Daniel 4:25
in Daniel 4You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
KJV
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
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This verse in Daniel 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseNext Scripture says, "And he shall lie outside in the grass and in the dew of heaven and seven seasons shall pass over him until you know that God the Most High rules over the kingdom of men." [Daniel 4:25] And so some count seven seasons as seven years. But some take seven seasons to refer to three months for each year, for one year has four seasons, winter, spring, summer, and autumn, as seven seasons then are given to the king.
This site's exposition
drive thee from men
on Daniel 4:25-26
They shall drive thee from men states in full what the tree's felling pictured, the king reduced among the beasts of the field eating grass as oxen, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, the sentence's own refrain now given for the second of its three occurrences in the chapter. The stump left standing carries its own promise forward, thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule, mercy written into the judgment from the first watcher's word, not added afterward.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
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 the king's alarm by assurances of the kindlier treatment to follow. He draws the final inference:
Now, while some commentators claimed the "seven times" are seven years, others said three and a half. The divine Scripture, in fact, divides the year not into four seasons but into two more generic parts, winter and summer; so seven divisions of that kind amount …
God will take from you even human reason and will make you resemble the beasts so that you may learn from experience what is human and what is God, what is human fortune and what is divine kingship, and the fact that it is impossible …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They shall drive thee - This was such a thundering peal, that it was wonderful the king could endure to hear it without fury boiling in his heart, yet the Lord with-held him. Seven times - Seven years. 'Till thou know - How hard is it for lofty princes to learn this lesson.
That they shall drive thee from men,.... From conversation with men, as unfit for it; from his court and palace, from his nobles and princes.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they shall drive thee--a Chaldee idiom for "thou shalt be driven." Hypochondriacal madness was his malady, which "drove" him under the fancy that he was a beast, to "dwell with the beasts";
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
That they shall drive thee from men - That is, thou shalt be driven from the habitations of men; from the place which thou hast occupied among men. The prophet does not say “who” would do this, but he says that it “would” be done. The language is such as would be used of one who should become a maniac, and be thrust out of the ordinary society in which he had moved. The Greek of Theodotion here is: καὶ σὲ ἐκδιώξουσιν kai se ekdiōxousin.
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָ֣ךְ | velakh | and <obj.> you | ||
| טָֽרְדִ֣ין | taredin | [they will be] chasing | H2957 → | 4 times |
| מִן־ | min- | away from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| אֲנָשָׁ֡א | ʾanasha' | <the> humankind | H606 → | 25 times |
| וְעִם־ | veim- | and with | H5974 → | 22 times |
| חֵיוַ֣ת | cheivat | [the] animal[s] of | H2423 → | 20 times |
| בָּרָא֩ | bara' | field the | H1251 → | 8 times |
| לֶהֱוֵ֨ה | leheveh | it will be | H1934 → | 71 times |
| מְדֹרָ֜ךְ | medorakh | dwelling place your | H4070 → | 4 times |
| וְעִשְׂבָּ֥א | veisba' | and <the> grass | H6211 → | 12 times |
| כְתוֹרִ֣ין׀ | khetorin | like oxen | H8450 → | 7 times |
| לָ֣ךְ | lakh | to you | ||
| יְטַֽעֲמ֗וּן | yetaamun | they will feed | H2939 → | 3 times |
| וּמִטַּ֤ל | umital | and from [the] dew of | H2920 → | 5 times |
| שְׁמַיָּא֙ | shemaiya' | heavens the | H8065 → | 38 times |
| לָ֣ךְ | lakh | <obj.> you | ||
| מְצַבְּעִ֔ין | metzabein | [they will be] making wet | H6647 → | 5 times |
| וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה | veshivah | and seven | H7655 → | 6 times |
| עִדָּנִ֖ין | ʾidanin | times | H5732 → | 13 times |
| יַחְלְפ֣וּן | yachlefun | they will pass | H2499 → | 4 times |
| עֲלָ֑ךְ | alayikh | over you | H5922 → | 104 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5705 → | 35 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| תִנְדַּ֗ע | tinda' | you will know | H3046 → | 47 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| שַׁלִּ֤יט | shalit | [is] having mastery | H7990 → | 10 times |
| עִלָּאָה֙ | ilaya' | Most High the | H5943 → | 10 times |
| בְּמַלְכ֣וּת | bemalkhut | over [the] kingdom of | H4437 → | 57 times |
| אֲנָשָׁ֔א | ʾanasha' | <the> humankind | H606 → | 25 times |
| וּלְמַן־ | uleman- | and to whomever | H4479 → | 10 times |
| דִּ֥י | di | whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יִצְבֵּ֖א | yitzbe' | he will be pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ׃ | yiteninah | he will give it | H5415 → | 7 times |
וְלָ֣ךְand <obj.> you
velakh
טָֽרְדִ֣ין[they will be] chasing
taredinH2957 →4 times
מִן־away from
min-H4481 →109 times
אֲנָשָׁ֡א<the> humankind
ʾanasha'H606 →25 times
וְעִם־and with
veim-H5974 →22 times
חֵיוַ֣ת[the] animal[s] of
cheivatH2423 →20 times
בָּרָא֩field the
bara'H1251 →8 times
לֶהֱוֵ֨הit will be
lehevehH1934 →71 times
מְדֹרָ֜ךְdwelling place your
medorakhH4070 →4 times
וְעִשְׂבָּ֥אand <the> grass
veisba'H6211 →12 times
כְתוֹרִ֣ין׀like oxen
khetorinH8450 →7 times
לָ֣ךְto you
lakh
יְטַֽעֲמ֗וּןthey will feed
yetaamunH2939 →3 times
וּמִטַּ֤לand from [the] dew of
umitalH2920 →5 times
שְׁמַיָּא֙heavens the
shemaiya'H8065 →38 times
לָ֣ךְ<obj.> you
lakh
מְצַבְּעִ֔ין[they will be] making wet
metzabeinH6647 →5 times
וְשִׁבְעָ֥הand seven
veshivahH7655 →6 times
עִדָּנִ֖יןtimes
ʾidaninH5732 →13 times
יַחְלְפ֣וּןthey will pass
yachlefunH2499 →4 times
עֲלָ֑ךְover you
alayikhH5922 →104 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5705 →35 times
דִּֽי־that
di-H1768 →345 times
תִנְדַּ֗עyou will know
tinda'H3046 →47 times
דִּֽי־that
di-H1768 →345 times
שַׁלִּ֤יט[is] having mastery
shalitH7990 →10 times
עִלָּאָה֙Most High the
ilaya'H5943 →10 times
בְּמַלְכ֣וּתover [the] kingdom of
bemalkhutH4437 →57 times
אֲנָשָׁ֔א<the> humankind
ʾanasha'H606 →25 times
וּלְמַן־and to whomever
uleman-H4479 →10 times
דִּ֥יwhom
diH1768 →345 times
יִצְבֵּ֖אhe will be pleased
yitzbe'H6634 →10 times
יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ׃he will give it
yiteninahH5415 →7 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 2:21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
it leads to
- Psalms 75:5–7
Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’”
- Psalms 31:14–15
But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
- Psalms 113:7–8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Daniel 4:17
This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it…
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
- Psalms 75:5–7
Through
Daniel 4:17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it…
it leads to
- Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Daniel 2:21
Through
Jeremiah 27:5By My great power and outstretched arm, I made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:15
The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
- Jeremiah 51:15
Through
Psalms 83:18May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
it leads to
- Exodus 6:3
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.
- Exodus 6:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Daniel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.10.1-2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FOUR; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 4:25.