Daniel 2

 

This rather long chapter contains 19 errors, but they are in Aramaic, not Hebrew.  The narrative changes from Hebrew to Aramaic in verse 4.  The errors are all apparently real, and their corrections seem appropriate.  Therefore, I will make no remarks about them individually.  However, I suspect that at least some of them may be the result of a forgotten or unknown dialect.  The reason for my suspicion is that many of the errors follow consistent spelling patterns.

וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְמַלְכוּת נְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר חָלַם נְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר חֲלֹמֹות וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחֹו וּשְׁנָתֹו נִהְיְתָה עָלָיו׃   2:1

Dani. 2:1   Now in the second year in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, and his spirit was so disturbed that his sleep had gone beyond him.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לִקְרֹא לַחַרְטֻמִּים וְלָאַשָּׁפִים וְלַמְכַשְּׁפִים וְלַכַּשְׂדִּים לְהַגִּיד לַמֶּלֶךְ חֲלֹמֹתָיו וַיָּבֹאוּ   2:2

וַיַּעַמְדוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

Dani. 2:2   And the king said to call for the magicians and for the astrologers and for the sorcerers and for the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams, and they came and stood before the king.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲלֹום חָלָמְתִּי וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחִי לָדַעַת אֶת־הַחֲלֹום׃   2:3

Dani. 2:3   And the king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream that my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

וַיְדַבְּרוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲרָמִית מַלְכָּא לְעָלְמִין חֱיִי אֱמַר חֶלְמָא (לְעַבְדַּיִךְ) [לְעַבְדָךְ] וּפִשְׁרָא נְחַוֵּא׃   2:4

Dani. 2:4   And the Chaldeans spoke Aramaic to the king:  “Long live the king!  Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.”

Apparently, the Chaldeans knew Aramaic, the language of the Arameans, but why they spoke it is not known.  It has been conjectured that it was the language of the wise men of Chaldea (Babylon), like Latin was in the middle ages.  Perhaps more likely, it may have been the language most familiar to Nebuchadnezzar.  Oddly and mysteriously, the narrative of the rest of this chapter continues in Aramaic, as does that of Chapters 3 through 7.  Hebrew returns in Chapters 8 through 12.  You may remember (if you have read About Hebrew), that Aramaic does not employ the amazing reversing vav (the Vav Conversive) of Hebrew.

עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר (לְכַשְׂדָּיֵא) [לְכַשְׂדָּאֵי] מִלְּתָא מִנִּי אַזְדָּא הֵן לָא תְהֹודְעוּנַּנִי חֶלְמָא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ הַדָּמִין   2:5

תִּתְעַבְדוּן וּבָתֵּיכֹון נְוָלִי יִתְּשָׂמוּן׃

Dani. 2:5   The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The thing is gone from me.  Behold, should you not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered, and your houses will be made a dunghill.”

Whether the king really forgot his dream is a matter of conjecture among the scholars.  I see it as reasonable to conclude that he did forget.  Don’t many of us forget our dreams soon after we awaken?

וְהֵן חֶלְמָא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ תְּהַחֲוֹן מַתְּנָן וּנְבִזְבָּה וִיקָר שַׂגִּיא תְּקַבְּלוּן מִן־קֳדָמָי לָהֵן חֶלְמָא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ הַחֲוֹנִי׃   2:6

Dani. 2:6   “But if you can explain the dream and its interpretation, gift and reward and great honor you will receive from before me.  Behold the dream and explain its interpretation to me.”

עֲנֹו תִנְיָנוּת וְאָמְרִין מַלְכָּא חֶלְמָא יֵאמַר לְעַבְדֹוהִי וּפִשְׁרָה נְהַחֲוֵה׃   2:7

Dani. 2:7   They answered again and said, “Let the king relate the dream to your servants, and we will explain its interpretation.”

עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר מִן־יַצִּיב יָדַע אֲנָה דִּי עִדָּנָא אַנְתּוּן זָבְנִין כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי חֲזֵיתֹון דִּי אַזְדָּא מִנִּי מִלְּתָא׃   2:8

Dani. 2:8   The king answered by saying, “Out of certainty I know that you are all buying time so you see if the thing has gone from me.”

