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

DANIEL 2:3KJV
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Daniel 2:3 (KJV)

What does Daniel 2:3 mean?

Daniel 2:3 describes King Nebuchadnezzar telling his advisors that he has had a dream which deeply unsettled him, and he wants to understand what the dream means. The king’s spirit is so troubled that he feels a strong need to know the dream’s interpretation.

In this scene, King Nebuchadnezzar is speaking to his wise men and counselors after experiencing a disturbing dream. The verse sets up the tension in the story, showing the king’s anxiety and his urgent demand for answers. This moment is important because it leads to Daniel’s involvement and the unfolding of the dream’s meaning in the following verses.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 2:3

  • "spirit" (רוּחַ, rûaḥ): This word often refers to a person’s inner life or emotional state. Here, it highlights that the king’s disturbance is not just intellectual curiosity but a deep, personal unrest.
  • "troubled" (פָּעַם, pāʿam): This word carries the sense of being agitated or disturbed, suggesting that the king’s peace was genuinely shaken by the dream.
  • "know" (יָדַע, yāḏaʿ): The king’s desire "to know" the dream shows he is not satisfied with just remembering it—he wants to grasp its meaning and significance.

Why Daniel 2:3 matters

  • Daniel 2:3 clarifies that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was so troubling that it affected him emotionally and spiritually, not just intellectually.
  • The verse sets the stage for the dramatic events that follow, showing why the king is desperate for an interpretation and why he pressures his advisors.
  • Understanding the king’s deep unrest helps explain the urgency and seriousness with which he treats the dream, which is key to the rest of the chapter’s story.

Where else these words appear

“troubled” Hebrew H6470 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
  • Judges 13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
  • Psalms 77:4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

“dreamed” Hebrew H2492 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
  • Genesis 41:5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
  • Job 39:4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

“dream” Hebrew H2472 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
  • Genesis 41:11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
  • 1 Kings 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.