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1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

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

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.

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.

6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.

8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

9 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.

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

<html><b>Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign</b> It is impossible to say this, except that [it happened] in the second year after the destruction of the Temple. So it is taught in Seder Olam (ch. 28), and Scripture called it “of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign,” because he demonstrated his insolence by entering the Inner Sanctum of the Sovereign of the Universe. <b>and his spirit was troubled</b> Heb. וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ. Concerning Pharaoh it says (Gen. 41:8): וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, for only the interpretation of the dream was hidden from him, but here, since the dream too was hidden from him, the expression is doubled: וַתִּתְפָּעֶם, an expression of pulsating and beating. <b>was interrupted</b> Heb. נִהְיְתָה, an expression of breaking like (Ezek. 7:25): “Breach upon breach (הוָה עַל הוָה).”</html>

<html><b>May the king live forever</b> Aram. מַלְכָּא לְעָלְמִין חֱיִי. <b>Tell your servants the dream</b> [as translated,] Tell your servants the dream.</html>

<html><b>The matter has escaped me</b> The thing has left me. <b>If you do not let me know the dream and its meaning</b> [as translated,] if you do not let me know the dream and its meaning. <b>you shall be torn limb from limb</b> Aram. הַדָמִין תִּתְעַבְּדוּן. You shall be cut to pieces, and there are many such in the Gemara (Gittin 67b): “Arrange the cuts” (הַדוּמֵי הַדְמּוּהָ). <b>a dungheap</b> Aram. נְוָלִי, a dungheap. <b>shall be made</b> Aram. יִתְּשָּׂמוּן an expression of וְיָשֵּׂם, and he will make. They shall be made into dungheaps.</html>

<html><b>But if</b> [as translated,] But if. <b>and lavish presents</b> [as translated,] presents. <b>but</b> [as translated,] but. <b>tell me</b> [as translated,] tell me.</html>

<html><b>a second time</b> [as translated,] a second time. <b>we shall tell</b> [as translated,] we shall tell.</html>

<html><b>in truth, I know</b> [as translated,] in truth, I know. <b>truth</b> Aram. יַצִיב, a true and permanent thing. <b>that this time you are doomed</b> Aram. דִּי עִדָּנָא אַנְתוּן זַבְנִין, that this time you are delivered to death. <b>because you see</b> because you see that the matter escaped me, but you repeatedly ask me to tell you.</html>

<html> <b>or if you have prepared yourselves…a false and corrupt word</b> Or if you have prepared yourselves to say before me a false and corrupt word. <b>until the time changes</b> until the time changes, i.e., before the shadows of evening slant, when the time of morning changes. “Until the time changes” is an expression of rebuke and an exaggeration: so will he be punished, and the punishment was already delineated above. A similar instance is (Gen. 4:15): “Therefore, whoever kills Cain.” <b>but</b> the dream; tell me what I dreamed, and I shall know that you will surely tell me the interpretation.</html>

<html><b>who…the king’s word</b> who will be able to tell the king’s word. <b>because</b> Aram. כָּל קַבֵל, lit. all opposite; i.e., our reply is true, in view of the fact that there was never a king who asked anything like this. <b>such a thing</b> Aram. מִלָה כִדְּנָה, a thing like this. <b>astrologer</b> who presses the constellation.</html>

<html><b>difficult</b> Aram. יַקִירָה, heavy, and its burden is heavy. <b>and there is no other who can tell it</b> and there is no other who will tell it. <b>but the angels</b> but the angels whose dwelling is not with flesh and blood. <b>whose dwelling</b> Aram. מְדָרְהוֹן, their dwelling. The Midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (ad loc.) [says]: וְאַחֲרָן לָא אִיתַי, and Aaron is not here. A priest who wears the Urim and Tummim is not here to tell you. He said to them, “That Temple was so powerful, and you advised me to destroy it?” Immediately, he became angry and commanded to slay them.</html>

<html><b>In view of this</b> in view of this reply. <b>in great wrath and anger</b> Aram. מַלְכָּא בְּנַס וּקְצַף שַּׂגִיא. The king was in great wrath and anger. (בְּנַס) means in wrath. (Gen. 40:6): “And behold they were angry (זעַפִים), and Onkelos renders: נסִיסִין. <b>and ordered to destroy</b> Aram. וַאֲמַר לְהוֹבָדָה. About this “vav” of וַאֲמַר, Menahem and Dunash disputed. Menahem (p. 46) forced himself to make the “beth” of בְּנַס, a radical and did not interpret בְּנַס וּקְצַף as nouns, but as an expression of a verb: was greatly wroth and angry and ordered to destroy. The “vav” in וַאֲמַר forced him to interpret it this way. Dunash (p. 9) says that it is impossible for the “beth” to be a radical, but it is a noun, and he interpreted it in this manner: with great wrath and anger he ordered to destroy, and the “vav” there is superfluous, like the “vav” of (Ps. 76:7): “chariot (וְרֶכֶב) and horse.” But I say that the “vav” is not forced to be superfluous, but so is its interpretation: מַלְכָּא בְּנַס וּקְצַף שַּׂגִּיא, the king was in great wrath and anger, and he ordered in his wrath to destroy them. Accordingly, this is an elliptical verse.</html>

