Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 2:2
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2. the magicians, and the enchanters ] See on Dan 1:20. As in Egypt (Gen 41:8), the ‘magicians’ and ‘wise men’ ( Dan 2:12) would be the natural persons for the king to consult on the interpretation of a dream.
and the sorcerers ] This is a word which is well known in the earlier literature: e.g. Exo 7:11; Exo 22:18 (in the fem.); Deu 18:10; cf. the subst. sorceries Mic 5:11, and (in Babylon) Isa 47:9; Isa 47:12.
Chaldeans ] Here, as in Dan 1:4, used in the sense of the priestly or learned class (see p. 12 ff). So Dan 2:4-5 ; Dan 2:10.
for to shew ] for to tell (R.V.). To ‘shew’ is used often in A.V., and sometimes in R.V., not in the modern sense of pointing out, but in that of telling or declaring; and it stands here for the Heb. word usually rendered tell or declare. So Gen 46:31 (R.V. tell); Jdg 13:10 ; 1Sa 11:9 (R.V. told), 1Sa 19:7 , 1Sa 25:8 (R.V. told); 2Ki 6:11; Isa 41:22; Isa 41:26 (R.V. declare), &c.; cf. the Parallel Psalter, p. 481.
3 was disturbed] or is disturbed. It is not perfectly clear whether the intention of the writer is to represent the king as having really forgotten the dream and desiring to have it recalled to him; or as still remembering it, and merely making this demand for the purpose of testing the magicians’ skill.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Then the king commanded – That is, when he awoke. The particle rendered then, does not imply that this occurred immediately. When he awoke, his mind was agitated; he was impressed with the belief that he had had an important Divine communication; but he could not even recal the dream distinctly, and he resolved to summon to his presence those whose business it was to interpret what were regarded as prognostics of the future.
The magicians, and the astrologers – These are the same words which occur in Dan 1:20. See the note at that place.
And the sorcerers – Hebrew mekashepym. Vulgate, malefici – sorcerers. Greek, pharmakeus Syriac, magician. The Hebrew word is derived from kashaph – meaning, in Piel, to practice magic; to use magic formulas, or incantations; to mutter; and it refers to the various arts by which those who were addicted to magic practiced their deceptions. The particular idea in this word would seem to be, that on such occasions some forms of prayers were used, for the word in Syriac means to offer prayers, or to worship. Probably the aid of idol gods was invoked by such persons when they practiced incantations. The word is found only in the following places: once as a verb, 2Ch 33:6, and rendered used witchcraft; and as a participle, rendered sorcerers, in Exo 7:11; Dan 2:2; Mal 3:5; and witch, in Exo 22:18 (17); Deu 18:10. The noun ( kashaph and keshapym) is used in the following places, always with reference to sorcery or witchcraft: Jer 27:9; 2Ki 9:22; Isa 47:9; Mic 5:12 (11); Nah 3:4. It may not be easy to specify the exact sense in which this word is used as distinguished from the others which relate to the same general subject, but it would seem to be that some form of prayer or invocation was employed. The persons referred to did not profess to interpret the prognostics of future events by any original skill of their own, but by the aid of the gods.
And the Chaldeans – See the notes at Dan 1:4. The Chaldeans appear to have been but one of the tribes or nations that made up the community at Babylon (compare the notes at Isa 23:13), and it would seem that at this time they were particularly devoted to the practice of occult arts, and secret sciences. It is not probable that the other persons referred to in this enumeration were Chaldeans. The Magians, if any of these were employed, were Medians (see the notes at Dan 1:20), and it is not improbable that the other classes of diviners might have been from other nations. The purpose of Nebuchadnezzar was to assemble at his court whatever was remarkable throughout the world for skill and knowledge (see analysis of Dan. 1), and the wise men of the Chaldeans were employed in carrying out that design. The Chaldeans were so much devoted to these secret arts, and became so celebrated for them, that the name came, among the Greek and Roman writers, to be used to denote all those who laid claim to extraordinary powers in this department.
Diodorus Siculus (lib. ii.) says of the Chaldeans in Babylon, that they sustain the same office there that the priests do in Egypt, for being devoted to the worship of God through their whole lives, they give themselves to philosophy, and seek from astrology their highest glory. Cicero also remarks (De Divin., p. 3), that the Chaldeans, so named, not from their art, but their nation, are supposed, by a prolonged observation of the stars, to have wrought out a science by which could be predicted what was to happen to every individual, and to what fate he was born. Juvenal likewise (Sat. vi., verses 552-554), has this passage: Chaldaeis sed major erit fiducia; quidquid dixerit astrologus, credent a fonte relatum Ammonis. – But their chief dependence is upon the Chaldeans; whatever an astrologer declares, they will receive as a response of (Jupiter) Ammon. Horace refers to the Babylonians as distinguished in his time for the arts of magic, or divination:
nec Babylonios,
tentaris numeros. – Car. lib. i.; xi.
It is not probable that the whole nation of Chaldeans was devoted to these arts, but as a people they became so celebrated in this kind of knowledge that it was their best known characteristic abroad. (See also Barnes Appendix to Daniel)
For to show the king his dreams – To show him what the dream was, and to explain its import. Compare Gen 41:24; Jdg 14:12; 1Ki 10:3. That it was common for kings to call in the aid of interpreters to explain the import of dreams, appears from Herodotus. When Astyages ascended the throne, he had a daughter whose name was Mandane. She had a dream which seemed to him so remarkable that he called in the magi, whose interpretation, Herodotus remarks, was of such a nature that it terrified him exceedingly. He was so much influenced by the dream and the interpretation, that it produced an entire change in his determination respecting the marriage of his daughter. – Book i., 107: So again, after the marriage of his daughter, Herodotus says (book i., cviii.): Astyages had another vision. A vine appeared to spring from his daughter which overspread all Asia. On this occasion, also, he consulted his interpreters; the result was, that he sent for his daughter from Persia, when the time of her delivery approached. On her arrival, he kept a strict watch over her, intending to destroy her child. The magi had declared the vision to intimate that the child of his daughter should supplant him on the throne. Astyages, to guard against this, as soon as Cyrus was born, sent for Harpagus, a person in whom he had confidence, and commanded him to take the child to his own house, and put him to death. These passages in Herodotus show that what is here related of the king of Babylon, demanding the aid of magicians and astrologers to interpret his dreams, was by no means an uncommon occurrence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. The magicians] chartummim. See Clarke on Ge 41:8.
The astrologers] ashshaphim. Perhaps from nashaph, to breathe, because they laid claim to Divine inspiration; but probably the persons in question were the philosophers and astronomers among the Babylonians.
The sorcerers] mechashshephim. See Clarke on De 18:10; and “Ex 22:18“; and “Le 19:31“, where several of these arts are explained.
The Chaldeans] Who these were is difficult to be ascertained. They might be a college of learned men, where all arts and sciences were professed and taught. The Chaldeans were the most ancient philosophers of the world; they might have been originally inhabitants of the Babylonian Irak; and still have preserved to themselves exclusively the name of Chaldeans, to distinguish themselves from other nations and peoples who inhabited the one hundred and twenty provinces of which the Babylonish government was composed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The magicians and the astrologers: these words signify astrologers, or those that cast nativities, that pretended great skill in natural and supernatural things; and the sorcerers, or necromancers, were those who used diabolical arts. See Poole “Exo 7:11“; See Poole “Exo 22:18“, See Poole “Deu 18:10“. Though Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar made use of these as their great counsellors, yet God baffled them by Moses and Daniel; and forbade his people the use or toleration of them, because they are an abomination to him. God will have his people ask counsel of him and his words, and not of the devils oracles.
Chaldeans: this name the magicians assumed, as being national and most noble; and whatever these wise men or wizards said, it was as if Jupiter himself had spoken it, as the Roman satirist said of them, Juv. Sat. 6.
