Daniel 4:34
in Daniel 4But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation;
KJV
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
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This verse in Daniel 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verseVerse 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 His kingdom is from generation to generation.'" If we accept this expression in the Scriptures, "From generation to generation," as simply for what it is, then it unquestionably means "for all time to come."
This site's exposition
looked up to heaven
on Daniel 4:34-35
When Nebuchadnezzar “looked up to heaven,” his “sanity was restored,” and he praised the Most High at once, so recognition and worship arrive together. His confession, “All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing” and “There is no one who can restrain His hand,” states God's rule.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And so the dream seems to be self evident and quite clear to all, just as Scripture also teaches that these things happened in this way, and the same king later, while confessing, described what occurred to him. But at all events the grace of God plentifully causes man to understand, so that we, having in all things an unhindered mind, may not devote ourselves to the persons of human kings, for hope in man is vain, let us not, for the sake of gifts, flatter rulers who being in authority marshal men, but rather adhering to God alone and doing what is pleasing to him, let us also now continue in the present less dangerous life and let us readily flee from the judgment which is to come. For how is a king and a ruler able to aid a man, since he is also mortal and is moved by the same authority of he who made all things? For he is able in this life to furnish to you many great gifts, but even these are earthly and happen to also be temporary. But many obtain honor and gifts under the king and are appointed into some authorities, later however, they endanger themselves either being found as plotters, or done away with by others as being friends of the king. How does friendship with the king aid them, who were not satiated with gifts which they received, but also besides destroy their own souls? And so flee such persons, O man, never endangering yourself on account of them, "for all flesh is grass and all the glory of men is as the flower of the field. The grass withers and the flower falls." [1 Peter 1:24] Hear what was spoken by the apostle Paul, how he advises Timothy, writing, "Proclaim to the wealthy in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to obey the uncertainty of wealth, but to hope in the living God, [1 Timothy 6:17] who is the Savior of all men who exceedingly believe." [1 Timothy 4:10]
Then he says, "Its feathers were plucked and it was lifted up from the earth and it stood upon human feet and a heart of a man was given to it." [Daniel 7:4] For this really happened to Nebuchadnezzar, just as has been indicated in the book before this book, and he himself testifies in this way about that which happened to him, as he was banished from his kingdom and his glory was taken away and so was the majesty which he procured at first. And so just as he says to strip the feathers of the whole bird, he is powerless and is easily caught, and in this way at that time the powers of the king were removed, through which he imagined to boast and to be high-minded, but then was afraid and fled into the desert, so that he may not be killed by them. When Scripture says, "It stood upon human feet and a heart of a man was given to it," [Daniel 7:4] it is clear that Nebuchadnezzar, having humbled himself and recognized that he is a man lying under the authority of God, he, after begging the Lord, obtained from him a good heart, and again his kingdom and glory were reestablished. Just as he himself testifies saying, "And after the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven and my wits returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and glorified him that lives forever, because his authority is an eternal authority and his kingdom is from generation to generation and all who dwell upon the earth are reckoned as nothing and they are as nothing." [Daniel 4:34-35]
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. And when he humbled himself and begged the Lord and confessed and entreated God the Most High, he was sought by his magistrates and having returned, he reigned again for seven years. Just as he himself also described saying, "And after the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven and my thoughts returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and glorified him who lives forever, because his authority is an eternal authority and his kingdom is from generation to generation and all who dwell upon the earth are reckoned as nothing, and according to his will he does in the power of heaven and in the dwelling of the earth, and there is not anyone who shall stand against his hand and will say to him, 'What have you done?' In the same season my thoughts returned to me and I came into the honor of my kingdom. And my form returned to me and my princes and my magistrates sought me, and I was strengthened over my kingdom and extravagant majesty was added to me. […]
"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 Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
His flatterers often complimented him with, O king! live for ever. But he is now convinced that no king lives for ever, but the God of Israel only, who is still the same. That his kingdom is like himself, everlasting, and his dominion from generation to generation; there is no succession, no revolution, in his kingdom.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Mine understanding returned - God shined upon his soul, and gave him understanding to consider his sad state, and the causes of it. And honoured him - By prayer and praise, adoring the justice and mercy of God, giving God the glory of his sovereignty and unchangeableness.
And at the end of the days,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
NO one has ever numbered Nebuchadnezzar with the Prophets, or believed his language to be inspired. We have before us simply a statement made by an uninspired man, after passing through the most extraordinary experience. He had been among the greatest and proudest of men—he suddenly fell into the condition of a grass-eating ox, by losing his reason. And upon being restored, he acknowledged publicly the hand of the Most High.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Nebuchadnezzar's looking up towards heaven was the first symptom of his "understanding" having "returned." Before, like the beasts, his eyes had been downward to the earth. Now, like Jonah's (Jon 2:1, 2, 4) out of the fish's belly, they are lifted up to heaven in prayer.
