Daniel 4 · The Lantern

Nebuchadnezzar Confesses God’s Kingdom

Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations and tongues that dwell in all the earth: May your peace be multiplied.

And so at that time Nebuchadnezzar, after seeing the marvels which happened to the three boys and being pricked in heart, set forth through a decree to publically announce to all peoples, tribes, and tongues who were under him, that namely they who hear what occurred, should fear God and should glorify him, just as he himself also praised God and said, "His kingdom is an everla…

Again, observe also the piety of the Children: they showed no indignation, no anger, no gain-saying, but they came forth. Had they regarded it as an act of vengeance that they had been thrown into the furnace, they would have been grieved against the man who had cast them in; as it is, there is nothing of the kind; but, as though they were going forth from Heaven itself, so wen…

Verses 1-3. "Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all the peoples, nations and languages who dwell upon the whole earth: peace be multiplied unto you. The Most High God hath performed signs and wonders towards me.

The signs and the wonders that the Most High God has done with me, it was pleasing before me to declare.

His signs — how great! And his wonders — how mighty! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is with generation and generation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Great Tree

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

I saw a dream, and it made me afraid; and the imaginings upon my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.

And from me a decree was set to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in; and I told the dream before them, and they did not make known its interpretation to me.

And at the last, Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream:

We are not capable of glorifying God on our own; only in the Spirit is this made possible. In him we are able to thank God for the blessings we have received. To the extent that we are purified from evil, each receives a smaller or larger portion of the Spirit's help that each may offer the sacrifice of praise to God.

The spirit filled the soul of Daniel with wisdom.… Even Nebuchadnezzar recognized that the Holy Spirit was in Daniel.… One thing he said was true and one was false. That he had the spirit was true, but he was not the chief of the magicians.

Verse 8. "'Then at last my associate, Daniel, whose name according to the name of my god is Belteshazzar, entered before my presence.'" With the exception of the Septuagint translators (who for some reason or other have omitted this whole passage), the other three translators have translated the word as "associate" (collega).

Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians — because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too hard for you — tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

And the visions of my head upon my bed: I was looking, and see, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

Verse 10. "'I saw, and behold there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was very great...'" It was not only of Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Chaldeans, but also of all impious men that the prophet says: "I beheld the impious man highly exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon" (Psalm 37:35).

By the tree blessed Daniel said [Nebuchadnezzar] personally was depicted, and he said its height reached to heaven to suggest not the real tree but his thoughts and imaginings.… His [conceited attitude] is the reason he sees the height of the tree reaching to heaven; but since, so to say, he even had control of the whole world, he sees the tree trunk—that is, the extent of its…

"Its top," that is, of the tree, is his thoughts and the pride of his spirit. "Its foliage" is his army. "Its fruits" are his nobles. "The animals of the fields and the birds" are the nations and kingdoms that he has subdued. "From it all living beings were fed" are because the silver and gold that were for the benefit of people were coined by his mint.

The tree grew and became strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and its sight to the end of all the earth.

Its foliage was fair and its fruit much, and food for all was in it. Under it the beasts of the field found shade, and in its branches the birds of the heavens dwelt, and from it all flesh was fed.

I was looking in the visions of my head upon my bed, and see, a watcher and a holy one came down from the heavens.

The Word, having heard the council of the Father, descended from heaven to proclaim the will of the Father through angels, as Scripture says, "A holy one descended from heaven." [Daniel 4:13] The angels consulted the Word, "What does the master command us?" For this is the request of the saints.

By eir he refers to the watcher, the meaning in Greek. By watcher he means an angel, thus bringing out its bodiless form: what is clad in a body is subject to sleeping, whereas what is rid of a body is superior to the need for sleeping. So he means, I saw an angel, bodiless in nature, who descended from heaven.

One who passes the night with thought of him makes of God a housemate; and one who earnestly desires the will of God will find the watchers on high to be his teachers.

He called with force and said thus: Hew down the tree and cut off its branches; strip its foliage 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, and with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let its portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

Let its heart be changed from a man’s, and let the heart of a beast be given to it; and let seven times pass over it.

By the sentence of the watchers is the matter, and by the word of the holy ones the demand — so that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of man, and gives it to whom he wills, and sets up over it the lowliest of men.

The dream which was seen by Nebuchadnezzar was displayed as a punishment for the king himself, whose heart was exalted and lifted up against God, having set up a golden image and having forced all to be idolaters, it was shown to him through a vision that even he might see that he has the lot of being under the authority of God, even if he seems to at some time reign over all t…

Verse 17. "In the decision of the watchmen, i.e., the angels, lies the decree and the speech and the petition of the holy ones." Moreover it is both Greek and Latin usage to call the rainbow iris, because it is said to descend to earth in a multicolored arch.

This is what the angel means, that the fate of the tree will come to pass for this purpose, for everyone to know through this that there is one God, Lord and King, who appoints kings on the earth and entrusts the kingdom to whomever he wishes.

This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. And you, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, inasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the interpretation known to me. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for one hour, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said: Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its interpretation alarm you. Belteshazzar answered and said: My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your adversaries.

Therefore he, who also interpreted the dream of the king, was grieved and became tearful and for about one hour was amazed and his thoughts troubled him, not wishing to send out his voice, indicating the affection which he had for the king, so that in this even the king was sorely pricked and when he did what was spoken by the prophet, he was able to be saved.

