Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 4:23
And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and [let] his portion [be] with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
23. Abbreviated from Dan 4:13-16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And whereas the king saw a watcher … – See the note at Dan 4:13. The recapitulation in this verse is slightly varied from the statement in Dan 4:14-16, still so as not materially to affect the sense. Daniel seems to have designed to recal the principal circumstances in the dream, so as to identify it in the kings mind, and so as to prepare him for the statement of the fearful events which were to happen to him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And whereas the king saw a watcher, and an Holy One,…. Here is related another part of the dream, which respects the cutting down of the tree, or the miserable condition the king should be brought into; see Da 4:13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Daniel follows up what he had begun with perseverance, shewing judgment to be overhanging the king of Babylon. He calls him lord, indeed, with cordiality; meanwhile he was the ambassador of the Supreme King, he did not hesitate to elevate his discourse above the king’s command — as all the prophets do who rise up against mountains and hills, as Jeremiah does in Jer 1:10. Thus this sentence is worthy of notice, — “I have appointed thee over kingdoms and peoples, to pluck them up and to plant them, to build and to destroy.” God, therefore, wishes to assert so great a reverence for his Word, because there is nothing in the world so magnificent or splendid which does not yield to it. Daniel, then, as far as concerns human events and political order, confesses the king to be his master; but meanwhile he goes on with the embassy entrusted to him. The king then, says he, saw a watcher descend from heaven, he always speaks of an angel (221) We have stated why Scripture calls angels “ watchers, ” since they are at hand to perform God’s commands; and we know God executes his decrees by their agency: I said angels always discharge this duty, and keep watch over the faithful. But the name “ watcher ” is a general one, and implies the promptness with which angels are endued, to enable them to discharge with the utmost celerity whatever God enjoins upon them. Thou hast seen, then, one descend from heaven, who said, Cut down the tree, and scatter it abroad He repeats what he had said before, namely, the time of his punishment was defined here, because God would destroy the king of Babylon and all remembrance of him. An exception is then added, — Until seven times pass over I have said nothing of those times, but their opinion is probable who take it for an indefinite number, meaning, until a long time shall pass away. Others think months denoted; others, years; but I willingly incline to this interpretation, since God wishes for no short time to punish King Nebuchadnezzar. It may not seem customary, indeed, but as he wished to put forth an example for all ages, he desired to prolong his punishment. This, therefore, seems the meaning of the seven years; for we know the number seven years to signify a long time in Scripture, since it denotes perfection.
(221) See Dissertation 14 at the end of this Volume.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) Destroy it.Observe how, in this verse, these words stand for the whole of the latter part of Dan. 4:14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And whereas the king saw watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him.’ This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High which is come on my lord, the king. That you will be driven from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and you will be made to eat grass as oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, your kingdom will be made sure to you once you have known that the heavens do rule.”
It is stressed that this was to come about at the decree of the Most High as declared by the holy (heavenly) watcher. ‘Holy one’ probably refers to the watcher, indicating his heavenly status. Nebuchadnezzar probably saw him as a minor god, Daniel as an angel of God. The people to whom the message originally went would recognise that it indicated that the gods had determined to act against Nebuchadnezzar, and especially the king of the gods, and that the watcher was a minor god. (Thus they would be in awe rather than deriding Nebuchadnezzar).
The tree, Nebuchadnezzar, is to be destroyed, but not totally. He is to be like a tree that is toppled. But the stump will be left, with its roots, bound with a band of brass and iron indicating that God will preserve him through it and restore him to his kingdom. The dream also indicated that he would be driven from the society of men and would behave like a wild beast and like the oxen, eating grass and living like a wild beast under the open skies, so that the dew fell on him. And this was to last ‘seven times’.
‘Seven times’ is deliberately not specific, and the emphasis is on the seven. It is the number of divine perfection, evidence of divine activity, evidence that the experience will not be short but will endure for the time that God selects. It will occur not for ‘one’ period but for ‘seven’ periods (compare ‘a time, times and half a time’ – Dan 7:25; Dan 12:7; and ‘a season and a time’ – Dan 7:12). It does not therefore refer to a week, or a month, or a year (otherwise why not say so?). Those are human time periods. But these are divine time periods, a period of prolonged divine activity, prolonged for the decreed divinely perfect time. (Thus the enemies of God can only prevail for ‘a time, times and half a time’ unable to complete the seven, for they are not God).
The ‘band of brass and iron’ has produced many interpretations, ‘something which Nebuchadnezzar would have to suffer during his madness’, ‘a figure of speech for the stern and crushing sentence under which the king is to lie’, ‘the bond of darkness which would overshadow the king’s spirit’, ‘the chain with which madmen were wont to be bound’, ‘the withdrawal of free self-determination through the fetter of madness’. All may be possible. But in our view the significance is that the stump, and therefore Nebuchadnezzar, will be protected from total disintegration by divine activity.
‘The heavens do rule.’ An unusual use of ‘heavens’. It symbolises the divine rule of the Most High (as in Dan 7:9-10). But it also included the idea that there was a heavenly kingdom that was over earthly kingdoms. By the time of Jesus it had become commonplace to use ‘Heaven’ as a synonym for God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and [let] his portion [be] with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
Ver. 23. And whereas the king, &c. ] See Dan 4:13 .
Hew the tree down.
Yet leave the stump.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 4:23
Dan 4:23 And whereasH1768 the kingH4430 sawH2370 a watcherH5894 and an holy oneH6922 coming downH5182 fromH4481 heaven,H8065 and saying,H560 Hew the tree down,H1414 H363 and destroyH2255 it; yetH1297 leaveH7662 the stumpH6136 of the rootsH8330 thereof in the earth,H772 even with a bandH613 ofH1768 ironH6523 and brass,H5174 in the tender grassH1883 ofH1768 the field;H1251 and let it be wetH6647 with the dewH2920 of heaven,H8065 and let his portionH2508 be withH5974 the beastsH2423 of the field,H1251 tillH5705 H1768 sevenH7655 timesH5732 passH2499 overH5922 him;
Dan 4:23
And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
The watcher and the holy one coming down from heaven as discussed previously are most likely an angelic being similar to Michael who was said to be standing over the affairs of Israel in Dan 12:1 and the holy one mentioned may be the incarnate form of Jesus Christ Himself who is believed to be the fourth person walking amid the flames of Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. It is perfectly well within reason that if the word of God chose to manifest Himself in the sight of Nebuchadnezzar that day, then He would have no problems with manifesting Himself in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Nebuchadnezzar was to be taken down from his position of authority, but the root, the foundation, was to remain. Nebuchadnezzar, as the stump of the great tree in this figure, was to remain and be humbled with the beasts of the field. Daniel explains this in detail to Nebuchadnezzar in the following verses.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
saw: Dan 4:13-17
and let his: Dan 4:15, Dan 5:21
Reciprocal: 1Ch 29:30 – the times Job 14:7 – that it will sprout Isa 10:34 – by a mighty one Jer 18:6 – General Dan 4:14 – Hew Dan 4:16 – seven times Luk 3:9 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 4:23. This verse repeats the statements in verses 13-15, and watch-ers and holy one is explained with the comments on verse 17.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and [let] his portion [be] with the beasts of the field, {l} till seven times pass over him;
(l) By which he means a long space, as seven years. Some interpret seven months, and others seven weeks, but it seems he means seven years.