דִּי הֵן־חֶלְמָא לָא תְהֹודְעֻנַּנִי חֲדָה־הִיא דָתְכֹון וּמִלָּה כִדְבָה וּשְׁחִיתָה (הַזְמִנְתּוּ) [הִזְדְּמִנְתּוּן] לְמֵאמַר   2:9

קָדָמַי עַד דִּי עִדָּנָא יִשְׁתַּנֵּא לָהֵן חֶלְמָא אֱמַרוּ לִי וְאִנְדַּע דִּי פִשְׁרֵהּ תְּהַחֲוֻנַּנִי׃

Dani. 2:9   “But if you cannot make the dream known to me, it will be your only rule that you have agreed to speaking false and corrupt utterance before me until the time will have become too long to behold.  Tell the dream to me and I will know that you can explain its interpretation to me.”

עֲנֹו (כַשְׂדָּיֵא) [כַשְׂדָּאֵי] קֳדָם־מַלְכָּא וְאָמְרִין לָא־אִיתַי אֲנָשׁ עַל־יַבֶּשְׁתָּא דִּי מִלַּת מַלְכָּא יוּכַל   2:10

לְהַחֲוָיָה כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי כָּל־מֶלֶךְ רַב וְשַׁלִּיט מִלָּה כִדְנָה לָא שְׁאֵל לְכָל־חַרְטֹּם וְאָשַׁף וְכַשְׂדָּי׃

Dani. 2:10   The Chaldeans answered before the king by saying, “There is no man upon the earth who would be able to explain the matter of the king, all for the reason that of every great and powerful king, none has demanded a thing such as this of any magician or astrologer or Chaldean.”

וּמִלְּתָא דִי־מַלְכָּה שָׁאֵל יַקִּירָה וְאָחֳרָן לָא אִיתַי דִּי יְחַוִּנַּהּ קֳדָם מַלְכָּא לָהֵן אֱלָהִין דִּי מְדָרְהֹון   2:11

עִם־בִּשְׂרָא לָא אִיתֹוהִי׃

Dani. 2:11   “And the matter that the king is asking is so difficult that there are no others who can interpret it before the king except the gods, but their dwelling place, it is not with flesh.”

כָּל־קֳבֵל דְּנָה מַלְכָּא בְּנַס וּקְצַף שַׂגִּיא וַאֲמַר לְהֹובָדָה לְכֹל חַכִּימֵי בָבֶל׃   2:12

Dani. 2:12   Because of all this, the king was angry with such a great fury that he said to bring destruction to all the wise men of Babylon.

וְדָתָא נֶפְקַת וְחַכִּימַיָּא מִתְקַטְּלִין וּבְעֹו דָּנִיֵּאל וְחַבְרֹוהִי לְהִתְקְטָלָה׃   2:13

Dani. 2:13   When the decree went out that the wise men were to be slain, then they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

בֵּאדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל הֲתִיב עֵטָא וּטְעֵם לְאַרְיֹוךְ רַב־טַבָּחַיָּא דִּי מַלְכָּא דִּי נְפַק לְקַטָּלָה לְחַכִּימֵי בָּבֶל׃   2:14

Dani. 2:14   At that, Daniel gave a response of counsel and discretion to Arioch, the king's captain of the guardsmen, who had gone forth to bring death to the wise men of Babylon.

עָנֵה וְאָמַר לְאַרְיֹוךְ שַׁלִּיטָא דִי־מַלְכָּא עַל־מָה דָתָא מְהַחְצְפָה מִן־קֳדָם מַלְכָּא אֱדַיִן מִלְּתָא הֹודַע   2:15

 אַרְיֹוךְ לְדָנִיֵּאל׃

Dani. 2:15   He responded and said to Arioch, the king's authority, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?”  Thereupon Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.

וְדָנִיֵּאל עַל וּבְעָה מִן־מַלְכָּא דִּי זְמָן יִנְתֵּן־לֵהּ וּפִשְׁרָא לְהַחֲוָיָה לְמַלְכָּא׃   2:16

Dani. 2:16   So Daniel went in and requested from the king that he would give him time so the interpretation could be explained to the king.

אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל לְבַיְתֵהּ אֲזַל וְלַחֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה חַבְרֹוהִי מִלְּתָא הֹודַע׃   2:17

Dani. 2:17   Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael. and Azariah, his companions,

וְרַחֲמִין לְמִבְעֵא מִן־קֳדָם אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא עַל־רָזָה דְּנָה דִּי לָא יְהֹבְדוּן דָּנִיֵּאל וְחַבְרֹוהִי עִם־שְׁאָר חַכִּימֵי   2:18

בָבֶל׃

Dani. 2:18   and to ask mercy from before the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

אֱדַיִן לְדָנִיֵּאל בְּחֶזְוָא דִי־לֵילְיָא רָזָה גֲלִי אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל בָּרִךְ לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא׃   2:19

Dani. 2:19   Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night.  Then Daniel gave praise to the God of heaven.

עָנֵה דָנִיֵּאל וְאָמַר לֶהֱוֵא שְׁמֵהּ דִּי־אֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ מִן־עָלְמָא וְעַד־עָלְמָא דִּי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָא דִּי   2:20

לֵהּ־הִיא׃

Dani. 2:20   Daniel spoke up and said,

                      “Let the name of God be blessed

                                from everlasting and to everlasting,

                       for wisdom and might, it is only His,

וְהוּא מְהַשְׁנֵא עִדָּנַיָּא וְזִמְנַיָּא מְהַעְדֵּה מַלְכִין וּמְהָקֵים מַלְכִין יָהֵב חָכְמְתָא לְחַכִּימִין וּמַנְדְּעָא לְיָדְעֵי   2:21

בִינָה׃

Dani. 2:21   that He is the One transforming times and seasons,

                                deposing kings and establishing kings;

                      He gives wisdom and knowledge to the wise

                                and to those knowing understanding.”

הוּא גָּלֵא עַמִּיקָתָא וּמְסַתְּרָתָא יָדַע מָה בַחֲשֹׁוכָא (וּנְהִירָא) [וּנְהֹורָא] עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא׃   2:22

Dani. 2:22   “He reveals deep and hidden things,

                                knowing that which is in darkness,

                      and light abides with Him.”

לָךְ אֱלָהּ אֲבָהָתִי מְהֹודֵא וּמְשַׁבַּח אֲנָה דִּי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָא יְהַבְתְּ לִי וּכְעַן הֹודַעְתַּנִי דִּי־בְעֵינָא   2:23

 מִנָּךְ דִּי־מִלַּת מַלְכָּא הֹודַעְתֶּנָא׃

Dani. 2:23   “To You, God of my fathers, I am giving thanks and praise,

                                Who gives me wisdom and might,

                      and now has made known to me that which we requested from You,

                                for You have informed us of the matter of the king.”

כָּל־קֳבֵל דְּנָה דָּנִיֵּאל עַל עַל־אַרְיֹוךְ דִּי מַנִּי מַלְכָּא לְהֹובָדָה לְחַכִּימֵי בָבֶל אֲזַל וְכֵן אֲמַר־לֵהּ לְחַכִּימֵי   2:24

 בָבֶל אַל־תְּהֹובֵד הַעֵלְנִי קֳדָם מַלְכָּא וּפִשְׁרָא לְמַלְכָּא אֲחַוֵּא׃

Dani. 2:24   In view of this, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to bring destruction to the wise men of Babylon.  He went and said thus to him:  “You must not bring destruction to the wise men of Babylon.  Bring me in before the king and I will explain the interpretation to the king.”

אֱדַיִן אַרְיֹוךְ בְּהִתְבְּהָלָה הַנְעֵל לְדָנִיֵּאל קֳדָם מַלְכָּא וְכֵן אֲמַר־לֵהּ דִּי־הַשְׁכַּחַת גְּבַר מִן־בְּנֵי גָלוּתָא דִּי   2:25

 יְהוּד דִּי פִשְׁרָא לְמַלְכָּא יְהֹודַע׃

Dani. 2:25   Thereupon Arioch hastily went in for Daniel before the king and said thus to him:  “I have found this man from among Judah's exiled children who can make known the interpretation to the king.”

עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר לְדָנִיֵּאל דִּי שְׁמֵהּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר (הַאִיתַיִךְ) [הַאִיתָךְ] כָּהֵל לְהֹודָעֻתַנִי   2:26

חֶלְמָא דִי־חֲזֵית וּפִשְׁרֵהּ׃

Dani. 2:26   The king answered, and he said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw and its interpretation?”

