Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament · Daniel Chapter 2

After Nebuchadnezzar had given honour to the God of the Jews, he rewarded Daniel, the servant of this God, with gifts, and by elevating him to high offices of state. רבּי , to make great, is more fully defined by the following passages. השׁלטהּ , he made him a man of power, ruler over the province of Babylon, i.e., vicegerent, governor of this province. According to Daniel 3:2, the Chaldean kingdom consisted of several מדינתא , each of which had its own שׁלטון . The following סגנין ורב depends zeugmatically, however, on השׁלטהּ : and (made him) president over all the wise men. סגנין , Hebr. סגנים , vicegerent, prefect, is an Aryan word incorporated into the Hebrew, ζωγάνης in Athen., but not yet certainly authenticated in Old Persian; vide (Spiegel in Delitzsch on Isaiah 41:25. The wise men of Babylon were divided into classes according to their principal functions, under סגנין , chiefs, whose president (= רב־מג , Jeremiah 39:3) Daniel was.

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