They came and stood before the king. Daniel was not called among them. Why? Because the king confided more in these his own old standers; but chiefly God had thus ordered by his wise providence that Daniel should not be in their number, for if he had, the interpretation would have been attributed to astrology and magic, and not to God, as now it was.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. Chaldeanshere, a certainorder of priest-magicians, who wore a peculiar dress, like that seenon the gods and deified men in the Assyrian sculptures. Probably theybelonged exclusively to the Chaldeans, the original tribe of theBabylonian nation, just as the Magians were properly Medes.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then the king commanded to call the magicians,…. He ordered his servants in waiting to send immediately for the wise men, the philosophers of that age and kingdom, that studied the things of nature, and the natural causes of things:
and the astrologers; that cast nativities, and pretended by the position and influence of the stars to know what would befall men:
and the sorcerers; or wizards, that made use of familiar spirits, and the help of the devil; necromancers that consulted the dead, in order to get knowledge of future things:
and the Chaldeans; so called, not from their country; for probably all the preceding were Chaldeans by nation; but inasmuch as the study of judiciary astrology, and other unlawful arts, greatly obtained in Chaldea; hence those that were addicted to them had this name w:
for to show the king his dreams; both what it was he dreamed, and what the interpretation or meaning of it was: so they came, and stood before the king; they came immediately, with great readiness and willingness, esteeming it a great honour done them to be sent for by the king, and admitted into his chamber; and hoping it would turn much both to their credit and profit; and being come, they stood waiting his will and pleasure.
w Vid. Juvenal. Satyr. 6. A. Gellii Noet. Attic, l. 1. c. 9. Cicero de Divinatione, I. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This verse more clearly proves what I have already said that the dream caused the king to feel God to be its author. Though this was not his first dream, yet the terror which God impressed on his mind, compelled him to summon all the Magi, since he could not rest even by returning to sleep. He felt as. it were a sing in his mind, since God did not suffer him to rest, but wished him to be troubled until he received an interpretation of the dream. Even profane writers very correctly consider dreams connected with divine agency. They express various opinions, because they could not know anything with perfect certainty; yet the persuasion was fixed in their minds relative to some divine agency in dreams. It would be foolish and puerile to extend this to all dreams; as we see some persons never passing by a single one without a conjecture, and thus making themselves ridiculous. We know dreams to arise from different causes; as, for instance, from our daily thoughts. If I have meditated on anything during the daytime, something occurs to me at night in a dream; because the mind is not completely buried in slumber, but retains some seed of intelligence, although it be suffocated. Experience also sufficiently teaches us how our daily thoughts recur during sleep, and hence the various affections of the mind and body produce, many dreams. If any one retires to bed in sorrow from either the death of a friend, or any loss, or through suffering any injury or adversity, his dreams will partake of the previous preparation of his mind. The body itself causes dreams, as we see in the case of those who suffer from fever; when thirst prevails they imagine fountains, burnings, and similar fancies. We perceive also how intemperance disturbs men in their sleep; for drunken men start and dream in their sleep, as if in a state of frenzy. As there are many natural causes for dreams, it would be quite out of character to be seeking for divine agency or fixed reason in them all; and on the other hand, it is sufficiently evident that some dreams are under divine regulation. I omit events which have been related in ancient histories; but surely the dream of Calphurnia, the wife of Julius Caesar, could not be fictitious; because, before he was slain it was commonly reported, “Caesar has been killed,” just as she dreamt it. The same may be said of the physician of Augustus, who had ordered him to leave his tent the day of the battle of Pharsalia, and yet there was no reason why the physician should order him to be carried out of the tent on a litter, unless he had dreamt it to be necessary. What was the nature of that necessity? why, such as could not be conjectured by human skill, for the camp of Augustus was taken at that very moment. I doubt not there are many fabulous accounts, but here I may choose what I shall believe, and I do not yet touch on dreams which are mentioned in God’s word, for I am merely speaking of what profane men were compelled to think on this subject. Although Aristotle freely rejected all sense of divination, through being prejudiced in the matter, and desiring to reduce the nature of Deity within the scope of human ingenuity, and to comprehend all things by his acuteness; yet he expresses this