Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic
Then the Chaldeans
The term "Chaldeans" refers to a group of people from southern Babylonia, known for their wisdom and expertise in astrology and divination. Historically, the Chaldeans were a dominant ethnic group in Babylon, and their name became synonymous with the wise men or magicians of the Babylonian court. In the context of Daniel, the Chaldeans represent the learned class who were often consulted for their knowledge and insight. Their presence in this narrative highlights the reliance of ancient Near Eastern kings on such advisors for interpreting dreams and omens, a common practice in the ancient world.

spoke to the king
This phrase indicates the direct communication between the Chaldeans and King Nebuchadnezzar. In ancient royal courts, speaking to the king was a privilege reserved for those with authority or special knowledge. The Chaldeans, as part of the king's advisory council, had the responsibility to provide guidance and interpretation. This interaction underscores the hierarchical structure of the court and the importance placed on wisdom and understanding in governance.

in Aramaic
Aramaic was the lingua franca of the Near East during the time of Daniel, used widely in trade, diplomacy, and administration. The use of Aramaic here signifies a shift in the text from Hebrew to Aramaic, which continues until the end of chapter 7. This linguistic transition reflects the historical and cultural context of the Babylonian Empire, where Aramaic served as a unifying language among diverse peoples. It also emphasizes the universality of the message, as Aramaic was understood by a broader audience beyond the Jewish community.

O king, live forever!
This phrase is a customary greeting in ancient Near Eastern courts, expressing loyalty and wishing long life to the monarch. It reflects the formal and respectful tone expected in addressing a king. The greeting serves to acknowledge the king's authority and establish a favorable rapport before presenting any requests or interpretations. This salutation is found throughout ancient texts, illustrating the deep-seated traditions of courtly etiquette and the reverence afforded to rulers.

Tell your servants the dream
The Chaldeans' request for the king to recount his dream indicates their reliance on the details provided by the dreamer to offer an interpretation. In ancient dream interpretation, the specifics of the dream were crucial for providing an accurate analysis. This request also reveals the limitations of the Chaldeans' wisdom, as they needed the dream's content to apply their skills effectively. It sets the stage for the unfolding narrative, where Daniel's God-given ability to reveal and interpret the dream without prior knowledge distinguishes him from the other wise men.

and we will give the interpretation
The confidence expressed by the Chaldeans in their ability to interpret the dream reflects their esteemed position and the trust placed in them by the king. Interpretation of dreams was a highly regarded skill, often associated with divine insight or special training. This assurance, however, is soon challenged by the king's demand for both the dream and its interpretation, highlighting the limitations of human wisdom compared to divine revelation. The unfolding events demonstrate the sovereignty of God in revealing mysteries and the futility of relying solely on human understanding.

(4) In Syriack.--Probably a fresh title, indicating to the copyist that the Chaldee portion of the book begins here. It has been conjectured that this portion of the book (Daniel 2:4-7) is a Chaldee translation of an original Hebrew work, but there is no authority for the conjecture. God is about to reveal facts connected with the Gentile world, and therefore a Gentile language is used as the vehicle of the revelation. (See 1Timothy 2:3-4; Matthew 2:1-2).

Live for ever.--For this common form of salutation, comp. Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10, &c. . . .