NO one has ever numbered Nebuchadnezzar with the Prophets, or believed his language to be inspired. We have before us simply a statement made by an uninspired man, after passing through the most extraordinary experience. He had been among the greatest and proudest of men—he suddenly fell into the condition of a grass-eating ox, by losing his reason. And upon being restored, he acknowledged publicly the hand of the Most High. I should not have taken his language as my text if it had not happened to be, as it is, a most correct and vigorous statement of sublime doctrines which are clearly stated by the Holy Spirit in different parts of Scripture. It is a singular instance of how, when God comes to deal with men in afflicting Providences, He can make them clearly see many great Truths concerning Himself, and can constrain them to express their convictions in identically the same way as they would have done if His own Spirit had dictated the terms. There are certain parts of the Divine Character which even the unspiritual man cannot avoid seeing. And after passing through certain processes of suffering and humiliation, the man is compelled to add his witness to the testimony of God's Spirit with regard to the Divine Character. Every single word that Nebuchadnezzar here utters can be backed up and supported by undoubtedly inspired words of men sent of God to proclaim infallible Truth. We shall not, therefore, need to answer the objection that our text is simply the statement of Nebuchadnezzar—we grant that it is so—but we shall show as we proceed that Babylon's humbled monarch herein has spoken most correctly and accurately—and in full accordance with the testimony of other parts of Scripture. Before I conduct your minds to a close consideration of the text, I must make one remark.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And at the end of the days - That is, the time designated; to wit, the “seven times” that were to pass over him. I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven - Probably the first thing that indicated returning reason.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלִקְצָ֣ת | veliktzat | and to [the] end of | H7118 → | 3 times |
| יֽוֹמַיָּה֩ | yomaiyah' | days the | H3118 → | 16 times |
| אֲנָ֨ה | ʾanah | I | H576 → | 16 times |
| נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֜ר | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5020 → | 31 times |
| עַיְנַ֣י׀ | ʾaynai | eye my | H5870 → | 5 times |
| לִשְׁמַיָּ֣א | lishmaiya' | to heavens the | H8065 → | 38 times |
| נִטְלֵ֗ת | nitlet | I lifted | H5191 → | |
| וּמַנְדְּעִי֙ | umandei | and understanding my | H4486 → | 4 times |
| עֲלַ֣י | ʾalai | on me | H5922 → | 104 times |
| יְת֔וּב | yetuv | it returned | H8421 → | 8 times |
| וּלְעִלָּאָה֙ | uleilaya' | and <obj.> Most High the | H5943 → | 10 times |
| בָּרְכֵ֔ת | barekhet | I blessed | H1289 → | 5 times |
| וּלְחַ֥י | ulechai | and <obj.> [the] [one] living of | H2417 → | 7 times |
| עָלְמָ֖א | ʾalma' | <the> perpetuity | H5957 → | 20 times |
| שַׁבְּחֵ֣ת | shabechet | I praised | H7624 → | 5 times |
| וְהַדְּרֵ֑ת | vehaderet | and I glorified | H1922 → | 3 times |
| דִּ֤י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| שָׁלְטָנֵהּ֙ | shaltaneh | dominion his | H7985 → | 14 times |
| שָׁלְטָ֣ן | shaltan | [is] a dominion of | H7985 → | 14 times |
| עָלַ֔ם | ʾalam | perpetuity | H5957 → | 20 times |
| וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ | umalkhuteh | and kingdom his | H4437 → | 57 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | [is] with | H5974 → | 22 times |
| דָּ֥ר | dar | generation | H1859 → | 4 times |
| וְדָֽר׃ | vedar | and generation | H1859 → | 4 times |
וְלִקְצָ֣תand to [the] end of
veliktzatH7118 →3 times
יֽוֹמַיָּה֩days the
yomaiyah'H3118 →16 times
אֲנָ֨הI
ʾanahH576 →16 times
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֜רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5020 →31 times
עַיְנַ֣י׀eye my
ʾaynaiH5870 →5 times
לִשְׁמַיָּ֣אto heavens the
lishmaiya'H8065 →38 times
נִטְלֵ֗תI lifted
nitletH5191 →
וּמַנְדְּעִי֙and understanding my
umandeiH4486 →4 times
עֲלַ֣יon me
ʾalaiH5922 →104 times
יְת֔וּבit returned
yetuvH8421 →8 times
וּלְעִלָּאָה֙and <obj.> Most High the
uleilaya'H5943 →10 times
בָּרְכֵ֔תI blessed
barekhetH1289 →5 times
וּלְחַ֥יand <obj.> [the] [one] living of
ulechaiH2417 →7 times
עָלְמָ֖א<the> perpetuity
ʾalma'H5957 →20 times
שַׁבְּחֵ֣תI praised
shabechetH7624 →5 times
וְהַדְּרֵ֑תand I glorified
vehaderetH1922 →3 times
דִּ֤יthat
diH1768 →345 times
שָׁלְטָנֵהּ֙dominion his
shaltanehH7985 →14 times
שָׁלְטָ֣ן[is] a dominion of
shaltanH7985 →14 times
עָלַ֔םperpetuity
ʾalamH5957 →20 times
וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּand kingdom his
umalkhutehH4437 →57 times
עִם־[is] with
ʾim-H5974 →22 times
דָּ֥רgeneration
darH1859 →4 times
וְדָֽר׃and generation
vedarH1859 →4 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 2:44In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms…
it leads to
- Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Luke 1:32–33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Daniel 6:26
I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will…
- Psalms 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.
- Matthew 28:18
Through
Revelation 4:10the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
it leads to
- Revelation 5:8
When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which…
- Psalms 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
- Revelation 19:4
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
- Revelation 11:16
And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- Revelation 5:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Daniel
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 949: “The Unconquerable King” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 4:34; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.6.1-8; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.2.6-10; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.11.1-5; 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.