Daniel 2:26 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Daniel 2:26 kjv
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
Daniel 2:26 nkjv
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"
Daniel 2:26 niv
The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
Daniel 2:26 esv
The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?"
Daniel 2:26 nlt
The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), "Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?"
Daniel 2 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 40:8 | "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." ... | Pharaoh's baker/cupbearer recognized human inability. |
| Gen 41:15 | Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it..." | King acknowledges human failure in interpreting dreams. |
| Num 12:6 | "...When there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream." | God reveals Himself through dreams and visions. |
| 1 Ki 3:5 | At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you." | God communicates through dreams. |
| Job 12:22 | He uncovers the deep things out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. | God's power to reveal hidden, dark secrets. |
| Pss 25:14 | The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. | God reveals secrets to those who revere Him. |
| Pss 37:23-24 | The steps of a man are established by the LORD... though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down... | God guides the paths of the righteous. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. | True wisdom and understanding come only from God. |
| Isa 45:3 | I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards of secret places, that you may know that it is I... | God's ability to reveal all hidden things. |
| Amos 3:7 | "For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets." | God's nature to reveal secrets to His chosen ones. |
| Dan 1:17 | As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom... | God granted Daniel and companions spiritual insight. |
| Dan 2:10-11 | The Chaldeans answered before the king and said... no king... has asked such a thing... except the gods... | Chaldeans confess human inability, pointing to deity. |
| Dan 2:17-19 | Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah... so that they might ask mercy... | Daniel and friends sought God for revelation. |
| Dan 2:28 | "...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar..." | Daniel credits God as the source of revelation. |
| Dan 2:30 | "But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than all..." | Daniel attributes revelation solely to God's grace. |
| Dan 2:47 | The king answered Daniel and said, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings..." | King's eventual recognition of Daniel's God. |
| Joel 2:28 | "...your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." | Prophecy of God's Spirit revealing things in latter days. |
| Acts 2:17 | "...your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." | Peter quotes Joel 2:28, affirming God's continued revelation. |
| 1 Cor 2:10-11 | "...God has revealed to us through the Spirit... the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God." | The Spirit reveals divine mysteries to believers. |
| Jas 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach... | Encouragement to ask God for wisdom and understanding. |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 26 meaning
King Nebuchadnezzar directly challenged Daniel, questioning his capacity to both recall the specific dream the king had forgotten and then to provide its true meaning. This inquiry arose after all the kingdom's wise men had utterly failed to meet the king's demand, underscoring the seemingly impossible nature of the task from a human perspective and setting the stage for a divine revelation.
Daniel 2 26 Context
Daniel chapter 2 narrates King Nebuchadnezzar's distressing dream, which he then completely forgets but still demands his "wise men"—magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans—not only to interpret but first to declare the dream itself. Facing the impossible task and the king's death decree against them, the wise men fail, acknowledging that only gods could fulfill such a demand. Daniel, upon learning of the decree, requests an audience with the king and asks for time. This verse (Dan 2:26) marks the climactic moment where Daniel, after prayer, stands before the king, who skeptically confronts him with the very challenge that baffled his entire court. Historically, it is set during the Babylonian exile of the Jews, highlighting the supremacy of the God of Israel over the pagan deities and divination practices of the dominant Babylonian Empire. The king's question functions as a pivotal point, separating the fruitless efforts of human wisdom from the impending revelation by divine power.
Daniel 2 26 Word analysis
- The king (מַלְכָּא - malkā’): Refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the supreme earthly authority of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. His title highlights his absolute power, capable of life and death, and his desperation regarding the dream.
- said (עָנֵה וְאָמַר - ‘ānēh wə’āmar): Aramaic idiom, literally "answered and said." This indicates the king's response to Daniel being presented before him. It emphasizes the direct, confrontational nature of his question to Daniel after his previous interaction with other wise men.
- to Daniel (לְדָנִיֵּאל - ləḏānîyêl): Specifies the direct recipient of the king's challenge. Daniel, a Hebrew exile whose name means "God is my judge," stands as a stark contrast to the pagan wise men. This is the moment Daniel, through God's power, steps into the political and spiritual spotlight.
- 'Are you able (הֲאִיתָךְ כָּהֵל - hă’îṯāḵ kāhēl):
- הֲאִיתָךְ (hă’îṯāḵ): The interrogative particle hă- introduces a direct question expecting a yes/no answer. ’îṯāḵ is Aramaic for "are you."
- כָּהֵל (kāhēl): Means "able," "capable," "competent." The emphasis is on Daniel's ability. This query directly challenges Daniel's presumed competence, highlighting the extreme difficulty, if not impossibility, of the task based on previous failures of the Chaldean "wise men" (Dan 2:10-11). It's a test of divine revelation versus human presumption.
- to make known to me (לְהוֹדָעוּת לִי - ləhôḏā‘ût lî):
- לְהוֹדָעוּת (ləhôḏā‘ût): Infinitive construct of the Hoph'al stem (passive causative), meaning "to be caused to know," or here, more actively, "to cause to know," "to make plain," "to inform." The king doesn't want a guess; he wants accurate, certain revelation.
- לִי (lî): "to me." The king personally demands this knowledge.
- the dream (חֶלְמָא - ḥelmā’): Refers to the specific, singular dream that Nebuchadnezzar had experienced and forgotten, which caused him great distress (Dan 2:1). The singular form underscores the precise and singular nature of the revelation required.
- that I have seen (דִּי חֲזֵית - dî ḥăzeṯ):
- דִּי (dî): Relative pronoun "that" or "which."
- חֲזֵית (ḥăzeṯ): "I have seen." Emphasizes the personal nature of the king's experience; it was his dream, a secret locked within his own mind and the divine will.
- and its interpretation (וּפִשְׁרֵהּ - ûpišrēh):
- וּ- (û-): "and." Conjoins the two demands: telling the dream and its meaning.
- פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pišrēh): "its interpretation" or "its solution." The Aramaic word for "interpretation," central to the discourse of dreams and omens in the ancient Near East. Knowing the dream without its meaning was insufficient; both were essential to resolve the king's distress. This twin demand further amplifies the impossible nature of the task for any mere mortal.
Daniel 2 26 Bonus section
- The phrasing of the king's question subtly contains a shade of doubt, not just inquiry, given his experience with all other wise men. He's heard promises before, all unmet. This skepticism magnifies Daniel's eventual revelation.
- This specific phrasing is a direct literary device to highlight God's unmatched power. Had the wise men just been asked for interpretation of a known dream, the "miracle" would be less impressive. But forgetting the dream was a divinely orchestrated detail to showcase an even deeper level of divine revelation.
Daniel 2 26 Commentary
Daniel 2:26 marks the turning point where the profound theological distinction between human wisdom and divine revelation becomes evident. The king's skeptical, direct question to Daniel, "Are you able...?", resonates with the previous confession of the Chaldean wise men: only gods could know such a secret (Dan 2:11). This verse is less about Daniel's individual prowess and more about establishing a dramatic contrast: human ability, even that of the most esteemed and experienced, fails spectacularly, setting the stage for the true God to display His absolute sovereignty through His servant. The double demand—for the forgotten dream and its interpretation—raises the stakes, making Daniel's subsequent success an undeniable demonstration that the "God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Dan 2:28) is superior to all earthly powers and false deities. The question is a moment of stark vulnerability for Daniel and of ultimate challenge to his God, paving the way for God's glory to be magnified.