Daniel 2:12

Dan 2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.

Ver. 12. For this cause the king was angry and very furious.] A cutting answer may mar a good cause. {Pro 15:1} See on Dan 2:9.

And commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.] So rash is rage, it is no better than a short madness. Sed de vita hominis nulls potest esse satis diuturna cunctatio, saith the orator. {a} In case of life and death nothing should be determined without mature deliberation; for, like as Saturn, the highest of the planets, hath the slowest motion of them all; so, saith one, {b} should princess which sit in their high thrones of majesty, be most considerate in their actions.

{a} Cicero.

{b} Willet.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan_2:12

The king was angry.

Anger

Anger, Dr. Cox observes, is

(1) undignifying;

(2) unreasonable;

(3) destructive of that just and useful influence to which we should aspire, and for which everyone is naturally capacitated by his position in society;

(4) usually makes a rapid progress;

(5) is productive of great unhappiness;

(6) is a most guilty passion.

It is remarked by Robert Hall: Vindictive passions surround the soul with a sort of turbulent atmosphere, than which nothing can be conceived more opposite to the calm and holy light in which the blessed Spirit loves to dwell.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan 2:12-13. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, &c. — The king, in his rage and fury, probably did not think of sending for Daniel, which made Daniel try to get admission to the king, Dan 2:14, to prevent his own destruction, as well as that of the other wise men. And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain — Though, as it appears, they had not been summoned with the wise men of Chaldea. This was extremely unjust to Daniel and his companions; for it is highly probable they would have received no share of the gifts, and rewards, and great honour, which the other wise men would have received could they have told the king’s dream, therefore they ought not to have been involved in their punishment. But those concerned in the execution of the decree, being armed with power, did not attend to the voice of justice: absolute power, indeed, too seldom does.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:12 The king was furious because contradicting or refusing the king’s command was an offense punishable by death. The king was supposed to be treated as divine, so they were violating protocol in saying that he was not. The king’s sages were also supposed to have a connection with the divine, but they admitted that they did not. The offense to the king was so severe that he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. The king’s rage foreshadows 11:11-35.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

[Daniel 2:12] Kol kovel denah (כָּל־קֳבֵל דְּנָה - Because of this): [Regarding the word] became angry/provoked (benas - בְּנַס) - [this means] "with rage" (b'zaʿaf - בְּזַעַף) [which is its] Aramaic equivalent/translation (Targum), and [it is related to the Hebrew] “and they look troubled/angry” (v'hinam zoʿafim - וְהִנָּם זוֹעֲפִים) [Daniel 1:10].

[Daniel 2:12] chakkimei Vavel (חַכִּימֵי בָבֶל - wise men of Babylon): They are the ones mentioned at the beginning [Daniel 2:2].

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Daniel and his companions do not seem to have been actually numbered among the Magi or Chaldeans, and so were not summoned before the king. Providence ordered it so that all mere human wisdom should be shown vain before His divine power, through His servant, was put forth. Dan 2:24 shows that the decree for slaying the wise men had not been actually executed when Daniel interposed.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The former denunciation was horrible, but now Nebuchadnezzar proceeds beyond it; for he not merely threatens the Chaldeans with death, but commands it to be inflicted. Such an example is scarcely to be found in history; but the cause of his wrath must be noticed, since God wished his servant Daniel to be brought forward and to be observed by all men. This was the preparation by which it became generally evident that the wise men of Babylon were proved vain, through promising more than they could perform; even if they had been endowed with the greatest wisdom, they would still have been destitute of that gift of revelation which was conferred upon Daniel. Hence it happened that the king denounced death against them all by his edict; for he might then perhaps acknowledge what he had never perceived before, namely, that their boasting was nothing but vanity, and their arts full of superstitions. For when superstition fails of success, madness immediately succeeds, and when those who are thought and spoken of as remarkably devout, perceive their fictitious worship to be of no avail, then they burst forth into the madness which I have mentioned, and curse their idols, and detest what they had hitherto followed. So it occurred here, when Nebuchadnezzar suspected imposture in so serious a matter, and no previous suspicion of it had entered his mind; but now, when he sees through the deception, in so perplexing a case, and hi such great anxiety, when left destitute of the advice of those from whom he hoped all things, then he is a hundredfold more infuriated than if he had been previously in a state of perfect calmness. It afterwards follows: —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12) This order to massacre the wise men extended apparently only to those who were resident in the city of Babylon, where they had a fixed habitation. Though Daniel had been already trained in their schools, he had not as yet been appointed “a wise man.” However, being a student, his death was implied in the general order, which, as appears from Dan_2:13, had already begun to be executed.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. wise men] of those versed in occult arts, as Gen_41:8; Jer_50:35 (of Babylon), and several times in the sequel (cf. p. 15). Similarly wisdom, Isa_47:10 (of Babylon), and ch. Dan_1:17; Dan_1:20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For this cause the king was angry, and very furious,.... Not only because they could not tell his dream, and the interpretation of it; but because they represented him as requiring a thing unreasonable and impossible, which had never been done by any potentate but himself, and could never be answered but by the gods: this threw him into an excess of wrath and fury; which in those tyrannical and despotic princes was exceeding great and terrible:

and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon; not only those that were now in his presence, but all others; concluding from this instance that they were an useless set of men, yea, deceivers and impostors.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For this cause the king was angry - Because they failed in explaining the subject which had been referred to them. It is true that his anger was unjust, for their profession did not imply that they would undertake to explain what he demanded, but his wrath was not unnatural. His mind was alarmed, and he was troubled. He believed that what he had seen in his dream foreboded some important events, and, as an arbitrary sovereign, unaccustomed to restrain his anger or to inquire into the exact jusrice of matters which excited Iris indignation, it was not unnatural that he should resolve to wreak his vengeance on all who made any pretensions to the arts of divining.

