In a moment of deadly crisis, with the threat of execution hanging over the wise men of Babylon, a desperate search for answers begins. Facing a sudden and brutal death sentence, Daniel steps forward to uncover the reasoning behind the king's extreme reaction. He speaks out loud and clear [מצודת ציון], approaching Arioch. Daniel appeals to him not merely as the man in charge of the executions, but as a senior government official. He recognizes that a leader in such a high position would certainly know the true motives behind the king's decisions [מלבי״ם].
Daniel questions the harsh nature of the royal decree. The primary approach among commentators is that the king's order was defined by extreme speed and haste [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון], driven by an impulse to quickly bring shame upon others [מצודת ציון]. However, others understand the command as a forceful, strict, and cruelly bold directive to execute the wise men [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Regardless of the exact nuance, Daniel is baffled by the illogical pace of the events. Even if the king made an incredibly difficult demand, why not give the advisors time to isolate themselves and seek a prophetic answer? Why rush to shed their blood without a moment's pause? [אלשיך, מצודת דוד].
Arioch then reveals the sequence of events. He explains that the king's massive anger erupted because the wise men could not tell him the dream he had forgotten [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, the king did not initially refuse them time. Instead, the wise men themselves declared the task completely impossible and failed to ask for an extension. Hearing this sparks hope in Daniel. Realizing he was not involved in their failure or their despair, he understands the door is still open for him to approach the king and request more time [אלשיך, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].
A deeper perspective offers a completely different angle on the king's rage. When the Babylonian wise men claimed that no person on earth could uncover such mysteries, the king suddenly remembered the priests of God and the Urim and Thummim, who possessed exactly that ability. The memory struck him hard, filling him with fury toward his own advisors for failing to stop him from destroying the Temple and killing the priests who carried this divine wisdom. Therefore, the rapid execution order was not just about frustration over a forgotten dream. It was fueled by a deep anger over the loss of divine insight, ruined by their terrible advice. Daniel, unaware of this hidden motive, was confused by the rush to execute everyone over a dream, until Arioch shared the true reason driving the decree [אלשיך].