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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 4:4-18

Nebuchadnezzar, before he relates the judgments of God that had been wrought upon him for his pride, gives an account of the fair warning he had of them before they came, a due regard to which might have prevented them. But he was told of them, and of the issue of them, before they came to pass, that, when they did come to pass, by comparing them with the prediction of them, he might see, and say, that they were the Lord's doing, and might be brought to believe that there is a divine... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:7

Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers ,.... See Gill on Daniel 2:2 , and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof ; because they could not; before they pretended, if the dream was told, they could give the interpretation of it; but now, though it was told, they could not do it; which shows the vanity of their art, the falsehood of their pretensions, and that they were but jugglers and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 4:7

Verse 7 With respect to the words used above, we have formerly freed ourselves from all trouble, because we cannot accurately define what science each professed. Clearly enough they covered their shamelessness by honorable titles, although they gave themselves up to every possible imposture. They called themselves by the usual name of learned men, when they were really unacquainted with any art or science, and deluded mankind by miserable predictions; hence, by these words, Daniel comprehended... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 4:1-37

EXPOSITION THE MADNESS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR . We follow here the division of chapters which we find in our English Version, and as, indeed, in all modern versions. The Aramaic concludes the third chapter with the three verses which are placed in our version at the beginning of the fourth chapter. The arrangement of the Aramaic is followed by the Septuagint, by Theodotion, and by Jerome. The Peshitta and Paulus Tellensis follow the more logical division. Luther divides the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 4:4-9

True and false prophets. It is amazing how some men are addicted to folly. It seems ingrained into the very nature of some men. Nebuchadnezzar had proved aforetime the vain pretensions of his magicians and soothsayers, and had proved, too, the incomparable superiority of Daniel; nevertheless, he neglects Daniel again on this occasion, and sends for the pretentious astrologers. Such men must be pounded in a mortar before the folly can be expurgated. I. THE PROPHET HAS ALWAYS A ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 4:4-27

Human greatness, its rise, fall, and restoration. "Behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great" ( Daniel 4:10 ). The subject naturally suggested by the text is that of human greatness, its rise, its decay, its restoration. It should be remembered, even in the first entertainment of the theme, that this greatness may inhere in man individual as in man collective. To guide our thoughts, especially in its practical applications, it will be well, then, to keep... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Daniel 4:6-7

Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. These verses do not occur in the LXX . Theodotion is a somewhat slavish translation of the Massoretic text, "From me there was set up ( ἐτέθη ) a decree to summon... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Daniel 4:7

Then came in the magicians ... - All the words occurring here are found in Daniel 2:2, and are explained in the note at that verse, except the word rendered “soothsayers.” This occurs in Daniel 2:27. See it explained in the note at that verse. All these words refer to the same general class of persons - those who were regarded as endued with eminent wisdom; who were supposed to be qualified to explain remarkable occurrences, to foretell the future, and to declare the will of heaven from... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Daniel 4:6-7

Daniel 4:6-7. Therefore made I a decree to bring in the wise men As he did before, on a like occasion; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation Though they had promised with great confidence, when consulted before, respecting his former dream, that if it were told them they would, without fail, interpret it. But the key of this dream was in a sacred prophecy, with which they were not acquainted, namely, Ezekiel 31:3, &c., where the Assyrian monarch is compared, as... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Daniel 4:1-37

Nebuchadnezzar’s madness (4:1-37)In this chapter Nebuchadnezzar recounts, for the benefit of his subjects, an experience that humbled his pride and brought him to acknowledge Yahweh as the one and only true God (4:1-3). It all began when Nebuchadnezzar had a puzzling dream. After getting no help from his Babylonian wise men, he told it to Daniel in the hope of discovering its meaning (4-9).The first thing that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was a giant tree. It towered over the world and... read more

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