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The King Tells Daniel His Dream
v. 1. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, this term, in a public proclamation or royal edict, including all the subjects of the empire, that dwell in all the earth, for the Babylonian Empire embraced practically the entire world then explored: Peace be multiplied unto you, literally, "Peace be imparted to you in rich measure," a greeting which was in use in the Orient for many centuries and was later taken over by the Christians. Cf 1Pe_1:2; 2Pe_1:2.
v. 2. I thought it good, it pleased the king, he regarded it as the right and seemly thing, to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me, the reference here being to the true God, of whose omnipotent power Nebuchadnezzar had received further unmistakable evidence, as he relates in this edict.
v. 3. How great are His signs, and how mighty are His wonders! exceeding those of any so-called gods of the heathen. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. It is a doxology which gives due honor to the true God, even though it does not confess faith in Jehovah. Now follows the account of the happenings which caused this outburst of praise.
v. 4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in mine house, his wars victoriously concluded, his kingdom at peace, and flourishing in my palace, enjoying wonderful prosperity.
v. 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, the suddenness of whose coming filled him with alarm, and the thoughts upon my bed, which exercised him in connection with his dream, and the visions of my head, those which were presented to the eyes of his mind, troubled me, their fancies and images filling him with apprehension of approaching evil.
v. 6. Therefore made I a decree, he issued the command, to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream, the dream itself with all its details, in this instance, being very clear in the recollection of the king, so that he desired an explanation only.
v. 7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, Cf. Dan_2:2, and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof, their merely human wisdom was unable to penetrate into the depths of the mysteries which God wanted to make known in this instance.
v. 8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name, given him when he entered the king's service, was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, "the foremost of Bel," the chief god of Babylon, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, of whose eminent prophetic gifts the king had been given evidence on previous occasions, although he was in this case, for some unexplained reason, reserved to the last; and before him I told the dream, saying,
v. 9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, whose comparatively independent position as the chief of all the wise men at Babylon made it possible for him to be absent from a large assembly of the officials of the royal court on this occasion, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, no secret being too difficult for him to explain, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen and the interpretation thereof.
v. 10. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed, literally, "And regarding the visions of my head upon my bed," I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, therefore evidently possessing great importance for the whole earth, and the height thereof was great, it was of conspicuous size to begin with.
v. 11. The tree grew and was strong, became great and mighty, and the height thereof reached unto heaven and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth, so that it extended far enough to be seen from the very ends of the world;
v. 12. the leaves thereof were fair, its branching, forming the crown, was very beautiful, and the fruit thereof much, growing in large quantities, and in it was meat for all, food for all who lived under its shelter being found on it; the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it, the image being that of the entire human race united under the scepter of Nebuchadnezzar and enjoying prosperity under his beneficent government.
v. 13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one, that is, a holy watchman, an angel delegated by God to watch over the affairs of men, came down from heaven;
v. 14. he cried aloud and said thus, making announcement with a mighty voice, as the herald of almighty God, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, causing them to fall quickly, and scatter his fruit, in a contemptuous manner, as though possessing no value; let the beasts get away from under it, as no longer safe within his shelter, and the fowls from his branches, which no longer offered them a safe retreat;
v. 15. nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, this description already indicating that the application must be made to an animate being, whose fetters were those of the mental and spiritual darkness brought on as the result of the loss of reason; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, there being no shelter to keep the weather away from him, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth, so that he would partake of their food;
v. 16. let his heart be changed from man's, so that this center of intellectual life would lose its human aspect, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, so that he would fully descend to the level of a brute; and let seven times pass over him, the exact length of these periods not being given.
v. 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, according to their uniform judgment, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, the angels of God having reminded Him, as it were, of the requirements of His holiness and justice upon so flagrant a transgressor, to the intent that the living, all human beings on earth, may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, dispensing authority and power according to His will, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men, a man from the humblest rank of life, if God so chose, assuming the reins of government according to His disposition.
v. 18. This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen, all its details being clear before his eyes and set forth in the same manner. Now, thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, setting forth its meaning, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; v. 7. but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. The affairs of the whole world and of every nation on earth are in the hands of God, who directs them according to His good pleasure, in the interest of His Church.