King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a tree
4
📚“Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples and nations of all languages who live in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 2 📚“I thought it good to tell of the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 📚“How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
4 📚“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5 📚I saw a dream which made me afraid, and on my bed my thoughts and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 📚Therefore I gave an order to bring all the wise men of Babylon into my presence, so that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 📚Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans 📖, and the soothsayers came, and I told the dream to them, but they did not reveal its interpretation to me.
4:6-7 Compare Dan 2:5-9. This time the king was making it much easier for these “wise” men. But they failed once more, as they always must and will wherever they may be.⚜
8 📚But finally Daniel came into my presence. His name is Belteshazzar, after the name of my god. The Spirit of the holy gods 📖 is in him; and I told the dream to him, saying,
9 📚“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its interpretation.
4:9 He had not yet understood that Daniel was not a magician at all, that the source of Daniel’s wisdom was not any kind of magic, but the true God alone.⚜
10 📚These are the visions of my head on my bed: I looked and saw a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was great. 11 📚The tree grew, and became strong, and its height reached to the sky, and it could be seen to the ends of the whole earth. 12 📚Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. The beasts of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 📚“On my bed I looked in the visions of my head, and saw a watcher 📖, a holy one 📖 coming down from heaven. 14 📚He cried out loudly, and said this: ‘Chop down the tree, and cut off its branches. Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from its branches. 15 📚But leave the stump from its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it become wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 📚Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and let a beast’s heart be given to him, and let seven times 📖 pass over him. 17 📚This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
4:17 In spite of the truth the king had heard in Dan 2:36-45 he had not yet understood this fact (v 25).⚜
18 📚“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, O Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you are able, for the Spirit of the holy gods is in you.
Daniel’s interpretation
19 📚“Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonished for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you. “Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My master, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies.
4:19 Sometimes God’s servants must speak unwelcome truth.⚜
20 📚The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, its height reaching to the sky, and its appearance to the whole earth, 21 with its beautiful leaves, and its abundant fruit, and on which was food for all, and under which the beasts of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their dwelling place, 22 📚this tree is 📖you, O king, who have grown and become strong. For your greatness has increased and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
23 📚“‘And as for the king seeing a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, “Chop down the tree, and destroy it, but leave the stump from its roots in the ground with a band of iron and bronze, 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 of the field, until seven times pass over him”.
24 📚“‘This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come against my master the king: 25 📚They will drive you from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and they will make you eat grass like oxen, and they will wet you with the dew of sky. And seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. 26 📚And as for their command to leave the stump from the tree roots, your kingdom will be assured to you, after you learn that heaven rules 📖. 27 📚Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your evil deeds by showing mercy to the poor 📖. Perhaps your tranquility will long continue.’ ”
4:27 Again we see Daniel’s boldness and faithfulness in dealing with those in high places.⚜
The dream fulfilled
28 📚All this came on King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 📚At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, 30 📚and the king spoke and said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal residence by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”
4:30 The king had a whole year to think over the truth God had given through Daniel. But pride is a great enemy of truth and hardens the heart against it (Dan 5:20). God’s attitude toward pride is seen in His Word – Prov 6:16-17; 8:13; Isa 2:10-18; 23:9; Jer 13:9; Jam 4:6.⚜
31 📚While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven 📖, saying, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, this is spoken to you: The kingdom has departed from you. 32 📚And they will drive you from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. They will make you eat grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you learn that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will”.
33 📚That same hour this word was fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and ate grass like oxen, and his body became wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 📚“And at the end of these days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes 📖 to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I extolled the Most High, and I praised and honoured him who lives forever, “Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 📚And all the inhabitants of the earth count for nothing 📖; and he does according to his will 📖 in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can hold back his hand, or say to him, ‘What are you doing 📖?’
36 📚“At the same time my reason returned to me, and my honour and splendour returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. And my counsellors and my nobles sought me out, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
4:36 This was altogether of God’s grace. The King of heaven is a God of love, mercy and kindness.⚜
37 📚Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, whose works are all in truth, and whose ways are just 📖; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase 📖”.
4:1-37 This chapter gives the record of how God brought the king to a deeper knowledge of Himself. The king himself wrote it down and, presumably, published it far and wide (vs 1,2).⚜
4:37 It is a great thing and shows a great work of God in the heart when a man stops praising himself and what he has done, and starts praising God.⚜