Man living at the time of Exile and Return
Arioch, the captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's guard, was commanded to execute the wise men of Babylon but brought Daniel before the king to interpret his dream.
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Arioch is mentioned in the book of Daniel as the captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's guard during the time of the Babylonian exile. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and demanded that his wise men not only interpret the dream but also tell him what he had dreamed. When they were unable to do so, the king ordered Arioch to execute all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel, a young Jewish exile, requested time from Arioch to interpret the king's dream. Arioch brought Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel was able to reveal both the content of the dream and its interpretation, which concerned the rise and fall of future kingdoms and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom.
Arioch's role in this narrative highlights the danger faced by Daniel and his friends, as well as the power and authority of the Babylonian king. Arioch's willingness to grant Daniel's request and bring him before Nebuchadnezzar also demonstrates the respect and trust that Daniel had earned in the Babylonian court, even as a young exile.
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4 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0746
Then Arioch, the commander of the kingʼs guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.
“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”
Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.