Commentary on Daniel: Chapter 4

Daniel 4

This chapter continues the story of how the mighty ruler Nebuchadnezzar came to capitulate to the God of the captives he brought back from Judea.

This chapter is unique in all scripture.

It was composed under the authority of a pagan.

Apparently what happened is that Nebuchadnezzar authorized Daniel to write up this account, which he then did under the inspiration of God.

But the motivation to put the account in writing seems to have come from Nebuchadnezzar and most of the account is written in the first person with Nebuchadnezzar speaking.

In Chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar learned that God was all knowing. In Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar learned that God was all powerful and could override the will of even the mightiest rulers. In this chapter, Nebuchadnezzar will learn of his own weakness and folly before God and of his own utter dependence on God.

Nebuchadnezzar was but an instrument in God’s hand.

Nebuchadnezzar will come face to face with the theme of this book: The absolute sovereignty of God and God’s faithfulness to his covenant people.

The first part of this theme is repeated three times in this chapter:

Daniel 4:17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.'

Daniel 4:25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will.

Daniel 4:32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox; and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will."

Nebuchadnezzar finally learned this. Have we?

Warning: This chapter has been called ‘historically absurd’ by some.

The Biblical narrative is the lone witness to most of the events in this chapter.

The Babylonian Chronicles end with the 11th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.

1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

King Nebuchadnezzar is much like us – his spiritual life has its ups and downs!

After Daniel interpreted his first dream, Nebuchadnezzar praised God, but in the very next chapter he made a giant graven image.

After God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar again praised God.

Here in chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar again praises God but only after he has undergone a very humbling experience about which we will learn more in just a moment.

This account of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, however, was written after the fact and thus his praise of God at the beginning of the chapter occurred after the experiences the chapter describes.

Did he finally learn his lesson? We don’t know for sure because the book will tell us nothing more about him.

Even if Nebuchadnezzar’s motives are dubious (gratitude or fear of silence?), he speaks the truth about God.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion is from generation to generation.

This is what Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:44 about the church.

But it also true in a larger sense. God’s kingdom and dominion are eternal. He has always and will always rule over everyone and everything.

Nebuchadnezzar thought his kingdom was eternal, but it was not. Human rule is transient. God’s rule is permanent.

History is full of kingdoms that thought they would be last forever. (Babylon, Greece, Rome, Nazi Germany)

There is but one eternal kingdom.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I had a dream which made me afraid; as I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 Therefore I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in; and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.

Poor Nebuchadnezzar. Every time things seem to be going well, he has a troubling dream. Here we have a repeat of what we saw in Chapter 2.

The king was at ease and was prospering.

Verse 30 implies that when this occurred, Nebuchadnezzar’s building activities had been completed.

These events probably took place after Egypt had been conquered and Jerusalem destroyed and about 8 or 9 years before the siege of Tyre in 573 mentioned in Ezekiel 26:7.

The seven year illness of Nebuchadnezzar in this chapter may have been from 582 to 575, a period in which we know of no military operations.

Thus, he was at ease and prospering. This may have been a source of his problems!

Recall Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. There we had a man who had everything but God – and God called him a fool. (If there is any parable that captures the spirit of our own age, it is that one.)

Again he makes a decree. (He does this a lot doesn’t he!) This decree commands that all of the wise men be brought forward to interpret his dream.

The ‘astrologers’ mentioned here were not mentioned in the list found in Chapter 2. The king seems to be grasping at straws in his increasingly desperate attempt to understand his dreams. (He may be ready to call the Psychic Hotline next!)

As before, the Chaldean wise men are unable to interpret the dream.

Note that this time, Nebuchadnezzar tells them what the dream was. Their inability to interpret it means that it must not have been listed in their dream manuals.

Even if they knew or guessed the meaning, they probably would have lacked the courage to tell the king. Even Daniel later hesitates to tell the king what the dream means.

8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is difficult for you, here is the dream which I saw; tell me its interpretation.

