Daniel 4:26

Dan 4:26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

Ver. 26. And whereas they commanded.] See Dan 4:15; and further observe how God tempereth his judgments with mercy, and that out of his mere philanthropy.

That the heavens,] i.e., The God of heaven. {Luk 15:21 Mat 21:25}

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_4:26

The heavens do rule.

The All-embracing Providence of God

The heavens, emblem of that Divine government that encircles the universe, the all-embracing superintendence of Almighty love.

I. It rules MIND as well as MATTER. The whole material universe, organic and inorganic, from the smallest atom and the tiniest insect, are under its absolute direction. There is no chance in the formation, posture, or motion of any particle of the creation. But the heavens do rule mind as well as matter. All the impulses, thoughts, and volitions of every intelligent mind are under Divine control, The heavens do rule matter by force, and mind by motive.

II. It rules the MINUTE as well as the VAST. Great and small are relative terms. In the eye of God they have no existence; and what we call little not only influences the great, but reveals as much too of the interest of the Almighty love.

III. It rules the EVIL as well as the GOOD. The heavens do rule sinners as well as saints, devils as well as angels. The wrath of man shall praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He will restrain.

1. A word to the materialist. Why be so foolish as to regard matter as at once the subject and the sovereign, the ruled and the ruler?

2. A word to the rebellious. Why oppose the Divine? You cannot master the heavens. Their bursting storms will shatter your bark, and kindle lightnings that will scathe you.

3. A word to the Christly. Let faith in the all-embracing Providence inspire you with a heroism which shall brave all enemies, a magnanimity that shall raise you above the crushing power of the greatest trials.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

After that Daniel had declared this vision: and this his pride declareth that it is not in man to convert to God, except his Spirit move him: seeing that these terrible threatenings could not move him to repent.

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

thou shalt have known, &c.--a promise of spiritual grace to him, causing the judgment to humble, not harden, his heart.

heavens do rule--The plural is used, as addressed to Nebuchadnezzar, the head of an organized earthly kingdom, with various principalities under the supreme ruler. So "the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 4:17; Greek, "kingdom of the heavens") is a manifold organization, composed of various orders of angels, under the Most High (Eph 1:20-21; Eph 3:10; Col 1:16).

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

Verse 26. Thy kingdom shall he sure unto thee] No new king was set up; Evil-merodach his son was regent during his father's insanity.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Here Daniel closes the interpretation of the dream, and shews how God did not treat King Nebuchadnezzar so severely by not giving way to clemency. He mitigates, indeed, the extreme rigor of the punishment, to induce Nebuchadnezzar to call upon God and repent, through indulging the hope of pardon, as a clearer exhortation will afterwards follow. But Daniel now prepares him for penitence, by swing His kingdom should stand For God might cast him out from intercourse with mankind, and thus he would always remain among wild beasts. He might instantly remove him from the world; but this is a mark of his clemency, since he wished to restore him, not to a merely moderate station, but to his former dignity, as if it had never been trenched upon. We see, therefore, how useful the dream was to King Nebuchadnezzar, so long as he did not despise the Prophet’s holy admonition, through ingratitude towards God; because Daniel not only predicted the slaughter which was at hand, but brought at the same time a message of reconciliation. God, therefore, had instructed the king to some purpose, unless he had been unteachable and perverse, like the majority of mankind. Besides, we may gather from this the general doctrine of our being invited to repentance when God puts an end to his chastisements; since he sets before us a taste of his clemency to induce in us the hope of his being entreated, if we only fly to him heartily and sincerely, We must notice also what Daniel adds in the second part of the verse, from which thou mayest know that there is power in heaven: for under these words the promise of spiritual grace is included. Since God will not only punish the king of Babylon, to humble him, but will work in him and change his mind, as he afterwards fulfilled, though at a long interval.