confession, that all dreams do not happen rashly but that μαντίκη , that is “divination,” is the source of some of them. He disputes, indeed, whether they belong to the intellectual or sensitive portion of the mind, and concludes they belong to the latter, as far as it is imaginative. Afterwards, when inquiring whether they are causes or anything of that kind, he is disposed to view them only as symptoms or accidents fortuitously contingent. Meanwhile, he will not admit dreams to be sent from heaven; and adds as his reason, that many stupid men dream, and manifest the same reason in them as the wisest. He notices next the brute creation, some of which, as elephants, dream. As the brutes dream, and wise men more seldom than the rudest idiots, Aristotle does not think it probable that dreams are divinely inspired. He denies, therefore, that they are sent from God, or divine, but asserts that they spring from the Daimones; (104) that is, he fancies them to be something between the natures of the Deity and the Daimones. We know the sense in which philosophers use that word, which, in Scripture, has usually a bad sense. He says that dreams were occasioned by those aerial inspirations, but are not from God.; because, he says, man’s nature is not divine, but inferior; and yet more than earthly, since it, is angelic. Cicero discourses on this subject at great, length, in his first book on Divination; although he refutes in the second all he had said, while he was a disciple of the Academy. (105) For among other arguments in proof of the existence of deities, he adds dreams; — if there is any divination in dreams, it follows that there is a. Deity in heaven, for the mind of man cannot conceive of any dream without divine inspiration. Cicero’s reasoning is valid; if there is divination in dreams, then is there also a Deity. The distinction made by Macrobius is worthy of notice; although he ignorantly confounds species and genera, through being a person of imperfect judgment, who strung together in rhapsodies whatever he read, without either discrimination or arrangement. This, then, should remain fixed, — the opinion concerning the existence of some kind of divine agency in dreams was not rashly implanted in the hearts of all men. Hence that expression of Homer’s, a dream is from Jupiter. (106) He does not mean this generally and promiscuously of all dreams; but he takes notice of it, when bringing the characters of his heroes before us, since they were divinely admonished in their sleep.
I now come to Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. In this, two points are worthy of remark. First, all remembrance of its subject was entirely obliterated; and secondly, no interpretation was; found for it. Sometimes the remembrance of a dream was not; lost while its interpretation was unknown. But here Nebuchadnezzar was not only perplexed at the interpretation of the dream, but even the vision itself had vanished, and thus his perplexity and anxiety was doubled. As to the next point, there is no novelty in Daniel making known the interpretation; for it sometimes, but rarely, happens that a person dreams without a figure or enigma, and with great plainness, without any need of conjurers — a name given to interpreters of dreams. This indeed happens but seldom, since the usual plan of dreams is for God to speak by them allegorically and obscurely. And this occurs in the case of the profane as well as of the servants of God. When Joseph dreamt that he was adored by the sun and moon, (Gen 37:9,) he was ignorant of its meaning; when he dreamt of his sheaf being adored by his brothers sheaves, he understood not its meaning, but related it simply to his brothers. Hence God often speaks in enigmas by dreams, until the interpretation is added. And such was Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
We perceive, then, that God reveals his will even to unbelievers, but not clearly; because seeing they do not see, just as if they were gazing at a closed book or sealed letter; as Isaiah says, — God speaks to unbelievers in broken accents and with a stammering tongue. (Isa 28:11 and Isa 29:11.) God’s will was so revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that he still remained perplexed and lay completely astonished. His dream would have been of no use to him, unless, as we shall see, Daniel had been presented to him as its interpreter. For God not only wished to hold the king in suspense, but he thus blotted out the remembrance of the dream from his mind, to increase the power of his sting. As mankind are accustomed to neglect the dreams which they do not remember, God inwardly fastened such a sting in the mind of this unbeliever, as I have already said, that he could not rest, but was always wakeful in the midst of his dreaming, because God was drawing him to himself by secret chains. This is the true reason why God denied him the immediate explanation of his dream, and blotted out the remembrance of it from his mind, until he should receive both from Daniel. We will leave the rest till tomorrow.
(104) Calvin uses the Greek words θεόπεμπτα, θεῖα, and δαιμόνια. The Greek Daimones corresponded with our idea of angels, and were said to be the origin of human souls. See most interesting passages in the Dialogues of Plato, also the Dissertation on this verse at the close of the Volume.
