Daniel 4:1-18
Nebuchadnezzar's Tree Dream
Read the passage
1King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
2I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
5I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
6So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
7When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
8But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
9“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.
10In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.
11The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.
13As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.
17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Nebuchadnezzar addresses people of every nation and language throughout the earth. He wants to tell them the signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for him. He praises God’s eternal kingdom, then begins the account of a dream that frightened him while he was flourishing in his palace.
The king tells the dream to Babylon’s wise men, but they cannot interpret it. At last Daniel comes. Nebuchadnezzar calls him Belteshazzar, after the name of his god, and says the spirit of the holy gods is in him. He asks Daniel to explain what he saw.
In the dream, a great tree stands in the middle of the land. It grows to the sky, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit. Animals shelter beneath it, birds nest in its branches, and every creature finds food from it.
A watcher, a holy one from heaven, commands that the tree be cut down and stripped. Its stump and roots must remain, with a band of iron and bronze around it. The command then speaks of a man living among the beasts, wet with dew and given an animal’s mind until seven times pass.
The watcher gives the purpose: the living must know that the Most High rules human kingdoms and gives them to whomever He wishes, even the lowliest of men. Nebuchadnezzar finishes telling the dream and again asks Daniel for its interpretation.
Questions
1 What does Nebuchadnezzar praise?
AnswerHe praises the signs and wonders of the Most High God and acknowledges that God's kingdom is everlasting. His public testimony comes from a king who has experienced great power himself.
2 What does the tree provide?
AnswerIt provides food, shade, shelter, and a home for the birds and animals. Its size suggests a ruler whose reach affects many other lives.
3 What happens to the tree?
AnswerThe watcher commands that it be cut down and stripped, but its stump and roots are to remain, with a band of iron and bronze around it.
4 What truth does the watcher announce?
AnswerThe Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will. Human greatness is real but never independent of God's authority.
What This Means for Us
The tree is not only a picture of personal wealth. It is a picture of influence that shelters some people and feeds many others, which makes the character of its ruler especially important.
The warning arrives while Nebuchadnezzar is comfortable and successful. Prosperity can make a person less able to notice the limits that are obvious in a crisis.
Ask what your household's resources provide for others and what they make you assume about yourself. Influence should create shelter, not the illusion that no one can question you.
Prayer
Most High God, keep us humble when life is comfortable and our influence is large. Make what we hold useful for the shelter and nourishment of others, and remind us that every authority remains under Your rule. Amen.
Your reading
Keep your place.
Save this passage to your private reading history.
Sign in to save your reading