Daniel comes in last. He was not part of the ‘group.’ (God’s people are seldom part of the ‘group.’)

Why was Daniel the last one called and not the first one called?

Maybe he was out of town or ill.

I think a better explanation is that Nebuchadnezzar didn’t want to ask him unless it was absolutely necessary. I doubt that Nebuchadnezzar liked having to go to Daniel for answers.

Also, unlike the other wise men, he no doubt did not hang around the king like a sycophant.

It is clear that Nebuchadnezzar is still a card-carrying polytheist.

When he calls Daniel, he reminds us that Daniel’s Babylonian name is Belteshazzar “after the name of my god.”

Recall from our earlier comments, that Nebuchadnezzar’s ‘god’ was presumably Nebo.

Belteshazzar means ‘Nebo, protect my life.’

But, he assures the reader, Daniel has the “spirit of the holy gods.”

The ‘name of my god’ is singular, but the ‘spirit of the holy gods’ is plural.

Nebuchadnezzar is mixing Hebrew terminology with his pagan nonsense.

10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were fair 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 air dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

The king had dreamed of a giant tree that gave shelter and food to all the beasts and birds of the earth.

This looks like a happy dream. What was troubling the king? We are about to find out.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He cried aloud and said thus, 'Hew down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

This beautiful tree was going to be cut down and its foliage was going to be stripped away.

The order came from “a watcher, a holy one” who “came down from heaven.” Who was this?

Although the dream was a message from God, it is possible that God was using some imagery from Babylonian mythology to make his point.

The Babylonians believed in heavenly beings whose task was to keep watch over the earth.

However, this image is not unique to Daniel.

A vision in Zechariah 1:10 speaks of those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.

The word for ‘watcher’ or ‘messenger’ occurs nowhere else in the Bible.

It does occur in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls (in a commentary on Genesis), where it is used to denote an angel.

This has caused some to believe that this is a special class of angels whose duty is to watch and patrol the earth. They would also seem to be responsible for executing the decrees of God.

One effect of cutting down the tree was that the birds and beasts that had found shelter under it would be scattered.

15 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 lot be with the beasts in the grass of the earth; 16 let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven times pass over him.

Although the tree was to be cut down, the stump was to be left, and it was to have a band of iron and bronze placed around it.

The purpose of these bands seems to have been to protect and preserve the stump. They would keep the stump from being removed.

Although Daniel had not yet interpreted the king’s dream, I think we can now see why the dream was so troubling to the king. Look very carefully at what the watcher said in verse 15.

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 lot be with the beasts in the grass of the earth

The watcher begins referring to the ‘stump’ as a man! It was no doubt very clear to the king which man the watcher had in mind.

What was going to happen to this stump/man?

The mind of this stump was to changed from that of a man to that of a beast.

The word for ‘mind’ here means ‘heart.’

It ‘refers to the inner self as the seat of moral reflection, choice of the will, and pattern of behavior.’

How long was this change going to last?

It was to last for ‘seven times.’ What does that mean?

The word ‘times’ can denotes years or seasons or it can be more general as it is in 2:8 and 3:5.

Most commentators translate it as ‘appointed times’ or ‘seasons,’ which would mean that it refers to 7 years.

Another possibility is that ‘seven times’ denotes an indefinite period of time that is long enough for the lesson to be learned.

As we know, seven denotes perfection. Thus, this period of seven times might denote a period of time that would be just right for Nebuchadnezzar to learn his lesson.

This is supported by the wording later in verse 25.

Daniel 4:25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will.

This passage seems to stress the meaning of the seven times.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have an interesting approach to the “seven times.”

The seven times denotes seven years, each day of which also denotes a year. (Thus, we have 2520 years.)

This period is the “times of the Gentiles” – the period of Gentile opposition, which is depicted by Nebuchadnezzar’s madness. (Doesn’t it seem odd that a time of Gentile prominence would be symbolized by the insanity of a very prominent Gentile?)