(105) De Divin., lib. 1 21-23; and lib. 2:58, et seq.
(106) Iliad, book 1, v. 63.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Magicians.Heb. chartummim, so called, most probably, from the pencil or stylus with which they wrote. The word is elsewhere used of the Egyptian magicians. (See Schrader, Keil-Inschriften, p. 26; Records of the Past, vol. 1 p. 131.)
Astrologers.Heb. ashshaphim, a name derived from the whisperings or mutterings made by them while employed in their incantations. They are mentioned by Daniel only.
Sorcerers.Heb. mekashshaphim; are spoken of in the Pentateuch both as male and female, (e.g. Deu. 18:10). They are mentioned by Isaiah (Isa. 47:9; Isa. 47:12) as prevalent in the Babylon of his days. Probably the Chaldans spoken of in this verse did not form a separate class of magicians, but denoted the priests, such as those mentioned Herod. i. 181, and was contained in the first class of magicians mentioned in the verse. It appears that Daniel excelled (Dan. 1:17) in all classes of magic learning, whether it required a knowledge of learning, wisdom, or dreams.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. The magicians This is a “good Babylonian word” (Fr. Delitzsch) and is found in connection with several other good Babylonian terms. Hommel adds to Delitzsch’s references to the Babylonian magicians ( kardamu) this passage: “They [certain deities?] break the kardami if they give not a right decision.” Babylonian and Persian magic seems to be of Median origin (Noldeke). The Magi, so famous in classical times, were already so powerful in the sixth century B.C. that king Nabonidus gives to himself as one of his greatest titles “Chief Magus,” if that indeed is the meaning of Rab-mag (Jer 39:3). On the death of Cyrus one of these Magi (Gaumata) actually seized the throne, and so strong was the fear of these magicians upon the people that the whole empire was shaken by the insurrection. The magic formulas which have come down to us are positively innumerable. I suppose in the British Museum alone there must be a thousand tablets which give warnings concerning the old woman or the black cat or the black dog. As Budge has said, the ancient Babylonian passed his entire life in perpetual terror of evil spirits and demons and the wizards who could control them. The following fragments of texts from King’s great work ( Babylonian Magic, 1896) show the constant supplications of king and people:
O merciful goddess, I beseech thee to stand and harken to my cries.
I am afraid; I tremble and am cast down with fear.
O Marduk, lord of lords, thou art compassionate; I am weak may they never
approach me, the magic of the sorcerer or the sorceress. May there never
approach me the evil of dreams; of powers and portents of heaven and earth.
The incantations of the wizards, and magical charms to be used against these, are given in great detail. Lenormant believed that the different classes of magic workers mentioned in this verse corresponded exactly to the different orders among the Babylonian magicians. Other Assyriologists do not recognize this similarity, yet it cannot be doubted that there were wonder-workers corresponding, at least generally, to each class named here: magicians ( khartummim), probably wise men in general, astrologers, or “enchanters” ( assaphim); sorcerers, perhaps “horoscopists” (Prince), that is, drawers of horoscopes or prognosticators (Bevan), etc. Assurbanipal, in one text, mentions the interpretation of dream visions as the special business of the mahe ( magha, magi). The Assyrian generals were always accompanied in every campaign by the asipu, who is mentioned here, that is, the “dreamer,” or “mutterer,” on whose interpretation of the signs of heaven the movement of the troops depended. The Chaldeans are named here and in Dan 2:10 as if they merely constituted one division of these magicians. They were really not an order of magicians, but the ruling race in Babylon at this time; though the fact that the wise men of the court would naturally come from this race points to the easy possibility of all the literati being called, by the conglomerate alien races with which Babylon was populated, by the name Chaldean, “doer of great deeds.” (See Introduction, II, 8.) One Greek version, which many scholars believe to represent the original text of the LXX., in this verse speaks of the Chaldeans properly as a race: “The magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers of the Chaldeans.” In Dan 2:27, where the list is given again, the Chaldeans are omitted.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans so that they could tell Nebuchadnezzar his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.’
