Daniel 4:21-23

21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged -

22 it is ¹you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your ²dominion to the end of the earth.

23 'In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, "³Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until * ⁴seven periods of time pass over him,"

Daniel 4:21-23 Meaning and Commentary

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, Da 4:1-3 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, Da 4:4-9: the dream itself; which being told, astonished Daniel, the king being so much interested in it, Da 4:10-19, the interpretation of it, with Daniel's advice upon it, is in Da 4:20-27 the fulfilment of it, time and occasion thereof, Da 4:28-33. Nebuchadnezzar's restoration to his reason and kingdom, for which he praises God, Da 4:34-37.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 12:7; Daniel 2:37, 38
• 2. Jeremiah 27:6, 7
• 3. Daniel 4:14, 15
• 4. Daniel 4:16

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "greatness"
• [b]. Lit "of"
• [c]. Lit "his portion be with"
• [d]. I.e. years