Daniel 4:19-33

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

19 Then Daniel, whose name was ¹Belteshazzar, was ²dismayed for a while, and ³his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, ⁴may the dream be for those who hate you ⁵and its interpretation for your enemies!

20 ⁶The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,

21 ⁷whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived--

22 ⁸it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ⁹Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ¹⁰and your dominion to the ends of the earth.

23 And because the king saw ¹¹a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ¹²'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till ¹³seven periods of time pass over him,'

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

25 ¹⁴that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ¹⁵to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ¹⁶seven periods of time shall pass over you, till ¹⁷you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

26 And as it was commanded ¹⁸to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.

27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ¹⁹practicing righteousness, ²⁰and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ²¹that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

30 and the king answered and said, ²²"Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by ²³my mighty power as a royal residence and for ²⁴the glory of my majesty?"

31 ²⁵While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,

32 ²⁶and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, ²⁷until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will."

33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁸He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

Daniel 4:19-33 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.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 18 above]
• 2. Daniel 3:24
• 3. Daniel 5:6
• 4. [1 Samuel 25:26; 2 Samuel 18:32]
• 5. [1 Samuel 25:26; 2 Samuel 18:32]
• 6. [ver. 10, 11]
• 7. [ver. 12]
• 8. [Ezekiel 31:3]
• 9. See Jeremiah 27:6-8
• 10. See Jeremiah 27:6-8
• 11. ver. 13
• 12. ver. 14, 15
• 13. ver. 16
• 14. ver. 32, 33; [Daniel 5:21]
• 15. [Psalms 106:20]
• 16. [See ver. 23 above]
• 17. ver. 17, 32
• 18. ver. 15, 23
• 19. Matthew 6:1
• 20. Proverbs 16:6; [Matthew 25:35, 36; Luke 11:41]
• 21. [Jeremiah 18:8; Jonah 3:10; Acts 8:22; 2 Timothy 2:25]
• 22. [Daniel 5:20]
• 23. [ver. 36; Daniel 2:37]
• 24. [ver. 36; Daniel 2:37]
• 25. [Daniel 5:5; Luke 12:20]
• 26. ver. 17, 25; Daniel 5:21
• 27. ver. 17, 25; Daniel 5:21
• 28. [See ver. 32 above]