Daniel 4:12

12 The leaves of it were beautiful, and the fruit of it much, and in it was food for all: the animals of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the sky lived in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed from it.

Daniel 4:12 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 4:12

The leaves thereof were fair
Or "branches" ^F9, as some; and design either the provinces belonging to his empire, which were very large and flourishing; or the governors of them under him, as Saadiah, who made no small and contemptible figure; his princes were altogether kings: and the fruit thereof much;
great revenues from all parts of the empire were brought to him: and in it was meat for all;
the produce of the several countries, and the trade carried on in them, brought in a sufficient livelihood to all the inhabitants: the beasts of the field had shadow under it;
the inhabitants of the several Heathenish nations under him, and even those that were most savage, were protected in their lives and properties by him; so princes should be a screen, a protection to their subjects: and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof;
which Saadiah interprets of the Israelites, in opposition to the foreign nations, comparable to the beasts of the field: and all flesh was fed of it;
all his subjects shared in the good things his victorious arms brought into his empire; all enriched, or however made comfortable, and had a sufficiency of food and raiment; so that there was no reason to complain of him as oppressive to his subjects.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hype) "ramus ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "ramos ejus", Junius & Tremellius; "rami ejus", Piscator.

Daniel 4:12 In-Context

10 Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and the height of it was great.

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height of it reached to the sky, and the sight of it to the end of all the earth.

12 The leaves of it were beautiful, and the fruit of it much, and in it was food for all: the animals of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the sky lived in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky.

14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the animals get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.