From which thou shalt know, then, says he, that power is in heaven I have stated the grace of the Spirit to be here promised, as we know how badly men profit, even if God repeats his stripes an hundredfold. Such is the hardness and obstinacy of our hearts — for we rather grow more and more obdurate, while God calls us to repentance. And, doubtless, Nebuchadnezzar had been like Pharaoh, unless God had humbled him, not only with outward penalties, but had added also the inward instinct of his Spirit, to allow himself to be instructed, and to submit himself to the judgment and power of heaven. Daniel means this when he says, Wherefore thou shalt know; for Nebuchadnezzar would never have acquired this knowledge of his own accord, unless he had been touched by the secret movement of the Spirit. He adds, That there is power in heaven; meaning, God governs the world and exercises supreme power; for he here contrasts heaven with earth, meaning all mankind. For if kings see all filings tranquil around them, and if no one causes them terror, they think themselves beyond all chance of danger, as they say; and through being desirous of certainty in their station, they look round on all sides, but never raise their eyes upwards to heaven, as if God did not concern himself to behold the kingdoms of the earth, and to set up whom he would, and to prostrate all the proud. The princes of this world never consider their power to be from heaven, as if this were entirely out of God’s hands; but, as I have said, they look right and left, before and behind. This is the reason why Daniel said, Power is from heaven. There is a contrast then between God and all mankind, as if he had said, Thou shalt know God reigns — as we have formerly seen. It follows:

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(26) They commanded—i.e., the watchers. We observe, however, in Dan_4:13 that the command is only ascribed to one of the watchers. This makes it appear that they form a council in which one acts in behalf of all.

Thy kingdom.—To make the sense plain we must supply before this word, “The interpretation of it is,” or some sentence to that effect.

Shall be sure.—Literally, shall arise. No successor shall be appointed during his life.

Do rule—i.e., the heavens, or One in heaven ruleth the kingdoms of men.

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

26. they commanded] viz. the watchers (cf. Dan_4:17). Or, in accordance with the principle just explained, it was commanded.

sure] i.e. confirmed, secure: cf. Dan_6:26 (‘stedfast’). The object of the humiliation was (Dan_4:25 b) to teach the king that his power was not his own, but delegated to him by God, the supreme ruler of the world; provision was therefore made that when he had learnt this lesson his kingdom should be restored to him (cf. Dan_4:32 b).

that the heavens do rule] The use of ‘heaven,’ either as a metonym, or as an expression of reverence, for God, does not occur elsewhere in the O.T.; but it is found in the Apocrypha, as 1Ma_3:18, R.V. [contrast 1Sa_14:6], 19 (cf. 1Ma_4:60), 1Ma_4:10; 1Ma_4:24; 1Ma_4:55, 2Ma_9:20; and it is especially frequent in the Mishna, as Abhoth, i. 3, ‘and let the fear of Heaven be upon you’; ii. 16, ‘let all thy deeds be in the name of Heaven’; iv. 7, ‘whoso profaneth the name of Heaven in secret, they punish him (i.e. he is punished) openly.’ Cf. Luk_15:18; Luk_15:21[243].

[243] See further examples in Dalman, l.c., pp. 178–180; and cf. Schürer2, ii. 454.

In connexion with the phrase here employed, it may be remarked that the original Jewish sense of the expression, ‘kingdom of heaven,’ is the rule, or government, of heaven[244].

[244] Dalman, pp. 75–77.

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.

All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. All that was signified in the dream, his madness, the removal of him from the administration of government, and the brutal life he lived for seven years; for this was not a mere parable or fiction, as some have thought, framed to describe the state and punishment of a proud man, but was a real fact; though it is not made mention of by any historians, excepting what has been observed before out of Abydenus (n); see Gill on Dan 4:16, yet there is no reason to doubt of the truth of it, from this relation of Daniel; and is further confirmed by his observing the same to Belshazzar his grandson some years after it was done, as a known thing, and as an unquestionable matter of fact, Dan 5:20.

(n) Apud Eubseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457.

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

And whereas they commanded - The watchers, Dan 4:15. Compare Dan 4:17.

To leave the stump of the tree roots - Or, to leave roots to the stump of the tree; that is, it was not to be dug up, or wholly destroyed, but vitality was to be left in the ground. The Chaldee here is the same as in Dan 4:15, “leave the stump of his roots.”

Thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee - That is, thou shalt not die under this calamity, but after it has passed away shalt be restored to authority. It might have been supposed that this meant that the authority would survive in his family, and that those who were to succeed him would reign - as shoots spring up after the parent tree has fallen; but Daniel was directed to an interpretation which is not less in accordance with the fair meaning of the dream than this would have been.