עָנֵה דָנִיֵּאל קֳדָם מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר רָזָה דִּי־מַלְכָּא שָׁאֵל לָא חַכִּימִין אָשְׁפִין חַרְטֻמִּין גָּזְרִין יָכְלִין לְהַחֲוָיָה   2:27

 לְמַלְכָּא׃

Dani. 2:27   Daniel answered before the king and said, “No wise men, astrologers, magicians, seers, are able to explain to the king the secret that the king has asked about,

בְּרַם אִיתַי אֱלָהּ בִּשְׁמַיָּא גָּלֵא רָזִין וְהֹודַע לְמַלְכָּא נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מָה דִּי לֶהֱוֵא בְּאַחֲרִית יֹומַיָּא חֶלְמָךְ   2:28

וְחֶזְוֵי רֵאשָׁךְ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבָךְ דְּנָה הוּא׃

Dani. 2:28   but there is a God in heaven revealing secrets, and He has made known to king Nebuchadnezzar that which is to be at the end of days.  Your dream as well as the visions of your head upon your bed, that is this:

אַנְתָּה) [אַנְתְּ] מַלְכָּא רַעְיֹונָךְ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבָךְ סְלִקוּ מָה דִּי לֶהֱוֵא אַחֲרֵי דְנָה וְגָלֵא רָזַיָּא הֹודְעָךְ   2:29

מָה־דִי לֶהֱוֵא׃

Dani. 2:29   You are king; your thoughts came up upon your bed of what is to be after this, and it is the Revealer of secrets Who is making known to you what is to be.”

וַאֲנָה לָא בְחָכְמָה דִּי־אִיתַי בִּי מִן־כָּל־חַיַּיָּא רָזָא דְנָה גֱּלִי לִי לָהֵן עַל־דִּבְרַת דִּי פִשְׁרָא לְמַלְכָּא   2:30

 יְהֹודְעוּן וְרַעְיֹונֵי לִבְבָךְ תִּנְדַּע׃

Dani. 2:30   “But I, not by a wisdom that is mine more than any living being, this secret has been revealed to me, but it was for the reason that the interpretation should be made known to the king and you should know the thoughts of your heart.”

אַנְתָּה) [אַנְתְּ] מַלְכָּא חָזֵה הֲוַיְתָ וַאֲלוּ צְלֵם חַד שַׂגִּיא צַלְמָא דִּכֵּן רַב וְזִיוֵהּ יַתִּיר קָאֵם לְקָבְלָךְ   2:31 

וְרֵוֵהּ דְּחִיל׃

Dani. 2:31   “You, O king, were a witness, and behold, a great image! This image was great, with extraordinary brightness arising before you, and terrible appearance.”

הוּא צַלְמָא רֵאשֵׁהּ דִּי־דְהַב טָב חֲדֹוהִי וּדְרָעֹוהִי דִּי כְסַף מְעֹוהִי וְיַרְכָתֵהּ דִּי נְחָשׁ׃   2:32

Dani. 2:32   “It was a figure; its head was of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,

שָׁקֹוהִי דִּי פַרְזֶל רַגְלֹוהִי (מִנְּהֹון) [מִנְּהֵין] דִּי פַרְזֶל (וּמִנְּהֹון) [וּמִנְּהֵין] דִּי חֲסַף׃   2:33

Dani. 2:33   its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.”

חָזֵה הֲוַיְתָ עַד דִּי הִתְגְּזֶרֶת אֶבֶן דִּי־לָא בִידַיִן וּמְחָת לְצַלְמָא עַל־רַגְלֹוהִי דִּי פַרְזְלָא וְחַסְפָּא וְהַדֵּקֶת   2:34

 הִמֹּון׃

Dani. 2:34   “You were watching while a stone was cut out that was without hands and it struck the figure on its feet of iron and clay and shattered them.”

בֵּאדַיִן דָּקוּ כַחֲדָה פַּרְזְלָא חַסְפָּא נְחָשָׁא כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא וַהֲוֹו כְּעוּר מִן־אִדְּרֵי־קַיִט וּנְשָׂא הִמֹּון   2:35

רוּחָא וְכָל־אֲתַר לָא־הִשְׁתֲּכַח לְהֹון וְאַבְנָא דִּי־מְחָת לְצַלְמָא הֲוָת לְטוּר רַב וּמְלָת כָּל־אַרְעָא׃

Dani. 2:35   “Then the iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold, shattered at once and became as chaff from a summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them off that nothing of their place was found, and the stone that struck the figure became as a great mountain that filled all the earth.”

