King James Bible
"And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
The Chaldean wise men protest that Nebuchadnezzar's demand—to reveal both his dream and its interpretation without being told the dream—is extraordinarily difficult. The word 'rare' emphasizes the impossible nature of the task, as no human precedent exists for such a feat. The magicians admit their complete inability and assert that no mortal possesses such supernatural knowledge. This confession of inadequacy from Babylon's most learned men highlights the limitations of human wisdom and sets up the contrast with Daniel's God-given abilities. The wise men's polytheistic worldview emerges as they claim only distant deities could know such mysteries. Their phrase 'not with flesh' reflects the pagan belief that gods remain aloof from humanity, ironically preparing for Daniel's God who does reveal mysteries to His servants.