Daniel 4 Study Notes: Nebuchadnezzar Humbled
Nebuchadnezzar tells in his own words how Daniel explained his dream of a giant tree felled to a stump and urged him to turn from his sins. A year later the king boasts of his greatness and lives like an animal until he looks to heaven, regains his reason, praises God’s eternal rule and is restored to his throne.
General
After explaining the dream, what did Daniel urge the king to do (Daniel 4:27)?
Answer: Forsake his sins, do what is just, and be merciful to the downtrodden
Daniel did not stop at explaining the dream. He urged the king to turn from his sins by living righteously, and from his wrongdoing by being kind to the oppressed. Then perhaps his prosperity would last longer (4:27). The word perhaps matters: Daniel offered no guarantee, only the hope that God might hold back. The Ninevites repented on the same kind of hope (Jonah 3:9). True repentance, which means turning away from sin, shows itself in changed conduct (Luke 3:8); here Daniel names right living and mercy. God promises mercy to the one who confesses and forsakes his sins (Proverbs 28:13). Such changed living is the fruit of turning to God, not a payment that earns His favor.
- Daniel 4:27 (BSB)“Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.””Daniel counsels the king to turn from his sins and hopes his prosperity may continue.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Mercy is promised to the one who admits and abandons his sin.
- Luke 3:8 (BSB)“Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”John the Baptist calls for fruit that fits true repentance.
- Jonah 3:9 (BSB)“Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.””Nineveh’s king calls for repentance in the hope, not the certainty, that God may relent.
Theological
What counsel did Daniel give the king after the interpretation (Daniel 4:27)?
Answer: Forsake his sins, do what is just, and be merciful to the downtrodden
Daniel presses the interpretation toward repentance: turn from his sins through right conduct and from his wrongdoing through mercy toward the downtrodden, in the hope that the king’s prosperity might be extended (4:27). The tentative perhaps is significant. Daniel holds out no guaranteed reprieve, only the possibility that God might delay, much as the Ninevites repented on the hope that God might relent (Jonah 3:9). Genuine repentance bears fruit in changed conduct (Luke 3:8), and mercy is promised to the one who confesses and renounces his sin (Proverbs 28:13). Righteousness and mercy here are the fruit of turning from sin, not a price paid for God’s favor.
- Daniel 4:27 (BSB)“Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.””Daniel counsels the king to turn from his sins and hopes his prosperity may continue.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Mercy is promised to the one who admits and abandons his sin.
- Luke 3:8 (BSB)“Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”John the Baptist calls for fruit that fits true repentance.
- Jonah 3:9 (BSB)“Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.””Nineveh’s king calls for repentance in the hope, not the certainty, that God may relent.
General
True or False: When the appointed time was over, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes toward heaven, his mind came back to him, and he gave praise to the Most High (Daniel 4:34).
Answer: True
This is true. When the appointed time was over, Nebuchadnezzar looked up toward heaven, and his sanity was given back to him. At once he praised and honored the Most High, who lives forever (4:34). The king tells this in his own words, again speaking as I. His honor and glory came back, his counselors and nobles came looking for him, he was put back on his throne, and he became even greater than before (4:36). Just as the stump had promised (4:26), the kingdom came back once he acknowledged God’s rule. God brings rulers down and lifts up the humble (Luke 1:52), and, as Hannah sang long before, it is the LORD who brings low and lifts up (1 Samuel 2:7).
- Daniel 4:34 (BSB)“But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.”When the appointed time ends, the king looks up to heaven, his reason returns, and he praises God.
- Daniel 4:36 (BSB)“At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.”His honor and throne are restored, and his greatness increases.
- Luke 1:52 (BSB)“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.”Mary praises God for toppling rulers and raising the lowly.
- 1 Samuel 2:7 (BSB)“The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.”Hannah praises the LORD as the One who brings low and lifts up.
Theological
True or False: When the appointed period ended, Nebuchadnezzar raised his eyes to heaven, regained his reason, and blessed the Most High (Daniel 4:34).
Answer: True
This is true. The turning point comes when the king lifts his eyes to heaven; his reason returns and he blesses and glorifies the Most High, who lives forever (4:34), narrated again in his own first-person voice. His honor, splendor and throne are restored, with greatness beyond what he had before (4:36), exactly as the preserved stump had signified (4:26). The episode enacts the pattern of God’s rule over the mighty: He brings down rulers and exalts the humble (Luke 1:52); as Hannah confessed, it is the LORD who abases and exalts (1 Samuel 2:7).
