Daniel 2:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What of Daniel? In response to the king, Daniel stated, “The secret that you seek cannot be disclosed to you by wise men, sorcerers, enchanters, or fortune-tellers. However, there is a God in heaven who unveils secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will occur in the latter days.” Observe the wisdom of the prophet. He refrained from proclaiming, “I shall reveal it to you” right away; instead, he first addressed what the king truly needed to understand. He indicated that the mystery the king is curious about cannot be unveiled by wise men, sorcerers, enchanters, or fortune-tellers.

The revelations sought by the king cannot be disclosed through wise men, sorcerers, or fortune-tellers. Instead of referring to haruspices in our translation, the Hebrew term is gazarenos, which Simmachus rendered as θυτας, a term the Greeks generally use for ηπατοσκοπους, as they analyze the entrails of sacrificial offerings to predict future events. By describing the interpretation of dreams as a mystery, it highlights that all that remains concealed or unknown to humanity may be termed a mystery. Furthermore, it dispels the king's misguided belief that what is divinely known can be uncovered through mere human skill.

A remarkable beginning to his teachings! After dismissing the throngs of foolish individuals and recognizing their powerlessness, he proclaimed that God is the one who reveals hidden truths. He added the phrase "in heaven," thereby rejecting the multitude of deities that are honored and acknowledging that the singular God dispels the notion of non-existent gods. By emphasizing God's presence in heaven, he illustrates that the visible deities are mere illusions crafted by human creativity.