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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Daniel 4:19–27. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream; and when once it is applied to himself, and it is declared that he is the tree in the dream (Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur - Change but the name, the fable speaks of thee), when once it is said, Thou art the man, there needs little more to be said for the explication of the dream. Out of his own mouth he is judged; so shall his doom be, he himself has decided it. The thing was so plain that Daniel, upon hearing the dream, was astonished for one hour, Dan 4:19. He was struck with amazement and terror at so great a judgment coming upon so great a prince. His flesh trembled for fear of God. He was likewise struck with confusion when he found himself under a necessity of being the man that must bring to the king these heavy tidings, which, having received so many favours from the king, he had rather he should have heard from any one else; so far is he from desiring the woeful day that he dreads it, and the thoughts of it trouble him. Those that come after the ruined sinner are said to be astonished at his day, as those that went before, and saw it coming (as Daniel here), were affrighted, Job 18:20.
I.The preface to the interpretation is a civil compliment which, as a courtier, he passes upon the king.
The king observed him to stand as one astonished, and, thinking he was loth to speak out for fear of offending him, he encouraged him to deal plainly and faithfully with him; Let not the dream, nor the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. This he speaks either,
1.As one that sincerely desired to know this truth. Note, Those that consult the oracles of God must be ready to receive them as they are, whether they be for them or against them, and must accordingly give their ministers leave to be free with them. Or,
2.As one that despised the truth, and set it at defiance. When we see how regardless he was of this warning afterwards we are tempted to think that this was his meaning; "Let it not trouble thee, for I am resolved it shall not trouble me; nor will I lay it to heart." But, whether he have any concern for himself or no, Daniel is concerned for him, and therefore wishes, "The dream be to those that hate thee. Let the ill it bodes light on the head of thy enemies, not on thy head." Though Nebuchadnezzar was an idolater, a persecutor, and an oppressor of the people of God, yet he was, at present, Daniel's prince; and therefore, though Daniel foresees, and is now going to foretell, ill concerning him, he dares not wish ill to him.
II.The interpretation itself is only a repetition of the dream, with application to the king.
"As for the tree which thou sawest flourishing (Dan 4:20, Dan 4:21), it is thou, O king!" Dan 4:22. And willing enough would the king be to hear this (as, before, to hear, Thou art the head of gold), but for that which follows. He shows the king his present prosperous state in the glass of his own dream; "Thy greatness has grown and reaches as near to heaven as human greatness can do, and thy dominion is to the end of the earth," Dan 2:37, Dan 2:38. "As for the doom passed upon the tree (Dan 4:23), it is the decree of the Most High, which comes upon my lord the king," Dan 4:24. He must not only be deposed from his throne, but driven from men, and being deprived of his reason, and having a beast's heart given him, his dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and with them he shall be a fellow-commoner: he shall eat grass as oxen, and, like them, lie out all weathers, and be wet with the dew of heaven, and this till seven times pass over him, that is, seven years; and then he shall know that the Most High rules, and when he is brought to know and own this he shall be restored to his dominion again (Dan 4:26): "Thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, shall remain as firm as the stump of the tree in the ground, and thou shalt have it, after thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule." God is here called the heavens, because it is in heaven that he has prepared his throne (Psa 103:19), thence he beholds all the sons of men, Psa 33:13. The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord's; and the influence which the visible heavens have upon this earth is intended as a faint representation of the dominion the God of heaven has over this lower world; we are said to sin against heaven, Luk 15:18. Note, Then only we may expect comfortably to enjoy our right in, and government of, both ourselves and others, when we dutifully acknowledge God's title to, and dominion over, us and all we have.
III.The close of the interpretation is the pious counsel which Daniel, as a prophet, gave the king, Dan 4:27.
Whether he appeared concerned or not at the interpretation of the dream, a word of advice would be very seasonable - if careless, to awaken him, if troubled, to comfort him; and it is not inconsistent with the dream and the interpretation of it, for Daniel knew not but it might be conditional, like the prediction of Nineveh's destruction. Observe,
1.How humbly he gives his advice, and with what tenderness and respect: "O king! let my counsel be acceptable unto thee; take it in good part, as coming from love, and well-meant, and let it not be misinterpreted." Note, Sinners need to be courted to their own good, and respectfully entreated to do well for themselves. The apostle beseeches men to suffer the word of exhortation, Heb 13:22. We think it a good point gained if people will be persuaded to take good counsel kindly; nay, if they will take it patiently.
