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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Daniel 2:3 he said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/daniel/2-3.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/20/27_Dan_02_03.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Daniel 2:3 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="he said to them, I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it." /><script type="application/javascript" 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align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/daniel/2-2.htm" title="Daniel 2:2">◄</a> Daniel 2:3 <a href="/daniel/2-4.htm" title="Daniel 2:4">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/daniel/2.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/daniel/2.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />he said to them, &#8220I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/daniel/2.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/daniel/2.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/daniel/2.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/daniel/2.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/daniel/2.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/daniel/2.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />The king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/daniel/2.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />The king said to them, &#8220I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/daniel/2.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/daniel/2.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Then the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/daniel/2.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />The king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled <i>and</i> anxious to know the [content and meaning of the] dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/daniel/2.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />he said to them, “I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/daniel/2.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />he said to them, &#8220I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it.&#8221 <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/daniel/2.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/daniel/2.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />and said, "I am disturbed by a dream that I don't understand, and I want you to explain it." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/daniel/2.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/daniel/2.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />The king said to them, "I had a dream, and I'm troubled by it. I want to know what the dream was."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/daniel/2.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />he said to them, "I'm worried about a dream I've had. I want to know what it means." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/daniel/2.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />the king told them, "I have dreamed a dream and I will remain troubled until I can understand it." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/daniel/2.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />he said to them, ?I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/daniel/2.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />The king told them, "I have had a dream, and I am anxious to understand the dream."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/daniel/2.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />The king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/daniel/2.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/daniel/2.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />The king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/daniel/2.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and the king says to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is moved to know the dream.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/daniel/2.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and the king saith to them, 'A dream I have dreamed, and moved is my spirit to know the dream.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/daniel/2.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the king will say to them, I dreamed a dream, and my spirit will be moved to know the dream.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/daniel/2.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And the king said to them: I saw a dream: and being troubled in mind I know not what I saw. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/daniel/2.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And the king said to them, “I saw a dream, and, being confused in mind, I do not know what I saw.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/daniel/2.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />he said to them, “I had a dream which will allow my spirit no rest until I know what it means.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/daniel/2.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />he said to them, “I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it.”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/daniel/2.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/daniel/2.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the King said to them: I have seen a dream, and my spirit is disturbed to know the dream<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/daniel/2.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And the king said unto them: 'I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/daniel/2.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And the king said to them, I have dreamed, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/daniel/2-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shUZJK-vYxI?start=244" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/daniel/2.htm">Nebuchadnezzar's Dream</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">2</span>So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, <span class="reftext">3</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/4428.htm" title="4428: ham·me·leḵ (Art:: N-ms) -- King. From malak; a king.">he</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mer (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">said to them,</a> <a href="/hebrew/lā·hem (Prep-l:: Pro-3mp) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/2472.htm" title="2472: ḥă·lō·wm (N-ms) -- A dream. Or chalom; from chalam; a dream.">“I have had a dream,</a> <a href="/hebrew/2492.htm" title="2492: ḥā·lā·mə·tî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- To bind firmly, to be, plump, to dream. A primitive root; properly, to bind firmly, i.e. to be plump; also to dream."