Ver. 1. And in the second year.] Of Daniel’s advancement. (Daniel 1:19,20) Or, as Josephus hath it, post annum secundum Aegyptiacae vastitatis, in the second year after that Nebuchadnezzar had subdued Egypt, and other countries, and so established his monarchy, whereupon likely was begun a new computation of the years of his reign. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams.] All was but one dream, but of many and weighty matters. Wherewith his spirit was troubled.] God can easily trouble the troublers of his Israel, and make the ringleader of their bondage the trumpeter of their trophy, even nomen illud prolixum et terrificum, Nebuchadnezzar. Quid sunt regna omnesque res et spes mortalium nisi somnia vigilantium! -Plato.
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. (1 Samuel 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.
Ver. 3. I have dreamed a dream.] His thoughts had been occupied belike about the issue of his kingdoms, and thereupon he had a divine vision. He that is moderately careful about the affairs of his lawful calling shall not be destitute of divine direction. And my spirit was troubled.] Heb., Troubled itself. Jesus also troubled himself, but without sin. (John 11:33) [See Trapp on “Joh 11:33”]
Ver. 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac,] i.e., In Chaldee, whence there is here no Chaldee paraphrase; or else, if the Syriac were then a distinct tongue from the Chaldee, as now it is, it was belike their learned language, as now the Arabic is among the Turks. O king, live for ever.] In this most officious salutation they flatter him, say some, or aver the immortality of the soul, as others, or wish him a long life, as also Daniel doth afterwards. And we will show the interpretation.] Impostors are great braggers; but as the peacock in setting up his tail showeth his posteriors, so do these get to themselves shame.
Ver. 5. The thing is gone from me.] He had dreamed of monarchies, and now forgotten his dream. He might have hereby learned that kingdoms are but phantasmata, ludicra, empty bubbles, pleasant follies, children and tales of fancy, &c. “The fashion of this world passeth away”; (1 Corinthians 7:31) “Surely every man walketh in a vain shadow.” (Psalms 39:6) Ye shall be cut in pieces.] Practisers of unjust; flatteries do often meet with unjust frowns.
Ver. 6. He shall receive of me gifts and reward.] This was what they gaped after, but missed, and therefore out of envy called not Daniel and his companions, as some think, lest they should share with them. And great honour.] Great learning deserveth great honour. Aeneas Sylvius was wont to say that popular men should esteem it as silver, noblemen as gold, princes prize it as pearls.
Ver. 7. They answered again and said, Let the king, &c.] Thus these proud boasters vaunt of a false gift, and become like “clouds without rain,” as Solomon hath it. (Proverbs 25:14) See Daniel 2:4.
Ver. 8. I know of certainty.] There is no halting before a cripple. Politicians can sound the depth of one another. (Daniel 11:27) That ye would gain the time.] Chald., Buy or redeem it—that is, make your advantage of it to evade the danger. And indeed if these sorcerers could have gained longer time much might have been done; for either the king might have died or been employed in war, or pacified by the mediation of friends, &c. Time often cooleth the rage of hasty men. [as 1 Samuel 25:33] How Hubert de Burgo, Earl of Kent, escaped the king’s wrath by a little respite, see Goodwin’s Catalogue of Bish., p. 193.
Ver. 9. There is but one decree for you.] But that was a very tyrannical and bloody one. It is dangerous to affront great men, though in a just cause. (Ecclesiastes 10:4) “ Saevum praelustri fulmen ab arce venit. ’’— Ovid. Till the time be changed.] The Latin hath it, Till there be another state of things. See on Daniel 2:8. Tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.] If you cannot tell it, surely you cannot interpret it; since they are both of a divine instinct, and nothing is hidden from God. Procul a culmine, et procul a fulmine.
Ver. 10. There is not a man upon earth.] Yes, there is. But this is the guise of worldly wisdom, fingit se scire omnia, excusat ac occulit suam ignorantiam, it would seem to know all things, and to be ignorant of nothing that is within the periphery of human possibility.
Ver. 11. And it is a rare thing.] Exceeding man’s wit. Except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.] They cohabit not with men, that we might converse and confer with them. Here these wizards (1.) Superstitiously affirm a multitude of gods, which the wiser heathens denied, Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Chrysippus, &c. (2.) They deny God’s providence, as did also the Epicures, who held that the gods did nothing out of themselves. The Peripatetics also held that they had nothing to do with things below the moon; yea, the Platonists and Stoics placed the gods in heaven only, and other spirits good and bad in the air, which conversed with men, and were as messengers between them and the gods. Thus these famous philosophers became altogether “vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21) (3.) They seem to affirm that man can know nothing of God, unless he cohabited in the flesh with him. “But we have the mind of Christ,” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and “the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him”; (Psalms 25:14) this is a paradox to the natural man. (1 Corinthians 2:14) Lastly, they deny the incarnation of Christ, that great “mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16 John 1:14)