2.What his advice is. He does not counsel him to enter into a course of physic, for the preventing of the distemper in his head, but to break off a course of sin that he was in, to reform his life. He wronged his own subjects, and dealt unfairly with his allies; and he must break off this by righteousness, by rendering to all their due, making amends for wrong done, and not triumphing over right with might. He had been cruel to the poor, to God's poor, to the poor Jews; and he must break off this iniquity by showing mercy to those poor, pitying those oppressed ones, setting them at liberty or making their captivity easy to them. Note, It is necessary, in repentance, that we not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well, not only do no wrong to any, but do good to all.
3.What the motive is with which he backs this advice: If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility. Though it should not wholly prevent the judgment, yet by this means a reprieve may be obtained, as by Ahab's humbling himself, Kg1 21:29. Either the trouble may be the longer before it comes or the shorter when it does come; yet he cannot assure him of this, but it may be, it may prove so. Note, The mere probability of preventing a temporal judgment is inducement enough to a work so good in itself as the leaving off of our sins and reforming of our lives, much more the certainty of preventing our eternal ruin. "That will be a healing of thy error" (so some read it); "thus the quarrel will be taken up, and all will be well again."
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Verse 27. "'Wherefore, O king, let my counsel meet with thy favor, and make up for thy sins by deeds of charity, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps God will forgive thy transgressions.'" Since he had previously pronounced the sentence of God, which of course cannot be altered, how could he exhort the king to deeds of charity and acts of mercy towards the poor? This difficulty is easily solved by reference to the example of King Hezekiah, who Isaiah had said was going to die (Isaiah 38:1); and again, to the example of the Ninevites, to whom it was said: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed" (Jonah 3:4). And yet the sentence of God was changed in response to the prayers of Hezekiah and the city of Nineveh, not by any means because of the ineffectualness of the judgment itself but because of the conversion of those who merited pardon. Morever in Jeremiah God states that He threatens evil for the nation (Jeremiah 18:7-8), but if it does that which is good, He will alter His threats to bestow mercy. Again, He affirms that He directs His promises to the man who does good; and if the same man thereafter works evil, He says that He changes His decision, not with regard to the men themselves, but with regard to their works which have thus changed in character. For after all, God is not angered at men but at their sins; and when no sins inhere in a man, God by no means inflicts a punishment which has been commuted. In other words, let us say that Nebuchadnezzar performed deeds of mercy toward the poor in accordance with Daniel's advice, and for that reason the sentence against him was delayed of execution for twelve months. But because he afterwards while walking about in his palace at Babylon said boastingly: "Is this not the great Babylon which I myself have built up as a home for the king by the might of my power and the glory of my name?" therefore he lost the virtue of his charitableness by reason of the wickedness of his pride.
"It may be that God will forgive thy sins." In view of the fact that the blessed Daniel, foreknowing the future as he did, had doubts concerning God's decision, it is very rash on the part of those who boldly promise pardon to sinners. And yet it should be recognized that indulgence was promised to Nebuchadnezzar in return, as long as he wrought good works. Much more, then, is it promised to other men who have committed less grievous sins than he. We read in Jeremiah also of God's direction to the people of the Jews, that they should pray for the Babylonians, inasmuch as the peace of the captives was bound up with the peace of the captors themselves (Jeremiah 29:7).
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Summary
Daniel 4:27 presents Daniel's urgent and compassionate counsel to King Nebuchadnezzar, delivered immediately after interpreting the king's terrifying dream of a felled tree. Recognizing the impending divine judgment for the king's immense pride and unrighteousness, Daniel implores Nebuchadnezzar to avert or at least delay the decreed punishment by embracing genuine repentance. This repentance is defined by a decisive break from sin through righteous living and, specifically, by demonstrating active mercy and justice towards the poor, thereby offering a path to potentially prolong his period of peace and stability.
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as the climactic exhortation following Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's second prophetic dream in Daniel chapter 4. The dream, detailed from Daniel 4:10-17, depicted a magnificent tree reaching to heaven, symbolizing the king's immense power and dominion. A divine decree from a "watcher and an holy one" commanded the tree's felling, leaving only its stump bound with iron and bronze, signifying the king's impending humiliation: he would be driven from human society, live like a beast, and his mind would be changed until he acknowledged the sovereignty of "the most High" over all kingdoms (Daniel 4:25). Daniel, deeply troubled by the vision's implications for the king (Daniel 4:19), courageously offers this unsolicited but divinely inspired counsel, presenting a glimmer of hope for mitigation or postponement of the severe judgment.