- Daniel 4:34 (BSB)“But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.”When the appointed time ends, the king looks up to heaven, his reason returns, and he praises God.
- Daniel 4:36 (BSB)“At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.”His honor and throne are restored, and his greatness increases.
- Luke 1:52 (BSB)“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.”Mary praises God for toppling rulers and raising the lowly.
- 1 Samuel 2:7 (BSB)“The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.”Hannah praises the LORD as the One who brings low and lifts up.
General
In his praise, what does Nebuchadnezzar confess about God’s rule (Daniel 4:34-35)?
Answer: He does His will in heaven and on earth, and none can hold Him back
The restored king praised God’s rule as everlasting, lasting through every generation (4:34). He confessed that all the people of the earth count as nothing beside God. God acts as He wills among heaven’s army and earth’s peoples, and no one can hold back His hand or challenge what He has done (4:35). He ended by praising God as heaven’s King, whose works are all true and whose ways are all just, and who can humble those who live in pride (4:37). The man who had boasted of his own power now confesses God’s. The Bible teaches the same: God does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3), no one can stop Him (Job 9:12), and His purpose will stand (Isaiah 46:10).
- Daniel 4:34-35 (BSB)“But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””The restored king praises God’s endless reign and His unhindered rule over heaven and earth.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”The king closes by praising God as true and just, the One who brings the proud low.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”God rules from heaven and does all that He wills.
- Job 9:12 (BSB)“If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’”Job says no one can stop God or call Him to account for what He does.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God announces that His plan will prevail and He will accomplish all He intends.
Theological
What does the restored king confess concerning God’s sovereignty (Daniel 4:34-35)?
Answer: He does His will in heaven and on earth, and none can hold Him back
The king’s praise confesses God’s everlasting dominion (4:34) and His unhindered rule: earth’s inhabitants are reckoned as nothing, God does His will among heaven’s host and earth’s peoples, and none can hold back His hand or call Him to account (4:35). He closes by praising heaven’s King as true in all His works and just in all His ways, able to abase the proud (4:37). The confession matches Scripture’s own teaching on God’s sovereignty (Psalm 115:3; Job 9:12; Isaiah 46:10). It also holds together God’s full control of the king’s humbling with the king’s own guilt for the pride that brought it on him.
- Daniel 4:34-35 (BSB)“But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””The restored king praises God’s endless reign and His unhindered rule over heaven and earth.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”The king closes by praising God as true and just, the One who brings the proud low.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”God rules from heaven and does all that He wills.
- Job 9:12 (BSB)“If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’”Job says no one can stop God or call Him to account for what He does.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God announces that His plan will prevail and He will accomplish all He intends.
General
Nebuchadnezzar opens chapter 4 with a letter to all peoples. What does he say he is glad to tell them (Daniel 4:1-3)?
Answer: The wonders God Most High had worked on his own behalf
Chapter 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s own account, written in the first person as a public letter to all peoples and languages (4:1, 4:4). He says he is glad to make known the miraculous signs God Most High had worked for him, and he praises God’s kingdom as one that lasts forever (4:2-3). The proud king who once set up a gold statue now tells the whole world about God’s greatness. His words echo the psalms, which praise God’s everlasting kingdom (Psalm 145:13) and call for His wonders to be told among all peoples (Psalm 96:3). After the first dream, he had already confessed Daniel’s God as God over all gods (Daniel 2:47).
- Daniel 4:1-3 (BSB)“King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied. I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.”Nebuchadnezzar opens with a greeting to all peoples and praise for God’s wonders and eternal kingdom.
- Daniel 4:4 (BSB)“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.”The king begins his account of what happened to him in the first person.
- Psalm 145:13 (BSB)“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.”The psalmist praises God’s reign as lasting forever, through every generation.
- Psalm 96:3 (BSB)“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”The psalmist calls for God’s glory and marvels to be made known to every people.
- Daniel 2:47 (BSB)“The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.””After the first dream the king had already confessed Daniel’s God as supreme over gods and kings.
Theological
What does Nebuchadnezzar announce as the subject of his proclamation to all peoples (Daniel 4:1-3)?
Answer: The wonders God Most High had worked on his own behalf
The chapter is framed as the king’s own first-person proclamation to every people and language (4:1, 4:4). Its subject is the signs and marvels God Most High performed for him, and it opens with praise of God’s eternal kingdom and enduring dominion (4:2-3). The language closely matches Israel’s own praise of God’s everlasting reign (Psalm 145:13) and answers the call to make His marvels known to every people (Psalm 96:3). It also builds on the king’s earlier confession of Daniel’s God as God of gods (Daniel 2:47).
- Daniel 4:1-3 (BSB)“King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied. I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.”Nebuchadnezzar opens with a greeting to all peoples and praise for God’s wonders and eternal kingdom.
- Daniel 4:4 (BSB)“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.”The king begins his account of what happened to him in the first person.
- Psalm 145:13 (BSB)“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.”The psalmist praises God’s reign as lasting forever, through every generation.
- Psalm 96:3 (BSB)“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”The psalmist calls for God’s glory and marvels to be made known to every people.
- Daniel 2:47 (BSB)“The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.””After the first dream the king had already confessed Daniel’s God as supreme over gods and kings.
General
What brought the sentence upon Nebuchadnezzar a year after the dream (Daniel 4:29-31)?
Answer: He boasted that he had built Babylon by his own power for his glory
Twelve months later, strolling on his palace roof, the king boasted that he himself had built Babylon as his royal home, by his own mighty power and for his own glory (4:29-30). While he was still speaking, a voice from heaven announced that the kingdom had been taken from him (4:31). The sentence was carried out at once: he was driven from people, fed on grass as cattle do and was soaked with dew, until his hair resembled eagle feathers and his nails bird claws (4:32-33). Pride comes before ruin (Proverbs 16:18), and Herod later died under God’s judgment for withholding from God the honor due Him (Acts 12:23). Daniel himself later recalled that this king was brought down when his heart grew proud (Daniel 5:20-21).
- Daniel 4:29-30 (BSB)“Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?””Strolling on his palace roof, the king boasts about Babylon as his own work for his own glory.
- Daniel 4:31-33 (BSB)“While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you. You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.” At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.”A voice from heaven pronounces the sentence, and it is fulfilled at once.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Arrogance leads to a fall.
- Acts 12:23 (BSB)“Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”Herod dies under God’s judgment for taking honor that belonged to God.
- Daniel 5:20-21 (BSB)“But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.”Daniel later recalls that the king was brought down when he grew arrogant.
Theological
What triggered the fulfillment of the judgment on Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:29-31)?
Answer: He boasted that he had built Babylon by his own power for his glory
A full year of reprieve passed. Then on the palace roof the king claimed Babylon as the achievement of his own power and the display of his own majesty (4:29-30), giving no glory to God. He was still speaking when the voice from heaven announced that the kingdom had departed (4:31), and the sentence fell at once: banished from human society, he lived as a beast until his hair and nails grew like those of birds (4:32-33). His boast is the very pride the proverb says precedes destruction (Proverbs 16:18), the same withholding of honor from God for which Herod died under judgment (Acts 12:23). Daniel later cites this humbling as a warning to Belshazzar (Daniel 5:20-21).
- Daniel 4:29-30 (BSB)“Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?””Strolling on his palace roof, the king boasts about Babylon as his own work for his own glory.
- Daniel 4:31-33 (BSB)“While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you. You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.” At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.”A voice from heaven pronounces the sentence, and it is fulfilled at once.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Arrogance leads to a fall.
- Acts 12:23 (BSB)“Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”Herod dies under God’s judgment for taking honor that belonged to God.
- Daniel 5:20-21 (BSB)“But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.”Daniel later recalls that the king was brought down when he grew arrogant.
General
In Daniel’s interpretation, what did the stump left in the ground mean (Daniel 4:26)?
Answer: His kingdom would be given back once he confessed Heaven’s rule
Daniel was perplexed and alarmed for a while, and he wished it could fall on the king’s enemies instead (4:19). Then he told the king plainly that he himself was the great tree, because his greatness had risen as high as heaven (4:20-22). The Most High had decreed that he would be banished from people, live with wild animals and eat grass as cattle do until seven periods passed and he acknowledged God’s rule over human kingdoms (4:24-25). But the stump meant hope: his kingdom would be given back to him once he acknowledged that Heaven rules (4:26). Even in judgment God set a limit and promised restoration, and later the king was indeed put back on his throne (4:36). The Lord does not reject forever but shows compassion even after sending grief (Lamentations 3:31-32).
- Daniel 4:19 (BSB)“For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!”Daniel is alarmed by the meaning of the dream and wishes it fell on the king’s enemies.
- Daniel 4:22 (BSB)“you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.”Daniel tells the king that he himself is the great tree.