This period supposedly began in 607 BC when they say the temple was destroyed. (This actually happened in 587 BC. They give incorrect dates for virtually all of the events that we have been studying.)

Counting 2520 years from 607 BC brings us to 1914, which is when they say the kingdom was established.

Many textbooks have the answers to certain exercises and problems listed in the back of the book. The purpose of these answers is to allow the students to check their work. However, many students look at the answers first and then work backwards through the problem trying to set things up so that they obtain the answer they started with. This seems to be what the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done. They started with the answer ‘1914’ and then worked backward through history doing whatever they needed to make sure they got the answer they were seeking.

17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.’

Notice the plural ‘watchers’ and ‘holy ones’ here.

Although one is mentioned in verse 13, there are apparently more than one involved in this decree.

The watcher continues the decree, and gives the reason behind it.

The decree was so that “the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.”

That is, the purpose of this decree was to make clear one of the principle themes of this book – the absolute sovereignty of God.

The term ‘lowliest of men’ in verse 17 is interesting from several perspectives.

God chooses who will wear the crown and often he has chosen those who are humble and of low social standing.

Job 5:11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

1 Samuel 2:7-8 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord'S, and on them he has set the world.

Luke 1:51-53 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.

But this term also has a particular application to the history of Nebuchadnezzar (as we mentioned in the introduction).

The lowly origin of Nebuchadnezzar’s family was otherwise unknown until an inscription made by his father Nabopolassar was found in which he was referred to as “the son of a nobody” (of non-royal birth), “insignificant,” “not visible,” “the weak,” and “the feeble.”

This kind of knowledge (the lowly origin of Babylon’s greatest king) would have quickly been forgotten – but the author of Daniel knew about it.

The decrees of the Babylonian kings in Daniel are remarkably similar to those found inscribed on ancient monuments. How would a Jewish writer produce such an accurate record 400 years after the fact?

18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

The king turns at last to Daniel for the interpretation of the dream because the other wise men could not interpret it.

But why couldn’t they interpret it? The meaning seems very clear.

The portrayal of a man in his pride as a lofty tree is common in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 2:12-13 For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; 13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan;

Isaiah 10:34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon with its majestic trees will fall.

Ezekiel used a very similar picture to describe Assyria just a few years before Nebuchadnezzar had this dream. (See Ezekiel 31:3–17.)

Why couldn’t the other wise men interpret the image?

They may not have been familiar with the imagery that must have been very clear to any Hebrew. This is possible but unlikely. The image seems very clear. (Indeed, it was so clear to Nebuchadnezzar that he was terrified by it.)

God may have kept them from understanding it so that Daniel would be chosen to explain it to the king.

The most likely possibility is that they understood exactly what the dream meant but they were too cowardly to explain it to the king.

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!

Even Daniel was reluctant to tell the king what his dream meant.

The Aramaic here literally reads “He was stupefied for one hour” but the word for “hour” can simply mean a period of time.

This verse gives us an interesting picture of the relationship between these two men.

Daniel was not happy in the least about the bad news he had for the king. Daniel’s loyalty was genuine.

But maybe he just delayed because he was scared? It seems more reasonable to believe that Daniel’s reluctance arose from his feelings for the king rather than from his fear of the king.

Notice the concern of the king for Daniel as well. “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.”

Their relationship seems to have involved mutual respect and perhaps mutual affection. Their concern seems genuine.

When Daniel at last begins to speak, he voices the fruitless wish that the dream might apply instead to Nebuchadnezzar’s worst enemies.

20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth; 21 whose leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all; under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the air dwelt — 22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.

Daniel has good news and bad news – and he starts with the good news.

The mighty tree represented Nebuchadnezzar in all his military success and genius.

His kingdom stretched from the border of Egypt to the kingdom of the Elamites, near the Persian Gulf.

Did Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion extend to the ends of the earth as verse 22 suggests?

The scope of the term ‘earth’ always depends on its context. (Here it refers simply to the Mesopotamian orbit in which the king reigned supreme.)

