Logos Bible Study

Daniel 4:13–16

The NET BibleOther versions

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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.

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Footnotes

  1. 19 Aram “the visions of my head.”
  2. 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” (, ).
  3. 21 Aram “in strength.”
  4. 22 Aram “and thus he was saying.”
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 25 Aram “its lot be.”
  8. 26 Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
  9. 27 The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
  10. 28 Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

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

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He 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. But 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. Let 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.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

“ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“As I was lying in my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called out loudly:

Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;

strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.

Let the animals flee from under it,

and the birds from its branches.

But leave the stump with its roots in the ground

and with a band of iron and bronze around it

in the tender grass of the field.

Let him be drenched with dew from the sky

and share the plants of the earth

with the animals.

Let his mind be changed from that of a human,

and let him be given the mind of an animal

for seven periods of time.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“ ‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. The messenger shouted,

“Cut down the tree and lop off its branches!

Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit!

Chase the wild animals from its shade

and the birds from its branches.

But leave the stump and the roots in the ground,

bound with a band of iron and bronze

and surrounded by tender grass.

Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,

and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field.

For seven periods of time,

let him have the mind of a wild animal

instead of the mind of a human.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“ ‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher, and a holy one, came down from heaven.

He cried aloud and so he said:

“Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;

shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit.

Let the animals flee from under it,

and the birds from its branches.

But the stump of its roots

leave in the earth,

along with a band of iron and bronze;

leave it in the grass of the field.

And in the dew of heaven

let it be watered,

and with the animals

let his lot be in the grass of the earth.

Let his mind be changed from that of a human,

and let the mind of an animal be given to him,

and let seven times pass over him.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

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