Daniel 4:22

It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. IT IS THOU, O KING. He speaks pointedly, and without circumlocution (so Nathan said to David, , "Thou art the man"). While pitying the king, be uncompromisingly pronounces his sentence of punishment. Let ministers steer the mean between, on the one hand, fulminations against sinners, under the pretext of zeal, without any symptom of compassion; and, on the other, flattery of sinners under the pretext of moderation. THY DOMINION TO THE END OF THE EARTH - (Jeremiah 27:6, "Now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar"). To the Caspian, Euxine, and Atlantic Seas....

19-27 Daniel was struck with amazement and terror at so heavy a judgment coming upon so great a prince, and gives advice with tenderness and respect. It is necessary, in repentance, that we not only cease to do evil, but learn to do good. Though it might not wholly prevent the judgment, yet the trouble may be longer before it comes, or shorter when it does come. And everlasting misery will be escaped by all who repent and turn to God....

IT IS THOU, O KING - It is a representation of thyself. Compare Daniel 2:38. THAT ART GROWN AND BECOME STRONG - Referring to the limited extent of his dominion when he came to the throne, and the increase of his power by a wise administration and by conquest. FOR THY GREATNESS IS GROWN - The majesty and glory of the monarch had increased by all his conquests, and by the magnificence which he had thrown around his court. AND REACHETH UNTO HEAVEN - An expression merely denoting the greatness of his authority. The tree is said to have reached unto heaven Daniel 4:11, and the stateliness and grandeur of so great a monarch might be represented by language whi

EXPOSITION DANIEL 4:1 THE MADNESS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR. We follow here the division of chapters which we find in our English Version, and as, indeed, in all modern versions. The Aramaic concludes the third chapter with the three verses which are placed in our version at the beginning of the fourth chapter. The arrangement of the Aramaic is followed by the Septuagint, by Theodotion, and by Jerome. The Peshitta and Paulus Tellensis follow the more logical division. Luther divides the chapters logically enough, but carries on the numbering of the verses from the preceding chapter. It is difficult to see anything that can even seem to be a reason for this division. It may indicate a suspicion of these verses at the time the chapters were divided....

IT IS THOU, O KING, THAT ART GROWN, AND BECOME STRONG,.... Here begins the interpretation of the dream: the tree was an emblem of King Nebuchadnezzar, of his greatness, and growing power and strength: FOR THY GREATNESS IS GROWN, AND REACHETH UNTO HEAVEN; he overtopped all the kings of the earth, exceeding them in honour and power, and aspired to deity itself; Daniel 4:11 AND THY DOMINION TO THE END OF THE EARTH; as far as Hercules's pillars, as Strabo q says he came. Grotius interprets it, as far as the Caspian and Euxine sea, and the Atlantic ocean. q Geograph. l. 15. p. 472....

CHAPTER 4 THE TREE VISION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR _ 1. The king's proclamation (Daniel 4:1)_ 2. The king relates the tree vision (Daniel 4:4) 3. Daniel interprets the vision (Daniel 4:19) 4. The tree vision fulfilled, the king's abasement and his restoration, (Daniel 4:28) Daniel 4:1. This chapter is in form, at least in part, of a proclamation. This proclamation must have been written after the king had passed through the experience recorded in this chapter....

DANIEL 4. This chapter takes us again into the realm of Apocalyptic. Nebuchadnezzar dreams a fresh dream. This time he sees a gigantic tree, the top of which reached to heaven, full of leaves and fruit. Suddenly a holy one appears from heaven, and cries the command, Hew down the tree, strip off the branches, but leave the stump in the ground. That the dream refers to some individual is clear, for the holy one continues, Let his portion be with the beasts. Let his heart be changed from a man's, and _let_ a beast's heart be given unto him. Daniel, who is summoned to interpret the vision, informs the king that the dream refers to himself. He is the tree which is soon to be cut down. For his pride madness will overtake him, and his portion will be with the beasts of the field for seven years. There are two difficulties about this chapter, the one connected with the form, the other connected...

Daniel's interpretation of the dream....

d. RULER'S REVERIE REVEALED, PART I TEXT: Daniel 4:19-23 19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries. 20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation: 22 it is thou, O king, that are grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM AND ITS FULFILMENT In the form of a proclamation Nebuchadnezzar records his experience of the power of the Most high God (Daniel 4:1). He had a dream which none of his wise men could interpret (Daniel 4:4). He then called Daniel, and told him the dream, in which he had seen a lofty and spreading tree, which at the bidding of an angel _had_ been cut down, its stump being bound among the grass for seven 'times' (Daniel 4:8). Daniel explained that the tree was Nebuchadnezzar in his greatness, that he would lose his reason and live a beast's life for seven years, after which he would be restored to his throne (Daniel 4:19