Daniel 4:6-9 · Bible study
Daniel 4:6-9 Commentary: Why Nebuchadnezzar Summoned Daniel Last
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Commentary on Daniel 4:6-9.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The failure of Babylon’s wise men and the delayed entrance of Daniel highlight God’s sovereignty over human wisdom.
- Key words: Decree, wise men, magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, Belteshazzar, spirit of the holy gods, secret.
- Main debate: Why was Daniel not called first? (Providence vs. forgetfulness vs. separation)
- Theological theme: God exalts His faithful servant and humbles pride through revelation of His power.
- Best use: Teaching the limits of human wisdom and the necessity of divine revelation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
6So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
7When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
8But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
9“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.
WEB World English Bible 2000
6Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told them the dream, but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation.
8But at last, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,
9“Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
KJV King James Version 1769
6Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
9O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
6Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,
9O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
6And by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know.
7Then coming up are the scribes, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and the dream I have told before them, and its interpretation they are not making known to me.
8And at last come up before me hath Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar--according to the name of my god--and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told:
9`O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret doth press thee, the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation, tell.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
6And I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7Then came in the scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation of it.
8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of mygod, and in whom is the spirit of the holygods; and before him I told the dream:
9O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, because I know that the spirit of the holygods is in thee, and no secret is too hard for thee, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
6Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee, tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them?
7This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.
8The tree was great and strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.
9Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this passage shows God’s providential ordering behind the king’s actions. Barnes notes that Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylon before him, relying on the same class that had failed in Daniel 2. Calvin observes that the king passed over Daniel at first because he would never willingly submit to God unless compelled by necessity. JFB emphasizes that it was ordered by God’s providence that all mere human means should be proved vain before God manifested His power through His servant. Gill suggests Daniel may not have associated with the other wise men, or the king had forgotten him. All concur that the failure of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, despite the king telling them the dream, underscores the limitation of natural wisdom. The king’s address to Daniel as “Belteshazzar, master of the magicians” and his reference to “the spirit of the holy gods” reflects a pagan framework, yet shows his growing awareness of a power beyond human arts.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Forgotten or overlooked: The king’s natural tendency to consult his usual advisors first, perhaps due to Daniel’s long absence from such duties (Gill, Keil).
- Providential delay: God reserved Daniel to the last to display His power after human means failed (JFB, Calvin).
- Daniel’s separation from other sages: Daniel did not associate with the other magicians, and they may have excluded him (Gill).
What is clear: The Babylonian wise men could not interpret the dream, and Daniel, by God’s revelation, could.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why Daniel was not summoned first | All commentators see God’s providential hand in the sequence. | Some (e.g., Gill) suggest the king may have forgotten Daniel or that Daniel kept separate from the other sages; others (e.g., Calvin, JFB) emphasize God’s design to humble the king by exhausting human resources first. |
| The phrase 'spirit of the holy gods' | Nebuchadnezzar speaks from a pagan worldview, acknowledging a spiritual power he cannot fully identify. | Is this a step toward monotheism (JFB: the epithet 'holy' points to the true God) or a persistent polytheism (Lange: it is half-belief)? Different traditions see varying degrees of progress in the king’s faith. |
| Daniel as 'master of the magicians' | Daniel held a high position among the king’s advisors (cf. Dan. 2:48). | Does this imply Daniel practiced divination (some readers), or was it an administrative role over those who did (most commentators argue he remained a faithful prophet of God)? The text is not explicit. |
| The failure of the wise men after the king told the dream | Their inability proves their art was false (Gill, Calvin). | Were they deliberately misleading or sincerely unable? Some suggest they were impostors who could not produce the interpretation when given the dream, while others see them as limited practitioners whose methods failed against God’s secret. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The narrative opens with King Nebuchadnezzar at rest and flourishing in his palace (v.4), but a dream terrifies him (v.5). This sets a stark contrast: outward peace with inward dread. The king does what he did in Daniel 2: he summons the professional dream interpreters of Babylon. The Cambridge Bible notes that the wise men here are the same categories as in Daniel 2:2: magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers. Lange’s Commentary observes that this time the king tells them the dream, unlike the earlier demand that they tell him both dream and interpretation (Dan. 2:5). Their failure is therefore more damning, they cannot interpret even when given the text.
