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

DANIEL 2:8KJV
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Daniel 2:8 (KJV)

What does Daniel 2:8 mean?

Daniel 2:8 shows King Nebuchadnezzar telling his advisors that he knows they are trying to stall for time because they realize he has forgotten his dream. The king is accusing them of delaying because they see he cannot supply the details of the dream himself.

In this scene, King Nebuchadnezzar is speaking directly to the wise men of Babylon, who have just been asked to reveal both the dream and its meaning. The king’s statement makes it clear he suspects the advisors are not able to do what he asks and are hoping to avoid punishment by delaying. This verse highlights the tension and urgency in the royal court as the king demands an answer that the wise men cannot provide.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 2:8

  • "gain" (אַזְדָּה, 'azdah): This word means to "buy" or "gain," and here it refers to the advisors trying to "buy time" or stall for more time. The king’s use of this word shows he sees through their attempts to delay.
  • "thing" (מִלָּה, millāh): This word means "word," "matter," or "thing." In this context, it refers to the dream itself, which the king says is "gone from me," meaning he cannot recall it. This detail is crucial because it sets up the impossible task he gives his advisors.

Why Daniel 2:8 matters

  • Daniel 2:8 clarifies that Nebuchadnezzar truly does not remember his dream, rather than simply testing his advisors, which is important for understanding the pressure they are under.
  • The verse reveals the king’s suspicion and frustration, showing he does not trust his wise men and believes they are trying to deceive him.
  • This moment sets the stage for Daniel’s later intervention, highlighting the inability of human wisdom to solve the king’s problem and preparing the reader for the dramatic solution that follows.

Where else these words appear

“gone” Hebrew H230 · used in 2 verses

  • Daniel 2:5 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.

“certainty” Hebrew H3330 · used in 5 verses

  • Daniel 2:45 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.
  • Daniel 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
  • Daniel 6:12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

“time” Hebrew H5732 · used in 11 verses

  • Daniel 2:9 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.
  • Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
  • Daniel 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

“I” Hebrew H576 · used in 16 verses

  • Ezra 6:12 And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
  • Daniel 4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
  • Daniel 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: