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Daniel Chapter
Four
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
Daniel 4:1 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
Daniel 4:4
the
dream itself; which being told
astonished Daniel
the king being so much
interested in it
Daniel 4:10
the
interpretation of it
with Daniel's advice upon it
is in Daniel 4:20 the
fulfilment of it
time and occasion thereof
Daniel 4:28. Nebuchadnezzar's
restoration to his reason and kingdom
for which he praises God
Daniel 4:34.
Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar
the king
To
all peoples
nations
and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to
you.
YLT 1`Nebuchadnezzar the king to
all peoples
nations
and languages
who are dwelling in all the earth: Your
peace be great!
Nebuchadnezzar the king
..... This and the two
following verses are annexed to the preceding chapter in the Hebrew Bible
and
in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; as if the author of the division
of the chapters thought that Nebuchadnezzar proposed by this public
proclamation to celebrate the praise of the Lord
on account of the wonderful
deliverance of the three Jews from the fiery furnace; whereas they are a
preface to a narrative of a dream
and an event which concerned himself
and
most properly begin a new chapter
as they do in the Syriac and Arabic versions.
The edict begins
not with pompous and extravagant titles
as was the manner of
the eastern monarchs
and still is
but only plainly "Nebuchadnezzar the
king"; for he was now humbled under the mighty hand of God; whether his
conversion was real is not evident; yet
certain it is
he expresses himself in
stronger language concerning the divine Being and his works
and under a deeper
sense of his sovereignty and majesty
than ever he did before. This
proclamation is directed
unto all people
nations
and languages
that dwell in all the
earth; belonging to his kingdom
as Aben Ezra; and these were many;
besides the Babylonians
Assyrians
and Chaldeans
also the Medes and Persians
the Egyptians
the Jews
and the nations round about them; and also the
Spaniards
Moors
and Thracians
with others: but there is no reason to limit
this to his own subjects
though first designed; for it was his desire that all
people whatever in the known world might read
hear
and consider
what the
grace of God had done unto him
with him
and for him
and learn to fear and
reverence him:
peace be multiplied unto you: a wish for all kind of
outward happiness and prosperity
and an increase of it; thus it becomes a
prince to wish for all his subjects
and even for all the world; for there
cannot be a greater blessing than peace
nor a greater judgment than war. This
phrase is borrowed from the common salutation in eastern countries
and is used
often in the New Testament for spiritual and eternal peace.
Daniel 4:2 2 I
thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has
worked for me.
YLT 2The signs and wonders that
God Most High hath done with me
it is good before me to shew.
I thought it good
.... Or
"fair"F25שפר "pulchrum"
Montanus
Grotius
Gejerus
Michaelis; "decet me"
Junius & Tremellius. and beautiful
highly
becoming me
what was my duty
and what might be profitable and beneficial to
others
and make for the glory of the great God of heaven and earth:
to show the signs and wonders the high God hath wrought toward me; to declare by
writing the wonderful things God
who is above all
the most high God
had done
unto him
by giving him a wonderful dream
exactly describing his future case
and condition
and then as wonderful an interpretation of it
and which was as
wonderfully fulfilled
and
after all
in a wonderful manner restoring him to
the exercise of his reason
and the administration of his kingdom
after both
had departed from him.
Daniel 4:3 3 How
great are His signs
And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom
And His dominion is from generation to
generation.
YLT 3His signs how great! and
His wonders how mighty! His kingdom [is] a kingdom age-during
and His rule [is]
with generation and generation.
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders!.... They are
great
very great
exceeding great; so great that it cannot be said
nor even
conceived how great they are
what a display of wisdom
power
and goodness is
in them; they are wonderful beyond expression and conception; and so strong and
mighty as not to be resisted and made void by all the powers of nature
earth
or hell; and if this may be said of his works of providence
and his miracles
of that
how much more of his works and miracles of grace!
his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
Nebuchadnezzar's reign
though a long one
had an end
and so have all others;
but the kingdom of God is for ever; the kingdom of providence
and also of
grace; the kingdom of his Son
the Messiah
as in Daniel 2:44 from
whence Nebuchadnezzar had learnt this:
and his dominion is from generation to generation; or
"with generation and generation"F1עם
דר ודר "cum
generatione et generatione"
Pagninus
Montanus
Michaelis; "cum omni
aetate"
Piscator. ; it goes along
and continues with all generations
and will do so to the end of time.
Daniel 4:4 4 I
Nebuchadnezzar
was at rest in my house
and flourishing in my palace.
YLT 4`I
Nebuchadnezzar
have
been at rest in my house
and flourishing in my palace:
I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house
.... Being
returned from his wars
and having obtained victory over the Egyptians
and
other nations
and made himself an universal monarch; and now was in entire
rest from all his enemies; enjoying himself in his family
and among his
courtiers
and nothing to disturb him from any quarter. JosephusF2Joseph.
Antiqu. l. 10. c. 10. sect. 6. says this was a little after the history of the
former chapter; but it must be many years after that: he reigned forty five
years; one year after this dream
it came to pass; it was seven years
fulfilling
and he lived after his restoration a year or two; so that this must
be about the thirty fifth year of his reign. Bishop UsherF3Annales
Vet. Test. A. M. 3434. and Mr. WhistonF4Chronological Tables
cent.
10. place it in the year of the world 3434 A.M.
and before Christ 570; and so
Dr. PrideauxF5Connexion
p. 92. . Mr. BedfordF6Scripture
Chronology
p. 710. puts it in the year 569:
and flourishing in my palace: in health of body
in
rigour of mind
abounding with riches; indulging himself in all sensual
pleasures; adored by his subjects
caressed by his courtiers
and in fame
throughout the whole world: a new palace was built by him
of which Daniel 4:30
being
as Dr. PrideauxF7Connexion
&c. par. 1
B. 2. p. 102. says
four
times as large as the old one; eight miles in compass; surrounded with three
walls; and had hanging gardens in it
he made for his wife.
Daniel 4:5 5 I
saw a dream which made me afraid
and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of
my head troubled me.
YLT 5a dream I have seen
and it
maketh me afraid
and the conceptions on my bed
and the visions of my head
do
trouble me.
I saw a dream which made me afraid
.... Things were
represented to his fancy in a dream
as if he saw them with his eyes
as the tree
its leaves and fruit; the shaking and cutting it down to the stump
&c.;
and though he did not understand the meaning of it
yet he thought it portended
some evil
which threw him into a panic; he was afraid that something bad would
befall him
though he knew not what: thus God can make the minds of the
greatest men uneasy amidst all their glory
pride
and pleasure:
and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled
me; the thoughts that came into his mind while he was upon his bed
dreaming
and the things which were represented to his fancy in his brain
he
remembered when awake
gave him a great deal of trouble and uneasiness
what
should be the meaning of them
and what would be the issue and event of these
things.
Daniel 4:6 6 Therefore
I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me
that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
YLT 6And by me a decree is made
to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me
that the interpretation
of the dream they may cause me to know.
Therefore made I a decree
.... Published a
proclamation; signifying it was his mind and will
to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before him; all together
supposing that one or other of them
or by consulting together
would be able
to explain things to his satisfaction
and make him more easy:
that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream; for though
they could not tell the interpretation of his former dream
because he could
not relate to them the dream itself; which
if he could
they promised him the
interpretation; but now he could remember it
and therefore might expect they
would make known the interpretation of it to him.
Daniel 4:7 7 Then
the magicians
the astrologers
the Chaldeans
and the soothsayers came in
and
I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
YLT 7Then coming up are the
scribes
the enchanters
the Chaldeans
and the soothsayers
and the dream I
have told before them
and its interpretation they are not making known to me.
Then came in the magicians
the astrologers
the Chaldeans
and
the soothsayers
.... See Gill on Daniel 2:2
and I told the dream before them
but they did not make known unto
me the interpretation thereof; because they could not; before they
pretended
if the dream was told
they could give the interpretation of it; but
now
though it was told
they could not do it; which shows the vanity of their
art
the falsehood of their pretensions
and that they were but jugglers and
impostors.
Daniel 4:8 8 But
at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar
according to
the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God)
and I told
the dream before him
saying:
YLT 8And at last come up before
me hath Daniel
whose name [is] Belteshazzar -- according to the name of my god
-- and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods
and the dream before him I
have told:
But at the last Daniel came in before me
.... Whether
sent for or no is not clear; the reason why he came not with the rest might be
because he did not associate with them; nor did they care he should be among
them
and present at this time; and it may be the king had forgot the knowledge
he had of dreams; or
however
did not choose to send for him until he had
tried all his wise men; and so it was ordered by the providence of God
and
which is the chief reason of all
that he should come last
that the skill of
the magicians might appear first to be baffled
and that Daniel
or rather
Daniel's God
might be more known
and might be glorified:
whose name was Belteshazzar
according to the name of my god; so called by
him and his courtiers
after the name of his god Bel
with which this name of
Daniel begins; See Gill on Daniel 1:7
and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: meaning
either the holy angels
as Saadiah or speaking in his Heathenish manner
having
imbibed the notion of many gods
some holy
and some impure; or it may be
speaking in the dialect of the Jews
he may mean the one true God who is holy
and from whom alone is the spirit of prophecy or of foretelling things to come;
which he knew by former experience Daniel had:
and before him I told the dream
saying; as follows:
Daniel 4:9 9 “Belteshazzar
chief of the magicians
because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is
in you
and no secret troubles you
explain to me the visions of my dream that
I have seen
and its interpretation.
YLT 9`O Belteshazzar
master of
the scribes
as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee
and
no secret doth press thee
the visions of my dream that I have seen
and its
interpretation
tell.
O Belteshazzar
master of the magicians
.... So he
called him
either because he excelled them in knowledge
and was greater than
they
as Jacchiades; though not of their rank and order
which Daniel would
have scorned to have been among
and reckoned of; so that this would have been
no compliment
but a grief unto him; or because he was appointed by the king
chief over them
and even over their governors; See Gill on Daniel 2:48
because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee; See Gill on Daniel 4:8;
and no secret troubleth thee; any ways perplexes thy
mind to find it out; it is easy to thee to come at; it gives thee no manner of
trouble to get knowledge of it; there is no secret hidden from thee; all is
plain before thee
and with the utmost facility canst thou reveal it:
tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen; that is
the
meaning of them; for the king remembered this his dream
and afterwards tells
it very particularly:
and the interpretation of it; it may be rendered
"that is
the interpretation of it"F8ופשרה
"id est
interpretationem ejus"
Junius & Tremellius
Broughtonus
Michaelis. ; for that only was what the king wanted.
Daniel 4:10 10 “These
were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking
and
behold
A tree in the midst of the earth
And its height was great.
YLT 10As to the visions of my
head on my bed
I was looking
and lo
a tree in the midst of the earth
and
its height [is] great:
Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed
.... So things
appeared to my fancy thus; they ran in my head or brain in a dream in my bed
as if I saw them with my eyes
as follows; for so I thought
I saw
and behold a tree in the midst of the earth; an emblem of
a powerful prince well settled
and strongly supported in his power and government;
so the Assyrian monarch
Ezekiel 31:3 and
here Nebuchadnezzar himself
as it is afterwards explained; who was well
established in his monarchy
the metropolis of which was Babylon; and which
stood pretty much in the midst of the then known world:
and the height thereof was great; taller than trees in
common; denoting the superiority of the Babylonian monarch over all kings and
kingdoms of the earth.
Daniel 4:11 11 The
tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens
And it could be
seen to the ends of all the earth.
YLT 11become great hath the tree
yea
strong
and its height doth reach to the heavens
and its vision to the
end of the whole land;
The tree grew
and was strong
.... Grew higher and
broader
taller and thicker
increased in boughs and branches
and became
strong and stable
that no winds nor storms could move it: this shows the
increasing power of Nebuchadnezzar
the enlargement of his dominions
and the
stability of his empire:
and the height thereof reached unto heaven; higher than
any on earth; expressive of his dominion over all nations and people of the
earth; or of his ambition of deity itself; and so Saadiah illustrates it by Isaiah 14:14.
"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds &c.":
and the sight thereof to the end of the earth: being so
high
it was seen afar off; the fame of this great monarch reached to the ends
of the earth; the eyes of all were turned to him; some looking upon him with
wonder
others with envy.
Daniel 4:12 12 Its
leaves were lovely
Its fruit abundant
And in it was food
for all. The
beasts of the field found shade under it
The birds of the heavens
dwelt in its branches
And all flesh was fed from it.
YLT 12its leaves [are] fair
and
its budding great
and food for all [is] in it: under it take shade doth the
beast of the field
and in its boughs dwell do the birds of the heavens
and of
it fed are all flesh.
The leaves thereof were fair
.... Or
"branches"F9עפיה "ramus
ejus"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Vatablus; "ramos ejus"
Junius & Tremellius; "rami ejus"
Piscator.
as some; and design
either the provinces belonging to his empire
which were very large and
flourishing; or the governors of them under him
as Saadiah
who made no small
and contemptible figure; his princes were altogether kings:
and the fruit thereof much; great revenues from all
parts of the empire were brought to him:
and in it was meat for all; the produce of the
several countries
and the trade carried on in them
brought in a sufficient
livelihood to all the inhabitants:
the beasts of the field had shadow under it; the
inhabitants of the several Heathenish nations under him
and even those that
were most savage
were protected in their lives and properties by him; so
princes should be a screen
a protection to their subjects:
and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof; which Saadiah
interprets of the Israelites
in opposition to the foreign nations
comparable
to the beasts of the field:
and all flesh was fed of it; all his subjects shared
in the good things his victorious arms brought into his empire; all enriched
or however made comfortable
and had a sufficiency of food and raiment; so that
there was no reason to complain of him as oppressive to his subjects.
Daniel 4:13 13 “I
saw in the visions of my head while on my bed
and there was a watcher
a holy one
coming down from heaven.
YLT 13`I was looking
in the
visions of my head on my bed
and lo
a sifter
even a holy one
from the
heavens is coming down.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed
.... The king
goes on to relate what other things presented themselves to his imagination in
his dream
concerning this tree which signified himself:
and
behold
a watcher: which Saadiah interprets
of Bath Kol; but Aben Ezra
Jarchi
Jacchiades
and Ben Melech of an angel; so
called because incorporeal
ever watches
and never sleeps
and is always
attentive to
and observant of
the commands of God so the angels in the
fragment of Enoch are called "egregori"
watchers; and the same word
is here used in the Alexandrian copy. SomeF11Lex. Kabalist. in voce איוב p. 54
55. render it "an enemy"
"an
holy one": according to the sense of the word in 1 Samuel 28:16
and
produce it to show that angels are called enemies:
and an Holy One; one of the holy angels that never sinned
nor left their first estate
but continued in it; in which they are established
by Christ
and are impeccable; are perfectly pure and holy in their nature and
actions: such an one came down from heaven; the place of their abode
as it
seemed to Nebuchadnezzar in his dream.
Daniel 4:14 14 He
cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches
Strip
off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it
And
the birds from its branches.
YLT 14He is calling mightily
and
thus hath said
Cut down the tree
and cut off its branches
shake off its
leaves
and scatter its budding
move away let the beast from under it
and the
birds from off its branches;
He cried aloud
.... Or
with strengths;F12בחיל "in virtute"
Montanus; "cum
robore"
Gejerus; "fortier"
Cocceius
Michaelis;
"strenue"
Junius & Tremellius
Broughtonus. being a mighty
angel
and that he might be heard far and near:
and said thus
hew down the tree; remove this mighty
monarch from his throne; take away his government from him: this is said to
fellow angels employed in the affairs of Providence
and the execution of them
to bring about an event so momentous:
and cut off his branches; take away his provinces
each of the parts of his dominion
from him:
shake off his leaves: cause his deputy
governors to shake off their allegiance to him:
and scatter his fruit; the revenues of his vast
empire
and let others take them:
let the beasts get away from under it
and the fowls from his
branches; those that have either voluntarily betook themselves to him for
protection; or have been carried captive by him
and have lived under his
shadow
whether of the more barbarous nations
or more civilized
as the Jews;
let them take the opportunity of withdrawing from him
and returning to their
own lands; see Jeremiah 51:9.
Daniel 4:15 15 Nevertheless
leave the stump and roots in the earth
Bound with a band of iron and
bronze
In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven
And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth.
YLT 15but the stump of its roots
leave in the earth
even with a band of iron and brass
in the tender grass of
the field
and with the dew of the heavens is it wet
and with the beasts [is]
his portion in the herb of the earth;
Nevertheless
leave the stump of his roots in the earth
.... Let him
not be utterly destroyed
or his life taken away; but let him continue in
being; though in a forlorn condition
yet with hope of restoration; for a tree
may be cut down to the stump
and yet revive again
Job 14:7 and let
his kingdom remain:
even with a band of iron and brass; which some think was
done to preserve it and to show that his kingdom remained firm and immovable;
but that is meant by the former clause
Daniel 4:26
rather
the allusion is to his distracted condition afterwards related; it being usual
to bind madmen with chains of iron or brass
to keep them from hurting
themselves and others
as in Mark 5:4
in the tender grass of the field; where his dwelling
should be
not in Babylon
and in his fine palace
living sumptuously as he now
did; but in the field
grazing there like a beast
and like one that is
feddered and confined to a certain place:
and let it be wet with the dew of heaven; suggesting
that this would not only be his case in the daytime; but that he should lie all
night in the field
and his body be wet all over with the dew that falls in the
night
as if he had been dipped in a dyer's vat
as the wordF13יצטבע "tingatur"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster;
"intingatur"
Junius & Tremellius; "tingetur"
Piscator
Michaelis. signifies; and Jarchi says it has the signification of
dipping; and not be in a stately chamber
and on a bed of down
but on a plot
of grass
exposed to all the inclemencies of the air:
and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth; instead of
feeding on royal dainties
as he had all his days
let him eat grass like the
beasts of the field
as it seems he did.
Daniel 4:16 16 Let
his heart be changed from that of a man
Let him be given the heart
of a beast
And
let seven times[a] pass over
him.
YLT 16his heart from man's is
changed
and the heart of a beast is given to him
and seven times pass over
him;
Let his heart be changed from man's
.... Not as to the
substance
but as to the quality:
and let a beast's heart be given unto him; from a human
heart
let it be changed into a brutal one; let him be deprived of the use of
reason
and have no more exercise of it than a brute has; let him be wholly
governed by the animal senses
and behave and act as a beast does; be as
senseless
stupid
and savage
as that: and such a heart Nebuchadnezzar had;
not that his rational soul departed from him
then he must have died; but the
powers of it were sadly vitiated and depraved; his understanding
imagining
himself to be a beast
not a man; his judgment
in not distinguishing the
actions of a beast from those of a man; his memory of things past utterly
failed; he forgot what he had been
and was; his will
inclination
and fancy
were towards brutal things
and ran upon deserts
fields
and grass; and he
shunned the society of men:
and let seven times pass over him: while in this condition;
let him remain so long in it; not seven months
as Abarbinel
and others; nor
seven half years
or three years and a half
as some in Theodoret; dividing the
year into two parts
summer and winter; and suppose
that seven of these
seasons passed over him before he recovered; but seven years are meant
as
Jarchi
Saadiah
and Jacchiades
as the phrase is used in Daniel 7:25
so
many years the temple of Solomon was building
which Nebuchadnezzar had
destroyed
and so long this madness must remain upon him: no notice is taken of
this affair by Heathen writers
only AbydenusF14Apud Euseb. Praepar.
Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457. says
that being under a divine afflatus
he
foretold the destruction of the Babylonian empire by a Persian mule (meaning
Cyrus)
and by a Mede
and immediately
ηφανιστο
he disappeared; which some have understood of this time of his madness
which quickly
followed upon this dream.
Daniel 4:17 17 ‘This
decision is by the decree of the watchers
And the sentence by the
word of the holy ones
In order that the living may know That the Most High rules
in the kingdom of men
Gives it to whomever He will
And sets over it the
lowest of men.’
YLT 17by the decree of the
sifters [is] the sentence
and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement
to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the
kingdom of men
and to whom He willeth He giveth it
and the lowest of men He
doth raise up over it.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers
.... That is
the cutting down the tree
and what is signified by it
was with the advice
consent
and approbation of the watchers
by whom is generally understood
angels; not that they were the authors of this decree
but approvers of it; and
were ready
not only to subscribe it
but to execute it; it being against a
wicked man
and an oppressor of the Lord's people: they are represented as
assessors with God; called into a consultation with him; alluding to the manner
of kings and princes
who have their privy council
whom they advise with on
occasion; though
properly speaking
nothing of this nature is to be attributed
to God
only after the manner of men; see 1 Kings 22:19.
and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones; the same as
before
in other words; watchers and Holy Ones being the same
the holy angels;
See Gill on Daniel 4:13
and
the decree and the demand the same; or the requestF15שאלתא "petitio"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"postulatio"
Munster; "hoc postulatum"
Junius &
Tremellius; "petitio haec"
Piscator.
or petition; which shows what
concern they had in the decree; they only requested it might pass
or be carried
into execution; though some understand this of saints on earth
who
in their
prayers and supplications
requested for the judgments of God to come down upon
this proud monarch: though
after all
it may be best to interpret the whole of
the three Persons in the Godhead
who are perfectly pure and holy
essentially
and inderivatively; and may be called watchers
because they watch over the
good
to bring it upon the Lord's people; and over the evil
to bring it upon
their enemies: and to them well agree the decree and the demand; and the rather
this may be thought to be the true sense
since this decree is called the
decree of the most High
Daniel 4:24
and who
is expressed in the next clause:
to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth
in the kingdom of men; though men have kingdoms on earth
and multitudes subject to
them
yet they are not absolute sovereigns; there is a God that is higher than
they
at whose control they are
and does whatsoever he pleases in their
kingdoms
of which the event signified in this dream was a proof; and would be
brought about on purpose to make it appear that those that live on earth (for
as for the dead
they know nothing what is done on it)
both princes and
people
might be sufficiently convinced of the truth of it:
and giveth it to whomsoever he will; that is
the kingdom; he
takes it from one
and gives it to another; pulls down one
and sets up another
as he pleases; see Daniel 2:21
and setteth up over it the basest of men; or
"the
lowest of men"F16שפל אנשים "humliem hominum". Montanus
Grotius;
"humilem inter homines"
Pagninus; "humilem virorum"
Michaelis; "humillimum hominum"
Cocceius. ; men of the meanest and
lowest rank and condition of life
as David was taken from the sheepfold
and
made king of Israel; perhaps respect is had to Nebuchadnezzar himself; not to
his person
as Saadiah
who says he was short
and low of stature; but to his
llater state and condition
when he was taken from among the beasts of the
field
and restored to his throne and kingdom.
