Daniel 4:20-30

20 'The ¹tree 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 ²you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your ³dominion to the end of the earth.

23 'In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, "⁴Chop 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 * ⁵seven periods of time pass over him,"

24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has ⁶come upon my lord the king:

25 that you be ⁷driven 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 ⁸Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and ⁹bestows it on whomever * He wishes.

26 'And in that it was commanded to ¹⁰leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after * you recognize that it is ¹¹Heaven that rules.

27 'Therefore, O king, may my ¹²advice be pleasing to you: ¹³break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by ¹⁴showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a ¹⁵prolonging of your prosperity.'

The Vision Fulfilled

28 "All this ¹⁶happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king.

29 "¹⁷Twelve * months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.

30 "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the ¹⁸great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

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Daniel 4:20-30 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 18

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

Footnotes 10

[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"
[i]. Lit "answered"
[j]. Lit "house"