When faced with an impossible royal decree to recount a forgotten dream, the court's wise men realize their stalling tactics have failed. They must now present a firm, historical, and theological defense explaining why they cannot solve the mystery. The Chaldeans adopt an apologetic tone, explaining that their initial hesitation stemmed from the sheer absurdity of the demand; they originally assumed the king was merely joking or trying to trick them [אלשיך]. Now, they base their defense on two complementary arguments: the limits of human ability and the complete absence of historical precedent.
They declare that no person on earth could possibly uncover and reveal the king's secret [רש״י]. The primary approach among commentators is that reconstructing a forgotten dream is entirely beyond human capability. This admission reveals the theological worldview of the Chaldeans, who concede that their expertise is strictly limited to the natural world and astrology. A magician, for instance, can only attempt to manipulate astrological luck [רש״י], but lacks the power to penetrate the lost thoughts of another human being. According to their understanding, while lower spiritual forces might uncover secrets that a person still retains in their memory, retrieving a dream that has been completely erased requires the direct intervention of God, who does not dwell among mortals. Such a feat demands true prophecy, a divine gift that existed exclusively within Israel and was never granted to the wise men of other nations [מלבי״ם].
To further validate their position, they argue that their inability to answer is historically justified, simply because no one has ever made such a request [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. They detail a complete hierarchy of political power to illustrate their point: an emperor who controls multiple countries, a high official governing numerous cities within a province, and a local leader ruling over villages connected to a single city [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Despite the immense authority wielded by all these rulers throughout history, not a single one ever demanded such a thing [רש״י], nor did they ever make a request that even came close to the sheer unreasonableness of the king's current demand [אלשיך].