Daniel 4:10-20

10 This is the vision of mine head in my bed. I saw, and lo! a tree was in the midst of (the) earth, and the highness thereof was full great. (This is the vision that I had in my head on my bed. I saw, and lo! a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was very great.)
11 And the tree was great and strong, and the height thereof touched heaven (and its height touched the heavens, or the sky), and the beholding thereof was unto the ends of all (the) earth.
12 The leaves thereof were full fair, and the fruit thereof was full much, and the meat of all was in it; beasts and wild beasts dwelled under it, and birds of the air lived in the branches thereof, and each man ate of it. (Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit was bountiful, and there was food on it for all; the wild beasts lived under it, and the birds of the air lived in its branches, and all who were alive ate from it.)
13 Thus I saw in the vision of mine head, on my bed. And lo! a waker, and holy came down from heaven, (This I saw in the vision in my head, on my bed. And lo! a watcher, yea, a holy one, came down from heaven,)
14 and he cried (out) strongly, and said thus, Hew ye down the tree, and cut ye down the boughs thereof, and shake ye away the leaves thereof, and scatter ye abroad the fruits thereof; beasts flee away, that be under it, and birds from the boughs thereof. (and he cried out loudly, and said this, Cut ye down the tree, and cut ye off its branches, and shake ye away its leaves, and scatter ye abroad its fruits; let the beasts flee away, that be under it, and the birds fly away from its branches.)
15 Nevertheless suffer ye the seed of the roots thereof in [the] earth, and be he bound with a band of iron and of brass, in herbs that be withoutforth; and in the dew of heaven be he dyed, and his part be with wild beasts in the herb of the earth. (But allow ye the stump of the tree, with its roots, to remain in the ground, and be it bound with a band of iron and of bronze, amidst the herbs that be outside; and let the man be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his part be with the wild beasts amidst the herbs, or upon the pastures, of the land.)
16 His heart be changed from man's heart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and seven times be changed on him. (And let his heart be changed from a man's heart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and then let seven years pass over him.)
17 In the sentence of wakers it is deemed, and it is the word and asking of saints, till living men know, that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he shall ordain on it the meekest man. (In the decision of the watchers so it is determined, and it is the word and the asking of the saints, until all those living know, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he may ordain upon it even the most humble person.)
18 I, Nebuchadnezzar, the king, saw this dream. Therefore thou, Belteshazzar, tell hastily the interpreting, for all the wise men of my realm be not able to say to me the solving; but thou mayest, for the spirit of [the] holy gods is in thee. (I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream. And so, O Belteshazzar, quickly tell me its interpretation, for all the wise men of my kingdom cannot tell me its interpretation; but I know that thou can, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.)
19 Then Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, began to think privily within himself, as in one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. Forsooth the king answered, and said, Belteshazzar, the dream and the interpreting thereof, disturb not thee. Belteshazzar answered, and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpreting thereof be to thine enemies. (Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, began to think privately within himself, for one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. And the king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream, or its interpretation, disturb thee. And Belteshazzar answered, My lord, I wish that the dream was for those who hate thee, and its interpretation was for thy enemies, and not for thee.)
20 The tree which thou sawest high and strong, whose height stretched till to heaven (whose height stretched unto the heavens, or up to the sky), and the beholding thereof into each land,

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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.