Daniel 2:5

The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The king addresses the Chaldean astrologers immediately after they request he state his dream so they may interpret it. He issues a conditional decree before offering any compensation.

The words — The Aramaic phrase מִלּתָא מִנִּי אַזְדָּא (milta mini azda) literally renders "a word from me is assured." This establishes the king's absolute authority over the proceeding.

The thread — The threat of dismantling houses appears in Ezra 6:11 and Daniel 3:29, where royal decrees enforce compliance through property destruction. The motif of royal edicts binding all subjects runs through these passages.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of a sovereign's unchallengeable command before any divine revelation is granted. It requires the reader to confront the reality of absolute earthly authority preceding divine intervention.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

עָנֵ֤ה'a.Neh[was] replying מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka/'king/ the וְאָמַ֣רve./'a.Marand/ [was] saying לְכַשְׂדָּאֵ֔יle./khas.da.'e/ito/ Chaldeans/ the מִלְּתָ֖אmi.le.Ta/'word/ the מִנִּ֣יmi./Nifrom/ me אַזְדָּ֑א'az.Da'[is] assured הֵ֣ןhenif לָ֤אla'not תְהֽוֹדְעוּנַּ֙נִי֙te.hod.'u.Na./niyou will make known to/ me חֶלְמָ֣אchel.Ma/'dream/ the וּפִשְׁרֵ֔הּu./fish.Re/hand/ interpretation/ its הַדָּמִין֙ha.da.Minmembers תִּתְעַבְד֔וּןtit.'av.Dunyou will be made וּבָתֵּיכ֖וֹןu./va.tei./Khonand/ houses/ your נְוָלִ֥יne.va.Lia refuse-heap יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן׃yi.te.sa.Munthey will be made

King James Version

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

Cross-references

Ezra 6:11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense.
Daniel 3:29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”
2 Kings 10:27 They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.
Psalms 50:22 Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
Deuteronomy 13:16 And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.
1 Samuel 15:33 But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
Psalms 58:7 May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted.
Daniel 2:12 This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Joshua 6:26 At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”