Daniel 4 Study Notes

4:26 This is the only place in the OT where Heaven is used as a euphemism for God.

4:27 Daniel advised the king to repent (doing what is right) with the hope that this might prevent God’s discipline.

4:29-30 Nebuchadnezzar had no less than three palaces in the city of Babylon. He was walking on the roof of one of them when he was overcome with the glory of the city and was consumed with pride. In his exclamation Is this not Babylon the Great that I (lit “I, myself”) have built . . . by my vast power and for my majestic glory?, Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed himself the source of majesty. He failed to give God the credit and glory as the ultimate giver of all good gifts. Many years later, the apostle Paul scolded the Corinthians for their pride by asking, “What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?” (1Co 4:7).

4:31 Having delayed the execution of his sentence against Nebuchadnezzar for a year (v. 28), God disciplined him the instant he became fully consumed with his pride, even while the words were still in the king’s mouth.

4:33 Nebuchadnezzar may have suffered from boanthropy, a rare mental illness in which people believe they are actually cattle. One modern case of boanthropy resulted in the patient growing long matted hair and thickened fingernails, much like Nebuchadnezzar, whose hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. Critics contend that secular history has no record of Nebuchadnezzar’s mental illness. However, it is questionable as to whether an ancient Near Eastern despot would mention his bout with insanity in official court records which were typically devoted to highlighting his accomplishments. Silence about an embarrassing episode is understandable. Moreover, the church historian Eusebius cited Abydenus, a third-century BC Greek historian who referred to a time when Nebuchadnezzar was “possessed by a god.” Also, the third-century BC historian Berosus possibly referred to these events when he spoke of an illness that befell Nebuchadnezzar just before his death.

4:34 Boanthropy does not render its victims entirely unable to reason or understand what has happened to them, so it was possible for the king to realize that his own pride had caused his insanity. Realizing the cause of his state, Nebuchadnezzar repented of his pride and acknowledged the Most High God. His sanity returned to him instantly, a signal that God had lifted his sentence.

4:34-36 As an epilogue to the narrative, Nebuchadnezzar glorified God, using words that describe his realization that God’s dominion is an everlasting dominion and also aptly summarize the theme of the book of Daniel.

4:37 The last sentence of the chapter summarizes the message of the story—that God is able to humble those who walk in pride. Some disbelieve that the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar actually came to a saving knowledge of the true God, but possibly he did.