Daniel 4:25-35

25 They shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts, and thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be beshed with the dew of heaven, also seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord over the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will. (They shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knoweth, or thou acknowledgeth, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people, and giveth it to whomever he will.)
26 Forsooth that he commanded that the seed of (the) roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left, thy realm shall (still) dwell to thee, after that thou knowest that the power is of heaven. (And that he commanded that the stump of the tree, with its roots, should be left, so thy kingdom shall still remain with thee, after that thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the power is from heaven.)
27 Wherefore, king, my counsel please thee, and again-buy thy sins with alms-deeds, and again-buy thy wickednesses with mercies of poor men; in hap God shall forgive thy trespasses. (And so, O king, let my counsel please thee, and redeem thy sins with alms-deeds, and redeem thy wickednesses with mercies for the poor; perhaps God shall forgive thy trespasses.)
28 All these things came on Nebuchadnezzar, the king. (And indeed all these things came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.)
29 After the end of twelve months he walked in the hall (of the palace) of Babylon; (Yea, after twelve months, when he walked in the hall of the palace in Babylon;)
30 and the king answered, and said, Whether this is not Babylon, the great city, which I builded into the house of (the) realm, in the might of my strength, and in the glory of my fairness? (and the king said to himself, Is this not Babylon, the great city, which I have built into the capital of my kingdom, or of my empire, by the might of my strength, and in the glory of my beauty?)
31 When the word was yet in the mouth of the king, a voice fell down from heaven, (and said,) Nebuchadnezzar, king, it is said to thee, Thy realm is passed from thee, (And when these words were still in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven, and said, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is said to thee, Thy kingdom hath now passed from thee/Thy kingdom is now taken away from thee,)
32 and they shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts; thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, and seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will. (and they shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts; thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the Most High God is the Lord over the kingdom of people, and giveth it to whomever he will.)
33 In the same hour the word was fulfilled [up]on Nebuchadnezzar, and he was cast out from men, and he ate hay, as an ox doeth, and his body was coloured with the dew of heaven, till his hairs waxed at the likeness of eagles? (feathers), and his nails as the nails, [or (the) claws,] of birds. (In that same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was thrown out from among people, and he ate grass, like an ox doeth, and his body was sprinkled with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew into the likeness of eagles? feathers, and his nails like birds? claws.)
34 Therefore after the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised mine eyes to heaven, and my wit was yielded to me; and I blessed the Highest, and I praised, and glorified him that liveth without end; for why his power is everlasting power, and his realm is in generation and into generation. (And so at the end of these days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised up my eyes to heaven, and my mind, or my sanity, was restored to me; and I blessed the Most High God, and I praised, and glorified him who liveth forever; because his power is everlasting power, and his kingdom is forever and ever.)
35 And all the dwellers of earth be areckoned into nought at him; for by his will he doeth, both in the hosts of heaven, and in the dwellers of earth, and none is that (may) against-standeth his hand, and saith to him, Why didest thou so? (And all the inhabitants of the earth be reckoned as nothing by him; for he doeth by his will, both to the armies of heaven, and to the inhabitants of the earth, and there is no one who can stand against his power, and can say to him, Why didest thou so?)

Daniel 4:25-35 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.