Logos Bible Study

Daniel 4:10–27

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4:10Here are the visions of my mind12 while I was on my bed.

While I was watching,

there was a tree in the middle of the land.13

It was enormously tall.14

4:11The tree grew large and strong.

Its top reached far into the sky;

it could be seen15 from the borders of all the land.16

4:12Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;

on it there was food enough for all.

Under it the wild animals17 used to seek shade,

and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.

All creatures18 used to feed themselves from it.

4:13While I was watching in my mind’s visions19 on my bed,

a holy sentinel20 came down from heaven.

4:14He called out loudly21 as follows:22

‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!

Strip off its foliage

and scatter its fruit!

Let the animals flee from under it

and the birds from its branches!

4:15But leave its taproot23 in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it24

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with25 the animals in the grass of the land.

4:16Let his mind26 be altered from that of a human being,

and let an animal’s mind be given to him,

and let seven periods of time27 go by for28 him.

4:17This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that29 those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms,30

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

4:18“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its31 interpretation, for none of the wise men in32 my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

4:19Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time;33 his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir,34 if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries! 4:20The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen35 in all the land, 4:21whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals36 used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest—4:22it is you,37 O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth. 4:23As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’—4:24this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 4:25You will be driven38 from human society,39 and you will live40 with the wild animals. You will be fed41 grass like oxen,42 and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before43 you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven44 rules. 4:27Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.”45

Read in Logos
Daniel 4:11–12: The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its 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.

Footnotes

  1. 12 The lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.
  2. 13 Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (); , “of the world”; “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.
  3. 14 Aram “its height was great.”
  4. 15 Aram “its sight.” So also v. 17.
  5. 16 Or “to the end of all the earth” (so , ); , “from anywhere on earth.”
  6. 17 Aram “the beasts of the field.”
  7. 18 Aram “all flesh.”
  8. 19 Aram “the visions of my head.”
  9. 20 Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT () in fact has ἄγγελος (angelos, “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” () or “messenger” (, ).
  10. 21 Aram “in strength.”
  11. 22 Aram “and thus he was saying.”
  12. 23 Aram “the stock of its root.” So also v. 23. The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.
  13. 24 The function of the band of iron and bronze is not entirely clear, but it may have had to do with preventing the splitting or further deterioration of the portion of the tree that was left after being chopped down. By application it would then refer to the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar’s life during the time of his insanity.
  14. 25 Aram “its lot be.”
  15. 26 Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
  16. 27 The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
  17. 28 Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
  18. 29 The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).
  19. 30 Aram “the kingdom of man”; “the realm of mankind”; “every kingdom on earth.”
  20. 31 The present translation reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pishreh, “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew ; the Kethib is פִּשְׁרָא (pishra’, “the interpretation”); so also v. 16.
  21. 32 Aram “of.”
  22. 33 Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.
  23. 34 Aram “my lord.”
  24. 35 Aram “its sight.”
  25. 36 Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
  26. 37 Much of modern scholarship views this chapter as a distortion of traditions that were originally associated with Nabonidus rather than with Nebuchadnezzar. A Qumran text, the Prayer of Nabonidus, is often cited for parallels to these events.
  27. 38 The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29, 32.
  28. 39 Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
  29. 40 Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
  30. 41 Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
  31. 42 Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder known as boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.
  32. 43 Aram “until.”
  33. 44 The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).
  34. 45 Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press