Daniel 2:9

Daniel 2:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
• New International Version (NIV)If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation."
• New King James Version (NKJV)if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”

Context of Daniel 2:9

7They answered the king again, ‘We are your servants, so please tell us your dream. Then we will tell you what it means.’ 8The king said to them, ‘You know that I will not change my mind. So you are just trying to get more time. If you do not tell me the dream, I will certainly punish you with death. You have agreed among yourselves to tell me lies. You want to deceive me until you can think of something better. So now, tell me the dream. Then I will believe you when you tell me what it means.’ 10The wise men answered the king, ‘There is nobody on earth who can know your dream! No king has ever asked anyone to do anything like this. No magician, enchanter or wise man could do that. Even the greatest and most powerful king has never asked anyone to do this. 11You are asking us to do something much too difficult! Nobody can do it, except the gods. And they do not live among men.’

Daniel 2:9 word by word

דִּ֣י הֵן־חֶלְמָא֩ לָ֨א תְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּ֜נִי חֲדָה־הִ֣יא דָֽתְכ֗וֹן וּמִלָּ֨ה כִדְבָ֤ה וּשְׁחִיתָה֙ הִזְדְּמִנְתּוּן֙ לְמֵאמַ֣ר קָֽדָמַ֔י עַ֛ד דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א יִשְׁתַּנֵּ֑א לָהֵ֗ן חֶלְמָא֙ אֱמַ֣רוּ לִ֔י וְֽאִנְדַּ֕ע דִּ֥י פִשְׁרֵ֖הּ תְּהַחֲוֻנַּֽנִי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But ifהֵןhên · ifH2006
• ye will notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
• make knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• unto me the dreamחֵ֫לֶםchêlem · dreamH2493
• oneחַדchad · oneH2298
• oneהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1932
• decreeדָּתdâth · lawH1882
• for you: for ye have preparedזְמַןzeman · to agreeH2164
• lyingכְּדַבkedab · falseH3538
• and corruptשְׁחַתshechath · to corruptH7844
• wordsמִלָּהmillâh · wordH4406
• to speakאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
• beforeקֳדָםqŏdâm qedâm · beforeH6925
• me, tillעַד‛ad · tillH5705
• the timeעִדָּן‛iddân · timeH5732
• be changedשְׁנָאshenâ' · to changeH8133
• thereforeלָהֵןlâhên · exceptH3861
• thatדִּיdîy · thatH1768
• ye can shewחֲוָהchăvâ' · to showH2324
• me the interpretationפְּשַׁרpeshar · interpretationH6591

Cross-references for Daniel 2:9

• Daniel 3:15Next time you hear the sound of the special music, you must obey my rule. You must bend down and you must worship the statue that I have built. If you do not worship the statue, my servants will throw you immediately into the middle of a very hot fire. There is no god who can save you from my power.’
• Esther 4:11‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’
• 1 Kings 22:6So the king of Israel brought together about 400 prophets. He asked them, ‘Should I attack Ramoth Gilead, or not?’ They answered, ‘Yes, go and attack it, because the Lord God will give it to you, our king.’
• Proverbs 12:19True words continue to be true for ever. But people quickly see that lies are lies.
• Isaiah 44:25I show that the false prophets speak useless messages. I show that those who use magic to say what will happen are fools. I cause the ideas of wise people to become useless. People think that their advice is foolish.
• Ezekiel 13:6The visions that these prophets see are false. They tell lies about what will happen. They say, ‘The Lord says this,’ when I have not sent them with any message. But they still think that what they say will really happen.
• 2 Corinthians 2:17Some people even tell God's message because they want to get a lot of money for themselves. But we are not like them. No, God himself has sent us to do this work. And he sees what we are doing. So we are honest and we speak God's message clearly, as Christ's servants should do.
• Daniel 2:21He makes things happen at the right time. He gives to some kings authority to rule. And he takes that authority away from other kings. He causes some people to become wise. He helps people to understand the things that they learn.
• Daniel 5:28Peres means “separate”. It shows that God has cut your kingdom into two separate parts. He has given it to the people from Media and Persia.’
• Daniel 7:25He will insult the Most High God. He will be cruel to God's holy people. He will try to change the days for God's festivals and the laws about them. God's people will be under his power for three and a half times.
• Isaiah 41:23If they can tell us what will happen in future years, we will know that they really are gods. Tell them to do something, a good thing or a bad thing. That would really surprise us, or even frighten us!

Commentaries on Daniel 2:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you - That is, you shall share the same fate. You shall all be cut to pieces, and your houses reduced to ruin, Daniel 2:5. There shall be no favor shown to any class of you, or to any individual among you. It seems to have been supposed that the responsibility rested on them individually as well as collectively, and that it would be right to hold each and every one of them bound…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Only someone with power that goes beyond human ability could tell Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed (compare Mark 2:9–12). No human wisdom or skill could reveal the dream without first hearing it.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. one decree--There can be no second one reversing the first (Es 4:11). corrupt--deceitful. till the time be changed--till a new state of things arrive, either by my ceasing to trouble myself about the dream, or by a change of government (which perhaps the agitation caused by the dream made Nebuchadnezzar to forebode, and so to suspect the Chaldeans of plotting). tell ... dream, and I shall know ... ye can show ... interpretation--If ye cannot tell the…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 2:9

• Government
• Magician
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Iron
• Terrible
• Abed-Nego
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Bible, the
• Daniel
• Daniel, Book of
• Divination
• Dream; Dreamer

Commentaries on Daniel 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings