Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 4:18
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise [men] of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou [art] able; for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee.
18. Nebuchadnezzar closes his description of his dream by appealing to Daniel to interpret it.
for the spirit &c.] See Dan 4:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen – This is the dream which I saw. He had detailed it at length as it appeared to him, without pretending to be able to explain it.
Forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom … – Dan 4:7.
But thou art able … – See the notes at Dan 4:9.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Dan 4:18
This dream I, Nebuchadnezzar, have seen.
Nebuchadnezzars Dream
I. THE SYMBOL.
1. A tree (v. 10). An image common in both Old and New Testament. The image of prosperity; and that both of the righteous, as in Psa 1:3, and of the wicked, as in Psa 37:36 (Prayer Book ver.). In this latter passage note the verbal coincidence between it and Dan 4:4.
2. A tree growing to an immense size (v. 11-13). Like that in Mt Eze 17:22-24; Eze 31:3-9. Significant of wide dominion.
3. A tree condemned by a decree from Heaven (v. 13, 14), reminding us of the Baptists words (Mat 3:10), and of our Lords (Luk 13:7; Mat 21:19).
4. A tree spared (v. 15-17); though to be cut down to its stump, it was not to be entirely destroyed, but left to shoot forth and grow again.
II. THE INTERPRETATION.
1. The Chaldean magi could not explain its meaning (v. 6, 7).
2. Daniel, being called, felt it to be so terrible that he hesitated to reveal it (v. 18, 19). Like Samuel with Eli (1Sa 3:15).
3. He broke the dread news gently. Led the kings mind to review his vast power and majesty (v. 20-22). Pointed out his forgetfulness of God in the midst of his earthly splendour (v. 25). Announced the judgment that God had decreed against him to bring down his pride (v. 24).
4. He then became a preacher of righteousness, in exhorting the king to repentance and amendment, if perchance the chastisement might be averted (v. 27).
III. THE FULFILMENT.
1. The king is not ashamed to acknowledge the supremacy of the King of kings, whose royal Heavenly decree was accomplished even upon the mighty monarch of the world (v. 28).
2. But not till a day of grace had been mercifully given. Twelve months passed by, and Nebuchadnezzar was still revelling in his pride and self-exaltation (v. 29, 30).
3. The terrible judgment then fell suddenly upon him (v. 31-33). He became mad, and like a brute beast, for a period denoted by the mystic expression seven times, which probably means the time of the perfecting of Gods purpose concerning him.
4. At the end of this time he was restored to reason and to royal dominion. The lesson had been learnt. He gave God glory, and acknowledged Him as King (v.34-37). Conclusion. From this page of Old Testament history let us learn:
1. How the effect made upon us by religious impressions wears off in course of time. God has to repeat His revelations and providential dealings.
2. How many ways God has of warning us.
3. How long a time God gives sinners in which to come to repentance.
4. How pure is the fulfilment of His word. (T. H. Barnett.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
This dream I King Nebuchadnezzar have seen,…. So things were represented to him by a vision in a dream:
now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof; at once, directly; as he was well assured he could, by what he had already done; having both told him his dream when forgotten by him, and the meaning of it; and therefore doubted not but he could interpret his dream, being told him:
forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; he had sent for them, even all of them; he had told them his dream, but they could not interpret it; see Da 4:6:
but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee; he not only knew his ability from former experience, but for the reason here given; of which he might have more proofs than one, that the Spirit, not of impure deities, of the gods and demons of the Heathens, but of the one true, living, and holy God, who knows all things, dwelt in him; see Da 4:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4:15)
Nebuchadnezzar adds to his communication of his dream a command to Daniel to interpret it. The form ( its interpretation) is the old orthography and the softened form for (cf. Dan 4:6).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Here Nebuchadnezzar repeats what he had formerly said about seeking an interpretation for his dream. He understood the figure which was shewn to him, but he could not understand God’s intentions nor even determine its relation to himself. On this point he implores Daniel’s confidence; he affirms his vision in a dream to induce Daniel to pay great attention to its interpretation. Then he adds, with the same purpose, All the wise men of his kingdom could not explain the dreary; where he confesses all the astrologers, and diviners, and others of this kind to be utterly vain and fallacious, since they professed to know everything. For some were augurs, some conjectures, some interpreters of dreams, and others astrologers, who not only discoursed on the course, distances, and orders of the stars, and the peculiarities of each, but wished to predict futurity from the course of the stars. Since, therefore, they boasted so magnificently in their superior knowledge of all events, Nebuchadnezzar confesses them to have been impostors. But he ascribes this power in reality to Daniel, because he was endued by the divine Spirit. Hence he excludes all the wise men of Babylon from so great a gift through his having proved them destitute of God’s Spirit. He does not assert this in so many words, but this meaning is easily elicited from his expressions implying all the variety of the Chaldean wise men. Then in the second clause he exempts Daniel from their number, and states the reason to be his excelling in the divine Spirit. Nebuchadnezzar, therefore, here asserts what is peculiar to God, and acknowledges Daniel to be his Prophet and minister. When he calls angels holy deities, we have mentioned this already as an expression which ought not to seem surprising in a heathen, uninstructed in the true doctrine of piety, and only just initiated in its elements. But we know this common opinion respecting angels being mingled together with the one God. Hence Nebuchadnezzar speaks in the ordinary and received language when he says, the spirit of the holy gods dwells in Daniel. It now follows:
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) This dream.More correctly translated, This in a dream I sawi.e., it was communicated to me in a vision.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18, 19. Compare Dan 4:8 and Dan 2:17-26. Daniel is at first greatly troubled and “astonished as it were for a moment” (Bevan), but when Nebuchadnezzar encourages him he replies that he is troubled not so much because of his inability to interpret the dream as because the interpretation will trouble the king. The words of Daniel here are in the highest degree diplomatic and courteous, and in agreement with current usage at the Babylonian and other courts, while at the same time no jot or tittle of the truth is omitted or glossed over for fear or favor.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen, and you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation forasmuch as 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.’
Nebuchadnezzar now appeals to Daniel to help him by interpreting the dream. He is fearful because he thinks it concerns himself, and desperate because he wants reassurance. After all he had not come too badly out of the previous dream that Daniel had interpreted. The judgment mentioned there was delayed. But there was something about this one that he did not like.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 4:18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise [men] of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou [art] able; for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee.
Ver. 18. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. ] Such as would have resolution, must fully relate their doubts. Gen 41:17
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 4:18
Dan 4:18 ThisH1836 dreamH2493 IH576 kingH4430 NebuchadnezzarH5020 have seen.H2370 Now thou,H607 O Belteshazzar,H1096 declareH560 the interpretationH6591 thereof, forasmuch asH3606 H6903 H1768 allH3606 the wiseH2445 men of my kingdomH4437 are not ableH3202 H3809 to make knownH3046 unto me the interpretation:H6591 but thouH607 art able;H3546 forH1768 the spiritH7308 of the holyH6922 godsH426 is in thee.
Dan 4:18
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
Nebuchadnezzar knew when he was consulting the wise men of his kingdom that Daniel could interpret this dream. He knew the spirit of God was in Daniel, but at this time he was still thinking in terms of more than one god. Nebuchadnezzar went to the wise men of his kingdom first, knowing full well that Daniel was able to interpret this dream whether they could or not. But the wise men of Babylon got the first chance.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
forasmuch: Dan 4:7, Dan 2:7, Dan 5:8, Dan 5:15, Gen 41:8, Gen 41:15, Isa 19:3, Isa 47:12-14
but: Dan 4:8, Dan 4:9, Dan 2:26-28, 1Ki 14:2, 1Ki 14:3, Amo 3:7
Reciprocal: Gen 41:38 – in whom Ecc 8:1 – who knoweth Dan 5:11 – a man Mar 6:20 – feared
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 4:18. With the preceding verse the king completed the telling of his dream, and now be requests Daniel to give him the interpretation of it. He expresses his confidence in Daniel’s ability to do what all the wise men could not do. The grounds of that confidence are that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The king concluded his description of what his dream contained by appealing to Daniel to interpret it for him. It seems incredible that the Babylonian soothsayers could not offer an interpretation of this dream, since its meaning seems quite transparent. Perhaps God hid the meaning from them, or maybe they pretended ignorance of it since it predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation, and they would not have wanted to tell him of that.