The Meaning of Daniel 2:9 Explained

Daniel 2:9

KJV: But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

YLT: so that, if the dream ye do not cause me to know -- one is your sentence, seeing a word lying and corrupt ye have prepared to speak before me, till that the time is changed, therefore the dream tell ye to me, then do I know that its interpretation ye do shew me.'

Darby: but if ye do not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me its interpretation.

ASV: But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But if  ye will not  make known  unto me the dream,  [there is but] one  decree  for you: for ye have prepared  lying  and corrupt  words  to speak  before  me, till  the time  be changed:  therefore  tell  me the dream,  and I shall know  that  ye can shew  me the interpretation  thereof. 

What does Daniel 2:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 2:1-13 - The Forgotten Dream
This was the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's sole reign. At first he was joint-governor with his father. From Daniel 2:4 b to Daniel 7:28 the Syriac language is employed, and as this was the vernacular tongue of the king and his court, it is possible that this part of Daniel's record is based upon documents of state. The king's argument throughout his discussion with the magicians and astrologers, was that if they could not recall the past, they certainly could not be trusted to foretell the future; and the failure of the wise-men provided the opportunity for the greater triumph of the servant of God. The wise-men of Babylon said truly that only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, could recover lost dreams. Daniel thought so, too, only he looked to the Lord God of his fathers. Irresponsible power is a temptation to the ruler, and perilous to the ruled. No mortal should have despotic power over life and death. But a movement is afoot in our times which is likely to give to all nations what Abraham Lincoln described as, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 2

1  Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream,
5  requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats
10  They acknowledging their inability are judged to die
14  Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream
19  He blesses God
24  He staying the decree is brought to the king
31  The dream
36  The interpretation
46  Daniel's advancement

What do the individual words in Daniel 2:9 mean?

Which if dream the not you do make known to me [only] one [there] is decree for you for words lying and corrupt - you have agreed to speak before me until till the time has changed therefore the dream tell me and I shall know that its interpretation you can give me
דִּ֣י הֵן־ חֶלְמָא֩ לָ֨א תְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּ֜נִי חֲדָה־ הִ֣יא דָֽתְכ֗וֹן וּמִלָּ֨ה כִדְבָ֤ה וּשְׁחִיתָה֙ [הזמנתון] (הִזְדְּמִנְתּוּן֙‪‬) לְמֵאמַ֣ר קָֽדָמַ֔י עַ֛ד דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א יִשְׁתַּנֵּ֑א לָהֵ֗ן חֶלְמָא֙ אֱמַ֣רוּ לִ֔י וְֽאִנְדַּ֕ע דִּ֥י פִשְׁרֵ֖הּ תְּהַחֲוֻנַּֽנִי

חֶלְמָא֩  dream  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֵלֶם  
Sense: dream.
תְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּ֜נִי  you  do  make  known  to  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
חֲדָה־  [only]  one 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: חַד  
Sense: one (number).
הִ֣יא  [there]  is 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
דָֽתְכ֗וֹן  decree  for  you 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּת  
Sense: decree, law.
וּמִלָּ֨ה  for  words 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלָּה  
Sense: word, thing.
כִדְבָ֤ה  lying 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כְּדַב  
Sense: false, lying.
וּשְׁחִיתָה֙  and  corrupt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שְׁחַת  
Sense: to corrupt.
[הזמנתון]  - 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine plural
(הִזְדְּמִנְתּוּן֙‪‬)  you  have  agreed 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: זְמַן  
Sense: to agree together, appoint a time.
לְמֵאמַ֣ר  to  speak 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
קָֽדָמַ֔י  before  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: קֳדָם  
Sense: before, in front of.
עַ֛ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: even to, until, up to, during conj.
דִּ֥י  till 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
עִדָּנָ֖א  the  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: עִדָּן  
Sense: time.
יִשְׁתַּנֵּ֑א  has  changed 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁנָה  
Sense: to change, be altered, be changed.
חֶלְמָא֙  the  dream 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֵלֶם  
Sense: dream.
אֱמַ֣רוּ  tell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
לִ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וְֽאִנְדַּ֕ע  and  I  shall  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
דִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
פִשְׁרֵ֖הּ  its  interpretation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּשַׁר  
Sense: interpretation (of dream).
תְּהַחֲוֻנַּֽנִי  you  can  give  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: חֲוָה  
Sense: to show, interpret, explain, inform, tell, declare.