Daniel 4:10-20

10 Videbam in visione capitis mei super stratum meum, et ecce vigil, et sanctus de caelo descendit.

11 Clamavit fortiter, et sic ait: Succidite arborem, et praecidite ramos eius: excutite folia eius, et dispergite fructus eius: fugiant bestiae, quae subter eam sunt, et volucres de ramis eius.

12 Verumtamen germen radicum eius in terra sinite, et alligetur vinculo ferreo et aereo in herbis, quae foris sunt, et rore caeli tingatur, et cum feris pars eius in herba terrae.

13 Cor eius ab humano commutetur, et cor ferae detur ei: et septem tempora mutentur super eum.

14 In sententia vigilum decretum est, et sermo sanctorum, et petitio: donec cognoscant viventes quoniam dominatur Excelsus in regno hominum; et cuicumque voluerit, dabit illud, et humillimum hominem constituet super eum.

15 Hoc somnium vidi ego Nabuchodonosor rex: tu ergo Baltassar interpretationem narra festinus: quia omnes sapientes regni mei non queunt solutionem edicere mihi: tu autem potes, quia spiritus deorum sanctorum in te est.

16 Tunc Daniel, cuius nomen Baltassar, coepit intra semetipsum tacitus cogitare quasi una hora: et cogitationes eius conturbabant eum. Respondens autem rex ait: Baltassar, somnium et interpretatio eius non conturbent te. Respondit Baltassar, et dixit: Domine mi, somnium his, qui te oderunt, et interpretatio eius hostibus tuis sit.

17 Arborem, quam vidisti sublimem, atque robustam, cuius altitudo pertingit ad caelum, et aspectus illius in omnem terram:

18 et rami eius pulcherrimi, et fructus eius nimius, et esca omnium in ea, subter eam habitantes bestiae agri, et in ramis eius commorantes aves caeli:

19 Tu es rex, qui magnificatus es, et invaluisti: et magnitudo tua crevit, et pervenit usque ad caelum, et potestas tua in terminos universae terrae.

20 Quod autem vidit rex vigilem, et sanctum descendere de caelo, et dicere: Succidite arborem, et dissipate illam, attamen germen radicum eius in terra dimittite, et vinciatur ferro et aere in herbis foris, et rore caeli conspergatur, et cum feris sit pabulum eius, donec septem tempora mutentur super eum:

Daniel 4:10-20 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.