דְּנָה חֶלְמָא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ נֵאמַר קֳדָם־מַלְכָּא׃   2:36

Dani. 2:36   “That is the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.”

Bible commentators seem to have concluded that the first-person plural pronoun, we, in this verse spoken by Daniel, is not a royal we, but instead refers to Daniel and his companions.  But I suspect that Daniel is humbly giving the credit for the interpretation to God first, then himself, thus the we.

אַנְתָּה) [אַנְתְּ] מַלְכָּא מֶלֶךְ מַלְכַיָּא דִּי אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא מַלְכוּתָא חִסְנָא וְתָקְפָּא וִיקָרָא יְהַב־לָךְ׃   2:37

Dani. 2:37   “You are king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power and the might and the glory,

וּבְכָל־דִּי (דָאֲרִין) [דָיְרִין] בְּנֵי־אֲנָשָׁא חֵיוַת בָּרָא וְעֹוף־שְׁמַיָּא יְהַב בִּידָךְ וְהַשְׁלְטָךְ בְּכָלְּהֹון (אַנְתָּה   2:38

אַנְתְּ־הוּא] רֵאשָׁה דִּי דַהֲבָא׃

Dani. 2:38   and the children of humanity, beast of the field, or fowl of the sky, wherever are dwelling, He gave into your hand and made you ruler of all of them. The head of gold is you.”

וּבָתְרָךְ תְּקוּם מַלְכוּ אָחֳרִי אֲרַעא מִנָּךְ וּמַלְכוּ (תְלִיתָיָא) [תְלִיתָאָה] אָחֳרִי דִּי נְחָשָׁא דִּי תִשְׁלַט   2:39

 בְּכָל־אַרְעָא׃

Dani. 2:39   “And in your place shall arise another kingdom lower than you; then a third other kingdom of brass that shall rule throughout all the earth.”

וּמַלְכוּ (רְבִיעָיָה) [רְבִיעָאָה] תֶּהֱוֵא תַקִּיפָה כְּפַרְזְלָא כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי פַרְזְלָא מְהַדֵּק וְחָשֵׁל כֹּלָּא   2:40

וּכְפַרְזְלָא דִּי־מְרָעַע כָּל־אִלֵּין תַּדִּק וְתֵרֹעַ׃

Dani. 2:40   Then a fourth kingdom shall become as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron battering crushes everything, and as iron that is shattering all of them, it shall break and crush.

Sometimes I don’t understand the thinking or wisdom of the bible scholars and exegetes.  They seem to have almost universally interpreted the three later kingdoms as those of past history.  They disregard or ignore the phrase at the end of days in v. 2:28 and the phrase and it shall endure forever in v. 2:44.  At least the last of these kingdoms may not have yet appeared on the earth.

וְדִי־חֲזַיְתָה רַגְלַיָּא וְאֶצְבְּעָתָא (מִנְּהֹון) [מִנְּהֵן] חֲסַף דִּי־פֶחָר (וּמִנְּהֹון) [וּמִנְּהֵין] פַּרְזֶל מַלְכוּ פְלִיגָה   2:41

תֶּהֱוֵה וּמִן־נִצְבְּתָא דִי פַרְזְלָא לֶהֱוֵא־בַהּ כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי חֲזַיְתָה פַּרְזְלָא מְעָרַב בַּחֲסַף טִינָא׃

Dani. 2:41   “And as you have seen the feet and toes partly of clay of the potter and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but with the hardness of the iron being in it, accordingly as you saw the iron mixed with the brittle clay.”

וְאֶצְבְּעָת רַגְלַיָּא (מִנְּהֹון) [מִנְּהֵין] פַּרְזֶל (וּמִנְּהֹון) [וּמִנְּהֵין] חֲסַף מִן־קְצָת מַלְכוּתָא תֶּהֱוֵה תַקִּיפָה   2:42

וּמִנַּהּ תֶּהֱוֵה תְבִירָה׃

Dani. 2:42   “As the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, a part of the kingdom shall be strong and another shall be crumbling.”

