Daniel 4:28–37
Nebuchadnezzar boasts of great Babylon, loses his mind, then praises God again
Study it word by word28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29At the end of twelve months he was walking on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30The king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built as a royal house by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?”
31While the word was still in the mouth of the king, a voice fell from the heavens: “To you it is said, King Nebuchadnezzar: the kingdom has passed from you,
32and from men you are being driven away, and with the animals of the field will be your dwelling; grass like oxen you will be made to eat, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that Illaya rules over the kingdom of men, and to whomever he wishes he gives it.”
33At that very moment the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and from men he was driven away, and grass like oxen he ate, and with the dew of the heavens his body was drenched, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed Illaya, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever, whose dominion is an eternal dominion, and his kingdom is with generation and generation.
35And all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and according to his will he does among the army of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth; and there is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
36At that time my understanding returned to me, and for the honor of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me; and my advisers and my nobles sought me, and I was reestablished over my kingdom, and extraordinary greatness was added to me.
37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of the heavens, for all his works are truth and his ways justice, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.
In its context
26And as for what they said, to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom for you will remain firm from the time that you know that the heavens rule.
27Therefore, O king, may my counsel be pleasing to you: break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
…
Its words in the original
- מְּטָאmeta· reach, come
To reach, to arrive; to come upon someone (Aramaic).
- נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּרnevuchadnetsar· Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar (the Aramaic form of the name): king of Babylon who took Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and carried the people of Judah into exile.
- מַלְכָּmalka· king
King (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "melech".
- קְצָתketsat· end, part
End; also part, portion (Aramaic): "at the end of the days", "part of the kingdom".
- יַרְחִיןyarchin· month
Month (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "yerach".
- תְּרֵיtere· two
Two (Aramaic).
- עֲשַׂרasar· ten
Ten (Aramaic). With "two", "twelve".
- הֵיכַלhechal· palace, temple
Palace; also temple (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "heichal".
- מַלְכוּתָmalchuta· kingdom, reign
Kingdom, reign (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "malchut".
- בָבֶלvavel· Babylon
Babylon (the Aramaic form of the name): the city and its kingdom, by the Euphrates River.
- מְהַלֵּךְmehalech· walk
To walk, to walk about (Aramaic).
- הֲוָהhava· be, become
To be, to become, to happen (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "haya".
- עָנֵהane· answer
To answer, to speak up in reply.
- אָמַרamar· say
To say (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "amar".
- דָאda· this
This (Aramaic; feminine).
- רַבְּתָrabta· great
Great (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "rav".
- אֲנָהana· I
I (Aramaic).
- בֱנַיְתַvenayta· build
To build (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "bana".
- בֵיתvet· house
House (Aramaic); the same word as the Hebrew "bayit". "The house of Elah" is the temple.
- תְקַףtekaf· might, strength
Might, strength (Aramaic).
- חִסְנִchisni· might, power
Might, power (Aramaic).
- יקָרykar· honor, glory
Honor, glory, splendor (Aramaic).
- הַדְרִhadri· majesty, splendor
Majesty, splendor (Aramaic).
- עוֹדod· still, yet
Still, yet (Aramaic).
- מִלְּתָmilta· word, matter
Word; also matter, affair (Aramaic): what is said and what it is about.
- פֻםfum· mouth
Mouth (Aramaic).
- קָלkal· sound, voice
Sound, voice (Aramaic): a voice that speaks or the sound of instruments.
- שְׁמַיָּshemaya· heavens
Heavens (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shamayim". "The Elah of the heavens" is the God of Israel.
- נְפַלnefal· fall
To fall; for something "to fall to" someone is to come to him, to be his task (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "nafal".
- עֲדָתadat· pass away; remove
To pass, to pass away; in its causative form, to take away, to remove (Aramaic).
- אֲנָשָׁanasha· man, human being
Man, human being; as a group, "men", people (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "enosh".
- טָרְדִיןtardin· drive away
To drive away, to expel (Aramaic).
- עִםim· with
With (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "im".
- חֵיוַתchevat· animal, beast
Animal, beast (Aramaic): a living creature, wild or tame.
- בָּרָbara· field
Field, open country (Aramaic).
- מְדֹרָmedora· dwelling
Dwelling, the place where one lives (Aramaic).
- עִשְׂבָּisba· moth
A moth: the insect that eats clothing. An image of what is frail and of what is destroyed without a sound.
- תוֹרִיןtorin· bull
Bull (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "shor".
- יְטַעֲמוּןyetaamun· feed
To give to eat, to feed (Aramaic).
- שִׁבְעָהshiva· seven
Seven (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shiva".
- עִדָּנִיןidanin· time, period
Time (Aramaic): a moment or a set period; in some passages a period counted like a year ("seven times").
- יַחְלְפוּןyachlfun· pass over
To pass over (of time) (Aramaic): "seven times will pass over him".
- תִנְדַּעtinda· know, make known
To know; in its causative form, to make known (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "yada".
- שַׁלִּיטshalit· ruler; ruling, permitted
One who rules, ruler; mighty; also "it is permitted" (Aramaic).
