Daniel 2:4

Good News Translation

They answered the king in Aramaic, "May Your Majesty live forever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic begins here): “May the king live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

Hebrew Names Version
Then spoke the Kasdim to the king in the Arammian language, O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

New American Standard Bible
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."

New Century Version
The wise men answered the king in the Aramaic language, "O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then we will tell you what it means."

Amplified Bible
Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then spake the Caldeans to the King in the Aramites language, O King, liue for euer: shewe thy seruants thy dreame, and wee shall shewe the interpretation.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."

Berean Standard Bible
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

Contemporary English Version
They answered in Aramaic, "Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! We are your servants. Please tell us your dream, and we will explain what it means."

Complete Jewish Bible
The astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic: "May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

Darby Translation
And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Chaldeans answered the king. They spoke Aramaic and said, "King, live forever! Please tell your dream to us, your servants, and then we will tell you what it means."

George Lamsa Translation
Then spoke the Chaldeans before the king in Aramaic, saying, O king, live for ever; tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

Lexham English Bible
And the astrologers said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants and we will reveal the explanation."

Literal Translation
And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the meaning.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Vpon this, the Caldees answered the kynge in the Syrians speach: O kynge, God saue thy life for euer. Shewe thy seruauntes the dreame, and we shal shewe the, what it meaneth.

American Standard Version
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

Bible in Basic English
Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in the Aramaean language, O King, have life for ever: give your servants an account of your dream, and we will make clear to you the sense of it.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Aramaic: 'O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation.'

King James Version (1611)
Then spake the Caldeans to the King in Syriacke; O king, liue for euer: tell thy seruants the dreame, and we will shew the interpretation.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Upon this the Chaldees aunswered the king in the Syrians speache, O king, God saue thy life for euer: Shewe thy seruauntes the dreame, and we shal shewe the interpretation.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, saying, O king, live for ever: do thou tell the dream to thy servants, and we will declare the interpretation.

English Revised Version
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

World English Bible
Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Caldeis answeriden the kyng bi Sirik langage, Kyng, liue thou with outen ende; seie thi dreem to thi seruauntis, and we schulen schewe to thee the expownyng therof.

Update Bible Version
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever: tell your slaves the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

New English Translation
The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic] "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its interpretation."

New King James Version
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, Daniel 2:4b through Daniel 7:28 is Aramaic.">[fn] "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

New Living Translation
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means."

New Life Bible
Then those who learn from stars said to the king in the Aramaic language, "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will tell you what it means."

New Revised Standard
The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic), "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king, in Aramaic, - O king, to the ages, live! Tell the dream to thy servants, and, the interpretation, we will declare.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac: O king, live for ever: tell to thy servants thy dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.

Revised Standard Version
Then the Chalde'ans said to the king, "O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

Young's Literal Translation
And the Chaldeans speak to the king [in] Aramaean, `O king, to the ages live, tell the dream to thy servants, and the interpretation we do shew.'

THE MESSAGE
The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it."

Contextual Overview

¹ In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. It worried him so much that he couldn't sleep, ² so he sent for his fortunetellers, magicians, sorcerers, and wizards to come and explain the dream to him. When they came and stood before the king, ³ he said to them, "I'm worried about a dream I've had. I want to know what it means." ⁴ They answered the king in Aramaic, "May Your Majesty live forever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you." ⁵ The king said to them, "I have made up my mind that you must tell me the dream and then tell me what it means. If you can't, I'll have you torn limb from limb and make your houses a pile of ruins. ⁶ But if you can tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honor. Now then, tell me what the dream was and what it means." ⁷ They answered the king again, "If Your Majesty will only tell us what the dream was, we will explain it." ⁸ At that, the king exclaimed, "Just as I thought! You are trying to gain time, because you see that I have made up my mind ⁹ to give all of you the same punishment if you don't tell me the dream. You have agreed among yourselves to go on telling me lies because you hope that in time things will change. Tell me what the dream was, and then I will know that you can also tell me what it means." ¹⁰ The advisers replied, "There is no one on the face of the earth who can tell Your Majesty what you want to know. No king, not even the greatest and most powerful, has ever made such a demand of his fortunetellers, magicians, and wizards.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: Genesis 31:47, Ezra 4:7, Isaiah 36:11

Syriack: Aramith, "Aramean," the language of Aram or Syria; a general term comprehending both the Chaldee and Syriac, the latter merely differing from the former as a dialect, and being written in a different character. With the following words the Chaldee part of Daniel commences; and is continued to the end of the Daniel 7:1.

O king: Daniel 3:9, Daniel 4:19, Daniel 5:10, Daniel 6:6, Daniel 6:21, 1 Samuel 10:24, 1 Kings 1:25, 1 Kings 1:31, Nehemiah 2:3, Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10

tell: Daniel 4:7, Daniel 5:8, Genesis 41:8, Isaiah 44:25

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 16:16 - God save the king 2 Kings 18:26 - in the Syrian language Daniel 2:7 - Let Daniel 4:9 - tell

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, when God created the universe,

Genesis 1:4
God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness,

Genesis 1:28
blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.

Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came—that was the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1
And so the whole universe was completed.

Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working.

Genesis 5:1
This is the list of the descendants of Adam. (When God created human beings, he made them like himself.

Genesis 10:1
These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three had sons after the flood.

Genesis 11:10
These are the descendants of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had a son, Arpachshad.