Daniel did not speak these words ("may the dream be for those who hate you") … because he feared the majesty of the king or in order to flatter him and his fortune but either to show respect for the king and the worship of the vessels in the temple or for that general edict through which he [the king] repressed those who wanted to scorn the divine name in their actions or words…

Verse 19. "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, began quietly to meditate by himself for about an hour, and his meditations greatly troubled him.

The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and its sight to all the earth,

and whose foliage was fair and its fruit much, and food for all was in it — under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lodged —

it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; and your greatness has grown and reached to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

And that the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heavens and saying: Hew down the tree and ruin it — but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field, until seven times pass over it —

this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the sentence of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king:

Verses 24, 25. "'This is the interpretation of the sentence of the Most High which has come upon my lord the king. They shall cast thee forth from among men and thy habitation shall be with cattle and wild beasts...'" Daniel moderates the severity of the sentence by complimentary language, so that (variant: and) after he has first set forth the harsher aspects, he may moderate…

At this point it is possible to learn the value of the apostolic teaching, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities"; blessed Daniel, note, calls the impious king "lord" and, influenced by the norm of authority, he adopts the appropriate titles, and he gives a glimpse of the truth of the dream, distressing though it is.

Often, when means are abundant, and many things can be done for subordinates to admire, the mind exalts itself in thought, and fully provokes to itself the anger of the judge, though not breaking out in overt acts of iniquity. For he who judges is within; that which is judged is within.

that you will be driven from man, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field; and they will make you taste grass like oxen, and with the dew of the heavens they will wet you; and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of man, and gives it to whom he wills.

And that they said to leave the stump of the roots of the tree — your kingdom stands for you, from the time you know that the heavens are ruler.

For when it says to him, "Leave the stump of the roots of the tree in the earth," [Daniel 4:26] it is clear that he is again according to the purpose of God about to be reestablished over his own office.

Verse 26. "'Thy kingdom shall remain unto thee, after thou shalt have acknowledged that power belongs to Heaven.'" Those who contest the historicity of this incident and would have it that the devil's original position of honor will be restored to him, make capital of this passage, on the ground that after Nebuchadnezzar has during the seven-year cycle endured torments and best…

Having foretold the future in this way, [Daniel] offers exhortation and excellent advice and applies a remedy suited to the wound … "compassion for the poor." In this he implies the insatiable cruelty with which [Nebuchadnezzar] treated his subjects. Do you wish, he asks, to receive lovingkindness?

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you: break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there will be a lengthening of your tranquillity.

The Second Dream Fulfilled

All of it came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king.

At the end of twelve months he was walking on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

The king answered and said: Is this not great Babylon, which I myself have built for a royal house by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?

For if the glory of those who lie in prominence is like dry leaves, which blossom for a little while but immediately waste away, how does it aid Nebuchadnezzar the king when he says this immoderate statement, "Is this Babylon not great, which I myself built as a house for my kingdom, for the rule of my strength, for the honor of my glory?" [Daniel 4:30] When after he was banish…

Then the king became even more insolent, even as God was patient and had shown magnanimity by endeavoring to lead him to repentance. And as he walked on the terrace of the royal house and looked around over his fortune, he said, "Where became of all those sad omens by which the saint had meant to frighten me? I certainly rule Babylon, which I made magnificent."

While the word was still in the mouth of the king, a voice fell from the heavens: To you it is said, Nebuchadnezzar the king — the kingdom has departed from you.

And you will be driven from man, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field; they will make you taste grass like oxen; and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of man, and gives it to whom he wills.

In that same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from man and ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until his hair grew like the feathers of eagles and his nails like the claws of birds.

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens, and my knowledge returned to me; and I blessed the Most High, and the one living forever I praised and honored — whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is with generation and generation.

And so we find in the records that Nebuchadnezzar reigned twenty-five years. For after he reigned the first eighteen years, then after being lifted up, he set up the image. Then after twelve months this happened to him and he was banished from men and his kingdom was taken from him.

"My reason returned to me," that is, I was made again master of my own mind, and certainly returned to my senses. "I blessed the Most High, who does what he wills," that is, who with his divinity and will rules and administrates not only the affairs of human beings, whom he fashioned from clay, but also those of the spiritual powers, whom he placed in heaven.

Verse 34. "'I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted mine eyes toward heaven, and my intelligence returned to me.'" Had he not raised his eyes towards heaven, he would not have regained his former intelligence. Moreover, when he says that his intelligence returned to him, he shows that he had lost not his outward appearance but only his mind.

And all the dwellers of the earth are reckoned as nothing, and according to his will he does in the army of the heavens and among the dwellers of the earth; and there is none who can strike his hand and say to him: What have you done?

At that time my knowledge returned to me; and for the honor of my kingdom, my majesty and my brightness returned to me. And my ministers and my great ones sought me, and I was established over my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of the heavens, whose works are all truth and whose ways are judgment; and those walking in pride he is able to bring low.

And so the kind of things which happened to Nebuchadnezzar at that time in those seasons were for admonitions and reminders, and were recorded for all men, as Daniel, also in dreams and visions, really described these things as happening, concerning which if we approach upon the passage in the book, we may interpret both the dreams and visions and shall show these to also be tr…

Verse 37. "'Now therefore I, Nebuchadnezzar, do praise, magnify and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways are judgment, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.'" Nebuchadnezzar understood the reason why he had suffered in seven years' punishment, and for that reason he humbled himself, since he had exalted himself against God.

Having had experience of misfortune and then being rid of it, I sing the praises of the one who to my advantage brought on me one condition and the other in his great wisdom. I know he is the King of heaven and Lord of all, acting in truth, governing everything justly and capable of humbling those behaving haughtily.