Daniel 4:18 18 “This
dream I
King Nebuchadnezzar
have seen. Now you
Belteshazzar
declare its
interpretation
since 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 God is in you.”
YLT 18`This dream I have seen
I
king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou
O Belteshazzar
the interpretation tell
because
that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the
interpretation
and thou [art] able
for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in
thee.
This dream I King Nebuchadnezzar have seen
.... So things
were represented to him by a vision in a dream:
now thou
O Belteshazzar
declare the interpretation thereof; at once
directly; as he was well assured he could
by what he had already done; having
both told him his dream when forgotten by him
and the meaning of it; and
therefore doubted not but he could interpret his dream
being told him:
forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make
known unto me the interpretation; he had sent for them
even all of them; he had told them his dream
but they could not interpret it;
see Daniel 4:6
but thou art able
for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee; he not only
knew his ability from former experience
but for the reason here given; of
which he might have more proofs than one
that the Spirit
not of impure
deities
of the gods and demons of the Heathens
but of the one true
living
and holy God
who knows all things
dwelt in him; see Daniel 4:9.
Daniel 4:19 19 Then
Daniel
whose name was Belteshazzar
was astonished for a time
and his
thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke
and said
“Belteshazzar
do
not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered and
said
“My lord
may the dream concern those who hate you
and its
interpretation concern your enemies!
YLT 19`Then Daniel
whose name
[is] Belteshazzar
hath been astonished about one hour
and his thoughts do
trouble him; the king hath answered and said
O Belteshazzar
let not the dream
and its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar hath answered and said
My
lord
the dream -- to those hating thee
and its interpretation -- to thine
enemies!
Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar) was astonied for one
hour
.... Not at the difficulty of interpreting the dream
which was
plain and easy to him; but at the sad and shocking things he saw plainly by the
dream were coming upon the king: and though he was a wicked prince
and justly
deserved such treatment; and thus he continued for the space of an hour like
one thunder struck
filled with amazement
quite stupid
dumb
and silent:
and his thoughts troubled him; both about what should
befall the king
and how he should make it known to him:
the king spake and said
Belteshazzar
let not the dream
or the
interpretation thereof
trouble thee: he saw by his
countenance the confusion he was in
and imagined there was something in the
dream which portended evil
and made him backward to relate it; and therefore
encouraged him to tell it
be it what it would:
Belteshazzar answered and said
my lord
the dream be to them that
hate thee
and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies; which is as
if he had said
I could have wished
had it been the will of God
that what is
signified by the dream might have befallen not the king
but his enemies; this
he said
not merely as a courtier
but as one that heartily wished and prayed
for his peace and prosperity; and to show that he had no ill will to the king
in the interpretation of the dream
but was his hearty faithful servant and
minister; and yet suggests that something very dreadful and distressing was
intended for him; and hereby he prepared him the better to receive it.
Daniel 4:20 20 “The
tree that you saw
which grew and became strong
whose height reached to the
heavens and which could be seen by all the earth
YLT 20The tree that thou hast
seen
that hath become great and strong
and its height doth reach to the
heavens
and its vision to all the land
Verse 20-21
The tree which thou sawest
In these two verses is
related part of the dream
which respects the flourishing estate of Nebuchadnezzar
and his kingdom; See Gill on Daniel 4:10
Daniel 4:11
Daniel 4:12.
Daniel 4:21 21 whose leaves were
lovely and its fruit abundant
in which was food for all
under which
the beasts of the field dwelt
and in whose branches the birds of the heaven
had their home—
YLT 21and its leaves [are] fair
and its budding great
and food for all [is] in it
under it dwell doth the
beast of the field
and on its boughs sit do the birds of the heavens.
Daniel 4:22 22 it
is you
O king
who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has
grown and reaches to the heavens
and your dominion to the end of the earth.
YLT 22`Thou it [is]
O king
for
thou hast become great and mighty
and thy greatness hath become great
and
hath reached to the heavens
and thy dominion to the end of the earth;
It is thou
O king
that art grown
and become strong
.... Here
begins the interpretation of the dream: the tree was an emblem of King
Nebuchadnezzar
of his greatness
and growing power and strength:
for thy greatness is grown
and reacheth unto heaven; he overtopped
all the kings of the earth
exceeding them in honour and power
and aspired to
deity itself; See Gill on Daniel 4:11.
and thy dominion to the end of the earth; as far as
Hercules's pillars
as StraboF17Geograph. l. 15. p. 472. says he
came. Grotius interprets it
as far as the Caspian and Euxine sea
and the
Atlantic ocean.
Daniel 4:23 23 “And
inasmuch as the king saw a watcher
a holy one
coming down from heaven and
saying
‘Chop down the tree and destroy it
but leave its stump and roots in
the earth
bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of
the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven
and let him graze with the
beasts of the field
till seven times pass over him’;
YLT 23and that which the king
hath seen -- a sifter
even a holy one
coming down from the heavens
and he
hath said
Cut down the tree
and destroy it; but the stump of its roots leave
in the earth
even with a band of iron and brass
in the tender grass of the
field
and with the dew of the heavens it is wet
and with the beast of the
field [is] his portion
till that seven times pass over him.
And whereas the king saw a watcher
and an Holy One
.... Here is
related another part of the dream
which respects the cutting down of the tree
or the miserable condition the king should be brought into; see Daniel 4:13.
Daniel 4:24 24 this
is the interpretation
O king
and this is the decree of the Most High
which
has come upon my lord the king:
YLT 24`This [is] the
interpretation
O king
and the decree of the Most High it [is] that hath come
against my lord the king:
This is the interpretation
O king
.... Of this part of the
dream
namely
what follows in the two next verses:
and this is the decree of the most High; called before
the decree of the watchers
Daniel 4:17
and is
no other than the decree of that sovereign and absolute Being
whose purposes
are unfrustrable:
which is come upon my lord the king; the decree had passed
concerning him
and would be most certainly fulfilled: and
because of the
certainty of it
it is represented as if it was; for it would shortly and
surely come upon him
exactly as it was determined
and by the dream signified.
Daniel 4:25 25 They
shall drive you from men
your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field
and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of
heaven
and seven times shall pass over you
till you know that the Most High
rules in the kingdom of men
and gives it to whomever He chooses.
YLT 25and they are driving thee
away from men
and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling
and the herb as
oxen they do cause thee to eat
and by the dew of the heavens they are wetting
thee
and seven times do pass over thee
till that thou knowest that the Most
High is ruler in the kingdom of men
and to whom He willeth He giveth it.
