Arioch

Biblical Account

Arioch appears only in Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and orders the execution of all the wise men of Babylon because they cannot tell him both the dream and its interpretation. The man sent out to carry out this order is "Arioch the captain of the king's guard" (Daniel 2:14).

Daniel answered Arioch "with counsel and wisdom" and asked him why the king's decree was so hasty, and Arioch explained the matter to him (Daniel 2:14–15). After God revealed the secret of the dream to him, Daniel went back to Arioch and asked him not to destroy the wise men of Babylon but to bring him before the king (Daniel 2:24). Arioch brought Daniel in haste before the king and said, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah" (Daniel 2:25). Scripture records nothing further about him.

An "Arioch king of Ellasar" also appears in Genesis 14. He was a king in the time of Abraham who fought in alliance with other kings, and he is a different person from the Arioch of the Book of Daniel.

Significance in Scripture

In the narrative of Daniel 2, Arioch serves as the link between the king's decree and Daniel. Through him Daniel comes before the king, and the wise men of Babylon are spared from death. The Aramaic title rendered "captain of the guard" is understood to mean literally "chief of the slaughterers (executioners)." For this reason, some interpreters regard the title as designating an office that also included carrying out executions at the king's command. The New Testament does not mention Arioch.

Interpretations and Debates

• Interpretations differ regarding Arioch's statement, "I have found a man …." Some commentators see it as an attempt to take credit for himself, while others regard it as a conventional expression used by court officials when reporting to the king.
• Daniel 2:16 records that Daniel himself went in to the king and asked for time. In 2:25, however, Arioch speaks as though he were introducing Daniel for the first time. Some critical scholars see this discrepancy as evidence that distinct traditions were combined. Conservative commentators harmonize the two accounts by explaining that the earlier occasion was a brief petition, whereas this was a formal audience.
• The origin of the name Arioch is uncertain. The text also says nothing about his motives for helping Daniel or about his character. Stories that supply these details are speculation beyond the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Arioch is mentioned chiefly as a supporting figure in sermons and Bible studies on Daniel 2. In such contexts, attention is also given to Daniel's wise words and conduct in the face of crisis, and to his request that even the lives of the pagan wise men be spared.