After that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule - That God rules, This was the great lesson which the event was designed to teach, and when that should have been learned, there would be a propriety that he should be restored to his throne, and should proclaim this to the world.

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

There shall be no other king chosen in thy room all the time thou livest as a stump of a tree. Thou shalt recover all again, young branches shall sprout out of thee, Job 14:7-9.

After that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule: see Dan 4:34,35, &c. If princes will not learn and know this, God will beat it into them. This is the end of all God’s rods upon them, if they would hear the voice of them, and him that hath appointed them, 2Ch 33:12,13; Psa 119:67,71; Mic 6:9. Though Nebuchadnezzar never proved a convert, yet God made him acknowledge this truth upon his restoration.

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

26. Rather, so soon as thou shalt recognize that the heavens do rule. This is the first time in Jewish literature that “the heavens” is used for the “God of heaven.” (Compare Dan_3:1.) In the Mishna this is a common form, as also in the Apocrypha (for example, 1 Macc. iv). It might be added, however, that Bel is addressed in the inscriptions as the “great heavens.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be. sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. The Septuagint Version here is different, and not so good as the received text, "And (as for) the root of the tree which was left and not rooted out, the place of thy throne shall be preserved to thee to a season and an hour; behold, for thee they are prepared, and they shall bring judgment upon thee. The Lord liveth in heaven, and his power is in all the earth." The last clause here is plainly a paraphrase of "the heavens do rule." "A season and an hour" is a doublet, and since it is to be observed that the phrase, "after that thou shalt have known," is omitted, we may deduce that thindda", "thou shalt know," is, by transposition of letters, read liddan. Theodotion, who is usually slavish in his following of the Aramaic construction, renders here, "And because they said, Suffer the stump (fuhn) of the roots of the tree." This suggests that in the text before Theodotion mere is omitted from qb (l"mishbaq), and it was read wqb (leishbaqoo), meaning, according to the Mandaitic form of the verb, "they shall leave a form in accordance with the previous construction, then further altered to the second person plural. The end of the verse is also slightly different, "Until thou shalt know the heavenly power," reading here shooltan dee shemya"instead of shaltan shemya. The Peshitta renders, "till thou shalt know that power is from the heaven (min shemya)." Mr. Bevan remarks on this usage of "heavens" for "God," which he compares with the Mishna and with the New Testament. He does not observe that the difficulty all the translators have with the phrase is a proof that, when the versions were made, it was even then not a common usage; hence that its introduction here was not due to the influence of the Mishnaic Hebrew stretching back, but was owing rather to the peculiar circumstances of Daniel. Professor Bevan"s reference to the New Testament is mistaken. In no case in the New Testament is ouranoi used for "God." Even in the Greek Apocrypha is no usage precisely equivalent. Daniel, by using the phrase he did, put himself on the same level as the heathen king pride against the gods (ubriv), and of this, by implication, is Nebuchadnezzar here accused. Certainly the words of his inscriptions do not indicate anything of this sort. In fact, many of the phrases in the prayer to Marduk in the India House Inscription indicate reverent humility almost Christian. Still, these phrases might be due, to some extent, to political custom. The relation of a polytheist to his gods is a psychological enigma to a civilized monotheist. On the one hand, he recognizes his dependence on the god; on the other, he considers the god honoured by his worship, and therefore owing him certain duties in return.

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

The heavens do rule - That God, who sits in heaven rules over all.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

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

heaven rules

Here "heaven" refers to God who lives in heaven. AT: "God in heaven is the ruler of all" (See: Metonymy)

let my advice be acceptable to you

This can be stated in active form. AT: "please accept my advice" (See: Active or Passive)

Turn away from your iniquities

Here rejecting iniquity is spoken of as turning away from it. AT: "Reject your iniquities" (See: Metaphor)

the oppressed

This nominal adjective refers to people who are oppressed. AT: "people who are oppressed" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

it may be that your prosperity will be extended

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God may extend your prosperity" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

command

kingdom

heaven

sin

iniquity

mercy

oppress

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

he was walking [as translated,] he was walking.

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.