Daniel 4:1–37
41 4:1King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 4:2It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3 4:3How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 4:42 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 4:5I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 4:6So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 4:7Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 4:8At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods3—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 4:9“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 4:10The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 4:11The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 4:12Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 4:13“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 4:14He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 4:15But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 4:16Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 4:17The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 4:18This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
19 4:19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! 20 4:20The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 4:21whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 4:22it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 4:23And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 4:24this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 4:25that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 4:26And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 4:27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
28 4:28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 4:29At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 4:30and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 4:31While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 4:32and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 4:33Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
34 4:34At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 4:35all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
36 4:36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Section Overview
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that no one but Daniel can interpret: a tree grows to a great height and provides food and shade for animals, yet a command is given for it to be chopped down to a stump (4:5–7, 8–16). The lesson of the dream concerns God’s rule over earthly kings and kingdoms (v. 17): Nebuchadnezzar is the tree (vv. 20–22), and God will humble him if he does not repent and practice righteousness (vv. 25–27). God fulfills the dream by giving him the mind and behavior of a beast (vv. 29–33). Once God restores Nebuchadnezzar’s faculties, the king praises God and declares his unconquerable sovereign power (vv. 34–37).
Section Outline
- II.C. Judgment on Royal Arrogance (4:1–37)
This narrative begins with the lesson Nebuchadnezzar learned as a result of the events recounted in this chapter and ends with the same exclamation: God’s dominion is forever (1 and 1'). Also common to 1 and 1' is language addressing everyone who dwells on earth (vv. 1, 35).
The next sections of the chiasm relate Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that troubles him (2) and this dream becoming a reality that humbles him (2'). In the former, he prospered in his palace but became fearful (2), and in the latter he became prideful in his palace and experienced the dream’s fulfillment (2').
3 and 3' provide a contrast between the Babylonian wise men and Daniel. Even though Nebuchadnezzar told his wise men the dream, they did not attempt to interpret it. Daniel, however, interpreted the dream after the king described its content.
Nebuchadnezzar’s description of the dream is the central section (4). This description is itself an inclusio, marked by the language in verses 8–9 and 18 that includes the name “Belteshazzar,” a reference to “the spirit of the holy gods,” and a recognition of the wise men’s inability contrasted with Daniel’s ability. Within the inclusio (vv. 8–9, 18) are two distinct subsections: verses 10–12 and verses 13–17. The first subsection describes the activity of the tree (vv. 10–12), while the second subsection relates the command of the watcher against that tree (vv. 13–17). Each subsection begins similarly: “The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold . . .” (v. 10) and “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold . . .” (v. 13).
Chapter 4 stands out from chapters 1–3 as first-person narration from Nebuchadnezzar’s point of view (cf. 4:1, 4, 18, 34, 37). Only in this chapter of the book does someone other than Daniel convey a first-person account (cf. 8:1; 9:2; 10:2; 12:5). There is a brief transition to a third-person vantage point in 4:28–33, but the verses surrounding it (vv. 1–27, 34–37) are the king’s account. Chapter 4 is the last chapter in the book featuring Nebuchadnezzar as a character.
TABLE 1.3: The Second Dream: Order of Recounting, Reiteration, and Interpretation
| The King Recounted | Daniel Reiterated | Daniel Interpreted |
|---|---|---|
| description of tree (vv. 10–12) | description of tree (vv. 20–21) | description of tree (v. 22) |
| watcher’s command (vv. 13–17) | watcher’s command (v. 23) | watcher’s command (vv. 24–26) |
4:27 Daniel now offered counsel for the king that he hoped would be “acceptable.” In light of a decree of judgment, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar to “break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed.” This counsel stated the same command in two ways (table 1.4).
TABLE 1.4: The Second Dream: Daniel’s Counsel for the King
| break off | your sins | by practicing righteousness, |
| and [break off] | your iniquities | by showing mercy to the oppressed. |
This structure makes clear that mercy on the oppressed should have characterized the deeds of the king, yet Nebuchadnezzar was merciless in this regard. He was an unrighteous ruler.
