4:2,3Although Nebuchadnezzar praised Daniel’s God, he still did not believe in him completely or submit to him alone (4:8). Many people attend church and use Christian language, but they really don’t honor God with their lives. Profession doesn’t always mean possession. Does your life match your profession of faith?
Life Application Study BibleDanielChapter 4
Daniel 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1384, 1385, 1386, 1387
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
4Daniel 4
1“Peace and prosperity to you! 2"T want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. 3How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations. 4*“T Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity. 5But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. 6So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant. 7When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers,* and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. 8At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) 9T said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means. 10“ While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. 11The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. 12It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.
13“Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger,* a holy one, coming down fromheaven. 4The 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 shadeand the birds from its branches.
15But leave the stump and the roots in the ground,bound with a band of iron and bronzeand 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.
16For seven periods of time,let him have the mind of a wild animalinstead of the mind of a human.4:1 Verses 4:1-3 are numbered 3:31-33 in Aramaic text. 4:4 Verses 4:4-37 are numbered 4:1-34 in Aramaic text!
17For this has been decreed by the messengers*;it is commanded by the holy ones,so that everyone may knowthat the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.He gives them to anyone he chooses—even to the lowliest of people.”
18“’Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
Daniel Explains the Dream
1919"Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened by the meaning of the dream. Then the king said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, don't be alarmed by the dream and what it means.’ “Belteshazzar replied, ‘I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you! 20The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. "It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. 22That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth. 23Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.” 24"This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king. 25You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you lean that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. 26But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules. 27“King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
The Dream's Fulfillment
2828“But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, Ihave built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ 31“While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’ 33“That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
3434" After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting,and his kingdom is eternal.
35All the people of the earthare nothing compared to him.He does as he pleasesamong the angels of heavenand among the people of the earth.No one can stop him or say to him,‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
36” When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. 37"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”
Textual footnotes
- 4:7 Or Chaldeans.
- 4:13 Aramaic a watcher; also in 4:23.
- 4:17 Aramaic the watchers.
Life Application Notes 7 notes
4:10Anything short of complete obedience meant execution for the officials who served Nebuchadnezzar. Even in such a small matter as this, the official feared for his tife.
4:17One of the most difficult lessons to learn is that God is sovereign. He is above all of those who are above us. He limits the power and authority of all the government, business, and religious teaders in the world. Those who live in freedom and with a relatively high degree of autonomy find this difficult to understand. While we may feel as though we are free to do what we please, God is sovereign over all of our plans and desires.
4:19When Danie! understood Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he was stunned, and he wondered how to break the news. He told the king he wished what the dream foreshadowed would happen to the king’s enemies and not to Nebuchadnezzar. How could Danie! be so deeply grieved at the fate of Nebuchadnezzar—the king who was responsible for the destruction of Daniel's home and nation? Daniel had forgiven Nebuchadnezzar, and so God was able to use Daniel. Very often when we have been wronged by someone, we find it difficult to forget the past. We may even be glad when that person suffers. Forgiveness means putting the past behind us. Can you love someone who has hurt you? Can you serve someone who mistreated you? Ask God to help you forgive, forget, and love. God may use you in an extraordinary way in that person’s life! 4:23tf Although much of the world thought that Nebuchadnezzar was a mighty (even divine) king, God demonstrated that Nebuchadnezzar was an ordinary man. The king would go insane and become like an animal for a set period of time (“seven periods of time”). God humiliated Nebuchadnezzar to show that almighty God, not Nebuchadnezzar, was LORD of the nations. No matter how powerful a person may become, self-centered pride will push God from his or her life. Pride may be one of the most dangerous temptations you will face, Don’t let your accomplishments cause you to forget God.
4:27-33Daniel pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways. and God gave Nebuchadnezzar 12 months to do it. Unfortunately, there was no repentance in the heart of this proud king, and so the dream was fulfilled.
4:34Ancient kings tried to avoid mentioning their weaknesses or defeats in their monuments and official records. From Nebuchadnezzar’s records, however, we can infer that for a time during his 43-year reign he did not rule. The Bible, however, explains Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and punishment.
4:36Nebuchadnezzar's pilgrimage with God is one of the themes of this book. In 2:47, he acknowledged that God revealed mysteries to Daniel. In 3:28, 29 he praised the God who rescued the three Hebrews. Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s recognition that God exists and works great miracles, in 4:30 we see that he still did not acknowledge God as his LORD. We may recognize that God exists and does wonderful miracles, but so do many unbelievers! To be a child of God, you must invite him to be LORD of your life.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Personality profile · page 1385
Profile: Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was one world leader who decided he could get more cooperation from the people he conquered by letting them keep their gods. Their lands he took, their riches he robbed, their lives he controlled, but their idols he allowed them to worship, sometimes even worshiping them himself. Nebuchadnezzar’s plan worked well, with one glaring exception. When he conquered the little nation of Judah, he met a God who demanded exclusive worship—not just his share among many gods. In a sense, Nebuchadnezzar had always been able to rule the gods. This new God was different; this God dared to claim that he had made Nebuchadnezzar all that he was. One of the great conquerors in history was himself conquered by his Creator. The Bible allows us to note the ways in which God worked on Nebuchadnezzar. God allowed him victories, but he was accomplishing God’s purposes. God allowed him to deport the best young Jewish leaders as his palace servants, while placing close to him a young man named Danie!, who would change the king’s life. God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to attempt to kill three of his servants to teach the king that he did not really have power over life and death. God warned him of the dangers in his pride and then allowed Nebuchadnezzar to live through seven years of insanity before restoring him to the throne. God showed the king who was really in control! These lessons are clear to us today because of our place in history. When our attention shifts to our own lives, we often find ourselves unable to see how God is working. But we do have the advantage of God’s Word as our guide for today’s challenges. We are commanded to obey God; we are also commanded to trust him. Trusting him covers those times when we are not sure about the outcome. God has entrusted us with this day; have we trusted him with our life?
• Greatest of the Babylonian kings
• Known as a builder of cities
• Described in the Bible as one of the foreign rulers God used for his purposes
Strengths and accomplishments
• Thought of himself as a god and was persuaded to build a gold statue that all were to worship
• Became extremely proud, which led to a bout of insanity
• Tended to forget the demonstrations of God’s power he had witnessed
Weaknesses and mistakes
History records the actions of God’s willing servants and those who were his unwitting tools
• A leader’s greatness is affected by the quality of his advisers
• Uncontrolled pride is self-destructive
Lessons from his life
• Where: Babylon
• Occupation: King
• Relatives: Father: Nabopolassar. Son: Evil-merodach. Grandson: Belshazzar
• Contemporaries: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin
Vital statistics
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud” (Daniel 4:37).
Key verse
Nebuchadnezzar's story is told in 2 Kings 24—25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 21—52; Daniel 1—4.
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