daniel-4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:4

I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house ,.... Being returned from his wars, and having obtained victory over the Egyptians, and other nations, and made himself an universal monarch; and now was in entire rest from all his enemies; enjoying himself in his family, and among his courtiers, and nothing to disturb him from any quarter. Josephus F2 Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 10. sect. 6. says this was a little after the history of the former chapter; but it must be many years after that:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:5

I saw a dream which made me afraid ,.... Things were represented to his fancy in a dream, as if he saw them with his eyes, as the tree, its leaves and fruit; the shaking and cutting it down to the stump, &c.; and though he did not understand the meaning of it, yet he thought it portended some evil, which threw him into a panic; he was afraid that something bad would befall him, though he knew not what: thus God can make the minds of the greatest men uneasy amidst all their glory, pride,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:6

Therefore made I a decree ,.... Published a proclamation; signifying it was his mind and will to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before him ; all together, supposing that one or other of them, or by consulting together, would be able to explain things to his satisfaction, and make him more easy: that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream ; for though they could not tell the interpretation of his former dream, because he could not relate to them the dream... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:7

Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers ,.... See Gill on Daniel 2:2 , and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof ; because they could not; before they pretended, if the dream was told, they could give the interpretation of it; but now, though it was told, they could not do it; which shows the vanity of their art, the falsehood of their pretensions, and that they were but jugglers and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:8

But at the last Daniel came in before me ,.... Whether sent for or no is not clear; the reason why he came not with the rest might be because he did not associate with them; nor did they care he should be among them, and present at this time; and it may be the king had forgot the knowledge he had of dreams; or, however, did not choose to send for him until he had tried all his wise men; and so it was ordered by the providence of God, and which is the chief reason of all, that he should come... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:9

O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians ,.... So he called him, either because he excelled them in knowledge, and was greater than they, as Jacchiades; though not of their rank and order, which Daniel would have scorned to have been among, and reckoned of; so that this would have been no compliment, but a grief unto him; or because he was appointed by the king chief over them, and even over their governors; See Gill on Daniel 2:48 , because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:10

Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed ,.... So things appeared to my fancy thus; they ran in my head or brain in a dream in my bed, as if I saw them with my eyes, as follows; for so I thought, I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth ; an emblem of a powerful prince well settled, and strongly supported in his power and government; so the Assyrian monarch, Ezekiel 31:3 and here Nebuchadnezzar himself, as it is afterwards explained; who was well established in his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:11

The tree grew, and was strong ,.... Grew higher and broader, taller and thicker, increased in boughs and branches, and became strong and stable, that no winds nor storms could move it: this shows the increasing power of Nebuchadnezzar, the enlargement of his dominions, and the stability of his empire: and the height thereof reached unto heaven ; higher than any on earth; expressive of his dominion over all nations and people of the earth; or of his ambition of deity itself; and so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:12

The leaves thereof were fair ,.... Or "branches" F9 עפיה "ramus ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "ramos ejus", Junius & Tremellius; "rami ejus", Piscator. , as some; and design either the provinces belonging to his empire, which were very large and flourishing; or the governors of them under him, as Saadiah, who made no small and contemptible figure; his princes were altogether kings: and the fruit thereof much ; great revenues from all parts of the empire were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:13

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed ,.... The king goes on to relate what other things presented themselves to his imagination in his dream, concerning this tree which signified himself: and, behold, a watcher : which Saadiah interprets of Bath Kol; but Aben Ezra, Jarchi, Jacchiades, and Ben Melech of an angel; so called because incorporeal, ever watches, and never sleeps, and is always attentive to, and observant of, the commands of God so the angels in the fragment of Enoch are... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:13

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