Historical & Cultural Context
King Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful monarch of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from 605-562 BC. His reign saw the empire reach its zenith, marked by impressive building projects in Babylon and extensive military campaigns, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Judeans. In the ancient Near East, kings often viewed themselves as divinely appointed or even divine, exercising absolute power. Nebuchadnezzar's colossal pride, evident throughout the book of Daniel (e.g., his boast in Daniel 4:30), was a direct affront to the sovereignty of the one true God, Yahweh. Daniel's counsel, therefore, was not merely a call for moral improvement but a direct challenge to the prevailing imperial ideology, urging the king to humble himself before the supreme divine authority, a concept largely foreign to the pagan worldview of absolute monarchical power.
Key Themes
Daniel 4:27 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Daniel and biblical theology. Foremost is the theme of Divine Sovereignty, emphasizing that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:17). Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's interpretation underscore that even the mightiest earthly rulers are subject to God's ultimate authority. The verse also highlights the theme of Repentance and Transformation, presenting a clear path for an individual, even a pagan king, to avert or delay divine judgment through a genuine change of heart and action. This is intrinsically linked to Justice and Righteousness, as Daniel specifies that repentance must manifest in concrete acts of righteousness and, notably, Mercy to the Poor. This demonstrates that true piety is not merely internal but has tangible social dimensions, particularly in caring for the vulnerable, a principle echoed throughout the prophetic tradition (e.g., Amos 5:24). Finally, the conditional phrase "if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity" speaks to God's Grace and Patience, revealing that even when judgment is decreed, God often provides an opportunity for individuals to respond in a way that can alter the immediate outcome or timing of consequences, demonstrating His desire for restoration over retribution.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word means "to discontinue" or "to sever." It implies a radical and decisive cessation of sinful practices, not merely a temporary pause or a superficial adjustment. Daniel is calling for a complete rupture with Nebuchadnezzar's past unrighteousness, demanding a fundamental change in his character and conduct.
Derived from a root meaning "to miss the mark," this term refers to "an offence" or "sin." In this context, it encompasses Nebuchadnezzar's general moral failings and, more specifically, the pride, injustice, and potential oppression that have characterized his rule and provoked divine displeasure.
This word signifies "safety" or "tranquillity." Daniel suggests that genuine repentance and righteous action could lead to a "lengthening" (H754, ʼarkâʼ) of the king's current state of peace and prosperity. This implies a delay or mitigation of the prophesied period of madness and humiliation, offering a window of grace.
Verse Breakdown
"Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee,"
Daniel, having delivered the daunting interpretation, now transitions to a plea, humbly yet firmly asking the king to receive his advice. This opening underscores the gravity of the situation and Daniel's pastoral concern for Nebuchadnezzar, recognizing the immense risk he takes in offering such direct counsel to an absolute monarch.
"and break off thy sins by righteousness,"
This is the core of Daniel's exhortation. The king is urged to make a decisive and radical break from his sinful ways. The means of this break is "righteousness," implying a turning away from his previous pride and injustice towards actions that align with divine standards of justice and moral rectitude, reflecting a transformed character.
"and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor;"
This clause specifies a crucial aspect of the required righteousness. "Iniquities" refers to perverted or twisted actions, likely encompassing the king's oppressive or neglectful treatment of the vulnerable. The remedy is active "mercy to the poor," highlighting social justice and compassion as indispensable components of true repentance and a practical demonstration of righteousness. This emphasizes that genuine piety has tangible social dimensions.
"if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity."
This concluding phrase presents the conditional hope. Daniel does not guarantee complete annulment of the judgment but suggests that genuine repentance might lead to a "lengthening" or postponement of the decreed period of suffering and loss of peace. It underscores God's willingness to respond to human repentance with grace, offering a chance for a different immediate outcome.
