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Daniel 4

1

Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

2

I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward 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 mine 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.

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6

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

1
7

Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

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8

But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was 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,

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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 thereof.

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10

Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

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11

The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

12

The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

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13

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

14

He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

15

Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

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Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

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17

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

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18

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

19

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

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20

The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

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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:

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It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

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And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

24

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

25

That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

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And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

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Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

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All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

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At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

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The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31

While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

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And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

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And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

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At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

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Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

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Daniel 4:17

“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

Study Summary

Daniel begins the official interpretation: The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, whose top reached to heaven and which was visible to all the earth; whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all; under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests—it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth. Daniel explicitly identifies the tree as Nebuchadnezzar himself, his empire, and his power. The repetition of the dream's images (great tree, reaching to heaven, visible to all) emphasizes the accuracy of Daniel's interpretation. Daniel's address (it is you, O king!) is direct; he does not soften the identification or allow the king false hope that the prophecy concerns someone else. The affirmation that the king has grown great and strong and that his greatness has increased and reaches to heaven acknowledges the reality of Nebuchadnezzar's power while implicitly suggesting that such power contains seeds of its own downfall.

Community Reflections

1
David Mensah (test user)1d ago
Mercy and justice — Daniel 4

God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. There's something deeply comforting about knowing that the same God who spoke these words is the same yesterday, today, and forever.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. The thread of covenant runs through every book of the Bible.. God is faithful…

Read the note →
1
Amara Diallo (test user)9h ago
Walking by faith — Daniel 4

I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God…

Read the note →
1
Omar Hassan (Test User)9h ago
The meaning of sacrifice — Daniel 4

We bring nothing; He provides everything.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every…

Read the note →

Daniel 4:17

“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

Study Summary

Daniel begins the official interpretation: The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, whose top reached to heaven and which was visible to all the earth; whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all; under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests—it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth. Daniel explicitly identifies the tree as Nebuchadnezzar himself, his empire, and his power. The repetition of the dream's images (great tree, reaching to heaven, visible to all) emphasizes the accuracy of Daniel's interpretation. Daniel's address (it is you, O king!) is direct; he does not soften the identification or allow the king false hope that the prophecy concerns someone else. The affirmation that the king has grown great and strong and that his greatness has increased and reaches to heaven acknowledges the reality of Nebuchadnezzar's power while implicitly suggesting that such power contains seeds of its own downfall.

Community Reflections

1
David Mensah (test user)1d ago
Mercy and justice — Daniel 4

God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. There's something deeply comforting about knowing that the same God who spoke these words is the same yesterday, today, and forever.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. The thread of covenant runs through every book of the Bible.. God is faithful…

Read the note →
1
Amara Diallo (test user)9h ago
Walking by faith — Daniel 4

I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God…

Read the note →
1
Omar Hassan (Test User)9h ago
The meaning of sacrifice — Daniel 4

We bring nothing; He provides everything.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every…

Read the note →

Daniel 4:17

Daniel begins the official interpretation: The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, whose top reached to heaven and which was visible to all the earth; whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all; under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests—it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth. Daniel explicitly identifies the tree as Nebuchadnezzar himself, his empire, and his power. The repetition of the dream's images (great tree, reaching to heaven, visible to all) emphasizes the accuracy of Daniel's interpretation. Daniel's address (it is you, O king!) is direct; he does not soften the identification or allow the king false hope that the prophecy concerns someone else. The affirmation that the king has grown great and strong and that his greatness has increased and reaches to heaven acknowledges the reality of Nebuchadnezzar's power while implicitly suggesting that such power contains seeds of its own downfall.