Genesis 25:12
Ishmael, whom Hagar, the Egyptian slave of Sarah, bore to Abraham,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in, Syriac,.... These spake, either because the interpretation of dreams particularly belonged to them; or else as being the chief of the wise men, and of greatest authority; or as chosen by the rest, and spake in their name; and indeed this appellation may include them all, being all of the same country, though they might differ in their profession: they spake in the Syriac or Babylonish language, the same with the Chaldee, being their mother tongue, and that of the king too; and therefore could more easily speak it themselves, and be more easily understood by him, than if they had spoke in another; :- and from hence, to the end of the "seventh" chapter, Daniel writes in Chaldee; the things he treats of chiefly relating to the Chaldeans:

O king, live for ever; which is a wish of long life, health, and prosperity; and does not intend an everlasting continuance in this world, or an eternal life in another, to the knowledge of which they might be strangers: this was an usual form of salutation of kings in these eastern nations; like to this is that of Sinaetus, a Persian, to Artaxerxes Mnemon x

"O King Artaxerxes, reign for ever;''

so said y Artabazus, a faithful friend of Darius, to Alexander the great, when he met him with the friends and relations of Darius,

"O king, may you flourish in perpetual happiness:''

tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation; this was not the thing that was asked of them, but the dream itself; and if that had been told them, they promise more than there is reason to believe they would have fulfilled, had that been done; it is more than the Egyptian magicians could do, even when Pharaoh had told them his dream: this they said partly to get time, and partly to make a show of their skill and knowledge; though in a very vain and arrogant manner.

x Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 32. y Curtius, l. 6. c. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king - The meaning is, either that the Chaldeans spoke in the name of the entire company of the soothsayers and magicians (see the notes, Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2), because they were the most prominent among them, or the name is used to denote the collective body of soothsayers, meaning that this request was made by the entire company.

In Syriac - In the original - ארמית 'ărâmı̂yt - in “Aramean.” Greek, Συριστὶ Suristi - “in Syriac.” So the Vulgate. The Syriac retains the original word. The word means Aramean, and the reference is to that language which is known as East Aramean - a general term embracing the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the languages which were spoken in Mesopotamia. See the notes at Daniel 1:4. This was the vernacular tongue of the king and of his subjects, and was that in which the Chaldeans would naturally address him. It is referred to here by the author of this book, perhaps to explain the reason why he himself makes use of this language in explaining the dream. The use of this, however, is not confined to the statement of what the magicians said, but is continued to the close of the seventh chapter. Compare the Intro. Section IV. III. The language used is what is commonly called Chaldee. It is written in the same character as the Hebrew, and differs from that as one dialect differs from another. It was, doubtless, well understood by the Jews in their captivity, and was probably spoken by them after their return to their own land.

O king, live for ever - This is a form of speech quite common in addressing monarchs. See 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Kings 1:25 (margin); Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10. The expression is prevalent still, as in the phrases, “Long live the king,” “Vive l’ empereur,” “Vive le roi,” etc. It is founded on the idea that long life is to be regarded as a blessing, and that we can in no way express our good wishes for anyone better than to wish him length of days. In this place, it was merely the usual expression of respect and homage, showing their earnest wish for the welfare of the monarch. They were willing to do anything to promote his happiness, and the continuance of his life and reign. It was especially proper for them to use this language, as they wore about to make a rather unusual request, which “might” be construed as an act of disrespect, implying that the king had not given them all the means which it was equitable for them to have in explaining the matter, by requiring them to interpret the dream when he had not told them what it was.

Tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation - The claim which they set up in regard to the future was evidently only that of “explaining” what were regarded as the prognostics of future events. It was not that of being able to recal what is forgotten, or even to “originate” what might be regarded preintimations of what is to happen. This was substantially the claim which was asserted by all the astrologers, augurs, and soothsayers of ancient times. Dreams, the flight of birds, the aspect of the entrails of animals slain for sacrifice, the positions of the stars, meteors, and uncommon appearances in the heavens, were supposed to be intimations made by the gods of what was to occur in future times, and the business of those who claimed the power of divining the future was merely to interpret these things. When the king, therefore, required that they should recal the dream itself to his own mind, it was a claim to something which was not involved in their profession, and which they regarded as unjust. To that power they made no pretensions. If it be asked why, as they were mere jugglers and pretenders, they did not “invent” something and state “that” as his dream, since he had forgotten what his dream actually was, we may reply,

(1) that there is no certain evidence that they were not sincere in what they professed themselves able to do - for we are not to suppose that all who claimed to be soothsayers and astrologers were hypocrites and intentional deceivers. It was not at that period of the world certainly determined that nothing could be ascertained respecting the future by dreams, and by the positions of the stars, etc. Dreams “were” among the methods by which the future was made known; and whether the knowledge of what is to come could be obtained from the positions of the stars, etc., was a question which was at that time unsettled Even Lord Bacon maintained that the science of astrology was not to be “rejected,” but to be “reformed.”

(2) If the astrologers had been disposed to attempt to deceive the king, there is no probability that they could have succeeded in palming an invention of their own on him as his own dream. We may not be able distinctly to recollect a dream, but we have a sufficient impression of it - of its outlines - or of some striking, though disconnected, things in it, to know what it is “not.” We might instantly recognize it if stated to us; we should see at once, if anyone should attempt to deceive us by palming an invented dream on us, that “that” was not what we had dreamed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 2:4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac — ארמית aramith, the language of Aram or Syria. What has been generally called the Chaldee.

O king, live for ever — מלכא לעלמין חיי Malca leolmin cheyi. With these words the Chaldee part of Daniel commences; and continues to the end of the seventh chapter. These kinds of compliments are still in use in the East Indies. A superior gives a blessing to an inferior by saying to him, when the latter is in the act of doing him reverence, "Long life to thee." A poor man, going into the presence of a king to solicit a favour, uses the same kind of address: O father, thou art the support of the destitute; mayest thou live to old age! - WARD'S Customs.