Why was Daniel not called with the rest? Several factors emerge from the commentaries. JFB suggests the king’s recognized interpreters of dreams were the Chaldeans, while Daniel’s earlier success had been a singular, distant event. Gill proposes that Daniel may have kept separate from the other sages, and they may have excluded him. Calvin is pointed: the king would never have sought the true God unless driven to it. The naming of Daniel as Belteshazzar, “according to the name of my god” (Bel), testifies to the Babylonian attempt to absorb Daniel’s identity. Yet the phrase “spirit of the holy gods” is striking: JFB observes that while the king speaks as a heathen, the epithet “holy” distinguishes Jehovah from pagan deities that made no claim to purity. The cross-reference to Genesis 41:8, where Pharaoh’s magicians also fail, strengthens the pattern that God alone gives true interpretation.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries do not note any significant textual variants for these verses. The differences among translations (e.g., “enchanters” vs. “astrologers”) reflect interpretive choices for the same Aramaic terms, not textual variants.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a demonstration of God’s sovereignty over human wisdom and the testimony of a faithful servant in a foreign court. Early interpreters highlighted Nebuchadnezzar’s partial recognition of God’s power and saw Daniel as a type of the prophet bearing witness. Reformation commentators emphasized the providence of God in humbling the proud king. More recently, it has been used to encourage believers who feel overlooked to remain faithful, trusting God’s timing for their witness to be effective.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Human wisdom fails when separated from divine revelation. The king summoned every category of his wise men, yet they could not interpret the dream even though he told it to them. This exposes the emptiness of pretensions to secret knowledge.
- God arranges delays to deepen our reliance on Him. Daniel came in only at the last, after every other resource was exhausted. Calvin notes the king would never have sought God unless driven by necessity.
- The faithful witness is ultimately recognized. Despite being overlooked at first, Daniel is addressed as master of the magicians and given the full account of the dream. God vindicates His servant in due time.
Five-point outline
- The king’s dream and its troubling effect (v.5). Prosperity does not protect from dread.
- The comprehensive failure of the world’s wisdom (v.7). Magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers all cannot interpret.
- The delayed entrance of God’s prophet (v.8). Daniel, whose name honors God, is not called until all else fails.
- The king’s humbled address (v.9). He acknowledges the spirit of the holy gods in Daniel and admits no secret is hidden from him.
- God’s sovereignty displayed through weakness. The narrative sets the stage for the revelation that follows in the dream’s interpretation.
Illustration hooks
- An engineer tries every technical solution before finally asking a colleague for help, realizing the issue was relational, not mechanical.
- A patient spends months visiting specialists before someone asks, “Have you sought spiritual counsel?” The best help was available all along.
- Being the overlooked person in a meeting who has the answer but is consulted only after others fail.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God has given us wise leaders and counselors, why does He sometimes let them fail before He steps in?
- How do I live faithfully when I am not the first person others turn to, even when I have what they need?
- What does this passage teach about the limits of human expertise and education?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the limits of human wisdom and God’s timing in revealing His truth. The king had access to the most renowned sages of the ancient world, yet they could not provide what he needed. Only Daniel, a captive who carried the presence of the true God, could speak with authority. As you discuss, consider the contrast between the king’s confidence in his advisors and his eventual turn to Daniel.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about the Babylonians’ approach to interpreting dreams from this passage? (v.6-7)
- Why do you think the king did not call Daniel first, given his earlier success in Daniel 2? What might this reveal about human nature?
- How does the king describe Daniel in v.8-9? What does his language reveal about his understanding of God at this point?
- In what situations have you seen God allow you or others to exhaust human resources before stepping in?
- How can we, like Daniel, remain ready to serve even when we are not the first to be called?
- What does this passage teach about where true wisdom comes from?
- How does the failure of the wise men here parallel other biblical accounts (e.g., Pharaoh’s magicians in Genesis 41)?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 41:7 | The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. |
| Genesis 41:8 | In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. |
| Isaiah 8:19 | When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? |
| Isaiah 47:12 | “Stand now with your enchantments and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth, as if you might profit, as if you might prevail. |
| Isaiah 47:14 | Behold, they are like stubble. The fire will burn them. They won’t deliver themselves from the power of the flame. It won’t be a coal to warm at or a fire to sit by. |
| Daniel 2:2 | Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. |
| Isaiah 44:25 | who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish; |
| Jeremiah 27:9 | But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;” |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights Nebuchadnezzar's confused mixture of pagan and true religious language, noting that the king still thinks in idolatrous terms even as he turns to Daniel. Calling Daniel by the name of his god Bel reveals that the monarch has not abandoned his old beliefs, only added the God of Daniel as supreme. The king's confidence that no mystery troubles Daniel rests on this faulty but genuine respect.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Nebuchadnezzar's confession about Daniel's interpretation proves it came from divine revelation, not human skill in divination. The king only turned to Daniel when all his magicians failed, showing he never willingly submitted to God. Calling Daniel Belteshazzar, an idolatrous name, deliberately wounded the prophet's Jewish identity.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Nebuchadnezzar's explanation of Daniel's name being based on his god Bel is a popular folk etymology, not a philologically accurate one, similar to how Hebrew writers explain names like Cain or Moses. The king's phrase "the holy gods" also reveals his polytheistic perspective, even though he later speaks like a monotheist.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that God's providence arranged for Daniel to be summoned last. This order first exposed the total failure of every Babylonian wise man, then presented Daniel as the one who truly could interpret, so that Daniel's God, not human skill, would receive all the glory.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that God deliberately delayed Daniel's summons until all human resources failed, so the king would have no confidence left in himself. Nebuchadnezzar still speaks as a pagan, calling Daniel by his Babylonian name and referring to "holy gods" in the plural, yet he half-recognises Jehovah's unique purity.