Daniel 4:34–35
Nebuchadnezzar, restored, acknowledges that God's dominion is eternal
Study it word by word34And 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?”
In its context
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.
…
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.
Its words in the original
- קְצָתketsat· end, part
End; also part, portion (Aramaic): "at the end of the days", "part of the kingdom".
- יוֹמַיָּyomaya· day
Day (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "yom".
- אֲנָהana· I
I (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.
- עַיְנַayna· eye
Eye (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "ayin". "The eye of their Elah was on them": God watched over them.
- שְׁמַיָּshemaya· heavens
Heavens (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shamayim". "The Elah of the heavens" is the God of Israel.
- 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".
- עִלָּאָilaa· Most High, Illaya
Illaya (Aramaic): "the Most High", the highest; a title of God.
- 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.
- מַלְכוּתֵmalchute· kingdom, reign
Kingdom, reign (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "malchut".
- עִםim· with
With (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "im".
- 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).
- מִצְבְּיֵmitsbye· want, be pleased
To want, to will; to be pleased with (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.
- יֵאמַרyemar· say
To say (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "amar".
- מָהma· what; why
What; with "for", "why?", "what for?" (Aramaic).