></a> <a href="/hebrew/7307.htm" title="7307: rū·ḥî (N-csc:: 1cs) -- Breath, wind, spirit. From ruwach; wind; by resemblance breath.">and my spirit</a> <a href="/hebrew/6470.htm" title="6470: wat·tip·pā·‘em (Conj-w:: V-Nifal-ConsecImperf-3fs) -- To thrust, impel. A primitive root; to tap, i.e. Beat regularly; hence to impel or agitate.">is anxious</a> <a href="/hebrew/3045.htm" title="3045: lā·ḏa·‘aṯ (Prep-l:: V-Qal-Inf) -- A primitive root; to know; used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially.">to understand</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/2472.htm" title="2472: ha·ḥă·lō·wm (Art:: N-ms) -- A dream. Or chalom; from chalam; a dream.">it.”</a> </span><span class="reftext">4</span>Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/41-8.htm">Genesis 41:8</a></span><br />In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/esther/6-1.htm">Esther 6:1</a></span><br />That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/2-1.htm">Matthew 2:1-3</a></span><br />After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, / asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” / When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/16-9.htm">Acts 16:9</a></span><br />During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/33-15.htm">Job 33:15-16</a></span><br />In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, / He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/3-5.htm">1 Kings 3:5</a></span><br />One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/27-19.htm">Matthew 27:19</a></span><br />While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/40-5.htm">Genesis 40:5-8</a></span><br />both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. / When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. / So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joel/2-28.htm">Joel 2:28</a></span><br />And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/2-17.htm">Acts 2:17</a></span><br />‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/7-13.htm">Judges 7:13-15</a></span><br />And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.” / His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.” / When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/1-20.htm">Matthew 1:20</a></span><br />But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/28-15.htm">1 Samuel 28:15</a></span><br />Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/10-10.htm">Acts 10:10-17</a></span><br />He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. / He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. / It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/6-11.htm">2 Kings 6:11</a></span><br />For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/daniel/2-1.htm">Daniel 2:1</a></b></br> And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/40-8.htm">Genesis 40:8</a></b></br> And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and <i>there is</i> no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, <i>Do</i> not interpretations <i>belong</i> to God? tell me <i>them</i>, I pray you.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/41-15.htm">Genesis 41:15</a></b></br> And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and <i>there is</i> none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, <i>that</i> thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/42-16.htm">Anxious</a> <a href="/ezekiel/44-23.htm">Clear</a> <a href="/ezekiel/26-12.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/daniel/2-2.htm">Dream</a> <a href="/daniel/2-1.htm">Dreamed</a> <a href="/ezekiel/46-7.htm">Means</a> <a href="/ezekiel/38-14.htm">Moved</a> <a href="/daniel/2-1.htm">Spirit</a> <a href="/daniel/2-1.htm">Troubled</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-8.htm">Troubles</a> <a href="/daniel/1-17.htm">Understand</a> <a href="/ezekiel/36-32.htm">Want</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/daniel/7-15.htm">Anxious</a> <a href="/daniel/2-4.htm">Clear</a> <a href="/daniel/2-18.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/daniel/2-4.htm">Dream</a> <a href="/genesis/28-12.htm">Dreamed</a> <a href="/daniel/4-26.htm">Means</a> <a href="/daniel/8-7.htm">Moved</a> <a href="/daniel/4-8.htm">Spirit</a> <a href="/daniel/4-5.htm">Troubled</a> <a href="/daniel/4-9.htm">Troubles</a> <a href="/daniel/2-30.htm">Understand</a> <a href="/daniel/3-18.htm">Want</a><div class="vheading2">Daniel 2</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-1.htm">Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, </a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-5.htm">requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-10.htm">They acknowledging their inability are judged to die.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-14.htm">Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-19.htm">He blesses God.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">24. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-24.htm">He staying the decree is brought to the king.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">31. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-31.htm">The dream.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">36. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-36.htm">The interpretation.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">46. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/2-46.htm">Daniel's advancement.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/daniel/2.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/daniel/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/daniel/2.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>he said to them</b><br>This phrase introduces King Nebuchadnezzar speaking to his advisors, which included magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans. In the Babylonian court, these groups were considered wise men and were often consulted for their supposed ability to interpret dreams and omens. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief in the significance of dreams as messages from the divine. The king's reliance on these advisors highlights the cultural and religious practices of Babylon, which were steeped in polytheism and divination.<p><b>I have had a dream</b><br>Dreams in the ancient world, particularly in the context of the Bible, were often seen as a means through which God or the gods communicated with humans. In the Old Testament, dreams are frequently used by God to reveal His plans or to provide guidance, as seen with Joseph in <a href="/genesis/37.htm">Genesis 37</a> and Pharaoh's dreams in <a href="/genesis/41.htm">Genesis 41</a>. Nebuchadnezzar's dream is significant because it sets the stage for God's revelation through Daniel, contrasting the wisdom of God with the limitations of human understanding and pagan practices.<p><b>and my spirit is anxious</b><br>The king's anxiety reflects the belief that dreams could be omens of future events, often causing fear or concern if their meaning was not understood. This anxiety underscores the limitations of human wisdom and the inability of Nebuchadnezzar's advisors to provide true insight. It also sets the stage for Daniel's role as God's chosen interpreter, emphasizing the peace and understanding that come from divine revelation. The king's troubled spirit can be compared to Pharaoh's distress in <a href="/genesis/41-8.htm">Genesis 41:8</a>, where only God's servant could provide the true interpretation.<p><b>to understand it</b><br>The desire to understand the dream highlights the human quest for knowledge and the limitations of earthly wisdom. In the biblical narrative, true understanding comes from God, as seen in Daniel's ability to interpret the dream through divine revelation. This theme is echoed in <a href="/proverbs/2-6.htm">Proverbs 2:6</a>, which states, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." The king's quest for understanding ultimately points to the sovereignty of God and His control over the affairs of nations, as revealed in the subsequent interpretation of the dream.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/n/nebuchadnezzar.htm">Nebuchadnezzar</a></b><br>The king of Babylon who has a troubling dream that he seeks to understand. His reign is marked by significant power and influence, and his dreams often have prophetic significance.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylon.htm">Babylon</a></b><br>The setting of this event, Babylon was a major empire known for its wealth, power, and influence in the ancient world. It serves as a backdrop for many of the events in the Book of Daniel.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/d/dream.htm">Dream</a></b><br>The central event in this passage, the dream is a divine message that causes Nebuchadnezzar great anxiety. Dreams in the ancient Near East were often seen as messages from the divine.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/s/spirit.htm">Spirit</a></b><br>Refers to Nebuchadnezzar's inner being or emotional state, which is troubled and seeking understanding. The Hebrew word for spirit, "ruach," can denote breath, wind, or spirit, indicating a deep, internal disturbance.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/u/understanding.htm">Understanding</a></b><br>The king's desire to comprehend the meaning of his dream. This reflects a common human quest for knowledge and insight, especially regarding divine messages.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_quest_for_understanding.htm">The Quest for Understanding</a></b><br>Just as Nebuchadnezzar sought understanding, believers are encouraged to seek wisdom and insight from God, especially when faced with confusion or anxiety.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/divine_communication.htm">Divine Communication</a></b><br>God often communicates in ways that require us to seek Him for interpretation. This passage encourages reliance on God for understanding His messages.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_anxiety.htm">The Role of Anxiety</a></b><br>Nebuchadnezzar's anxiety serves as a reminder that human understanding is limited and that true peace comes from seeking God's wisdom.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_dreams.htm">The Importance of Dreams</a></b><br>While not all dreams are divine, this passage highlights that God can use dreams to convey important messages, urging believers to be attentive to how God might speak.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>The passage underscores God's control over kingdoms and His ability to reveal His plans to those in power, reminding believers of His ultimate authority.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_daniel_2.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Daniel 2</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_did_daniel_interpret_the_dream.htm">How can modern scientific understanding explain Daniel's alleged ability to know and interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:31-35) without natural means?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_trust_daniel's_god_over_babylon's_deities.htm">In Daniel 4:18, why would Nebuchadnezzar trust Daniel's God-based interpretation over the Babylonian wise men if their religious context supposedly revered other deities?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/2_chr_1_7_-_did_god_appear_to_solomon.htm">2 Chronicles 1:7 - How could God physically appear to Solomon and speak to him, and what evidence supports this event?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_defines_fellowship_with_god.htm">What is the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/daniel/2.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) <span class= "bld">I have dreamed.--</span>It has been questioned whether the king had really forgotten his dream, or whether he only pretended to have done so in order that he might prove the skill of his wise men. The conduct of the Chaldaeans (<a href="/daniel/2-10.htm" title="The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man on the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.">Daniel 2:10</a>) makes the latter hypothesis possible. However, it is more in accordance with what is stated about the anxious condition of the king's mind to assume that he remembered a portion of the dream, but that he had lost the general outline of it.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/daniel/2.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.