The scene is impressive. The king called in his regular experts, ‘the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans’, all the men who claimed, and made their living by, mysterious arts and powers, and who had by it obtained a place at court. He wanted a united opinion from the experts. That this did not include Daniel and his friends was because they were new graduates and possibly not yet ‘accepted’. They were still on probation and were probably not yet seen as included in the powerful body of ‘wise men’ sufficiently qualified to come before the king, which would usually be seen as a great privilege not open to all.
What he wanted from them was that they would combine together to ‘tell him his dreams’. They came unsuspectingly. They had no doubt that they would be able to interpret the king’s dreams from their books of dreams. They had done it often enough before.
Some have differentiated the wise men as ‘magicians’ (Hebrew – hartummim) meaning those who could divine the future by using various ritual means, ‘enchanters’ (assapim) as those who could communicate with the dead, ‘sorcerers’ (mekassepim) as those who practised sorcery and cast spells and used incantations, and ‘the Chaldeans’ as astrologers (kasdim), the priestly caste who studied the heavens to determine the future. This is fine if we do not make the distinctions too rigid.
Some have objected to the use of the term ‘Chaldeans’ in this way so early, but Herodotus certainly speaks of the Chaldeans as a well established priestly sect connected with long established festivals in about 440 BC, in a way that suggests a fairly long history.
But Nebuchadnezzar was no fool, and the previous comment in Dan 1:20 had suggested that his confidence in them was not very high.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 2:2. His dreams: so they came His dream: wherefore they came. Dan 2:3. Was troubled] Is distressed.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Dan 2:2 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.
Ver. 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians. ] These had Ham for their founder, saith Pintus; but who can tell that? Daniel haply was forgotten by Nebuchadnezzar, as David had sometime been by Saul. 1Sa 17:55-56 A sweet providence it was that he was not called among the magicians. God will not have his matched or mingled with wicked ones.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
to call, &c. = to send for. This tells us of the religious system of Babylonia, of which subsequent Jewish commentators and Greek translators would know little or nothing. There were six classes of the Chaldean priesthood.
magicians. Hebrew. chartummim. Connected with the kharutu (the sceptre) or rod of office of those who repelled demons and evil spirits by incantations, &c.
astrologers. Hebrew. ‘ashshaphim = in Babylonian, asipi, prophets who assumed to announce the will of heaven and predict the future. These were a class apart from the others. The inscriptions speak of bab – 4ssaput = the gate of the oracle; also of bit Assaput = the house of the oracle.
sorcerers. Hebrew. mekashsh phim = wizard (Exo 7:11; Exo 22:18, feminine; Deu 18:10, feminine; Mal 3:5, feminine)
Chaldeans. Hebrew. Kasdim. See note on Dan 1:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 2:2-3
Dan 2:2 Then the kingH4428 commandedH559 to callH7121 the magicians,H2748 and the astrologers,H825 and the sorcerers,H3784 and the Chaldeans,H3778 for to shewH5046 the kingH4428 his dreams.H2472 So they cameH935 and stoodH5975 beforeH6440 the king.H4428
Dan 2:3 And the kingH4428 saidH559 unto them, I have dreamedH2492 a dream,H2472 and my spiritH7307 was troubledH6470 to knowH3045 (H853) the dream.H2472
Dan 2:2-3
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. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
The Chaldaeans are classed with the magicians and astronomers, and evidently form a sort of priest class who have a peculiar “tongue” and “learning” (Dan 1:4) and are consulted by the king on religious subjects. The Chaldeans were the inhabitants of a particular exclusive society of people within Babylonia. It is the learning and tongue of this society which Daniel and his companions were trained during their three year period precluding the presentation of them before Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 1:5). No doubt Nebuchadnezzar wanted servants near him who could translate their language for him.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know what this dream meant so this group of supposedly learned and wise priests were consulted. Nebuchadnezzar obviously held them in regard because he wanted his captive servants to be educated in their ways. So Nebuchadnezzar looked to them to find out what this troubling dream was about.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Chaldeans
i.e. the men having the ancient wisdom; the learned; Chaldeans par excellence (Dan 2:13). “wise”
