Nebuchadnezzar Dreams a Dream
Daniel 2:1–16
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.9 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.10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
President Rudger Clawson said:
“It would seem that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, dreamed a dream which made a profound impression upon his mind, but strange to say, upon awakening, he was unable to recall the dream, and the interpretation thereof. So he called for the wise men of Babylon, the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, and he commanded them to bring back his dream and give the interpretation thereof. If they would do this he promised them gifts and rewards. But if they failed he warned them that they would be cut to pieces and destroyed.
“They said to him, ‘O king, live forever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew thee the interpretation.’
“The king said, ‘The thing is gone from me.’
“Thereupon the wise men were very much agitated, and they said to him:
“‘O king, thou hast required of us an unusual thing. There is no man upon the earth who can show the king this matter. It is only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, that can bring back your dream.’
“For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and sent forth a decree that the wise men of Babylon should be destroyed.
“This was a very critical time for Daniel, the young Hebrew prophet, and his three brethren who were numbered among the wise men of Babylon. Daniel sought an interview with the king and plead with him for further time, saying that he would get the interpretation of his dream. His request was granted.”
(In Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 31.)
