“Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:”
Daniel's final counsel to the king is practical and spiritual: Therefore, O king, may my advice be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquility. Daniel urges Nebuchadnezzar to respond to the prophecy through moral and spiritual transformation: righteous living and merciful treatment of the oppressed. The phrase atone for your sins with righteousness suggests that the king can diminish the judgment's severity through repentance and reformed conduct. The possibility that merciful treatment of the oppressed might provide a lengthening of your tranquility suggests that the prophecy is not absolutely fixed; the king's response might alter its timing or severity. This counsel reflects wisdom tradition's conviction that righteous action produces blessing, while unrepentant wickedness produces judgment. Daniel offers Nebuchadnezzar a choice: respond to the prophecy with spiritual transformation and possible mitigation of judgment, or ignore it and face the full severity of the announced decree.
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