- Daniel 4:25-26 (BSB)“You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes. As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.”Daniel explains the king’s coming humbling and the meaning of the stump.
- Daniel 4:36 (BSB)“At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.”Later the king’s throne is given back to him, as the stump had signified.
- Lamentations 3:31-32 (BSB)“For the Lord will not cast us off forever. Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.”The Lord’s rejection is not permanent, and His compassion follows the grief He sends.
Theological
What did Daniel say the preserved stump signified (Daniel 4:26)?
Answer: His kingdom would be given back once he confessed Heaven’s rule
Daniel, dismayed by the dream’s meaning, wished it upon the king’s enemies (4:19), then identified Nebuchadnezzar as the tree whose greatness reached to heaven (4:20-22). The Most High’s decree would drive him from human society to live as a beast until seven periods passed and he acknowledged God’s rule over the kingdoms of men (4:24-25). The stump signifies restoration: the kingdom would be returned once he confessed the rule of Heaven (4:26). Judgment here is bounded and purposeful, aimed at acknowledgment rather than destruction, fulfilled when the king was restored to his throne (4:36), in keeping with the Lord’s compassion even in grief (Lamentations 3:31-32).
- Daniel 4:19 (BSB)“For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!”Daniel is alarmed by the meaning of the dream and wishes it fell on the king’s enemies.
- Daniel 4:22 (BSB)“you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.”Daniel tells the king that he himself is the great tree.
- Daniel 4:25-26 (BSB)“You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes. As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.”Daniel explains the king’s coming humbling and the meaning of the stump.
- Daniel 4:36 (BSB)“At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.”Later the king’s throne is given back to him, as the stump had signified.
- Lamentations 3:31-32 (BSB)“For the Lord will not cast us off forever. Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.”The Lord’s rejection is not permanent, and His compassion follows the grief He sends.
General
According to the decree in the dream, what were the living meant to learn (Daniel 4:17)?
Answer: The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them as He wills
The verdict came from the watchers, the holy ones, and Daniel says the Most High Himself issued it (4:17, 4:24). Its purpose was that everyone living would come to know that God Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone He chooses and can set even the lowliest person over them (4:17). This truth appears three times in the chapter (4:17, 4:25, 4:32), and it is the main lesson of the whole account. Daniel had already praised God as the One who removes kings and sets them up (2:21). The psalms and Paul teach the same thing: God brings one down and raises another (Psalm 75:6-7), and every authority that exists has been appointed by Him (Romans 13:1).
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”The decree states its purpose: that all who live may know who rules over human kingdoms.
- Daniel 4:25 (BSB)“You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”Daniel repeats the same purpose when he interprets the dream.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”Daniel had already praised God as the One who deposes and installs kings.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Raising up and putting down rulers is God’s work alone.
- Romans 13:1 (BSB)“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.”Paul teaches that all governing authority is established by God.
Theological
What did the decree declare as its purpose for all the living (Daniel 4:17)?
Answer: The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them as He wills
The verdict of the watchers, which Daniel attributes to the Most High Himself (4:17, 4:24), exists so that all who live may know that God Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, bestows them on whom He chooses, and can raise the lowliest to power (4:17). The refrain recurs at 4:25 and 4:32 and forms the thesis of the chapter: God’s sovereignty over every throne. Daniel had already confessed that God removes and establishes kings (2:21); the psalmist ascribes all exaltation and abasement to God (Psalm 75:6-7), and Paul grounds every existing authority in God’s appointment (Romans 13:1).
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”The decree states its purpose: that all who live may know who rules over human kingdoms.
- Daniel 4:25 (BSB)“You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”Daniel repeats the same purpose when he interprets the dream.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”Daniel had already praised God as the One who deposes and installs kings.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Raising up and putting down rulers is God’s work alone.
- Romans 13:1 (BSB)“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.”Paul teaches that all governing authority is established by God.
General
What did the holy one from heaven command concerning the great tree (Daniel 4:13-15)?
Answer: Fell it, yet keep its stump and roots in the earth, banded with metal
In his dream the king saw a huge tree that reached up to the sky and could be seen everywhere. It had beautiful leaves and plenty of fruit, gave food to all, and sheltered animals and birds (4:10-12). Then a watcher, described as a holy one, descended from heaven and cried out that the tree must be cut down, its branches lopped and its fruit scattered. But its stump and roots were to remain in the earth, encircled by iron and bronze (4:13-15). Then the words shift from a tree to a person: he would be soaked with dew, live among animals, and think like an animal rather than a man until seven periods of time had passed (4:15-16). Job uses a related image of a felled tree that can sprout again (Job 14:7). It is the LORD who fells the tall tree (Ezekiel 17:24).
