Daniel 4:17-27

17 "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order * that the living may ¹know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And ²bestows it on whom * He wishes And sets over it the ³lowliest of men."

18 'This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch * * as none * of the ⁴wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a ⁵spirit of the holy gods is in you.'

Daniel Interprets the Vision

19 "Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his ⁶thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do not ⁷let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, '⁸My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to ⁹your adversaries!

20 'The ¹⁰tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth

21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged -

22 it is ¹¹you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your ¹²dominion to the end of the earth.

23 'In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, "¹³Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until * ¹⁴seven periods of time pass over him,"

24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has ¹⁵come upon my lord the king:

25 that you be ¹⁶driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until * you recognize that the ¹⁷Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and ¹⁸bestows it on whomever * He wishes.

26 'And in that it was commanded to ¹⁹leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after * you recognize that it is ²⁰Heaven that rules.

27 'Therefore, O king, may my ²¹advice be pleasing to you: ²²break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by ²³showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a ²⁴prolonging of your prosperity.'

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Daniel 4:17-27 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 24

1. Psalms 9:16; Psalms 83:18; Daniel 2:21; Daniel 5:21
2. Jeremiah 27:5-7; Daniel 4:25; Daniel 5:18, 19
3. 1 Samuel 2:8; Daniel 11:21
4. Genesis 41:8, 15; Daniel 4:7; Daniel 5:8, 15
5. Daniel 4:8, 9
6. Jeremiah 4:19; Daniel 7:15, 28; Daniel 8:27; Daniel 10:16, 17
7. 1 Samuel 3:17; Daniel 4:4, 5
8. 2 Samuel 18:31; Daniel 4:24; Daniel 10:16
9. 2 Samuel 18:32
10. Daniel 4:10-12
11. 2 Samuel 12:7; Daniel 2:37, 38
12. Jeremiah 27:6, 7
13. Daniel 4:14, 15
14. Daniel 4:16
15. Job 40:11, 12; Psalms 107:40
16. Daniel 4:33; Daniel 5:21
17. Psalms 83:18; Jeremiah 27:5; Daniel 4:2, 17
18. Daniel 2:37; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 5:21
19. Daniel 4:15, 23
20. Dan 2:18, 19, 28, 37, 44; Daniel 4:31
21. Genesis 41:33-37
22. Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 55:6, 7; Ezek 18:7, 21, 22; Acts 8:22
23. Psalms 41:1-3; Is 58:6, 7, 10
24. 1 Kings 21:29; Jonah 3:9

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "greatness"
[b]. Lit "of"
[c]. Lit "his portion be with"
[d]. I.e. years
[e]. I.e. years
[f]. Lit "of"
[g]. Lit "enduring"
[h]. Or "redeem now your sins"