Daniel 2 8

Daniel 2:8 kjv

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

Daniel 2:8 nkjv

The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:

Daniel 2:8 niv

Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided:

Daniel 2:8 esv

The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm ?

Daniel 2:8 nlt

The king replied, "I know what you are doing! You're stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say,

Daniel 2 verses

Daniel 2 8 meaning

Daniel 2:8 conveys King Nebuchadnezzar's realization and accusation towards his wise men: he discerns their manipulative intent to prolong the situation by making him repeat his forgotten dream. He understands their strategy to buy time, hoping that the urgency would pass or that he might reveal more details himself, due to their inability to actually tell him the dream and its interpretation. The king’s statement highlights his acute suspicion of their deceptive practices, rooted in their visible distress and lack of genuine insight.

Daniel 2 8 Context

Daniel chapter 2 presents a pivotal event in the early reign of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. The king had a troubling dream that escaped his memory upon waking, yet its impression remained, greatly disturbing him. In his quest for understanding, he summoned all his wise men: magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, demanding that they both tell him the dream itself and interpret it. This demand was unprecedented and impossible for them without divine insight. Verses 1-7 depict their failed attempts and pleas to the king, asking him to first reveal the dream. Verse 8 marks the king’s exasperated and suspicious response, revealing his acute awareness of their deceptive tactics. The king correctly surmised that their request to know the dream was merely a ploy to gain time, hoping either that he would remember it fully or that the threat of punishment might subside, thereby allowing them to fabricate a plausible interpretation. This sets the stage for God's demonstration of His singular power through Daniel.

Daniel 2 8 Word analysis

• The king answered and said: (Aramaic: מַלְכָּא עָנֵה וְאָמַר, malka ʿaneh veʾamar) – Signifies Nebuchadnezzar's firm resolve. He is responding to their repeated pleas to know the dream, directly countering their strategy. The double verb construction emphasizes a formal and decisive declaration.
• I know of a certainty: (Aramaic: מִן־יַצִּיב יָדַע אֲנָא, min-yaṣṣiḇ yadaʿ ʾanaʾ) –
  • min-yaṣṣiḇ: "of a certainty," "for sure," "truly." This adverbial phrase adds immense weight to the king's statement, indicating unwavering conviction. He is not guessing; he is fully convinced.
  • yadaʿ ʾanaʾ: "I know." The emphatic use of the first-person pronoun reinforces his personal insight and resolute understanding of their motives. The king's knowledge is intuitive and based on observing their past behaviors and their current obvious desperation.
• that you would gain time: (Aramaic: דִּי־זִמְנָא אַנְתּוּן בָּעַיִן, di-zimna ʾanttun baʿayin) –
  • di: "that," introduces the clause stating their motive.
  • zimna: "time," "occasion," "opportunity." It refers not just to a duration but specifically to an advantageous interval.
  • ʾanttun baʿayin: "you (plural) are seeking/desiring/gaining." The verb baʿayin implies seeking with intent, striving to acquire. Here, it carries the sense of prolonging or taking advantage of the time. The plural "you" directly addresses all the assembled wise men, collectively implicating them in the conspiracy. They sought to manipulate the situation, perhaps to invent a story or to wear down the king's resolve.
• because you see: (Aramaic: כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי חָזַיִן אַנְתּוּן, kol-qoḇel di ḥazayin ʾanttun) –
  • kol-qoḇel di: "because," "since," "inasmuch as." Introduces the reason for their action.
  • ḥazayin ʾanttun: "you (plural) perceive/see." The king attributes to them the knowledge of his condition—that he had forgotten the dream—which they were trying to exploit. Their awareness of his memory lapse fuels their deceptive strategy.
• that the word is gone from me: (Aramaic: דִּי אֲזַל מִנִּי מִלְּתָא, di ʾazal minni milləṯaʾ) –
  • di: "that," introducing the object of their perception.
  • ʾazal: "it has gone away," "it has departed," "it has left." The dream (the "word") has vanished from his memory. It's an aorist verb, emphasizing a completed action.
  • minni: "from me." Emphasizes the personal impact of the loss from his memory.
  • milləṯaʾ: "the word," "the matter," "the decree," "the thing." In this context, it specifically refers to the dream itself and its interpretation—the whole matter the king is concerned about. Its being "gone" indicates it is lost to his conscious recollection.

Words-group analysis

• "I know of a certainty that you would gain time": This phrase reveals the king's keen insight and distrust of his counselors. It exposes the manipulative and deceptive nature of the Babylonian wise men, who prioritized self-preservation through cunning rather than genuinely seeking truth or divine insight. This is a crucial pivot point, highlighting human limitation and depravity when contrasted with divine revelation.
• "because you see that the word is gone from me": This explains the king's logical deduction. He recognized their exploitation of his vulnerability—his memory lapse—as their strategy to escape immediate punishment. This setup powerfully contrasts their worldly methods with the genuine supernatural knowledge Daniel will later provide, underscoring the inability of human wisdom or sorcery to tap into true divine mysteries.

Daniel 2 8 Bonus section

The Aramaic word for "wise men" (חַכִּימִין, ḥakkîmîn) encompasses a class of professionals who claimed supernatural knowledge through various pagan practices (astrology, divination, sorcery). Their collective failure here serves as a powerful polemic against the efficacy of such practices in contrast to the monotheistic God of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar's insight, though based on human observation, is divinely allowed to bring forth this confrontation. The tension between human efforts to "gain time" and God's sovereign timing and revelation (Dan 2:19-23) is a central theme in this narrative, ultimately exalting divine power. This situation sets a theological precedent: false wisdom leads to fear and deception, whereas true wisdom, coming from God, leads to courageous declaration (Daniel's actions) and divine exaltation.

Daniel 2 8 Commentary

Daniel 2:8 captures the astute suspicion of Nebuchadnezzar as he perceives the manipulative intentions of his wise men. Despite his lost memory of the dream, he is not naive. He clearly sees their coordinated efforts to "gain time" or stall. This delay was intended to coax the dream from the king directly, or perhaps to devise a generic interpretation to satisfy him, highlighting their fundamental inability to access true revelation. This moment exposes the bankruptcy of the world's most acclaimed "wise men"—their wisdom is revealed as mere sophistry and deception when faced with a truly supernatural challenge. It underlines that human ingenuity, no matter how cunning, cannot stand in the place of divine knowledge. The king’s insight, even in his distress, paves the way for the dramatic demonstration of God's power through Daniel, thereby exalting the God of Israel above all pagan deities and human claims to wisdom.