John Gill Commentary Daniel 2:8

"The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me." — Daniel 2:8 (ASV)

The king answered and said, I know of certainty I see plainly and clearly what you are at, and am fully assured you mean nothing, but that

you would gain the time ^F6; or buy, or redeem time, as in (Ephesians 5:16), prolong time, put off the answer to longer time; spin out time, as people do in buying and selling; or have it in their possession and power when to answer; and so by gaining time, or being master of it, might hope something would turn up to their advantage, and extricate them out of their present difficulties:

because you see the thing is gone from me; the dream he could not remember; or because the decree was certain which he had determined concerning them; (See Gill on Daniel 2:5).

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FOOTNOTES:

• F6: (Nynbz Nwtna ande yd) "quod tempus vos emitis", Pagninus, Munster; "ementes", Montanus; "vos tempus redimere", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.