Daniel 2:4

Syriack. Heb. ’aramith, “Aramaic.” The royal family and the ruling class of the empire were Aramaic-speaking Chaldeans originating from southern Mesopotamia. It is therefore not surprising to find that the king’s courtiers spoke to him in Aramaic and not in Babylonian, the tongue of the native population of Babylon. The Aramaeans were an important branch of the Semitic peoples, and their language included many dialects.

From this verse on to the end of ch. 7 the record is in Aramaic and not in Hebrew, as is the remainder of the book. On the possible reasons for this see p. 749.

O king, live for ever. The Babylonian formula found in contemporary inscriptions reads somewhat like this: “May Nabu and Marduk give long days and everlasting years to the king my lord.” Compare 1 Sam. 10:24; 1 Kings 1:31; Neh. 2:3; Dan. 3:9; 5:10; 6:21.