Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Daniel 2:8 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Da 2:8	Strong Concordance	The king [04430] answered [06032] and said [0560], I [0576] know [03046] of [04481] certainty [03330] that ye [0608] would gain [02084] the time [05732], because [06903] [03606] ye see [02370] the thing [04406] is gone [0230] from [04481] me.
	King James	The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
gain . . . time--literally, "buy." Compare Eph 5:16; Col 4:5, where the sense is somewhat different. the thing is gone from me--(See on Dan 2:5).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

gain . . . time--literally, "buy." Compare Eph 5:16; Col 4:5, where the sense is somewhat different.

the thing is gone from me--(See on Dan 2:5).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time - Margin, "buy." The Chaldee word זבנין zâbenı̂yn (from זבן zeban) means, to get for oneself, buy, gain, procure. Greek, ἐξαγοράζετε exagorazete - "that ye redeem time;" and so the Vulgate - quod tempus redimitis. The idea is, that they saw that they could not comply with his requisition, and that their asking him Dan 2:7 to state the dream was only a pretext for delay, in the hope that in the interval some device might be hit on by them to appease him, or to avert his threatened indignation. It would be natural to suppose that they might hope that on reflection he would become more calm, and that, although they "might" not be able to recal the dream and explain it, yet it would be seen to be unreasonable to expect or demand it. The king seems to have supposed that some such thoughts were passing through their minds, and he charges on them such a project. The argument of the king seems to have been something like this: "They who can explain a dream correctly can as well tell what it is as what its interpretation is, for the one is as much the result of Divine influence as the other; and if men can hope for Divine help in the one case, why not in the other? As you cannot, therefore, recal the dream, it is plain that you cannot interpret it; and your only object in demanding to know it is, that you may ward off as long as possible the execution of the threatened sentence, and, if practicable, escape it altogether." It is not improbable that what they said was more than the simple request recorded in Dan 2:7. They would naturally enlarge on it, by attempting to show how unreasonable was the demand of the king in the case, and their arguments would give a fair pretext for what he here charges on them. Because ye see the thing is gone from me - According to the interpretation proposed in Dan 2:5, the "dream." The meaning is, "You see that I have forgotten it. I have made a positive statement on that point. There can be no hope, therefore, that it can be recalled, and it is clear that your only object must be to gain time. Nothing can be gained by delay, and the matter may therefore be determined at once, and your conduct be construed as a confession that you cannot perform what is required, and the sentence proceed without delay." This makes better sense, it seems to me, than to suppose that he means that a sentence had gone forth from him that if they could not recal and interpret it they should be put to death.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time - Margin, "buy." The Chaldee word זבנין zâbenı̂yn (from זבן zeban) means, to get for oneself, buy, gain, procure. Greek, ἐξαγοράζετε exagorazete - "that ye redeem time;" and so the Vulgate - quod tempus redimitis. The idea is, that they saw that they could not comply with his requisition, and that their asking him Dan 2:7 to state the dream was only a pretext for delay, in the hope that in the interval some device might be hit on by them to appease him, or to avert his threatened indignation. It would be natural to suppose that they might hope that on reflection he would become more calm, and that, although they "might" not be able to recal the dream and explain it, yet it would be seen to be unreasonable to expect or demand it. The king seems to have supposed that some such thoughts were passing through their minds, and he charges on them such a project. The argument of the king seems to have been something like this: "They who can explain a dream correctly can as well tell what it is as what its interpretation is, for the one is as much the result of Divine influence as the other; and if men can hope for Divine help in the one case, why not in the other? As you cannot, therefore, recal the dream, it is plain that you cannot interpret it; and your only object in demanding to know it is, that you may ward off as long as possible the execution of the threatened sentence, and, if practicable, escape it altogether." It is not improbable that what they said was more than the simple request recorded in Dan 2:7. They would naturally enlarge on it, by attempting to show how unreasonable was the demand of the king in the case, and their arguments would give a fair pretext for what he here charges on them.

Because ye see the thing is gone from me - According to the interpretation proposed in Dan 2:5, the "dream." The meaning is, "You see that I have forgotten it. I have made a positive statement on that point. There can be no hope, therefore, that it can be recalled, and it is clear that your only object must be to gain time. Nothing can be gained by delay, and the matter may therefore be determined at once, and your conduct be construed as a confession that you cannot perform what is required, and the sentence proceed without delay." This makes better sense, it seems to me, than to suppose that he means that a sentence had gone forth from him that if they could not recal and interpret it they should be put to death.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
That ye would gain the time - The king means either that they wished to prolong the time that he might recollect it, or get indifferent about it; or that they might invent something in the place of it; or make their escape to save their lives, after having packed up their valuables. See Dan 2:9.

Top

⁵ The king [04430] answered [06032] and said [0560] to the Chaldeans [03779], The thing [04406] is gone [0230] from me [04481]: if [02006] ye will not [03809] make known [03046] unto me the dream [02493], with the interpretation [06591] thereof, ye shall be cut [05648] in pieces [01917], and your houses [01005] shall be made [07761] a dunghill [05122].

⁵ Walk [4043] in [1722] wisdom [4678] toward [4314] them that are without [1854], redeeming [1805] the time [2540].

¹⁶ Redeeming [1805] the time [2540], because [3754] the days [2250] are [1526] evil [4190].

⁷ They answered [06032] again [08579] and said [0560], Let the king [04430] tell [0560] his servants [05649] the dream [02493], and we will shew [02324] the interpretation [06591] of it.

⁹ But if [02006] ye will not [03809] make known [03046] unto me the dream [02493], there is but one [01932] [02298] decree [01882] for you: for ye have prepared [02164] lying [03538] and corrupt [07844] words [04406] to speak [0560] before [06925] me, till [05705] the time [05732] be changed [08133]: therefore [03861] tell [0560] me the dream [02493], and I shall know [03046] that [01768] ye can shew [02324] me the interpretation [06591] thereof.