Charles Ellicott Commentary Daniel 2:1

"And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him." — Daniel 2:1 (ASV)

The second year. —Nebuchadnezzar was proleptically spoken of as “king of Babylon” in Daniel 1:1, because his father did not die until after the battle of Carchemish. On the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, see Notes on 2 Kings 24:1.

Dreams. —Spoken of in Daniel 2:3 as “a dream.” The one dream consisted of several parts, and is therefore spoken of in the plural. For the effects of the dream on the king’s mind, compare Genesis 41:8.

His sleep brake.—That is, his sleep finished. A similar use of the word occurs in Daniel 6:18 and Esther 6:1. The anxiety which the vision caused him prevented him from sleeping again.

And no wonder. The battle of Carchemish, which forced Egypt to retire within her ancient frontiers, had indeed made Nebuchadnezzar master of all the district east of the Euphrates; but there was a growing power northward of him, the Median, which he may have dreaded, though at this time he was on good terms with it, and this may have increased his alarm and led him to feel some presentiment of evil.