</span> The Revised Version improves the English of the verse by putting the verb in the present, "My Spirit is troubled to know the dream." The Septuagint Version has the appearance of a paraphrase, "And the king said to them, I have seen a dream, and my spirit is troubled, and I desire to understand the dream." It is an unusual combination "to see a dream;" from its unusualness the reading of the Septuagint is to be preferred. In old Hebrew <span class="hebrew">ל</span> (<span class="accented">l</span>) and <span class="hebrew">ז</span> (<span class="accented">z</span>) are not unlike each other, nor are <span class="hebrew">מ</span> (<span class="accented">m</span>) and <span class="hebrew">י</span> (<span class="accented">y</span>). Yet these two, letters are the only differences between <span class="accented">halamti</span>, "I have dreamed." and <span class="accented">hazithi.</span> "I have seen." The Peshitta has <span class="accented">haloma hazith</span>, which gives the same combination, and would indicate that here too the Aramaic original is shining through It is however, difficult to see how such a word as <span class="accented">ahpatz.</span> "I wish," could drop out of the Massoretic. The must natural solution is that the translator added <span class="greek">θέλω</span> to complete the sense. Certainly a link is awanting as it stands in the ordinary interpretation of this verse. Theodotion agrees with the Massoretic, while the Vulgate paraphrases the last clause, "And the king said to them. I have seen a dream, and confused in mind I have forgot what I saw." The king has been perturbed by the dream, and his perturbation leads him to wish to knew the dream - not necessarily what the dream actually had been, but what it meant. Thus in <a href="/daniel/1-17.htm">Daniel 1:17</a> Daniel had understanding "in all visions and dreams;" this meant that he knew the meaning of dreams and visit us. The other versions give us no assistance to explain this. Archdeacon Rose says, "The king here plainly intimates that, though the dream had troubled and perplexed him. he could not remember what it was." It does not appear to us quite so plain It is certainly not impossible to imagine that, while the king had been strongly affected by the dream, he might not remember distinctly what it was. If, however, he had no remembrance of the dream, and only the feeling of perturbation, any grandiose vision might have been brought before him, and he would not have been able to check it, or say that was not the dream he had had. If, again, he had some fragmentary remembrance, he naturally would have told what he remembered, in order that they might reconstruct his dream for him. Nebuchadnezzar's great purpose is not merely to see again his dream, but really to test these soothsayers that promised so much. If they could with such certainty as they professed tell what was about to happen, surely it was no great demand that they should know this dream of his. The king seems merely to have made the general statement, and left the soothsayers to tell at once the dream and interpretation. There sits the king with troubled brow, and there stand before him the principal adepts at interpretation of dreams. Some have found it a difficulty that God should reveal the future to a heathen monarch. But in the parallel case of Pharaoh this occurred; certainly the future revealed to him was the immediate future of the, land he ruled, whereas the dream of Nebuchadnezzar extended in its revelation to the very end of time. Archdeacon Rose refers to Pilate's wife and her mysterious dream at the trial of our Lord. The revelation as given to Nebuchadnezzar served a double purpose - it gave emphasis to it when, not an obscure Hebrew scholar got the vision, but the great conqueror; further, it gave an occasion for bringing Daniel into prominence, and gave thus to trim and to his companions an opportunity of showing their fidelity to God. This gave an occasion for miracles, the effect of which was to strengthen the Jews in their faith. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/daniel/2-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">he</span><br /><span class="heb">הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ</span> <span class="translit">(ham·me·leḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4428.htm">Strong's 4428: </a> </span><span class="str2">A king</span><br /><br /><span class="word">said to them,</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיֹּ֧אמֶר</span> <span class="translit">(way·yō·mer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“I have had a dream,</span><br /><span class="heb">חֲל֣וֹם</span> <span class="translit">(ḥă·lō·wm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2472.htm">Strong's 2472: </a> </span><span class="str2">A dream</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and my spirit</span><br /><span class="heb">רוּחִ֔י</span> <span class="translit">(rū·ḥî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7307.htm">Strong's 7307: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit</span><br /><br /><span class="word">is anxious</span><br /><span class="heb">וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם</span> <span class="translit">(wat·tip·pā·‘em)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6470.htm">Strong's 6470: </a> </span><span class="str2">To tap, beat regularly, to impel, agitate</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to understand</span><br /><span class="heb">לָדַ֖עַת</span> <span class="translit">(lā·ḏa·‘aṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3045.htm">Strong's 3045: </a> </span><span class="str2">To know</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it.”</span><br /><span class="heb">הַחֲלֽוֹם׃</span> <span class="translit">(ha·ḥă·lō·wm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2472.htm">Strong's 2472: </a> </span><span class="str2">A dream</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/daniel/2-3.htm">Daniel 2:3 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/daniel/2-3.htm">OT Prophets: Daniel 2:3 The king said to them I have (Dan. Da Dn) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/daniel/2-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Daniel 2:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Daniel 2:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/daniel/2-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Daniel 2:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Daniel 2:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>