Daniel 4

Daniel 4:1-37 . EDICT OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR CONTAINING HIS SECOND DREAM, RELATING TO HIMSELF.

Punished with insanity for his haughtiness, he sinks to the level of the beasts (illustrating Psalms 49:6 Psalms 49:12 ). The opposition between bestial and human life, set forth here, is a key to interpret the symbolism in the seventh chapter concerning the beasts and the Son of man. After his conquests, and his building in fifteen days a new palace, according to the heathen historian, ABYDENUS (268 B.C), whose account confirms Daniel, he ascended upon his palace roof ( Daniel 4:29 , Margin), whence he could see the surrounding city which he had built, and seized by some deity, he predicted the Persian conquest of Babylon, adding a prayer that the Persian leader might on his return be borne where there is no path of men, and where the wild beasts graze (language evidently derived by tradition from Daniel 4:32 Daniel 4:33 , though the application is different). In his insanity, his excited mind would naturally think of the coming conquest of Babylon by the Medo-Persians, already foretold to him in the second chapter.

1. Peace--the usual salutation in the East, shalom, whence "salaam." The primitive revelation of the fall, and man's alienation from God, made "peace" to be felt as the first and deepest want of man. The Orientals (as the East was the cradle of revelation) retained the word by tradition.

2. I thought it good--"It was seemly before me" ( Psalms 107:2-8 ).
signs--tokens significant of God's omnipotent agency. The plural is used, as it comprises the marvellous dream, the marvellous interpretation of it, and its marvellous issue.

4. I was . . . at rest--my wars over, my kingdom at peace.
flourishing--"green." Image from a tree ( Jeremiah 17:8 ). Prosperous ( Job 15:32 ).

6. It may seem strange that Daniel was not first summoned. But it was ordered by God's providence that he should be reserved to the last, in order that all mere human means should be proved vain, before God manifested His power through His servant; thus the haughty king was stripped of all fleshly confidences. The Chaldees were the king's recognized interpreters of dreams; whereas Daniel's interpretation of the one in Daniel 2:24-45 had been a peculiar case, and very many years before; nor had he been consulted on such matters since.

8. Belteshazzar--called so from the god Bel or Belus

9. spirit of the holy gods--Nebuchadnezzar speaks as a heathen, who yet has imbibed some notions of the true God. Hence he speaks of "gods" in the plural but gives the epithet "holy," which applies to Jehovah alone, the heathen gods making no pretension to purity, even in the opinion of their votaries ( Deuteronomy 32:31 ; compare Isaiah 63:11 ). "I know" refers to his knowledge of Daniel's skill many years before ( Daniel 2:8 ); hence he calls him "master of the magicians."
troubleth--gives thee difficulty in explaining it.

10. tree--So the Assyrian is compared to a "cedar" ( Ezekiel 31:3 ; compare Ezekiel 17:24 ).
in the midst of the earth--denoting its conspicuous position as the center whence the imperial authority radiated in all directions.

12. beasts . . . shadow under it--implying that God's purpose in establishing empires in the world is that they may be as trees affording men "fruits" for "meat," and a "shadow" for "rest" (compare Lamentations 4:20 ). But the world powers abuse their trust for self; therefore Messiah comes to plant the tree of His gospel kingdom, which alone shall realize God's purpose ( Ezekiel 17:23 , Matthew 13:32 ). HERODOTUS [7.19] mentions a dream (probably suggested by the tradition of this dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel) which Xerxes had; namely, that he was crowned with olive, and that the branches of the olive filled the whole earth, but that afterwards the crown vanished from his head: signifying his universal dominion soon to come to an end.