John Gill Commentary Daniel 2:30

"But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart." — Daniel 2:30 (ASV)

But as for me As to the part I have in this affair, I can ascribe nothing to myself; it is all owing to the God of heaven, the recovery of the dream, and its interpretation:

this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living : He did not think or affirm that he had more wisdom than any man living, as the Vulgate Latin version and others suggest. The king might have thought he did, by revealing this secret to him, and that it was owing to that. But he had not such wisdom; whatever wisdom he had, which was the gift of God, it was not through that, or any sagacity and penetration into things he was master of, superior to others, that it was revealed to him. Therefore, he would not have it placed to any such account. He said this in great modesty, in order to set the king right, and that God might have all the glory:

but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king ; He meant not only himself and his companions concerned with him, that they might be promoted to honour and dignity, but also the whole body of the Jews in captivity, with which they were in connection. This was so they might meet with more civil and kind treatment, for the sake of the God they worshipped, who revealed this secret to the king:

or, "but that they might make known" ^F24; meaning the three Persons in the Godhead, as some suggest; or the angels, as others; or the ministers of God, as Aben Ezra. Or rather, it may be rendered impersonally, but that the interpretation might be made known to the king ^F25, as by the Vulgate Latin, as it follows:

and that you might know the thoughts of your heart ; both what they were, which were forgotten, and the meaning of them.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F24: (Nwedwhy-Nhl) "sed ut notificarent", Pagninus, Montanus; "indicent", Vatablus.
• F25: "Sed ut interpretatio regi manifesta fieret", V. L. "eo fine ut indicetur", De Dieu.