Daniel 4:14

14 He cried aloud and said: "Cut down the tree and chop off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from beneath it and the birds 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 foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant, and it provided food for all. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the air nested in its branches, and from it all living beings were fed.

13 "I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy watcher, coming down from heaven.

14 He cried aloud and said: "Cut down the tree and chop off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from beneath it and the birds from its branches.

15 But leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field in the grass of the earth.

16 Let his mind be changed from that of a human, and let the mind of an animal be given to him. And let seven times pass over him.