That they shall drive thee from men
.... From conversation
with men
as unfit for it; from his court and palace
from his nobles and
princes. Saadiah interprets this of the angels: it may be rendered impersonally
or passively
as in Daniel 4:33
"thou shalt be driven from men"F18לך
טררין "truderis"
Michaelis. ; not by his
family
his wife and children; or by his nobles
who are afterwards said to
seek him; but by the most high God
and to show his power over him; and it may
be by means of his ministering angels; or he was driven by his own fancy and
imagination
which was suffered of God to prevail over him
judging himself not
a man
but a beast; and so it was most agreeable to him to live with beasts
and not men:
and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; in the open
air
or in some den and cavern
instead of being in his court
and among his
nobles; a strange change of condition indeed! and in which he was preserved by
divine Providence:
and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen; imagining
himself to be a beast
he should choose this sort of food
and eat it
and feed
upon it with a gust
as if he had really been one; and besides
having no other
food
would be obliged to eat this
as well as his degenerate and depraved
imagination led him to it:
and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven; strip him of
his clothes
and leave him naked; so that he should have nothing to shelter him
from the dew and rain
and other inclemencies of the heavens; and this his
frenzy might lead him to do of himself:
and seven times shall pass over thee; which some
understand of weeks
others of months
others of the seasons of winter and
summer; but it is best to interpret it of seven whole years; See Gill on Daniel 4:16
till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men
and giveth it to whomsoever he will; this was done
as for
the instruction of men in general
so of Nebuchadnezzar in particular; that his
proud heart and haughty spirit might be brought down
and be made to
acknowledge that there was a God higher than he
that judgeth in the earth
and
that rules and overrules
and disposes of all things in it according to his
will and pleasure; see Daniel 4:17.
Daniel 4:26 26 “And
inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the
tree
your kingdom shall be assured to you
after you come to know that Heaven
rules.
YLT 26And that which they said --
to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom for thee abideth
after that thou knowest that the heavens are ruling.
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots
.... That is
the watchers and the Holy Ones; or it was commanded: this was the order given
by the most High:
thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee; signifying that another
king should not be set up in his place; and though the kingdom and
administration of it would depart from
him for a while
yet it would be
restored again
and be firm and stable:
after that thou shall have known that the heavens do rule; that is
that
God
who is the Maker of the heavens
and dwells there
is known and
acknowledged by thee to rule on the earth; from the government of which he was
desirous of excluding him
and taking it to himself; see Luke 15:18.
Daniel 4:27 27 Therefore
O king
let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being
righteous
and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps
there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
YLT 27`Therefore
O king
let my
counsel be acceptable unto thee
and thy sins by righteousness break off
and
thy perversity by pitying the poor
lo
it is a lengthening of thine ease.
Wherefore
O king
let my counsel be acceptable to thee
.... Since
this is the true interpretation of the dream
and such evils are like to befall
thee according to it
permit me
though thou art a king
and I am thy minister
or servant
to give thee some advice; and let it be taken in good part
as done
with a good design
and a hearty concern for thy welfare:
and break off thy sins by righteousness; this advice
carries in it a tacit charge of sins
and a reproof for them; which shows the
faithfulness of Daniel: these sins probably
besides pride
intemperance
luxury
and uncleanness
were tyranny
rapine
violence
and oppression of his
subjects
to which righteousness is opposed; and by which
that is
by a course
and series of righteous living
by administering public justice
and giving to
everyone their due
he is advised to break off his sinful course of life; to
break off the yoke of his sins upon his neck; to cease from doing evil
and to
learn to do well:
and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; to his poor
subjects
and especially to the poor captives the Jews
Daniel might chiefly
bear upon his mind
whom the king had ill used
shown no compassion to
and had
greatly distressed; but is now counselled to relieve their wants
and give
generously to them out of the vast treasures he was master of:
if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity; peace or
prosperity; perhaps by such a conduct there may be a reprieve for a while
the
evil portended and threatened by this dream may be deferred for a time; and
though the decree of the most High cannot be altered
yet the execution of it
may be protracted
and prosperity be lengthened out. Daniel could not assure
the king of this; but as there was a possibility
and even a probability of it
as in the case of Nineveh
and others
whose ruin was threatened
and yet upon
repentance was prolonged; it was highly advisable to try the experiment
and
make use of such a conduct
in hope of it; and the rather
since the
humiliation of princes
and their reformation
though but external
is observed
by the Lord
as in the case of Ahab. Aben Ezra
Jacchiades
and Ben Melech
render it
"if it may be an healing of thine error"; that is
the
pardon of thy sins
that they may be forgiven thee; see Acts 8:22.
Daniel 4:28 28 All
this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
YLT 28`All -- hath come on
Nebuchadnezzar the king.
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. All that was
signified in the dream
his madness
the removal of him from the administration
of government
and the brutal life he lived for seven years; for this was not a
mere parable or fiction
as some have thought
framed to describe the state and
punishment of a proud man
but was a real fact; though it is not made mention
of by any historians
excepting what has been observed before out of AbydenusF14Apud
Eubseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457. ; see Gill on Daniel 4:16
yet
there is no reason to doubt of the truth of it
from this relation of Daniel;
and is further confirmed by his observing the same to Belshazzar his grandson
some years after it was done
as a known thing
and as an unquestionable matter
of fact
Daniel 5:20.
Daniel 4:29 29 At
the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.
YLT 29`At the end of twelve
months
on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon he hath been walking;
At the end of twelve months
.... After the dream
and
the interpretation of it; which
according to Bishop UsherF19Annales
Vet. Test. A. M. 3435.
Dean PrideauxF20Connexion
&c. part. 1.
p. 105.
and Mr. WhistonF21Chronological Tables
cent. 10.
was in
the year of the world 3435 A.M.
and before Christ 569
and in the thirty sixth
year of his reign: one whole year
a space of time
either which God gave him
to repent in
or which he obtained by attending for a while to Daniel's advice:
he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon; or "upon
the palace"F23על היכל
"super palatium"
Vatablus; "super palatio"
Cecceius
Michaelis. ; upon the roof of it
which in the eastern countries was usually
flat and plain; and so AbydenusF24Apud Euseb. ut supra. (Praepar.
Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457.)
in the above cited place
represents him
ως αναβας επι τα βασιληια
as
ascending upon his royal palace; when
after he had finished his oration on it
he disappeared. From hence he could take a full view of the great city of
Babylon
which swelled him with pride and vanity
and which he expressed in the
next verse; See Gill on Daniel 4:4
where
also mention is made of his palace
the new one built by him. The old palace of
the kings of Babylon stood on the east side of the river Euphrates
over
against it
as Dean PrideauxF25Connexion
&c. part 1. B. 2. p.
