Daniel 2:9 kjv
But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
Daniel 2:9 nkjv
if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."
Daniel 2:9 niv
If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
Daniel 2:9 esv
if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation."
Daniel 2:9 nlt
'If you don't tell me the dream, you are doomed.' So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I'll know that you can tell me what it means."
Daniel 2 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:1-5 | "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you...and says, 'Let us go after other gods'...that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death..." | False prophets punished severely. |
| Jer 14:14 | "The prophets are prophesying lies in My name...They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination and the deception of their own minds." | Against false prophecy and self-deception. |
| Jer 23:30-32 | "I am indeed against the prophets,' declares the LORD, 'who steal My words...who use their tongues and declare, 'The LORD declares'...who prophesy lying dreams...'" | God condemns those who fabricate prophecy. |
| Ezek 13:6-7 | "They have envisioned futility and false divination, who say, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word." | False prophets speaking without God's word. |
| Micah 3:7 | "The seers will be ashamed and the diviners confounded. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God." | Human diviners are silent without God. |
| Isa 44:25 | "I am the one who frustrates the signs of impostors and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish." | God mocks false wisdom and makes it useless. |
| Isa 47:13-14 | "Let now the astrologers, those who prophesy by the stars, those who prognosticate by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you...they cannot deliver themselves..." | Astrologers cannot save themselves or others. |
| Acts 16:16-18 | "...a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us and kept crying out..." | Paul exposes and casts out a spirit of divination. |
| 1 Cor 1:19-20 | "For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" | God makes worldly wisdom foolish. |
| 1 Cor 2:5-6 | "so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;" | Faith rests on God's power, not human wisdom. |
| 1 Cor 3:19-20 | "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, 'He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness'; and again, 'The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.'" | Human wisdom is foolish and useless to God. |
| 2 Tim 3:8-9 | "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, as also that of those two came to be." | Opposition to truth by deception exposed. |
| Prov 21:30 | "There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD." | Human plans are useless against God's will. |
| Dan 2:27-28 | "Daniel answered before the king and said, 'As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...'" | Only God can reveal mysteries, not wise men. |
| Dan 4:7 | "Then the conjurers, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in; and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me." | Another instance of wise men failing the king. |
| Amos 3:7 | "For the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets." | God reveals His plans to His chosen servants. |
| Psa 25:14 | "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant." | God shares His secrets with those who fear Him. |
| Psa 33:10-11 | "The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever; The plans of His heart to all generations." | God's counsel prevails over human plans. |
| Heb 4:13 | "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." | God knows all, nothing is hidden from Him. |
| Rev 1:1 | "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John," | God's chosen way of revealing future events. |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." | Calls for discerning true revelation from false. |
| Matt 7:15 | "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | Warning against deceptive religious figures. |
| Isa 8:19-20 | "When they say to you, 'Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,' should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn." | Contrasts pagan divination with seeking God's word. |
Daniel 2 verses
Daniel 2 9 Meaning
Daniel 2:9 captures King Nebuchadnezzar's stern ultimatum to his wise men, threatening them with a singular death sentence if they fail to reveal both his forgotten dream and its interpretation. He accuses them of conspiracy and deception, preparing false and corrupt words, hoping to delay their failure until circumstances or his mood might change. His demand reveals his profound distrust in their purported wisdom, indicating that he knew they would merely fabricate answers without divine insight. This highlights the inherent limitation of human wisdom when confronted with matters known only by God.
Daniel 2 9 Context
Daniel 2:9 is part of a dramatic narrative where King Nebuchadnezzar is troubled by a forgotten dream that he believes holds immense significance for his kingdom. He summons his wise men – magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans – demanding not only the interpretation but first the content of the dream itself. This demand is unprecedented and designed to expose their inability to genuinely access supernatural knowledge, proving whether their wisdom truly stemmed from divine revelation or was mere human guesswork and charade. The wise men's inability to comply sets the stage for Daniel, a servant of the true God, to demonstrate God's unique power and reveal mysteries inaccessible to pagan diviners, establishing the supremacy of Yahweh over the gods of Babylon. The King's accusation of preparing "lying and corrupt words" highlights his astute perception of their intent to deceive, knowing they could interpret any dream if given its content but lacked true supernatural insight into the forgotten dream itself.
Daniel 2 9 Word analysis
- If you do not make known to me: This expresses a direct challenge and conditional threat. The Aramaic təhōwdeʻûnanī (תְהוֹדְעוּנַנִּי) comes from a verb indicating making something known or declared. It implies a specific, definite knowledge required. The repeated pronoun "me" emphasizes the King's personal, imperative demand.