דִי) [וְדִי] חֲזַיְתָ פַּרְזְלָא מְעָרַב בַּחֲסַף טִינָא מִתְעָרְבִין לֶהֱוֹן בִּזְרַע אֲנָשָׁא וְלָא־לֶהֱוֹן דָּבְקִין דְּנָה   2:43

עִם־דְּנָה הֵא־כְדִי פַרְזְלָא לָא מִתְעָרַב עִם־חַסְפָּא׃

Dani. 2:43   “And as you saw the iron mixed with the brittle clay, they are to be mixed in the seed of humanity, but they are not to be attached, one with another, in the same way that the iron does not mingle with the clay.”

וּבְיֹומֵיהֹון דִּי מַלְכַיָּא אִנּוּן יְקִים אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא מַלְכוּ דִּי לְעָלְמִין לָא תִתְחַבַּל וּמַלְכוּתָה לְעַם אָחֳרָן   2:44

לָא תִשְׁתְּבִק תַּדִּק וְתָסֵיף כָּל־אִלֵּין מַלְכְוָתָא וְהִיא תְּקוּם לְעָלְמַיָּא׃

Dani. 2:44   “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall establish a kingdom that shall not be destroyed forever or the kingdom be left to another people.  It shall shatter and bring to an end all those kingdoms and it shall endure forever.”

כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי־חֲזַיְתָ דִּי מִטּוּרָא אִתְגְּזֶרֶת אֶבֶן דִּי־לָא בִידַיִן וְהַדֶּקֶת פַּרְזְלָא נְחָשָׁא חַסְפָּא כַּסְפָּא   2:45

 וְדַהֲבָא אֱלָהּ רַב הֹודַע לְמַלְכָּא מָה דִּי לֶהֱוֵא אַחֲרֵי דְנָה וְיַצִּיב חֶלְמָא וּמְהֵימַן פִּשְׁרֵהּ׃

Dani. 2:45   “Inasmuch as you have seen a stone cut out from the mountain that was without hands that shattered the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has communicated to the king what is to be after this, and the dream is certain and its interpretation will be confirmed.

בֵּאדַיִן מַלְכָּא נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר נְפַל עַל־אַנְפֹּוהִי וּלְדָנִיֵּאל סְגִד וּמִנְחָה וְנִיחֹחִין אֲמַר לְנַסָּכָה לֵהּ׃   2:46

Dani. 2:46   Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and prostrated himself to Daniel and commanded an offering and soothing odors be poured out to him.

עָנֵה מַלְכָּא לְדָנִיֵּאל וְאָמַר מִן־קְשֹׁט דִּי אֱלָהֲכֹון הוּא אֱלָהּ אֱלָהִין וּמָרֵא מַלְכִין וְגָלֵה רָזִין דִּי יְכֵלְתָּ   2:47

 לְמִגְלֵא רָזָה דְנָה׃

Dani. 2:47   The king responded to Daniel and said, “It must be true that your God is the God of gods, Lord of kings, and Revealer of secrets, as you have succeeded in revealing this secret.”

I have questions inspired by this narrative.  If the king honestly believes what he is saying here, why did he not reconsider his conquest and allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem as his acknowledgment of the might of God?  Instead of glorifying God, he glorifies Daniel.  Why?

אֱדַיִן מַלְכָּא לְדָנִיֵּאל רַבִּי וּמַתְּנָן רַבְרְבָן שַׂגִּיאָן יְהַב־לֵהּ וְהַשְׁלְטֵהּ עַל כָּל־מְדִינַת בָּבֶל וְרַב־סִגְנִין עַל   2:48

 כָּל־חַכִּימֵי בָבֶל׃

Dani. 2:48   Thereupon the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the Babylon province and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

וְדָנִיֵּאל בְּעָא מִן־מַלְכָּא וּמַנִּי עַל עֲבִידְתָּא דִּי מְדִינַת בָּבֶל לְשַׁדְרַךְ מֵישַׁךְ וַעֲבֵד נְגֹו וְדָנִיֵּאל בִּתְרַע   2:49

 מַלְכָּא׃

Dani. 2:49   Then Daniel sought from the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the gate of the king.

 

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