Literary Devices
Daniel 4:27 employs several significant literary devices. The entire chapter is structured around a Dream Narrative, where the symbolic imagery of the great tree (Daniel 4:10-12) serves as a powerful Symbolism for Nebuchadnezzar's dominion and impending fall. Daniel's counsel itself is a direct Exhortation, an urgent and compassionate plea from a prophet to a king, demonstrating both boldness and genuine concern for the king's spiritual well-being. The verse also features a clear Conditional Statement ("if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity"), which introduces an element of hope and divine grace, suggesting that the consequences of sin are not always irrevocably fixed if there is sincere repentance. This conditional phrasing highlights God's patience and His desire for humanity to turn from destructive paths.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Daniel 4:27 beautifully illustrates the biblical principle that divine judgment, though certain for unrepentant sin, is often accompanied by an offer of grace and an opportunity for mitigation through genuine repentance. This verse underscores that true righteousness is not merely an internal state but is demonstrated through outward acts of justice and mercy, particularly towards the vulnerable. It reveals God's character as both sovereign judge and merciful Father, who desires that even the most powerful rulers acknowledge His authority and turn from their pride and oppression. The call to show "mercy to the poor" links the king's spiritual state directly to his social responsibilities, a recurring theme in prophetic literature where social justice is inseparable from true worship and obedience to God.
Reflection and Application
Daniel's counsel to Nebuchadnezzar provides timeless principles for personal and societal transformation. It reminds us that when confronted with the consequences of our actions, especially those rooted in pride, self-sufficiency, or neglect of others, the appropriate response is not despair but decisive repentance. This involves a radical "breaking off" of sinful patterns and a proactive turning towards righteousness. Crucially, this righteousness is not abstract but manifests in concrete acts of mercy and justice, particularly towards those who are marginalized or in need. Our faith is not truly lived out if it does not translate into compassion and equitable treatment for the "poor" in our communities, broadly understood as those who are vulnerable, oppressed, or disadvantaged. This verse offers profound hope, demonstrating God's patient grace, which always provides an opportunity for individuals and even nations to avert or mitigate judgment through genuine change of heart and action, leading to a "lengthening of tranquillity" – a prolonged season of peace, stability, and flourishing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Daniel suggesting that Nebuchadnezzar could completely avoid God's judgment?
No, Daniel's counsel in Daniel 4:27 suggests a "lengthening" or postponement of the king's tranquillity, not a complete annulment of the divine decree. The dream's interpretation clearly stated that the judgment would come "until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:25). Daniel's advice offered a window of grace, a possibility that the severity or timing of the judgment could be mitigated if Nebuchadnezzar genuinely repented. Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar did not heed this counsel immediately, and the judgment indeed fell upon him one year later (Daniel 4:29-33). However, his eventual repentance and restoration demonstrate God's ultimate purpose was not merely punishment but the king's acknowledgment of His sovereignty (Daniel 4:34-37).
Why is "shewing mercy to the poor" specifically mentioned as part of repentance?
The emphasis on "shewing mercy to the poor" in Daniel 4:27 highlights that true repentance and righteousness are not merely internal spiritual states but have tangible, ethical implications, especially concerning social justice. Throughout the Old Testament, neglecting the poor and vulnerable is often cited as a grave sin that provokes God's judgment (e.g., Amos 2:6-7). As a powerful monarch, Nebuchadnezzar likely wielded immense economic and social power, and his "iniquities" may have included oppression or neglect of the less fortunate. Daniel's counsel underscores that genuine turning from sin involves actively doing good, particularly by extending compassion and justice to those who are marginalized, reflecting the very character of God who defends the cause of the poor and needy (Psalm 82:3-4).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Daniel 4:27, with its call for a king to break off sins by righteousness and mercy to the poor, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. While Nebuchadnezzar's repentance offered a temporary reprieve, humanity's ultimate need for a radical "breaking off" from sin is fully addressed in Jesus Christ. He is the one who perfectly embodies true righteousness, not merely as an external act but as the very essence of His being (1 John 2:1). Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Christ provides the means for humanity to be truly reconciled to God and to "break off" the power of sin in their lives, not by their own works, but by faith in Him (Romans 6:6). Furthermore, Jesus perfectly modeled and commanded mercy to the poor and marginalized, identifying with "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40) and demonstrating that true love for God is inseparable from love for neighbor. The "lengthening of tranquillity" offered to Nebuchadnezzar foreshadows the eternal peace and rest found only in Christ, who offers not a temporary delay of judgment, but complete deliverance from its power and the promise of everlasting life and tranquility in His kingdom (John 14:27; Colossians 1:20). He is the true King whose reign is characterized by perfect justice and boundless mercy, inviting all to turn from their sins and find ultimate and lasting peace in Him.