It was common to describe a king’s dominion in this way even though no earthly king has ever literally ruled the entire earth. (It was simply a hyperbole.)

Even in the New Testament, we read in Luke 2:1 that “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled” and in Romans 1:8 Paul said “your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”

23 And whereas the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Hew down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of heaven; and let his lot be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’; 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity.”

Here Daniel gives the interpretation of the more ominous part of the dream.

The decree of the watcher, Daniel says in verse 24, is a decree of the Most High. This judgment, whatever it will be, is from God.

The bad news is that the king was going to lose his kingdom and his sanity until he understood the lesson that God wanted to teach him – that God rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

The guarded tree stump represents Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom during his illness.

The stump was left so that the king would know that his kingdom would not be taken away permanently. Why was this important?

If Nebuchadnezzar lost his kingdom while he was out of the picture then that would prove his point. That is, it would show that Nebuchadnezzar was the real power and that it was his genius that kept the kingdom together.

God, however, wanted to show him that the opposite was true. Nebuchadnezzar ruled and had his kingdom because it pleased God for him to.

If God could keep his kingdom together while he was out in the field living the life of an ox then God did not need a brilliant leader to hold a kingdom together.

In the ordinary course of events, any ruler suffering from such an illness would have been deposed and replaced.

History tells us that Nebuchadnezzar’s sons were worthless, and indeed were unable to retain power very long after his death.

In any event, however, it was God’s will that the kingdom would be returned to Nebuchadnezzar after he recovered – so that is what happened.

There was still a possibility that Nebuchadnezzar could avoid this misfortune if we would amend his ways and acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God.

What did the king need to do? He needed to adopt two new policies:

He needed to renounce his sins and do what was right.

He needed to protect the poor in his kingdom and not allow them to be exploited and oppressed.

Did he do this? Perhaps he tried. The judgment was delayed for one year.

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

Verse 28 gives us the sad news. Everything in the vision came true because Nebuchadnezzar refused to change his ways.

Notice that the account changes from the first person to the third person. This makes sense since the king could not have been a sane witness of his own insanity!

What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? The king looked out over his kingdom and said “Look what I have done!”

Herod suffered a similar fate in Acts 12:21–23.

Acts 12:21-23 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them. 22 And the people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of man!" 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died.

Nebuchadnezzar, like Herod, was filled with pride at his own achievements. He had not given glory to God.

This is a lesson for us in the church. Often we are tempted to boast about all that we have done and all that we have built in God’s kingdom.

This church is not “our church” – it is the Lord’s church (it is the church of Christ!), and any building that goes on is done by him. (“Look at the great church we have built!”) He adds people to his church – we don’t add people to our church. He deserves all of the glory.

The Bible has much to say about the sin of pride, and we will not repeat it all here. However, it is useful to note that when God listed seven things that he hates, pride was at the top of the list. (Proverbs 6:17) Also, recall what Jesus said:

Luke 16:14-15 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. 15 But he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

The first step toward overcoming pride is to learn to see things the way that God sees them. What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

An inscription has been found in which Nebuchadnezzar boasted “The fortifications of [the temple of Marduk] and Babylon I strengthened, and established the name of my reign forever.”

How do you suppose the author of Daniel knew about Nebuchadnezzar’s extreme pride if he wrote the book 400 years after the fact?

31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox; and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men, and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

God interrupts the mighty king while the words were still in his mouth.

As McGuiggan points out, he was “bragging one moment and munching the next!”

The humor of this incident is hard to miss. Imagine for a moment how the court must have handled the visit of foreign dignitaries. (“The king can’t talk to you at the moment… He’s grazing.”)

Poor Nebuchadnezzar. After all that he did, this is what he is most remembered for. Even Shakespeare mentions him with respect to this episode. In “All’s Well That Ends Well”, the clown, after being rebuked for his ignorance of herbs, responds by saying “I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir; I have not much skill in grass.”

