Daniel 4:2-12

2 I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought towards me.

3 How great [are] his signs! and how mighty [are] his wonders! his kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion [is] from generation to generation.

4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:

5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

6 Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise [men] of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth-sayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation of it.

8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name [is] Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, [saying],

9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation of it.

10 Thus [were] the visions of my head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its hight [was] great.

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and its hight reached to heaven, and the sight of it to the end of all the earth:

12 Its leaves [were] fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it [was] food for all: the beasts of the field had shade under it, and the fowls of heaven dwelt among its boughs, and all flesh was fed from it.

Daniel 4:2-12 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.