- Daniel 4:10-12 (BSB)“In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great. The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.”The king describes a great tree, tall as the heavens, that fed and sheltered every creature.
- Daniel 4:13-16 (BSB)“As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.”A holy one from heaven orders the tree cut down but its stump left, and the decree turns to a man.
- Job 14:7 (BSB)“For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.”A related image: a tree that is cut down can grow new shoots.
- Ezekiel 17:24 (BSB)“Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’””The LORD humbles the lofty and raises the lowly, pictured as trees.
Theological
What did the watcher’s decree order for the great tree (Daniel 4:13-15)?
Answer: Fell it, yet keep its stump and roots in the earth, banded with metal
The tree of the dream embodies towering, universal greatness: reaching the heavens, seen across the whole earth, feeding and sheltering every creature (4:10-12). A holy watcher descending from heaven decrees its felling and stripping, yet orders the stump and roots preserved in the ground encircled by iron and bronze (4:13-15). Mid-decree the image shifts to a person who will share the life of beasts with a beast’s mind until seven periods pass (4:15-16). Job uses a related image of a felled tree that may sprout again (Job 14:7), and the felling of the lofty tree is the LORD’s characteristic work of abasing the proud (Ezekiel 17:24).
- Daniel 4:10-12 (BSB)“In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great. The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.”The king describes a great tree, tall as the heavens, that fed and sheltered every creature.
- Daniel 4:13-16 (BSB)“As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.”A holy one from heaven orders the tree cut down but its stump left, and the decree turns to a man.
- Job 14:7 (BSB)“For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.”A related image: a tree that is cut down can grow new shoots.
- Ezekiel 17:24 (BSB)“Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’””The LORD humbles the lofty and raises the lowly, pictured as trees.
General
True or False: This time the king told his wise men the dream itself, yet they were still unable to explain it (Daniel 4:6-7).
Answer: True
This is true. With his first dream, Nebuchadnezzar had demanded that the wise men tell him the dream as well as its meaning (2:5). This time he described the dream to the magicians and other experts, but even so they could not explain it (4:6-7). At last Daniel came in, whom the king calls Belteshazzar and says has the holy gods’ spirit in him (4:8-9). The king speaks as a pagan, but the earlier chapter had already shown where Daniel’s insight came from: the God of heaven is the One who makes mysteries known (2:27-28). The scene recalls Pharaoh, whose wise men could not interpret his dreams either (Genesis 41:8).
- Daniel 4:6-7 (BSB)“So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.”The king describes his dream to his wise men, and they cannot explain it.
- Daniel 4:8-9 (BSB)“But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream: “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.”Daniel, called Belteshazzar, comes in, and the king tells him the dream.
- Daniel 2:5 (BSB)“The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.”With the first dream the king had demanded that the wise men tell him the dream itself.
- Daniel 2:27-28 (BSB)“Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel had then credited the God of heaven with making mysteries known.
- Genesis 41:8 (BSB)“In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.”Pharaoh’s wise men likewise could not interpret the dreams he told them.
Theological
True or False: Although the king related the dream to his wise men this time, they were still unable to interpret it (Daniel 4:6-7).
Answer: True
This is true. Unlike the first episode, where the king required the dream itself to be recounted (2:5), here he described it fully, yet the whole guild of court experts still failed (4:6-7). Daniel, whom the king calls Belteshazzar and credits with the holy gods’ spirit (4:8-9), alone can explain it. The king frames this in pagan terms, but the book has already located the source of Daniel’s insight in the God of heaven who makes mysteries known (2:27-28). The failure of human wisdom before a God-given dream echoes Pharaoh’s court (Genesis 41:8).
- Daniel 4:6-7 (BSB)“So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.”The king describes his dream to his wise men, and they cannot explain it.
- Daniel 4:8-9 (BSB)“But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream: “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.”Daniel, called Belteshazzar, comes in, and the king tells him the dream.
- Daniel 2:5 (BSB)“The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.”With the first dream the king had demanded that the wise men tell him the dream itself.
- Daniel 2:27-28 (BSB)“Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel had then credited the God of heaven with making mysteries known.
- Genesis 41:8 (BSB)“In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.”Pharaoh’s wise men likewise could not interpret the dreams he told them.