- עִלָּיָilaya· Most High, Illaya
Illaya (Aramaic): "the Most High", the highest; a title of God.
- מַןman· who, what
Who, which (Aramaic).
- יִצְבֵּאyitsbe· want, be pleased
To want, to will; to be pleased with (Aramaic).
- יִתְּנִנַּyitnina· give
To give (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "natan".
- שַׁעֲתָshaata· moment, hour
Moment, a short time (Aramaic): "at that moment", "immediately".
- סָפַתsafat· be fulfilled; end
To come to an end, to be fulfilled; in its causative form, to bring to an end (Aramaic).
- יֵאכֻלyechul· eat, devour
To eat, to devour (Aramaic). "To eat the pieces of someone" is to accuse him.
- טַּלtal· dew
Dew (Aramaic).
- גִּשְׁמֵgishme· body
Body (Aramaic).
- יִצְטַבַּעyitstaba· wet
To make wet, to drench (Aramaic).
- שַׂעְרֵsare· hair
Hair (Aramaic).
- נִשְׁרִיןnishrin· eagle
Eagle, or a large bird of prey (Aramaic).
- רְבָהreva· grow great
To grow, to become great (Aramaic).
- טִפְרוֹtifro· nail, claw
Nail, claw (Aramaic).
- צִפְּרִיןtsiprin· bird
Bird (Aramaic).
- יוֹמַיָּyomaya· day
Day (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "yom".
- עַיְנַayna· eye
Eye (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "ayin". "The eye of their Elah was on them": God watched over them.
- נִטְלֵתnitlet· lift up
To lift up (Aramaic).
- מַנְדְּעִmandi· knowledge, understanding
Knowledge, understanding (Aramaic).
- יְתוּבyetuv· return, answer
To return; in its causative form, to give back, to answer (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "shuv".
- בָּרְכֵתbarchet· bless; kneel
To bless; also to kneel down (Aramaic).
- חַיchay· living; life
Living; in the plural, life (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "chay".
- עָלְמָalma· antiquity, forever
Distant time, backward or forward: "of old", "forever" (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "olam".
- שַׁבְּחֵתshabchet· praise
To praise, to give praise (Aramaic).
- הַדְּרֵתhadret· glorify
To glorify, to honor (Aramaic).
- שָׁלְטָנֵshaltane· dominion, rule
Dominion, rule (Aramaic): the power to govern; also the realm that is ruled.
- דָּרdar· generation
Generation (Aramaic): "from generation to generation", forever.
- דָּיְרֵיdayre· dwell
To dwell, to live in a place (Aramaic).
- אַרְעָara· earth, land
Earth, land (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "erets".
- חֲשִׁיבִיןchashivin· regard, count
To regard, to count as (Aramaic).
- עָבֵדaved· do, make
To do, to make (Aramaic). Its Hebrew relative "avad" means "to serve, to work".
- חֵילchel· army, force
Troop, army; strength (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "chayil".
- אִיתַיitay· there is
There is, there exists (Aramaic). With "not": "there is not", "you will not have".
- יְמַחֵאyemache· strike; fasten
To strike; to fasten (Aramaic).
- ידֵyde· hand
Hand (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "yad". "To give into the hand of" is to hand over to someone's power.
- מָהma· what; why
What; with "for", "why?", "what for?" (Aramaic).
- זִמְנָzimna· time
Time, an appointed moment (Aramaic).
- זִוִzivi· brightness, color
Brightness, splendor (Aramaic); the color of the face, which changes with fear.
- הַדָּבְרַhadavra· counselor
Counselor, royal official (Aramaic): one of the king's closest advisers.
- רַבְרְבָנַravrvana· noble, lord
Noble, great man (Aramaic): one of the lords of the king's court.
- יְבַעוֹןyevaon· ask, seek
To ask, to request; to seek (Aramaic).
- הָתְקְנַתhatknat· be established
To be established, restored (Aramaic).
- רְבוּrevu· greatness
Greatness, majesty (Aramaic).
- יַתִּירָהyatira· extraordinary, exceedingly
Extraordinary, surpassing (Aramaic); as an adverb, "exceedingly".
- הוּסְפַתhusfat· add
To add (Aramaic).
- כְּעַןkean· now
Now (Aramaic).
- מְרוֹמֵםmeromem· be lifted up; exalt
To be high, to be lifted up; also to exalt (Aramaic); "to lift oneself up" is to act with pride.
- מַעֲבָדוֹmaavado· work, deed
Work, deed (Aramaic).
- קְשֹׁטkeshot· truth
Truth (Aramaic).
- אֹרְחָתֵorchate· way
Way (Aramaic); figuratively, conduct, the way one acts.
- דִּיןdin· judgment, sentence
Judgment, sentence (Aramaic).
- גֵוָהgeva· pride
Pride (Aramaic).
- יָכִלyachil· be able, prevail
To be able, can; also to prevail over someone (Aramaic).
- הַשְׁפָּלָהhashpala· humble, bring low
To bring low, to humble (Aramaic).