Daniel 2 · Verse 4

Daniel 2:4

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.
Daniel 2:4, King James Version

Daniel 2:4 in other translations

BSBThen the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
WEBThen the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”
ASVThen 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.
YLTAnd 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.'
DARBYAnd the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
BBEThen 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.
WebsterThen the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

What does Daniel 2:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Here begins the Chaldee portion of Daniel, which continues to the end of the seventh chapter. In it the course, character, and crisis of the Gentile power are treated; whereas, in the other parts, which are in Hebrew, the things treated apply more particularly to the Jews and Jerusalem. Syriac--the Aramean Chaldee, the vernacular tongue of the king and his court; the prophet, by mentioning it here, hints at the reason of his own adoption of it from this point. live for ever--a formula in addressing kings, like our "Long live the king!" Compare 1Ki 1:31.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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 favor, uses the same kind of address: O father, thou art the support of the destitute; mayest thou live to old age! - Ward's Customs.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 2:1-13

Nebuchadnezzar's dream. (Dn 2:1-13) It is revealed to Daniel. (Dn 2:14-23) He obtains admission to the king. (Dn 2:24-30) The dream and the interpretation. (Dn 2:31-45) Honours to Daniel and his friends. (Dn 2:46-49) Verses 1-13 The greatest men are most open to cares and troubles of mind, which disturb their repose in the night, while the sleep of the labouring man is sweet and sound. We know not the uneasiness of…

Read the full comment on Daniel 2:1-13 →

Daniel 2:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּvay.da.be.Ruand they spokeH1696
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛יםha.kas.Dimthe ChaldeansH3778
לַמֶּ֖לֶךְla.Me.lekhto the kingH4428
אֲרָמִ֑ית'a.ra.MitAramaicH762
מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka'king OH4430
לְעָלְמִ֣יןle.'al.Minfor everH5957
חֱיִ֔יche.Yilive!H2418
אֱמַ֥ר'e.Martell!H560
חֶלְמָ֛אchel.Ma'dream theH2493
לְעַבְדָ֖ךְle.'av.da.yikhto servant yourH5649
וּפִשְׁרָ֥אu.fish.Ra'and interpretation theH6591
נְחַוֵּֽא\׃ne.cha.Ve'we will declareH2324

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 2:4

  • Daniel 3:9

    They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

  • Ezra 4:7

    And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

  • Daniel 5:10

    Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

  • Isaiah 36:11

    Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

  • Daniel 6:21

    Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

  • 1 Kings 1:31

    Then Bath–sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

  • Daniel 6:6

    Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

  • Matthew 21:9

    And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

  • Nehemiah 2:3

    And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

  • Genesis 41:8

    And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

  • Daniel 5:8

    Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

  • Daniel 4:19

    Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in.
Ge 31:47; Ezr 4:7; Isa 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 seventh chapter.
O king.
3:9; 4:19; 5:10; 6:6,21; 1Sa 10:24; 1Ki 1:25,31; Ne 2:3; Mt 21:9
Mr 11:9,10
tell.
4:7; 5:8; Ge 41:8; Isa 44:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 2:3

    And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

  • Daniel 2:4

    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.

  • Daniel 2:5

    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.

Read all of Daniel 2

Daniel 2:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces hablaron los Caldeos al rey en lengua aramea: Rey, para siempre vive: di el sueño á tus siervos, y mostraremos la declaración.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les Chaldéens dirent au roi, en syriaque: Ô roi, vis à jamais! Dis le songe à tes serviteurs, et nous en indiquerons l’interprétation.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Chaldäer sprachen zu dem König auf aramäisch: O König, lebe ewiglich! Sage deinen Knechten den Traum, so wollen wir die Deutung anzeigen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Responderuntque Chaldæi regi syriace: Rex, in sempiternum vive! dic somnium servis tuis, et interpretationem ejus indicabimus.