Lives of Scripture

Arioch was captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's bodyguard in Babylon, tasked with carrying out the king's furious order to execute all of Babylon's wise men after none of them could tell Nebuchadnezzar the content of a troubling dream he refused to describe, let alone interpret it (Daniel 2:12-13). When Arioch came to seize Daniel and his three companions along with the rest, Daniel "replied with prudence and discretion" to him, asking directly why the king's decree was so urgent, and Arioch explained the situation (2:14-15). Rather than executing Daniel on the spot, Arioch allowed him to go before the king and request time, which Nebuchadnezzar granted (2:16). God then revealed both the dream and its interpretation to Daniel in a night vision (2:17-23). Daniel went back to Arioch, who had been ordered to destroy Babylon's wise men, and told him, "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king" (2:24). Arioch hurried Daniel in before Nebuchadnezzar, taking credit for having "found a man" among the exiles who could make the interpretation known (2:25). Daniel then gave God, not himself, full credit for revealing the mystery (2:27-30), an interpretation that led Nebuchadnezzar to fall on his face and honor Daniel's God as "God of gods and Lord of kings" (2:46-47).