Daniel 2:37

37 "You, O king, are the ¹king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the ²power, the strength and the glory;

Daniel 2:37 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 2:37

Thou, O king, art a king of kings
Having many kings subject and tributary to him, or would have; as the kings of Judah, Ammon, Moab, and others, and who were even his captives and prisoners; see ( Jeremiah 52:32 ) . Jarchi and Saadiah join this with the next clause, "the God of heaven", and interpret it of him thus, thou, O King Nebuchadnezzar, "the King of kings, who is the God of heaven, hath given unto thee"; so some in the Talmud understand it of God ^F11; but this is contrary to the accents: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength,
and glory;
that is, a very powerful, strong, and glorious kingdom, famous for its mighty armies, strong fortresses, and great riches, from all which the king had great honour and glory; and this he had not by his ancestors, or his own military skill and prowess, but by the favour and gift of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 T. Bab. Shebuot, fol. 35. 2.

Daniel 2:37 In-Context

35 "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36 "This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.

37 "You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;

38 and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

39 "After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 47:5; Jeremiah 27:6, 7; Ezekiel 26:7
• 2. Psalms 62:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "sovereignty"