Daniel 4:14

14 He proclaimed loudly: ‘Cut down the tree and shear off its branches! Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit! The creatures should flee from its shelter; the birds should take flight from its branches.

Daniel 4:14 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 4:14

He cried aloud
Or, with strengths; ^F12 being a mighty angel, and that he might be heard far and near: and said thus, hew down the tree;
remove this mighty monarch from his throne; take away his government from him: this is said to fellow angels employed in the affairs of Providence, and the execution of them, to bring about an event so momentous: and cut off his branches;
take away his provinces, each of the parts of his dominion, from him: shake off his leaves:
cause his deputy governors to shake off their allegiance to him: and scatter his fruit;
the revenues of his vast empire, and let others take them: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches;
those that have either voluntarily betook themselves to him for protection; or have been carried captive by him, and have lived under his shadow, whether of the more barbarous nations, or more civilized, as the Jews; let them take the opportunity of withdrawing from him, and returning to their own lands; see ( Jeremiah 51:9 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 (lyxb) "in virtute", Montanus; "cum robore", Gejerus; "fortier", Cocceius, Michaelis; "strenue", Junius & Tremellius, Broughtonus.

Daniel 4:14 In-Context

12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant; it had enough food for everyone. Wild animals took shade under it; birds nested in its branches. All living things lived off that tree.

13 “In my mind, as I lay in bed, I saw another vision: A holy watcher came down from heaven.

14 He proclaimed loudly: ‘Cut down the tree and shear off its branches! Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit! The creatures should flee from its shelter; the birds should take flight from its branches.

15 But leave its deepest root in the earth, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Dew from heaven is to wash it, and it must live with the animals in the earth's vegetation.

16 Its human mind is to be changed: it will be given the mind of an animal. Seven periods of time will pass over it.