Daniel 2:14 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom This seems to be better rendered in the Vulgate, namely, Tunc Daniel requisivit de lege atque sententia ab Arioch Then Daniel inquired of Arioch concerning the law and decree, namely, which the king had made for destroying the wise men: that is, he inquired the reason of the decree and judgment issued against them; for as he had not been called in unto the king with the other wise men, he probably was ignorant of all that had passed with regard to the king's dream. The word שׂעם, here rendered wisdom, usually signifies an edict, or public decree, set forth by authority. Captain of the king's guard “Literally, chief of the king's executioners. Greek, αρχιμαγειρω, the chief butcher [or chief cook.] The term רב שׂבחיא, may probably mean, the leader of the guard appointed for capital punishments. Nor does this office seem to have been at all infamous; for Arioch had free access to the king, as we find, Daniel 2:25: see also 1 Samuel 15:33. And perhaps his office might be to execute any of the king's commands on his subjects, whether they related to honour or dishonour, to life or to death. The same title is given to Nebuzar-adan, 2 Kings 25:8; and from the character of the commander, it seems to mean a person of the first authority over the soldiery. Mr. Bruce (Trav., p. 455) speaks of an officer, called the executioner of the camp, whose business it was to attend at capital punishments; and this belonged only to a detachment of the royal Abyssinian army.” Wintle.