- the dream and its interpretation: The two crucial elements required. Ḥelmāʼ (חֶלְמָא) for "dream" and pišrēh (פִּשְׁרֵהּ) for "interpretation" or "solution." The demand for both confirms the king's distrust; if they could genuinely know divine secrets, they would know the dream itself.
- there is but one sentence for you: Indicating an unchangeable and dire judgment. The Aramaic ḥādāʼ dāṯ ləḵōm (חֲדָא דָת לְכֹם) literally means "one law for you" or "one decree." It signifies a singular, undeviating penalty—death. This showcases Nebuchadnezzar's absolute power and ruthlessness.
- for you have prepared: The Aramaic implies setting up or arranging. The king sees their refusal not as inability but as a pre-meditated plan to deceive.
- lying and corrupt words: This is a direct accusation of malicious deception. Millîn kaḏāvôṯ waḥăvālāʼ (מִלִּין כַדָּבוֹת וַחֲבָלָא) emphasizes their insincere, deceitful nature. Kaḏāvôṯ derives from kazzaḇ meaning "lie" or "falsehood." Ḥăvālāʼ means "corruption" or "ruin," implying words that are damaging, ruinous, or morally corrupted. This reveals the king's conviction that they are conspiring.
- to speak before me: Emphasizing the direct, personal affront and manipulation aimed at the king himself.
- until the times change: This phrase, zimnāʼ yištannê (זִמְנָא יִשְׁתַּנֵּא), signifies a stalling tactic, hoping for a shift in circumstances, mood, or for time to fabricate a plausible story. The word for "time" (zimnāʼ) in Aramaic can also refer to a specific appointed time or season. This highlights their expectation that the king's resolve might soften over time or new events might distract him.
- Therefore you have said, 'Make known to us the dream, and we will show its interpretation.': This restates their plea from Dan 2:7, revealing the king's sharp, sarcastic reiteration of their exposed ploy. He's mimicking their own words back to them, demonstrating that he saw through their intentions.
Words-group analysis:
- "If you do not make known... one sentence for you": This whole clause encapsulates the severe condition and immediate consequence. It's a non-negotiable demand with a capital punishment consequence, underscoring the life-or-death stakes.
- "prepared lying and corrupt words... until the times change": This phrase uncovers Nebuchadnezzar's insight into the wise men's deceitful scheme. He perceives their coordinated effort to manipulate him, to buy time rather than reveal truth. This contrasts pagan practices that rely on feigned access to divine knowledge with genuine, divinely inspired revelation.
Daniel 2 9 Bonus section
The confrontation in Daniel 2:9 also serves as a critical theological argument embedded in the narrative:
- Exposing Falsehood: It powerfully demonstrates the inability of human-centered spiritual systems (Babylonian magic, astrology, divination) to access or reveal true divine knowledge. Their failure is not just an intellectual shortcoming but a moral one ("lying and corrupt words").
- God's Sovereignty and Revelation: By proving the inadequacy of pagan wisdom, the narrative prepares the reader to appreciate the unique omnipotence and omniscience of the God of Israel. Only He possesses the ability to know and reveal secrets of the future or of the mind.
- Moral Testing: Nebuchadnezzar's demand, though stemming from his own absolute power, ironically functions as a test for all his wise men, distinguishing genuine divine power from human artifice and manipulation. The verse thereby underlines God's standard of truth and integrity, exposing any who claim to speak for Him without being sent by Him.
Daniel 2 9 Commentary
Daniel 2:9 is a pivotal verse because it strips away the pretense of Babylonian divination and sets the stage for God's ultimate vindication. King Nebuchadnezzar's acute awareness of his wise men's deceit ("lying and corrupt words") highlights the emptiness of their supposed wisdom. He understood they were charlatans who required the premises (the dream's content) to invent the conclusions (its interpretation). Their hope that "the times change" reveals their reliance on worldly factors, rather than a timeless, divine truth. This starkly contrasts with the nature of the true God who reveals absolute truth regardless of human conditions or machinations. The King's verdict underscores the seriousness of purporting divine knowledge without possessing it, a grave sin throughout biblical narrative. This failure of worldly wisdom magnifies the later triumph of Daniel, whose power comes not from human craft but from the living God, providing a potent polemic against all forms of false spiritual guidance and asserting the absolute uniqueness of divine revelation.