Daniel 4:4-14

4 "I, N'vukhadnetzar, was contentedly living at home, enjoying the luxury of my palace;

5 but as I lay on my bed, I had a dream which frightened me, followed by fantasies and visions in my head which frightened me even more.

6 So I ordered all the sages of Bavel to present themselves to me, so that they could tell me the interpretation of the dream.

7 When the magicians, exorcists, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream; but they couldn't interpret it for me.

8 Finally, however, Dani'el (renamed Belt'shatzar, after the name of my god), in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, came before me; and I told him the dream:

9 'Belt'shatzar, chief of the magicians! Because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the meaning of the visions I saw in my dream.

10 Here are the visions I had in my head as I lay on my bed: I looked, and there before me was a tree at the center of the earth; it was very tall.

11 The tree grew and became strong until its crown reached the sky, and it could be seen from anywhere on earth.

12 Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant; it produced enough food for everyone. The wild animals enjoyed its shade, the birds in the air lived in its branches, and it gave food to every living creature.

13 I looked in the visions of my head as I lay on my bed, and there appeared a holy watcher coming down from heaven.

14 He cried out: "'"Cut down the tree, cut off its branches, strip off its leaves, scatter its fruit! Let the wild animals flee from its shelter! Let the birds abandon its branches!

Daniel 4:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 4

This chapter was written by Nebuchadnezzar himself; and was either taken out of his archives, or given by him to Daniel, who under divine inspiration inserted it into this work of his; and a very useful instruction it contains, showing the sovereignty of God over the greatest kings and potentates of the earth, and this acknowledged by one of the proudest monarchs that ever lived upon it. It begins with a preface, saluting all nations, and declaring the greatness and power of God, Da 4:1-3 then follows the narrative of a dream the king dreamed, which troubled him; upon which he called for his wise men to interpret it, but in vain; at length he told it to Daniel, Da 4:4-9: the dream itself; which being told, astonished Daniel, the king being so much interested in it, Da 4:10-19, the interpretation of it, with Daniel's advice upon it, is in Da 4:20-27 the fulfilment of it, time and occasion thereof, Da 4:28-33. Nebuchadnezzar's restoration to his reason and kingdom, for which he praises God, Da 4:34-37.