In verse 31, God says that the kingdom “has” departed from him. So sure was the coming judgment that God used the past tense. (We saw this in Revelation 14:8 as well – “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!”)

When God starts using the past tense, it’s time to watch out! The sky is about to fall on someone.

Verse 33 tells us the condition of Nebuchadnezzar during his insanity.

He grazed in the field like a beast.

His skin was toughened by the exposure to the extreme heat in the summer (110 to 120°F) with high humidity to well below freezing in the winter.

His hair, matted and coarse, looked like eagle feathers. His fingernails and toenails became like claws.

This description still points to a long period of time even if “seven times” does not mean “seven years.”

As we mentioned in our introductory comments, some have said that this description of Nebuchadnezzar is too absurd to be true. But is it really that absurd? Not at all. In fact, it is very similar to a known medical condition – boanthropy.

R. K. Harrison speaks of an encounter he had with such a person in a British mental hospital. He ate only vegetation and drank only water. His health was excellent and the only physical abnormality noticed was the length and coarseness of his hair and the thickened condition of his nails.

No Babylonian record has been found that mentions any activity by Nebuchadnezzar during the period 582 to 575. What do you think he was up to? (Perhaps he was “out standing in his field”!)

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing; and he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What doest thou?”

For the third time in as many chapters, King Nebuchadnezzar seems to get the message. His reason returns to him and he realizes just how inappropriate his pride was.

Nebuchadnezzar says:

God deserves all of the glory and praise because he has an everlasting dominion and an eternal kingdom – unlike the king whose kingdom could be taken from him.

No one can stay God’s hand – as the king had tried to do.

No one can question God’s actions – the way that God had repeatedly questioned Nebuchadnezzar’s actions.

Nebuchadnezzar said “I blessed and praised the Most High.” Does it seem unreasonable that the pagan Nebuchadnezzar would use this Hebrew terminology?

Not at all. He knew Daniel, so he must have been familiar with the terminology that Daniel used to praise God.

36 At the same time my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.

As promised, Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was returned to him and he was returned to power.

In fact, he says that even more greatness was added to him.

Do you think that this is how he would have expressed his increased greatness before he learned a lesson about pride? That his greatness was added to him? Added by whom?

Again, the significant part of this account is that Nebuchadnezzar regained his kingdom. That proved to him and to all that his kingdom was not his because of his own power or genius. His kingdom was a gift from God – and at last he understood that. He finally knew the power of the God of the Hebrews.

This is the end of the story as far as Nebuchadnezzar is concerned. Before proceeding to Chapter 5, it will be helpful to briefly consider the history that occurred between the events in these two chapters.

Without any warning or explanation, the narrative leaps from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to the very end (very last day!) of the Babylonian empire.

Note: It is clear that a large break occurs between these two chapters. Later we will see other similar large breaks that occur without warning – but they should not come as a surprise since we now know that such breaks occur in the book.

Nebuchadnezzar died in 563.

He was succeeded by his son Evil–Merodach (Amel-Marduk or man of Marduk), who released Jehoiachin from prison and gave him an honorable place in the court. (2 Kings 25:27–30)

(Perhaps when you name your son ‘Evil’ you have only yourself to blame when he turns out bad!)

Two years later, Amel-Marduk was assassinated by his brother-in-law, who died 4 years later. He was succeeded by his son, who was murdered 9 months later.

When the dust cleared, Nabonidus was on the throne. He apparently married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar to legitimize his claim to the throne.

Belshazzar, who we meet in Chapter 5, was the son of Nabonidus.

The final year of the Chaldean empire was 539 BC. The ruler who takes charge of the empire is Cyrus. The ruler who takes charge of the city of Babylon is Darius.

Note: Neither Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, nor Darius attempted to destroy or severely persecute the Jewish people. Unlike Revelation, courage in the face of persecution is not the point of Daniel. Instead, Daniel is more concerned with how the people of God should live in an ungodly culture and in that sense it has a more important and relevant message for us than Revelation does!

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