Daniel exhorted Nebuchadnezzar to rule righteously, “that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” The king’s repentance would stay God’s judgment. This kind of warning, coupled with a promise of clemency on the condition of repentance, was common among OT prophets (e.g., Jer. 18:8; 26:13; Joel 2:12–14; Amos 7:2–3). If Nebuchadnezzar continued on his current course, however, his tree would fall and the watcher’s words would come to pass.
Jesus may have been thinking of the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 when he told the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13. The tiny mustard seed, said Jesus, would become “a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matt. 13:31–32). The “birds” in the parable may have referred to Gentiles entering God’s kingdom. Jesus, the true and better Adam, came to establish God’s saving dominion. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, an unrighteous king of an earthly kingdom, Jesus was the righteous king of the heavenly kingdom.
4:28–30 The narration now shifts from first to third person. The punishment, which Daniel warned about in verses 22–26, “came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.” It had been twelve months since Daniel had interpreted the dream (v. 29), which meant God had been incredibly patient with Nebuchadnezzar by giving him ample time to repent and practice righteousness (cf. v. 27).
But Nebuchadnezzar had not repented. While on the roof of his palace in Babylon, he admired the city and boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (vv. 29–30). The only other biblical figure described as walking on a palace roof was David, who walked on the roof of his palace, admired something (or someone), and responded in sin (2 Sam. 11:2–4).
Nebuchadnezzar’s rhetorical question revealed his prideful heart. He described Babylon as that “which I have built by my mighty power,” a place “for the glory of my majesty” (Dan. 4:30). Even though the king had learned from Daniel that the God of heaven was sovereign over the vastness of the Babylonian kingdom (vv. 25–26), this knowledge did not shape his heart. The first vision (ch. 2) had led to an expression of prideful rebellion (ch. 3), and now a second vision is followed by another display of pride.
4:31–32 God’s judgment was swift. The words were “still in the king’s mouth” when a heavenly voice proclaimed the kingdom’s “departure” from his control, just as the watcher had warned twelve months earlier (vv. 22–23). The voice reminded the king what would happen next: “You shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field” (v. 32). He would eat grass like the beasts, for a specific amount of time, so that he could learn that the “Most High” God rules “the kingdom of men” and delegates his rule according to his sovereign pleasure.
4:33 While twelve months had elapsed between Nebuchadnezzar’s vision (vv. 4–27) and his prideful musing (v. 30), there was no interim between his boast and God’s punishment: “Immediately the word was fulfilled.” The mighty king was driven to the beasts and ate grass, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, exactly as the vision had prophesied (vv. 15, 23–25). With the mind of a beast, Nebuchadnezzar did not groom his hair or trim his nails. He was unkempt and disheveled. Those who may have been intimidated by this king now beheld his brutish, subhuman ways.
4:34–35 In the final section of chapter 4, the narration shifts back from third person to first (vv. 34–37). When the seven periods of time ended, Nebuchadnezzar looked to heaven and, with reason now restored, praised and honored God. Nebuchadnezzar was forthright about his reason for praise: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation,” evoking the opening words of the chapter (cf. v. 3). He had learned that his own rule was at the pleasure of the Most High, and his earthly dominion and majesty could vanish like vapor. God alone had true and lasting dominion.
Now in his right mind, the king of Babylon declared that under God’s sovereign rule, “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing.” No one could compare with God. Nebuchadnezzar confessed God’s sovereignty over every realm and everyone. None were outside his control, not even the formidable Nebuchadnezzar! If God wills to act, “None can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”
4:36 After Nebuchadnezzar’s reason was restored, his “majesty and splendor” returned as well (fulfilling v. 26), recalling his status at the beginning of his narration (v. 4). The king’s reputation returned as well, and this period of his reign was apparently more glorious than previous times.
