Daniel 4:4-18

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

4 ^[a] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.

5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ¹the visions of my head alarmed me.

6 So ²I made a decree that ³all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7 Then ⁴the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ⁵they could not make known to me its interpretation.

8 At last Daniel came in before me--he who was named ⁶Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ⁷the spirit of the holy gods^[b]--and I told him the dream, saying,

9 "O Belteshazzar, ⁸chief of the magicians, because I know that ⁹the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ¹⁰mystery is too difficult for you, tell me ¹¹the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.

10 ¹²The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ¹³behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

11 ¹⁴The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.

12 ¹⁵Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ¹⁶The beasts of the field found shade under it, and ¹⁷the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 "I saw in ¹⁸the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ¹⁹a watcher, ²⁰a holy one, came down from heaven.

14 He ²¹proclaimed aloud and said thus: ²²'Chop down the tree and ²³lop off its branches, ²⁴strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ²⁵Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

16 Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; ²⁶and let seven periods of time ²⁷pass over him.

17 The sentence is by the decree of ²⁸the watchers, the decision by the word of ²⁹the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ³⁰rules the kingdom of men ³¹and gives it to whom he will and ³²sets over it the lowliest of men.'

18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ³³Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ³⁴all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ³⁵the spirit of the holy gods is in you."

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Daniel 4:4-18 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 35

1. Daniel 2:28; Daniel 7:15
2. See Daniel 3:10
3. Daniel 2:12
4. See Daniel 2:2
5. [ver. 18; Daniel 2:27; Daniel 5:8, 15]
6. See Daniel 1:7
7. ver. 18; Daniel 2:11; Daniel 5:11; Genesis 41:38; [Isaiah 63:14]
8. Daniel 5:11; [Daniel 2:48]
9. [See ver. 8 above]
10. Daniel 2:18
11. [See ver. 5 above]
12. [See ver. 5 above]
13. [Ezekiel 31:3]
14. [Psalms 37:35]
15. Ezekiel 31:7
16. Ezekiel 31:6
17. Ezekiel 31:6
18. [See ver. 5 above]
19. ver. 23
20. [Deuteronomy 33:2; Zechariah 14:5; Jude 14]
21. See Daniel 3:4
22. ver. 23; [Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:9]
23. [Ezekiel 31:12]
24. [Ezekiel 31:12]
25. [Ezekiel 31:12]
26. [ver. 23, 25]
27. [1 Chronicles 29:30]
28. [See ver. 13 above]
29. [See ver. 13 above]
30. ver. 25, 32; Daniel 5:21
31. Jeremiah 27:5
32. See 1 Samuel 2:8
33. See Daniel 1:7
34. [ver. 7; Daniel 5:8, 15; Genesis 41:8]
35. See ver. 8

Footnotes 2

[a]. Ch 4:1 in Aramaic
[b]. Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.