Daniel 4:24

Dan 4:24 This [is] the interpretation, O king, and this [is] the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

Ver. 24. This is the interpretation.] See Dan 4:19.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan 4:24-26. This is the interpretation, O king, &c. — We may observe that Daniel informs the king with the greatest tenderness, and most respectful terms, of the sad reverse of condition that was to happen to him. They shall drive thee from men — In the Chaldee and Hebrew the plural active, they shall do, signifies no more than, thus it shall be, be the cause what it may. The meaning seems to be, that Nebuchadnezzar should be punished with insanity, which should so deprave his imagination, while he yet retained his memory, and, perhaps, his reason in some intervals, as that he should fancy himself to be a beast, and should live as such, till his heart, that is, his apprehension, appetite, or likings, should be changed from those of a man to those of a beast. To eat grass as oxen signifies to live upon the herbs of the field; for the original word signifies any kind of field-herb as well as grass. Till thou know that the most high God ruleth, &c. — It appears from what is here said, that this judgment was inflicted on Nebuchadnezzar on account of his pride or haughtiness, and his making no acknowledgment of a Divine Providence ordering and governing the affairs of the world; but attributing the acquisition of all his great power and vast dominion to his own prudence and valour, instead of acknowledging it as the gift of the most high God. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump, &c., thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee — There shall be no other king chosen during thy affliction, but thou shalt again receive thy kingly power, and reign as before. After that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule — The heavens are here put for the God of the heavens.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

[Daniel 4:24] Redeem (פְרֻק): [Means] redeem (גְּאַל - g'al). Like [the phrase from Psalms 136:24 (and commonly found in the Passover Haggadah)]: “And He redeemed us from our enemies” (וַיִּפְרְקֵנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ - vayifrǝqenu mitzareinu).

By generosity to the poor (בְּמִחַן עֲנָיִן): [Meaning] by showing favor/grace to the poor (לָחוֹן עֲנִיִּים - lachon aniyim) [connecting the Aramaic michan to the Hebrew root ח.נ.נ - favor/grace]. Then your serenity may be extended (הֵן תֶּהֱוֵה אַרְכָה לִשְׁלֵוְתָךְ): [Meaning] Perhaps there will be a lengthening (אֲרִיכוּת - arichut) for your serenity. Or [it could be understood] like [the concept of] healing/restoration (אֲרוּכָה - arukah) for your error (לִשְׁגָגָתְךָ - lishgagatecha). [Ibn Ezra draws a parallel between arkah (lengthening/extension) and arukah (healing, cf. Jeremiah 8:22, Nehemiah 4:1), suggesting the extension of peace is akin to a healing or remedy for the error that caused the decree].

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Cease from provoking God to anger any longer by thy sins, that he may mitigate his punishment, if thou show by thine upright life that thou hast true faith and repentance.

Suffer the errors of thy former life to be redressed.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

decree of the Most High--What was termed in Dan 4:17 by Nebuchadnezzar, "the decree of the watchers," is here more accurately termed by Daniel, "the decree of the Most High." They are but His ministers.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(24) Which is come upon.—See Note on Dan_4:13.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. and it is the decree of the most High, &c.] cf. Dan_4:17 a.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots,.... That is the watchers and the Holy Ones; or it was commanded: this was the order given by the most High:

thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee; signifying that another king should not be set up in his place; and though the kingdom and administration of it would depart from, him for a while, yet it would be restored again, and be firm and stable:

after that thou shall have known that the heavens do rule; that is, that God, who is the Maker of the heavens, and dwells there, is known and acknowledged by thee to rule on the earth; from the government of which he was desirous of excluding him, and taking it to himself; see Luk 15:18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This is the decree of the Most High - Daniel here designs evidently to direct the attention of the monarch to the one living and true God, and to show him that he presides over all. The purpose of the vision was, in a most impressive way, to convince the king of his existence and sovereignty. Hence, Daniel says that all this was in accordance with his “decree.” It was not a thing of chance; it was not ordered by idol gods; it was not an event that occurred by the mere force of circumstances, or as the result of the operation of secondary laws: it was a direct Divine interposition - the solemn purpose of the living God that it should be so. Nebuchadnezzar had represented this, in accordance with the prevailing views of religion in his land, as a “decree of the Watchers” Dan 4:17; Daniel, in accordance with his views of religion, and with truth, represents it as the decree of the true God.

Which is come upon my Lord the king - The decree had been previously formed; its execution had now come upon the king.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Alms. Chaldee: "justice," is often taken in this sense. (Syr. &c. 2 Corinthians ix. 9.) (Calmet) --- The prediction was conditional, and therefore Daniel exhorts the king to strive to obtain pardon by the powerful remedy of alms-deeds; as he did, after enduring some punishment. (Worthington) --- Yet this is very doubtful. (ver. 31.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

By saying these words,

my lord the king, he endeavours to sweeten the bitterness of this cup of God’s displeasure as much as he can.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king. The passage in the Seventy which is parallel with this is partly in the last clause of the previous verse and partly in the verse that occupies a similar place to this in the Septuagint text, "The judgments of the great God shall come upon thee, and the Most High and his angels assail thee (katatrecousin ejpi se)." The change of tense here indicates that the second clause is an alternative rendering, brought into the text from the margin. In this marginal note meta has been taken as "assail," and malka", "O king," has been, by transposition of the two final letters, read mela"k , "angel." Theodotion and the Peshitta agree with the Massoretic text. The respectful tone in which Daniel addresses Nebuchadnezzar in the received text is to be observed; it is utterly alien to the boastful tone Judaism was afterwards accustomed to impute to its old saints. That there is no reference to the watchers or to their decree in this is imputed to Daniel"s recognition of its true source; but in the Septuagint there is nothing equivalent to the statement in ver. 17. The fact that it is omitted here confirms the suspicion against it which we expressed in regard to the earlier verse.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Verses 19-33 use the third person to describe the punishment of Nebuchadnezzar. (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

General Information:

Many terms in these verses are almost the same as Daniel 4:15-16. See how you translated those verses.

that has reached you

"that you have heard"

You will be driven from among men

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Men will drive you away from them" (See: Active or Passive)

You will be made to eat grass

This can be stated in active form. AT: "You will eat grass" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

interpret

decree

Most High

lord

king

cast out

cow

heaven

acknowledge

rule

kingdom

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Indeed, O king Indeed, O king, hearken to my counsel.

my counsel Aram. מִלְכִּי, my counsel, like (Num. 24:14): “I shall advise you (אִיעָצְךָ),” which is translated: אֲמַלְּכִינָךְ.

please you May my counsel please you that you hearken to my words.

and with charity you will remove your sin With charity, break your sin off your neck.

and your iniquity by showing mercy to poor and remove your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.

perhaps your tranquility will last Perhaps there will be time for your tranquility, that the evil should not come swiftly. Now what did Daniel see to give Nebuchadnezzar good advice? He saw the Jews poor and humbled by the exile, going from door to door begging for alms, and he gave him advice to deal mercifully with them. He said to him, “These poor people whom you exiled are hungry; nourish them.” And so he did. He opened his storehouses and fed them for a full twelve months.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.