John Calvin Commentary Daniel 2:27

"Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king;" — Daniel 2:27 (ASV)

First, with respect to these names, we do not need to trouble ourselves much, since even the Jews themselves are compelled to guess at them. They are very bold in their definitions and rash in their affirmations, and yet they cannot clearly distinguish how one kind of wise man differed from the others; therefore, it is sufficient for us to hold that the discussion now concerns those then esteemed “wise men,” under the various designations of Magi, Soothsayers, and Astrologers.

Now, as to Daniel’s answer. He says it was not surprising that the king did not find what he hoped for among the Magi, since God had breathed into him this dream beyond the comprehension of human intellect. I do not know whether those interpreters are right who think magical arts here simply condemned; for I rather think a comparison is instituted between the king’s dream and the substance of the science of the Magi.

I always exclude superstitions by which they vitiated true and genuine science. But as far as the principles are concerned, we cannot precisely condemn astronomy and whatever belongs to the consideration of the order of nature. This appears to me the whole intention — the king’s dream was not subjected to human knowledge, for mortals have no such natural skill as to be able to comprehend the meaning of the dream, and God manifests those secrets which need the peculiar revelation of the Spirit.

When Daniel says the Magi, Astrologers, and the rest cannot explain the king's dream to him, and are not suitable interpreters of it, the true reason is because the dream was not natural and had nothing in common with human conjectures, but was the peculiar revelation of the Spirit.

This is similar to when Paul disputes concerning the Gospel: he brings into consideration every kind of human intelligence, because those who are endowed with any remarkable acuteness or ability think they can accomplish anything.

But the doctrine of the Gospel is a heavenly mystery (1 Corinthians 2:4) which cannot be comprehended by the most learned and talented among men. The real sense of Daniel’s words is this — the Magi, Astrologers, and Soothsayers had no power of expounding the king’s dream, since it was neither natural nor human.

This is clearly evident from the context, because he adds:

There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. For I take ברם, berem, here for the adversative particle. He therefore opposes the revelation of God to the conjectures and interpretations of the Magi, since all human sciences are included, so to speak, within their own bounds and bolts. Daniel, therefore, says that the matter requires the singular gift of the Holy Spirit.

The same God who also revealed the king’s dream to Daniel distributes to each of us ability and skill according to his own pleasure. From where does it arise that some are remarkable for quickness and others for stupidity and sloth? — that some become proficient in human arts and learning, and others remain utterly ignorant, unless God shows, by this variety, how by his power and will the minds of men become enlightened or remain blunt and stupid?

Since the Almighty is the supreme origin of all intelligence in the world, what Daniel here says is not generally true; and this contrast, unless we come to particulars, is either cold or superfluous. We understand, therefore, why he said in the former verse that the Magi and Astrologers could not explain the king’s dream, since the Almighty had raised King Nebuchadnezzar above the common level for the purpose of explaining futurity to him through his dream.

There is then a God in heaven who reveals secrets; he shews to king Nebuchadnezzar what will come to pass. He confirms what I have said, that the king was utterly unable to comprehend the meaning of his own dream. It often happens that men’s minds move here and there, and thus make clever guesses; but Daniel excludes all human media, and speaks of the dream as proceeding directly from God.

He adds, what shall happen at the end or extremity of the days. We may inquire what he means by the word “extremity.” Interpreters think this ought to be referred to the advent of Christ; but they do not explain why this word signifies Christ’s advent. There is no obscurity in the phrase; “the end of the days” signifies the advent of Christ, because it was a kind of renewal to the world.

Most truly, indeed, the world is still in the same state of agitation as it was when Christ was manifest in the flesh; but, as we shall afterwards see, Christ came for the very purpose of renovating the world, and since his Gospel is a kind of perfection of all things, we are said to be “in the last days.” Daniel compares the whole period preceding Christ’s advent with this extremity of the days.

God therefore wished to show the king of Babylon what should occur after one monarchy had destroyed another, and also that there should be an end of those changes whenever Christ’s kingdom should arrive. At present I touch but briefly on this point, since more must be said upon it by and by.

This, he says, is the dream and vision of thy head upon thy couch. It may seem absurd for Daniel here to profess to explain to the king the nature of his dream and its interpretation, and yet to put in something else. But, as he will add nothing out of place, we ought not to question the propriety of his saying this was the king’s vision and his dream; for his object was to rouse the king more urgently to attend to both the dream and its interpretation.

Here we must take notice how the Prophet persists in this, with the view of persuading the king that God was the author of the dream about which he inquired of Daniel; for the words would be entirely thrown away unless men were thoroughly persuaded that the explanation given proceeded from God.

For many in the present day will hear willingly enough what may be said about the Gospel, but they are not inwardly touched by it, and then all they hear vanishes away and immediately escapes them. Therefore, reverence is the principle of true and solid understanding.

Thus Daniel does not abruptly bring forward either the explanation or the narration of the dream, but prepares the proud king to listen, by showing him that he neither dreamt at random nor in accordance with his own thoughts, but was divinely instructed and admonished concerning hidden events.