So far, each of the chapters in the book has concluded with some kind of further blessing and increase. Daniel and his friends stood out among all other magicians and enchanters of Babylon (1:19–20). Daniel was promoted to ruler of the province of Babylon and chief prefect over the wise men, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were appointed over the affairs of Babylon (2:48–49). The three friends of Daniel later received a further promotion in the province (3:30). Now Nebuchadnezzar experiences increase, with “still more greatness” added to his restored majesty.
4:37 The ruler of Babylon ended his account with a lofty acknowledgment—“I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven”—forming an inclusio with the opening verse of the subsection: the “Most High” (v. 34) was the “King of heaven” (v. 37). Calling God “King” is appropriate, since he has a kingdom and an everlasting dominion, and “of heaven” asserts God’s superiority. Nebuchadnezzar began chapter 4 by identifying himself as “king” but ended the account by focusing on God’s heavenly kingship.
Nebuchadnezzar grounded his praise in two truths about God. First, “All his works are right and his ways are just,” and second, “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (v. 37). When Nebuchadnezzar reflected on God’s temporal judgment (which had lasted “seven periods of time”), he did not conclude that God was wrong. Rather, God’s works—including his humbling of Nebuchadnezzar—were right and just. Nebuchadnezzar expressed a crucial theological presupposition of the Bible: what God Almighty does is always right. The king’s second reason for praising God disclosed that he had walked in pride but was humbled by God. Amid his delusions of grandeur, God brought him down. The king was a living illustration that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). He had failed to realize that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Prov. 21:1).
1 Compare the similar picture of judgment on Assyria as a mighty tree in Ezekiel 31.
2 The phrase “Heaven rules” (v. 26) appears only here in the book of Daniel and is synonymous with “the Most High rules” (v. 25).
Response
If the living God is sovereign over all things, including earthly kings and kingdoms, our heart’s posture should be one of humility. The proud have no legitimate basis for arrogance, since God does according to his will among the heavenly host and the inhabitants of earth (4:35). The king of Babylon finally learned this lesson as he experienced the power of God, concluding chapter 4 by recognizing that “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (v. 37).
Rulers may scoff at God, but they do so for naught. The psalmist asked,
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain? . . .
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision. (Ps. 2:1, 4)
We should serve and trust this God who holds the rulers of the world in his hands and does with them as he pleases. We should fear this Creator against whom the world has rebelled and clenched their fists. He is mighty, and his dominion is everlasting.
Crucial for our humility is a continual enthrallment with the majesty and worth of God. Nebuchadnezzar focused on his own glory (Dan. 4:30), but God made us for his glory (cf. Isa. 43:7). We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26), not in the image of an earthly leader. The tragic sinful condition of man is that we have not humbled ourselves before God Most High; rather, we have dishonored him and withheld our gratitude (Rom. 1:21). Instead of humility, we embrace idolatry (Rom. 1:23).
God revealed the truth of his greatness and everlasting kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar, who experienced humiliation that led to his blessing and praising God (Dan. 4:34). Thus God’s judgment was simultaneously a display of mercy to Nebuchadnezzar, for it broke the king’s pride. Temporarily receiving the mind of a beast turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Nebuchadnezzar. Eating grass like an ox may have seemed ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as a heart entranced with human glory and status.
When God breaks through our delusions of grandeur and awakens us to his worth and majesty, it is a great mercy, regardless of the means of demolition. In our spiritual blindness, God may be pleased to grant sight. In his mercy he may grant life to the dead! If we trust Jesus, it is because God has been gracious to us despite our sinful state: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4–5).
Any work of God that shows us his worth should lead to humility. Paul called the Philippians to consider the example of Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6–8). The greatest example of humility, therefore, is Jesus himself. When Satan offered him the kingdoms of this world and their glory, Jesus prevailed over that temptation (Matt. 4:8–9). His prayer to the Father, which he taught his disciples, was clear: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, let us repent of our sins (Dan. 4:27). Let us follow God “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3). Let us pray for the mercy of glimpsing with our un-glorified minds the supremacy of God, and let us rejoice that “none can stay his hand” (Dan. 4:35) in anything he does. May our prayer be the fitting words of John the Baptist, who said of Christ, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).