Daniel 2:4

“Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in, Syriac, etc.] These spake, either because the interpretation of dreams particularly belonged to them; or else as being the chief of the wise men, and of greatest authority; or as chosen by the rest, and spake in their name; and indeed this appellation may include them all, being all of the same country, though they might differ in their profession: they spake in the Syriac or Babylonish language, the same with the Chaldee, being their mother tongue, and that of the king too; and therefore could more easily speak it themselves, and be more easily understood by him, than if they had spoke in another; (see Gill on “<270104>Daniel 1:4”) and from hence, to…”

“Here begins the Chaldee portion of Daniel, which continues to the end of the seventh chapter. In it the course, character, and crisis of the Gentile power are treated; whereas, in the other parts, which are in Hebrew, the things treated apply more particularly to the Jews and Jerusalem. Syriac--the Aramean Chaldee, the vernacular tongue of the king and his court; the prophet, by mentioning it here, hints at the reason of his own adoption of it from this point. live for ever--a formula in addressing kings, like our "Long live the king!" Compare Kg1 1:31.”

“Then spake the Chaldeans to the king - The meaning is, either that the Chaldeans spoke in the name of the entire company of the soothsayers and magicians (see the notes, Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2), because they were the most prominent among them, or the name is used to denote the collective body of soothsayers, meaning that this request was made by the entire company. In Syriac - In the original - ארמית 'ărâmı̂yt - in “Aramean.” Greek, Συριστὶ Suristi - “in Syriac.” So the Vulgate. The Syriac retains the original word. The word means Aramean, and the reference is to that language which is known as East Aramean - a general term embracing the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the languages which were…”

“In Syriack - That is in the Chaldee tongue, for Syria or Aram is sometimes taken in a large sense, containing, Assyria, Babylon, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Palestine, Kg2 18:26. From hence all is written in the Chaldee language, to the eighth chapter. Daniel 2:9”

“2:4 Aramaic had been established by the Assyrians as the lingua franca of international communication. The practice was continued by the Babylonians. • Tell us the dream: The Babylonian wise men needed to know the contents of the dream in order to look them up in reference books. They did not depend on divine revelation.”

“in: Gen 31:47; Ezr 4:7; Isa 36:11 Syriack: Aramith, "Aramean," the language of Aram or Syria; a general term comprehending both the Chaldee and Syriac, the latter merely differing from the former as a dialect, and being written in a different character. With the following words the Chaldee part of Daniel commences; and is continued to the end of the Dan 7:1. O king: Dan 3:9, Dan 4:19, Dan 5:10, Dan 6:6, Dan 6:21; Sa1 10:24; Kg1 1:25, Kg1 1:31; Neh 2:3; Mat 21:9; Mar 11:9, Mar 11:10 tell: Dan 4:7, Dan 5:8; Gen 41:8; Isa 44:25 Daniel 2:5”