102. observes; on the other side of the river stood the new palace
Nebuchadnezzar built. The old one was four miles in circumference; but this new
one was eight miles
encompassed with three walls
one within another
and
strongly fortified; and in it were hanging gardens
one of the wonders of the
world
made by him for the pleasure of his wife Amyitis
daughter of Astyages
king of Media; who being taken with the mountainous and woody parts of her
native country
and retaining an inclination for them
desired something like
it at Babylon; and
to gratify her herein
this surprising work was made: though
Diodorus SiculusF26Biliothec. I. 2. p. 98. says it was made by a
Syrian king he does not name
for the sake of his concubine; and whose account
of it
and which is given from him by Dean PrideauxF1Ibid.
and the
authors of the Universal HistoryF2Vol. 4. B. 1. ch. 9. p. 409
410.
is this
and in the words of the latter:
"these
gardens are said to contain a square of four plethra
or four hundred feet on
each side
and to have consisted of terraces one above another
carried up to
the height of the wall of the city; the ascent
from terrace to terrace
being
by steps ten feet wide. The whole pile consisted of substantial arches up on
arches
and was strengthened by a wall
surrounding it on every side
twenty
two feet thick; and the floors on each of them were laid in this order: first
on the tops of the arches was laid a bed or pavement of stones
sixteen feet
long
and four feet broad; over this was a layer of reed
mixed with a great
quantity of bitumen; and over this two courses of brick
closely cemented with
plaster; and over all these were thick sheets of lead
and on these the earth
or mould of the garden. This floorage was designed to retain the moisture of
the mould; which was so deep as to give root to the greatest trees
which were
planted on every terrace
together with great variety of other vegetables
pleasing to the eye; upon the uppermost of these terraces was a reservoir
supplied by a certain engine with water from the river
from whence the gardens
at the other terraces were supplied.'
And
it was either on the roof of the palace
as before observed
or perhaps it
might be upon this uppermost terrace
that Nebuchadnezzar was walking
and from
whence he might take a view of the city of Babylon; the greatness of which
as
set forth by him
he prided himself with
in the following words:
Daniel 4:30 30 The
king spoke
saying
“Is not this great Babylon
that I have built for a royal
dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
YLT 30the king hath answered and
said
Is not this that great Babylon that I have built
for the house of the
kingdom
in the might of my strength
and for the glory of mine honour?
The king spake and said
.... Either within
himself
or to his nobles about him; or perhaps to foreigners he had took up
with him hither to show the grandeur of the city:
is not this great Babylon
that I have built; he might well
call it great
for
according to AristotleF3Politic. l. 3. c. 3.
it was more like a country than a city; it was
as PlinyF4Nat. Hist.
l. 6. c. 26. says
sixty miles in compass within the walls; and HerodotusF5Clio
sive l. 1. c. 178. affirms it was four hundred and fourscore furlongs round
and such the "greatness" of it
and so beautified
as no other city
was he ever knew; See Gill on Jeremiah 51:58
though the king seems to have gone too far
in ascribing the building of it to
himself; at least he was not the original builder of it; for it was built many
hundreds of years before he was born
by Nimrod or Belus
who were the same
Genesis 10:10
and
was much increased and strengthened by Semiramis
the wife of his son Ninus;
therefore to her sometimes the building of it is ascribed; but inasmuch as it
might be in later times greatly neglected by the Assyrian kings
Nineveh being
the seat of their empire; Nebuchadnezzar
when he came to the throne
and especially
after he had enriched himself with the spoils of the conquered nations
greatly
enlarged
beautified
and fortified it: and BerosusF6Apud Joseph.
Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1. & contr. Allion
1. 1. sect. 19. relates
that he not only adorned the temple of Bel therewith
but of the city which was
of old he made a new one
and fortified it
built three walls within
and as
many without; and another royal palace contiguous to his father's
which
greatly exceeded it; and hanging gardens in it
which looked at a distance like
mountains
for the pleasure of his wife; and now
because he had done so much
to the repairing
enlarging
and fortifying of this city
he takes the honour
to himself of being the builder of it: and this was done
he says
for the house of the kingdom; that it might be the
seat of the empire
and a proper place for the royal family to dwell in
to
have their palace
and keep their court in:
by the might of my power; through the great riches
he was possessed of
which he employed in many great works
as before related
to the advantage of this city; he takes all to himself
and excludes all
instruments
and even God himself; though
unless the Lord build the city
in
vain the builders build
Psalm 127:1
for the honour of my majesty? not so much for the
benefit of the city
for the good of his subjects
as for the honour and glory
of himself; to show his riches
power
and grandeur
and to make his name
immortal to future ages.
Daniel 4:31 31 While the word was
still in the king’s mouth
a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar
to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
YLT 31`While the word is [in] the
king's mouth a voice from the heavens hath fallen: To thee they are saying: O
Nebuchadnezzar the king
the kingdom hath passed from thee
While the word was in the king's mouth
there fell a voice from
heaven
.... Before the king had done speaking in the above boasting
manner
an articulate voice from heaven was heard by him
and all about him
formed by the angels
and much like what the Jews call Bath Kol; see Acts 12:21
so
AbydenusF7Apud Euseb. ut supra. (Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p.
457.)
in the account he gives of Nebuchadnezzar's oration to the people
relates
that when the king had spoke it
παραχρημα
ηφανιστο
immediately he disappeared:
saying
O King Nebuchadnezzar
to thee it is spoken
the kingdom
is departed from thee; that is
the administration of it; for he was not deposed
or
declared to be no longer king; his office was not taken away from him
and
another king set upon the throne; only the administration was taken into other
hands
either of his wife or son
or his nobles; he being unfit for it
till
such time as his reason returned to him.
Daniel 4:32 32 And
they shall drive you from men
and your dwelling shall be with the
beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times
shall pass over you
until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of
men
and gives it to whomever He chooses.”
YLT 32and from men they are
driving thee away
and with the beast of the field [is] thy dwelling
the herb
as oxen they do cause thee to eat
and seven times do pass over thee
till that
thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men
and to whom He
willeth He giveth it.
And they shall drive thee from men
.... According to the
interpretation of the dream given by Daniel
which this voice from heaven
confirms; See Gill on Daniel 4:25
where
the same things are said as here.
Daniel 4:33 33 That
very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from
men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his
hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
YLT 33`In that hour the thing
hath been fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar
and from men he is driven
and the herb
as oxen he eateth
and by the dew of the heavens his body is wet
till that his
hair as eagles' hath become great
and his nails as birds.'
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar
.... Whence it
appears that this was a true history
and a matter of fact; and not a parable
or allegory
as Origen thought
describing the fall of Lucifer or Satan; but
relates what befell Nebuchadnezzar himself: nor was the change real as to soul
and body; for then he would not have been the same person
not Nebuchadnezzar
and so not he himself punished
but the beast into which he was changed: and
though there was a strange alteration
both in his body and mind; in some parts
of his body
and perhaps in his voice
in his senses of feeling
tasting
and
smelling
in his palate
and appetite
and stomach; in his rational powers
understanding
judgment
and memory; so that he acted like a beast
and
choosing to live as one; yet so as to retain the essential parts of a man; his
case was
that at once he fell raving mad and distracted
when they first bound
him with chains
that he might not hurt himself and others
and afterwards
turned him loose into the woods among the wild beasts; or perhaps into one of
his parks
among the deer
hares
foxes
and such like creatures; whither he
might incline to go
fancying himself to be a beast
and delight to be among
them:
and he was driven from men
and did eat grass as oxen; which he did
by choice: so Aben Ezra reports of one in the island of Sardinia
who fled from
his parents
and lost his reason
and lived among deer for many years
and went
upon his hands and feet like them; and the king of the island going a hunting
one day
caught many deer
and among them this man
that was taken for one: his
parents came and owned him
and spoke to him
but he answered not; they set
before him bread and wine
to eat and drink
but he refused; they then gave him
grass with the deer and he ate that; and in the middle of the night made his
escape to the deer or the field again.