Verse 4. - Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. The versions do not imply any important difference Then... the Chaldeans. This does not mean merely that cue class of soothsayers - a class the existence of which is doubtful - nor that the whole baud of soothsayers bore the name "Chaldeans." The name is simply the name of the nation, but is here used of this small portion of it that were soothsayers, in the same way as in John 9:22 "Jews," the name of the nation, is used for the rulers: "For the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." Hence it is needless to speak of' the Chaldeans being the principal class, and therefore "for the sake of breviloquence" (Moses Stuart) "put for the whole." So also Kliefoth ('Kom.,' p. 79), "Because the Chaldeans were the first class, they alone are named." The Chaldeans were not the inhabitants of Babylonia, but belonged to several cantons south and east of Babylon. Spake. The word yedabberu is usually followed by the verb amar in the infinitive. In Ezekiel 40:4 we have the verb dibber used without arnar, to introduce the thing said. It is not improbable that in this instance Aramith, "in the Syriac tongue," helped to the omission of amar. In the Syriack (Aramith). All scholars know now that there are two leading dialects of the Aramaean or Aramaic - the Eastern or Syriac, and the Western or Chaldee. The terms are very confusing; as Syria was certainly to the west of Chaldea, it seems strange that the usage should ever have sprung up to call the Western variety Chaldee, and the Eastern variety Syriac. The usage having been established, it has a certain convenience to be able to name all the Western, or, as they may be called, Palestinian dialects of Aramaic Chaldee, and all the Eastern varieties Syriac. While the English version uses the term "Syriac," as the portion of Daniel which follows has come down to us, it is not written in Syriac, but in Chaldee. We shall, however, endeavour to show that this is due to changes introduced by transcribers. As to the word Aramith occurring here, there is great force in the view maintained by Lenormant, that it is to be regarded as a note to the reader, indicating that st this point the Hebrew ceases and the Aramaic begins. The reason of the change from one language to another has been already dealt with in considering the question of the structure of Daniel. In the mean time it is sufficient to say that our theory is that the Hebrew in the beginning of Daniel is due to the editor, who collected the scattered fly-leaves. In the first chapter and in the three opening verses of that before us, we have the results of translation and condensation. As the previous sacred books had been written in Hebrew - the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, not to speak of other books - it was natural that the editor, especially if he were under the influence of Ezra, would desire to see a book that had so much of holy hope and aspiration about it, in the sacred language of the patriarchs and prophets. There would be probably a considerable mass of irregular material to be gone over before a connected account could be given of the early days of Daniel. These sources would be necessarily in the main Aramaic, and hence the translation and condensation. It was formerly one of the objections urged against Daniel that the author regarded Aramaic as the language spoken in Babylon. By this time the language engraved on the tablets had been discovered not to be any previously known toungue. It is now found that, although the inhabitants of Babylon used the cuneiform for inscriptions, the language of ordinary business and social intercourse was Aramaic. and had been for several centuries. Dr. Hugo Winckler says, in his 'History of Babylonia and Assyria,' p. 179, "Aramaic soon became the language of social intercourse (ungangsprache) in nearly the whole of Mesopotamia, and. expelled the Assyro-Babylonian, which continued only as a literary tongue (schriftsprache)." Bronze weights have been found dating back to the Sargo-nids, with the weight marked on the one side in Aramaic, while on the other the titles of the king are given in Assyrian, When Sennacherib sent Rabshakeh to Jerusalem, Eliakim and Shebna wished the conversation to be carried on in Aramaic, implying that by this time Aramaic had become the ordinary language of diplomacy. The single Aramaic verse in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 10:11) implies that the Jewish captives would be dwelling among a people who ordinarily spoke Aramaic. Some have deduced from the phrase, "then spake," etc., that Aramaic was not the ordinary language of the speakers - a deduction that would be plausible if it had not been that from this point till the end. of the seventh chapter the book is in Aramaic. Jephet-ibn-Ali thinks that Nebuchadnezzar had first addressed the wise men in some other language, and then betook him to Aramaic. O king, live for ever: tell thy servaats the dream, andl we will show the interpretation. The soothsayers address the king in terms of Oriental adulation. Similar phrases are found in despatches to Asshurbanipal. In the Septuagint Version the phrase is accommodated more to the Hellenic usage, and the king is addressed as κύριε βασιλεῦ. Their language implies that they expected to be told the dream, and then, having been told the dream, they would apply the rules of their art to it, and declare to the king the interpretation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Then the astrologers
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים (hak·kaś·dîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3778: Chaldeans -- a region of southern Babylon and its inhab

answered
וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ (way·ḏab·bə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

the king
לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (lam·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

in Aramaic,
אֲרָמִ֑ית (’ă·rā·mîṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 762: The language of Aram (Syria)

“O king,
מַלְכָּא֙ (mal·kā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430: A king

may you live
חֱיִ֔י (ḥĕ·yî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2418: To live

forever!
לְעָלְמִ֣ין (lə·‘ā·lə·mîn)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5957: Remote time, the future, past, forever

Tell
אֱמַ֥ר (’ĕ·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 560: To say, tell, command

your servants
לְעַבְדָ֖ךְ (lə·‘aḇ·ḏāḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5649: Slave, servant

the dream,
חֶלְמָ֛א (ḥel·mā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 2493: A dream

and we will give
נְחַוֵּֽא׃ (nə·ḥaw·wê)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 2324: To show

the interpretation.”
וּפִשְׁרָ֥א (ū·p̄iš·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 6591: An interpretation


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OT Prophets: Daniel 2:4 Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king (Dan. Da Dn)