<html><b>And a decree was issued</b> The law of the king and his decree were issued in the province. <b>and Daniel and his colleagues were sought to be slain</b> [as translated,] and Daniel and his colleagues were sought to be slain.</html>

<html><b>Then</b> Aram. בֵּאדַיִן, the Targum for אָז. <b>answered with counsel and good sense</b> He answered [with] counsel and good sense to Arioch, the name of the man. <b>the…chief executioner</b> the officer over those who executed the ones condemned to death.</html>

<html><b>Why was the decree issued so hastily</b> Why is the decree of the king [issued] in such a haste to kill? <b>Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel</b> that the king was angry because no one told him his dream.</html>

<html><b>entered and requested</b> [as translated,] entered and requested. <b>be given him</b> [as translated,] be given him.</html>

<html><b>the secret was revealed</b> [as translated,] the secret was revealed.</html>

<html><b>changes</b> [as translated,] changes. <b>removes</b> He removes kings, for he understood from the dream that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would terminate, and another kingdom would rise.</html>

<html><b>He reveals the profound</b> [as translated,] He reveals the profound. <b>and secret things</b> for He revealed this profound thing to me.</html>

<html><b>You have let me know</b> [as translated,] You have let me know.</html>

<html><b>In view of this</b> in view of this, that the secret was revealed to him. <b>Daniel came in to Arioch</b> He entered Arioch’s premises. <b>had appointed</b> [as translated,] had appointed. <b>Do not destroy</b> [as translated,] Do not destroy. <b>bring me in</b> [as translated,] bring me in.</html>

<html><b>Then</b> Aram. אֶדַיִן, [the equivalent of] אָז. <b>in haste</b> Aram. בְּהִתְבְּהָלָה, in haste, i.e., quickly. <b>brought… in</b> brought Daniel in. <b>that “I have found a man</b> [as translated,] that “I have found a man. <b>the exiles of Judea</b> [as translated,] the exiles of Judea.</html>

<html><b>Do you have the ability</b> Are you able? <b>that I have seen</b> [as translated,] that I have seen.</html>

<html><b>demonologists</b> Aram. גָזְרִין, the name of a type of ruler over demons.</html>

<html><b>But there is…and He lets Nebuchadnezzar know</b> He revealed this secret to me, and through me let the king know that his dream refers to future events. <b>your dream and the visions of your head on your bed</b> which are on your bed.</html>

<html><b>your thoughts</b> Aram. רַעְיוֹנָיךְ. <b>came while on your bed</b> What you were thinking of during the day, what would be after you, came [to you] on your bed. <b>and the Revealer of secrets</b> and the Holy One, blessed be He, Who reveals secrets, let you know what will come about.</html>

<html><b>And I, not with wisdom</b> And I, not with superior wisdom that I have, more than other creatures, was this secret revealed to me. <b>but in order that they should let the king know the interpretation</b> They should let you know from heaven. <b>and you should know the thoughts of your heart</b> and the thoughts of your heart about which you are constantly thinking, [which are] to know who will rise after you. <b>you should know</b> [as translated,] you should know.</html>

<html><b>you were watching</b> [as translated,] you were watching. <b>and behold</b> Aram. וַאֲלוּ, an expression of “behold.” <b>an image which had a large base</b> [as translated,] an image which had a large base. <b>with unusual splendor, was standing opposite you</b> [as translated,] standing opposite you. <b>and its form was frightening</b> [as translated,] and its form was frightening.</html>

<html><b>of fine gold</b> [as translated,] of fine gold. <b>its breast</b> [as translated,] its breast. <b>and its arms</b> [as translated,] and its arms. <b>its belly and thighs</b> [as translated,] its belly and thighs.</html>

<html><b>Its legs were of iron</b> [as translated,] Its legs were of iron. <b>were partly of iron and partly of clay</b> [as translated,] were partly of iron and partly of clay [i.e., part of each foot was of iron and part of clay].</html>

<html><b>until one stone was hewn</b> that one stone was cut and separated. <b>without hands</b> not with hands, but by itself. <b>and it struck the image</b> [as translated,] and it struck the image. <b>and crumbled them</b> [as translated,] and crumbled them.</html>

<html><b>Then…crumbled together</b> Then all the types of metals and the clay that were in it crumbled together. <b>and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer</b> [as translated,] and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer. <b>and the wind carried them off</b> [as translated,] and the wind carried them off. <b>and no place was found for them</b> i.e., their original place was unknown, and it was unrecognizable that they were ever there. <b>became a huge mountain</b> [as translated,] became a huge mountain.</html>

<html><b>This is the dream</b> Behold this is the dream that you dreamed. <b>and its interpretation we shall recite, etc.</b> and its interpretation we shall tell you.</html>

<html><b>The King of kings</b> Our Sages, of blessed memory, explained (Shev. 35b): Every mention of “king” in Daniel refers to an earthly king, except this one, which he said in reference to the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is what it means: The King of kings, Who is the God of heaven. <b>a strong… kingdom</b> gave you a strong and prominent kingdom.</html>

<html><b>and has given you dominion over them all</b> And He gave you dominion over them all, so that even if you decree upon a horse, it will not whinny, or upon a bird, it will not fly, as it is said (Jer. 27: 6): “and even the beasts of the field I have given to him to serve him.” <b>You are the head of gold</b> You are the golden head of the image that you saw, for your kingdom is strong, and now it is in existence and is very prominent.</html>

<html><b>And after you will arise another kingdom lower than you</b> And after you, after the reign of your son, Belshazzar, will arise a kingdom that will take the ruling power from your seed, lower and humbler than your kingdom. <b>lower</b> Aram. אֶרַע, lower, as silver is lower and humbler than gold, and you saw that the breast, which is after the head, was of silver; so will the kingdom of Media and Persia, which will follow the kingdom of Babylon, be humbler than the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. <b>and another, a third kingdom</b> [as translated,] another. <b>of copper</b> as strong as copper, and that is the kingdom of Alexander of Macedon.</html>

<html><b>And a fourth kingdom</b> will be as hard as iron, as you saw the thighs, which are the fourth from the head, the breast, and the belly, and they are of iron. <b>crumbles and flattens everything</b> flattens and crumbles all kinds of metal, which are flattened with a hammer. <b>and flattens</b> Aram. וְחָשֵּׁל, and flattens. There are many such [words] in the Talmud. Keth. 77a, “who thins copper for kettles (חַשְּׁלָא דוּדֵי)”; Hul. 93a: “crushed testicles (בֵּיעֵי חֳשִּׁלָתָא).” <b>all these</b> all these kinds of metals that you saw in the image. <b>it will crumble and shatter</b> It will crumble and shatter all the nations.</html>

<html><b>potter’s clay</b> Aram. חֲסַף דִּי פֶחָר, a potter’s clay, and there are many instances of this in the Talmud (Taanith 7a): “vessels of a potter (מָאנֵי דְפַחְרָא).” <b>it will be a divided kingdom</b> It will be a divided kingdom; two kings will rise from it at once, strong and weak, as explained below (verse 42): “part of the kingdom will be strong.” <b>and in it will be some of the strength of iron</b> Even the weak one will be stronger than the other nations through the strength of his fellow, for they will fear him. And this is the meaning of וּמִן נִצְבְּתָא דִּי פַרְזְלָא לֶהֶוֵא בָהּ ; some of the strength of the stability of iron will be in the weak king. <b>in view of what you saw</b> in view of what you saw—iron mixed with clay.</html>

<html><b>that they will mingle with the seed of men</b> They will intermarry with the other nations but they will not be at peace and truly cleave to them wholeheartedly, and their laws will differ from the laws of the other nations. <b>as iron does not mix with clay</b> Is it not just as iron does not stick well to clay?</html>

<html><b>And in the days of these kings</b> in the days of these kings, when the kingdom of Rome is still in existence. <b>the God Of heaven will set up a kingdom</b> The kingdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, which will never be destroyed, is the kingdom of the Messiah. <b>it will crumble and destroy</b> It will crumble and destroy all these kingdoms.</html>

<html><b>Just as you saw</b> just as you saw that a stone was broken off the mountain, which crumbled the entire image. This is the interpretation that the fifth kingdom will destroy and shatter them all. <b>what will be after this</b> what will be after this, after this kingdom of yours. <b>and its interpretation is reliable</b> for the Eternal of Israel neither lies nor repents.</html>

<html><b>ordered to offer up… libations</b> He wished to deify him.</html>

<html><b>truly</b> [as translated,] in truth. <b>and the Master of the kings</b> The Lord of lords. <b>this secret</b> [as translated,] this secret.</html>

<html><b>elevated Daniel</b> He elevated Daniel over all the princes.</html>

<html><b>and he appointed, over the affairs of the capital cities of Babylon</b> He appointed, over all the necessities of the kingdom, Hananiah Mishael, and Azariah.</html>