And his body was wet with the dew of heaven: lying all
night in the woods or fields without clothing:
till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers: thick
black
and strong; the hairs of his head having not been cut
not his beard shaved for
seven years: the Septuagint and Arabic versions read
"as lions":
and his nails like birds' claws: the nails of his fingers
and toes were hard
long
and sharp
like theirs
having not been cut during
this time; this shows that the seven times are not to be understood of weeks or
months
but of years. Some have understood all this as a real metamorphosis
and that Nebuchadnezzar was changed into a beast; the upper part of him was the
form of an ox
and the lower part that of a lion
as EpiphaniusF8De
Prophet. Vit. & Inter. C. 10. ; so CyrilF9Cateches. 2. sect. 11.
says of him
that he was changed into a beast
lived in a desert
had the nails
and hair of a lion
ate grass like an ox; for he was a beast
not knowing who
gave him the kingdom; and so others; closely adhering to the letter of the
text
but wrongly
for reasons before given: nor is it to be ascribed merely to
any natural disease of body
or melancholy in him
by which the fancy may be so
disturbed
as for a person to imagine himself a beast; for though this was the
case
yet not through any diseases
such as is called the lycanthropy; an much
less to any witchcraft
or any diabolical art
exercised on him; but to the
mighty hand of God
taking away the use of his reason
and throwing him into
madness and distraction for the demonstration of his power
and humbling the
pride of an insolent monarch; not but that God could
if it had been his
pleasure
have changed him into a brute
as he turned Lot's wife into a pillar
of salt; and as a certain wicked nobleman in Muscovy was turned into a black
dog
barking and howling
upon uttering horrible blasphemies against God for
some judgment upon him
as ClureriusF11Apud Bucheim Dissertat. de μεταμορφωσει Reg. Nebuchad. in
Thesaur. Philol. Dissert. tom. 1. p. 890. relates
who had it
he says
from
both ear and eye witnesses of it; but such a judgment was not inflicted on
Nebuchadnezzar
not are such things usual. HerodotusF12Melpomene
sive l. 4. c. 105. reports
though he himself did not credit it
of some people
among the Scythians
that were every year
for a few days
changed into wolves
and then returned to their former shape again; and Pomponius MelaF13De
Situ Orbis
l. 2. c. 1. relates the same of the same people; and the poets
frequently speak of such transmutations; but these are all fictions and
delusions.
Daniel 4:34 34 And
at the end of the time[b] I
Nebuchadnezzar
lifted my eyes to heaven
and my understanding 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 is from
generation to generation.
YLT 34`And at the end of the days
I
Nebuchadnezzar
mine eyes to the heavens have lifted up
and mine
understanding unto me returneth
and the Most High I have blessed
and the
Age-during Living One I have praised and honoured
whose dominion [is] a
dominion age-during
and His kingdom with generation and generation;
And at the end of the days
.... Of the time fixed in
the dream; that is
at the end of seven years
as Jarchi rightly interprets it;
this according to Bishop UsherF14Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3442.
Dean PrideauxF15Connexium
&c. part. 1. p. 106.
and Mr.
WhistonF16Chronological Tables
cent. 10.
was in the year of the
world 3442 A.M.
and before Christ 563
in the forty second year of his reign;
after which he lived but one year
reigning from the death of his father forty
three years
and according to the Jewish accounts forty five; they reckoning
from the beginning of his partnership in the kingdom with his father
and his
first coming with an army into Syria.
I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven: for
during
the seven years he ate grass like an ox
his eyes were fixed upon the earth
looking out for his food
and especially if he went on all four
as the beasts
do; but now standing upright
in his erect form as a man
he looked upwards;
though this phrase does not merely design his looking up to the heavens
and
viewing them from his bodily eyes; but his sense and consideration of the
divine Majesty in heaven
his praying to him
lifting up the eyes being a
prayer gesture
and his devotion towards him;
and mine understanding returned to me; his
understanding as a man
which he had been deprived of during this time; and so
came to know in what state and condition he was
by whom brought into it
and
for what reason;
and I blessed the most High; the most high God
he
whose name alone is Jehovah
the God of gods
who is higher than the highest;
him the king blessed for returning his understanding and reason to him
and
restoring him to his senses; for which he had just cause to be thankful
for a
greater blessing cannot be enjoyed;
and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever; the living
and true God
the author of life to all that have it
and who upholds in it;
who lives in and of himself
and for evermore; which no mere man
even the most
exalted and dignified
does:
whose dominion is an everlasting dominion
and his kingdom is from
generation to generation; See Gill on Daniel 4:3.
Daniel 4:35 35 All
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His
will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the
earth.
No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him
“What have
You done?”
YLT 35and all who are dwelling on
the earth as nothing are reckoned
and according to his will He is doing among
the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth
and there is none
that doth clap with his hand
and saith to Him
What hast Thou done?
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing
.... That is
by the most high God
in comparison of him; and that not only the common
people
but magistrates
princes
and kings
and even so great a monarch as
Nebuchadnezzar; they are like mere nonentities
nothing as to existence
substance
greatness
glory
and duration
when compared with him: for this is
to be understood not absolutely as in themselves; for as such they are
something; their bodies are something in their original
and especially in
their make
form
and constitution
and even in their dissolution; and their
souls are yet more valuable
are of more worth than the whole world
being
immaterial and immortal; but comparatively with respect to God
in whom they
live
and move
and have that being they have
and by whom they are supported
in it; al whose glory and grandeur is fading and passing away
and continuance
is but very short; and all nothing with God
the Being of beings
whose glory
is inconceivable
and with whom a thousand years are as one day
and who is
from everlasting to everlasting: and this meant chiefly of the rational
inhabitants of the earth; not of the beasts of the field
the cattle on a
thousand hills
and the innumerable reptiles of the earth
which also are the
inhabitants of it; but of men
the principal ones
and of all of these
high
and low
rich and poor
bond and free; not as in their own account
and that of
others; for they are something in their own esteem
and seem so in the eyes of
others
who judge according to the outward appearance; but they are nothing in
the account of God: and as this is true of them in things natural and civil
it
is much more so in things spiritual
or relating to everlasting salvation: in
these men are nothing
and counted as nothing; no use is made of them
or any
account is had of anything done by them; these have no causal influence in
their salvation; they are nothing in God's choice of them to eternal life
which is all of mere sovereign grace; nothing in redemption
which is only by
Jesus Christ; nothing in regeneration
which is alone by the Spirit and grace
of God; nothing in justification
which is not by the works of the law
but by
the righteousness of Christ; in short
they are nothing in their salvation from
first to last
which is all of grace
and not of works. Jarchi and Saadiah
interpret this of an atom or mote in a sunbeam
which is seen flying about
but
cannot be laid hold on
having no substance
and disappears when the sun shines
not; see Isaiah 40:15.
And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven
and
among the inhabitants of the earth; he orders the angels
which are the host of heaven
to stand or go where he pleases; and he disposes
of men on earth
and puts them into such stations
and such conditions and
circumstances
and appoints them such business and services
as he thinks meet.
The angels are "the army of heaven"
or the heavenly host; so called
for their number
there being legions of them
even an innumerable company; and
for their military use
being employed to fight for the people of God
to
encamp about them
and protect them: those who formerly belonged to them
that
sinned against God
he cast them down to hell
without showing them any mercy;
and the rest he chose and confirmed in Christ
and all according to his
sovereign will; and these he makes use of according to his pleasure
to
minister to the heirs of salvation in life
to convoy their souls to heaven at
death
and to gather in all the elect at the last day. The "inhabitants of
the earth" are the men of it
as before
with whom he does as he pleases
in things temporal and civil
making some rich
and others poor; raising some
to great honour and dignity
while others live in meanness
poverty
and
disgrace: and in things spiritual; he loves whom he will; he chooses whom he
pleases; he redeems whom he wishes from among men; he regenerates and calls by
his grace
of his own will; and reveals Christ
and the great things of the
Gospel
to whom it seems good in his sight; he does what he will with his own;
he bestows grace and glory on whomsoever be pleases
as free grace gifts
without any merit of the creature
according to his sovereign will and
pleasure.