And very furious - Wrought up to the highest degree of passion. Chaldee, “Much enraged.” It was not a calm and settled purpose to execute his threat, but a purpose attended with a high degree of excitement.

And commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon - That is, all who made pretensions to this kind of wisdom; all who came under the wellknown denomination of “wise men,” or “sages.” He had called that class before him Dan 2:2; he had demanded of them an explanation of his dream; he had been assured by the leading men among them, the Chaldeans Dan 2:10-11, that they could not recall his dream; and, as he supposed that all who could be relied on in such a case had failed, he resolved to cut them off as impostors.

Where Daniel was at this time is not known. It would seem, however, that from some reason he had not been summoned before the king with the others, probably because, although he had shown himself to be eminently endowed with wisdom Dan 1:20, he had not yet made any pretensions to this kind of knowledge, and was not numbered with the Magi, or Chaldeans. When, however, the decree went forth that “all” the “wise men of Babylon” should be slain, the exhibition of wisdom and knowledge made by him Dan 1:18-20 was recollected, and the executioners of the sentence supposed that tie and his companions were included in the general instructions. Whether the word “Babylon” here relates to the city of Babylon, or to the whole realm, there is no certain way of determining. Considering, however, the character of Oriental despotisms, and the cruelty to which absolute sovereigns have usually been transported in their passion, there would be no improbability in supposing that the command included the whole realm, though it is probable that most of this class would be found in the capital.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Tyrants are inexorable, and they rule according to their will, and being crossed they are furious, and that brings forth death; the wrath of such is the roaring of a lion.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. The Septuagint rendering differs little in sense from the above, but in words it does considerably, "Then the king, becoming gloomy and very grieved, commanded that they lead out,all the wise men of Babylonia." The main thing to be observed is the softening of the meaning in the hands of the Septuagint translator. This is so great as to suggest that he read hlz; wOhl; instead of hdbwOhl. The aphel of lza is not used in Chaldee, but is used in Syriac. Theodotion"s rendering is, "Then the king in anger and wrath commanded to destroy all the wise meal of Babylon." The Syriac has a shade of difference, "Then was the king vehemently enraged, and in great fury commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon." It is evident that Theodotion read snb (benas), "was angry," as if it were the preposition b and the Syriac noun sn (has), "anger." He also must have inserted the preposition before pxq (qetzaph), "wrath;" in this he is followed by the Peshitta. The Septuagint is freer in its rendering in this verse, and one cannot argue anything from it. The probability seems to be that sn; (nas) is used as a noun, and that the Targamic verb was formed from the mistake of a scribe dropping the preposition before pxq (qetzaph). If we are correct in this, we have an additional evidence that the original languagge of Daniel was not Chaldee, but Syriac, or, at all events, Eastern Aramaic. As a grammatical note, we direct attention to the form hdbwhl, where the a of the root has totally disappeared before the h of the haphel, the equivalent in Biblical Aramaic of the Chaldee and Syriac aphel with its preformative a. Professor Bevan says that this distinction is only a matter of orthography. Are we to deduce that Professor Bevan has a cockney disregard for h"s? The writer now drops reference to special classes of wise men, and names them generally hakeemin. The king is unconvinced of the truth of these wise men (hakeemin), or rather he is convinced that they are traitors and deceivers. They are either concealing from him the knowledge they have, and are, therefore, traitors to him; or the gods have withdrawn from them, and therefore they must have been untrue to the gods. On both these grounds Nebuchadnezzar thinks them worthy of death. He at once issues the decree that all the wise men in the city of Babylon should be slain. If the LXX reading of Dan_2:2 be correct, he had only summoned the Chaldean wise men. If all the wise men of Babylon were ordered to be slain, the punishment is extended beyond the offence. Possibly he argued, "If even my fellow-countrymen, the Chaldeans, are traitors, much more will the Babylonians be so." So far as words go, it is doubtful whether this decree applies to the province of Babylonia, as the Septuagint translator thinks, or merely to those in the city. But cruel and furious as was the young conqueror, he was scarcely likely to order the wholesale massacre of those who, in Sippara and Borsippa, had neither refused to do what he wished, nor by implication called him an unreasonable tyrant, as had the wise men in Babylon.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

angry and very furious

These words mean basically the same thing and emphasize the intensity of his anger. AT: "incredibly angry" (See: Doublet)

all those in Babylon

"all the men in Babylon"

So the decree went out

The decree is spoken of as if it was alive and able to go out by itself. AT: "So the king issued a command" or "So the king gave a command" (See: Personification)

all those who were known for their wisdom were to be put to death

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the soldiers were to kill all of the men who were known for their wisdom" (See: Active or Passive)

so they could be put to death

This can be stated in active form. AT: "in order to kill them" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

king

anger

Babylon

wise

decree

Daniel

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

In view of this in view of this reply.

in great wrath and anger 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.

and ordered to destroy 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.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.