capitol city. His guards would have to go in search of many of the wise-men not present at the royal court that particular day. It would be some time before the actual execution could take place. Finally, the captain of the king's guard, Arioch, came to take Daniel and his three Hebrew companions into custody.

Daniel 2:14-16 THEN DANIEL RETURNED ANSWER WITH COUNSEL AND PRUDENCE. The first thing to realize about this account is that it is very abbreviatedwe do not have a record of all that Daniel must have said to Arioch. As Leupold says, The very audacity of Daniel's plan must have impressed Arioch. Besides, the king would still be perplexed as to the interpretation of his dream and knowing of the exceptional wisdom and capabilities of Daniel (Arioch had undoubtedly heard of Daniel's fame also), it would be very prudent for Daniel to talk with Arioch and persuade him that he could interpret the king's dream. Daniel was acting on the basis of his faith in God and without doubt on the basis of a revelation from God that he should do so.

Daniel speaks to Arioch as if they were already well acquaintedperhaps even good friendswhen he asks, Why is the decree of the king so severe? Arioch feels impelled to answer Daniel's question and probably relates the entire incident to him.
Leupold points out that when Daniel went in, and desired of the king. we must presume that Daniel went through the proper channels and observed the correct protocol in approaching the king. We know from the book of Esther that unless one were bidden properly to approach an Eastern potentate to do so presumptuously meant certain death. All that Daniel asks is time. This will postpone the execution until he could commune with his God, and give the desired interpretation to the king.

It is most interesting to note that Daniel was sure he could give the king the interpretation of the dream before he had even received the knowledge of what the dream was from God (cf. Daniel 2:19). Daniel had such faith in God that he believed the will of God would be done before it was actually done! This same great faith the Lord expects of all His children. Only the interpretation is mentioned and not the dream itself. However the conciseness of the narrative explains this omission. If Daniel knows the interpretation, he most certainly must first know the dream and he is not asking the king what the dream was, as did the Chaldeans.

QUIZ

1.

Why seek out Daniel to be slain?

2.

How did Daniel answer with counsel and prudence?

3.

Why did Daniel ask for an appointment to the presence of the king?

4.

How would one have made such an appointment in those days?