And none can stay his hand: stop his power
resist
his will
or hinder him from acting
or cause him to cease from his work
which
he is bent upon; his will in both worlds is sovereign and arbitrary
and his
power uncontrollable. It was so in creation
he said
and it was done; it is so
in providence
he does what he pleases; there is nothing done without his
knowledge and will
and there is no counsel against the Lord: it is so in his
works of grace; in the great work of redemption; no difficulties could
discourage or hinder Christ from the performance of that arduous work
he being
the mighty God: and in the work of grace upon the heart of a sinner
when God
begins to work
none can let; not corruptions within
nor Satan without; nor
can anything hinder the carrying of it on; not indwelling sin
nor the snares
of the world
nor the temptations of Satan. The purposes of God cannot be
disannulled; his hand cannot be held
stopped
or turned back from the execution
of them; he will do his will and his work in the world
and in his churches
and on particular persons
maugre all the opposition of men and devils.
Or say unto him
what dost thou? what is this thou hast
done? and wherefore hast thou done it? why was it not done in another form and
manner
and for other ends and purposes? see Isaiah 45:9
all
such like questions are vain and foolish
and are despised by the Lord; he
gives no account of his matters unto the children of men. Some may with wonder
say
"what has God wrought!" but none ought to say
in a complaining
and murmuring way
"what dost thou?" and should they
it is of no
avail
he will do what he pleases.
Daniel 4:36 36 At
the same time my reason returned to me
and for the glory of my kingdom
my
honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me
I
was restored to my kingdom
and excellent majesty was added to me.
YLT 36`At that time my
understanding doth return unto me
and for the glory of my kingdom
my honour
and my brightness doth return unto me
and to me my counsellors and my great
men do seek
and over my kingdom I have been made right
and abundant greatness
hath been added to me.
At the same time my reason returned unto me
.... Or
"my understanding"F17מנדעי
"intellectus meus"
Cocceius
Michaelis. ; this he repeats
not only
to express the certainty of it
but the sense he had of the greatness of the
favour
and of which what he said at this time is a full proof:
and for the glory of my kingdom mine honour and brightness
returned unto me: or "form"F18זיוי
η μορφη μου
Sept.;
"forma mea"
Tigurine version
"figura mea"
Munster.
as
the Septuagint; his majestic form
that royal majesty
that appeared in his
countenance formerly
returned again; which graced him as a king
and made for
the glory of his kingdom
and the administration of his office. Jarchi renders
it
"and to the glory of my kingdom I returned"; and to the same
purpose the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Arabic versions. This whole clause is
wanting in the Syriac version. Jarchi interprets "brightness" of the
form of his countenance; and Jacchiades of the light of it
the sparkling
lustre and majesty of it. A strange change and alteration this!
And my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; who very
likely had the administration of government in their hands during this time;
and as the dream
and the interpretation
were publicly known
and they had
seen the first part of it fulfilled in the king's madness and miserable state
they had reason to believe the latter part also
and therefore waited for the
accomplishment of it at the end of seven years; when they sought for him
and
sought unto him
very probably by the direction of Daniel
who was at the head
of them; and this may be the reason why another prince was not set upon the
throne
because they expected his return to it at the expiration of these
years; and in the mean while held the reins of government in their own hands
but now delivered them up to him:
and I was established in my kingdom; as Daniel had told him
in the interpretation of his dream
that his kingdom should be sure to him
Daniel 4:26
and excellent majesty was added unto me; or
more
majestyF19רבו יתירא
"magnificentia amplior"
Pagninus
Montanus; "amplitudo
major"
Junius & Tremellius; "magnificentia major"
Piscator; "majestas amplior seu major"
Michaelis. ; he had more
honour and grandeur than he had before; more respect was shown him
and homage
paid him: his latter end
like Job's
was greater than his beginning.
Daniel 4:37 37 Now
I
Nebuchadnezzar
praise and extol and honor the King of heaven
all of whose
works are truth
and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is
able to put down.
YLT 37`Now
I
Nebuchadnezzar
am
praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens
for all His works
[are] truth
and His paths judgment
and those walking in pride He is able to
humble.'
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of
heaven
.... Now he knew that the heavens ruled
and that there was a God
and a King there
above all gods and kings; who had brought him low
and raised
him up again
and to whom were owing all his present glory and magnificence
and therefore worthy of his highest praises; and which he in the most public
manner gave by words before his lords and counsellors
and by writing under his
own hand
by this edict and proclamation:
all whose works are truth
and his ways judgment: everything he
does in providence
and every step he takes therein
are according to truth and
righteousness; he is true to his word
and righteous in his works
as he had
been to him:
and those that walk in pride he is able to abase; not only that
show it now and then
but always
and in everything; in their looks and
gestures
in their talk and walk
and throughout the whole of their
conversation; in whom it is public
visible
notorious
and constant; but let
them carry their heads ever so high
and be as proud and haughty as they will
God is able to humble them; he has various ways of doing it. Such as are proud
of their outward beauty
or the strength of their bodies
he can
by sending a
disease upon them
make their beauty to consume like a moth
and weaken their
strength in the way; such as are elated with their wealth and substance
and
with honours conferred upon them
or dignity they are raised to
he can soon
strip them of all their riches by one providence or another
and bring down
those that stand in slippery places of honour and dignity to destruction in a
moment; and such as pride and plume themselves with their wit and knowledge
the natural endowments of their mind
he can take away their reason and
understanding from them
as he did from this monarch
and put them upon a level
with brutes: such who behest of their own righteousness and good works
and
trust in themselves
that they are righteous and holy persons
and despise
others; and think to be justified and saved by them
and not to be beholden to
any other
but be their own saviours; these the Lord
by his Spirit
can
humble
by showing them the impurity of their nature; their impotence to that
which is spiritually good; the imperfection of their best righteousness to
justify them in his sight; so that they shall appear to be polluted and defiled
creatures
who thought themselves very holy; and to be very weak and
insufficient of themselves
to do anything spiritually good
who gloried in the
power and strength of their free will; and see that their best works are no
other than filthy rags
and to be renounced in the business of their
justification and salvation: in short
he humbles by showing them that all
their temporal good things are owing to the good providence of God
and are
dependent on it; and that all they have in spirituals is owing to the grace of
God
and not to any desert of theirs; in consequence of which they become meek
and lowly
and walk humbly with their God
who before walked in the pride of
their hearts
and in the vanity of their minds. And a power to do this is
peculiar to God himself; none but God can look upon him that is proud
and
abase him
and bring him low; and sooner or later
by one means
or in one way
or another
he will stain the pride of all glory: it is his usual way to abase
him that exalts himself
and exalt him that humbles himself; see Job 40:11
pride
being a most hateful sin to him
contrary to his nature and glory
to his grace
and to his Gospel; the first sin of angels and men. And of abasement and
humiliation of such proud ones
Nebuchadnezzar was an instance in various
respects; who was one of the proudest monarchs upon earth
yet was humbled with
a witness; but
after all
whether truly converted
is a question.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)