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Dan 1:20, Dan 4:6, Dan 5:7, Gen 41:8, Exo 7:11, Deu 18:10-12, Isa 8:19, Isa 19:3, Isa 47:12, Isa 47:13
Reciprocal: 1Sa 6:2 – called Est 1:13 – the wise Isa 47:9 – for the multitude Dan 2:27 – cannot Dan 4:7 – Then came Act 19:19 – used Rev 1:5 – and the prince
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 2:2. As was usual in such cases, the king called for his socalled wise men to help him out of his confusion. Among them the Chaldeans are named in a way that indicates they were a special class of men. See the comments on chapter 1:4 for information concerning them. The first object in calling for these wise men was that they might shew the king his dreams because he had forgotten them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 2:2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians and the astrologers Concerning the meaning of these two words, see note on Dan 1:20. Daniel and his companions were not called among them; perhaps because the Chaldeans despised them as youths and strangers, and would not have them thought equal in knowledge to themselves. And the sorcerers This word is always taken in an ill sense by the sacred writers, signifying a sort of necromancers, that through diabolical arts pretended to an acquaintance with departed spirits, from , prstigiis uti, to use deceitful tricks, or enchantments. They were, perhaps, not very unlike the sortilegi, or fortune-tellers of the ancient Romans; and exercised themselves in various sorts of juggling tricks, or enchantments, which were supposed to be performed by the assistance of demons: see note on Isa 29:4. And the Chaldeans The Chaldeans were so much addicted to the study of the motions of the heavenly bodies, and to make prognostications from thence, that the word Chaldean is used, both in Greek and Latin writers, for an astrologer. Diodorus, lib. 2., speaking of the Chaldeans, says, They employ their whole time in philosophy and divination, and are trained up to them from their childhood: and Strabo, lib. xvi, makes a distinction, and observes, that the word is sometimes applied to the nation, sometimes to the sect. Curtius, lib. 5. cap. 1, describes them thus: Chaldi siderum motus et statas temporum vices ostendere soliti: The Chaldeans are accustomed to show the motions of the stars, and the appointed changes of times: and Cicero, De Divin., p. 4, Chaldi diuturna observatione siderum scientiam putantur effecisse, ut prdici posset quid cuique eventurum et quo quisque fato natus esset: The Chaldeans, by the long observation of the stars, are thought to have formed a science, whereby may be foretold what is about to happen to every one, and to what fate every one is born. These passages may serve to show the opinion that was commonly entertained of these Chaldeans; and therefore we shall be less surprised to find, at Dan 2:4, this name, according to the general sense of it, used for the magicians of every sort. To show the king his dreams Dreams were often considered by the heathen as giving particular intimations of the will of Heaven; and hence the expression of Homer, in his first Iliad, , For dreams descend from Jove. And in the beginning of his second Iliad, he has, by a bold and beautiful prosopopia, conveyed the will of Jupiter to Agamemnon in a dream, investing (a dream) with all the qualities of a divine messenger. Diog. Laert. makes mention of a dream of Socrates, whereby he foretold his death within three days; and most of the schools among pagan philosophers gave credit to dreams, and considered them as revealing the will of the gods: see Wintle.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the {e} Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
(e) For all these astrologers and sorcerers called themselves by this name of honour, as though all the wisdom and knowledge of the country depended upon them, and that all other countries were void of such wisdom and knowledge.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Nebuchadnezzar assembled his wise men (Dan 2:12) to interpret the meaning of what he had dreamed. Daniel identified four distinct groups of them here. The king wanted to make sure someone could help him. The magicians (Heb. hartummim) were evidently scholars who could divine the future by using various means. [Note: Leupold, p. 75.] The conjurers or enchanters (assapim) could evidently communicate with the dead. [Note: Ibid., p. 76.] The sorcerers (mekassepim) practiced sorcery and cast spells. The Chaldeans, or astrologers (kasdim), refer here to the priestly caste that studied the heavens to determine the future. The Chaldean astronomers were remarkably accurate. [Note: See Whitcomb, pp. 36-37.] Daniel prepared the reader for the failure of all the king’s counselors, that follows, by pointing out that there were many different groups of them.