Daniel 4:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: At last Daniel came in before me — he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods — and I told him the dream, saying,

NIV: Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

NASB: But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying,

CSB: Finally Daniel, named Belteshazzar after the name of my god—and a spirit of the holy gods is in him —came before me. I told him the dream:

NLT: At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

KJV: But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

NKJV: But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:

After a troubling dream (Daniel 4:4–5), Nebuchadnezzar put out a summons to all the wise men of his kingdom. That suggests that Daniel, already proven at interpreting dreams (Daniel 2:19), was also called. Yet because of his important position (Daniel 2:48), he was probably not available as quickly as the court occultists. When the king says that Daniel came in "at last," it refers to anticipation, not a suggestion that Daniel was literally the last person consulted.

It's also possible the king was hoping to get a happier answer from his magicians than he expected from Daniel. Many years before Nebuchadnezzar, Israel's King Ahab put off speaking with a prophet of God (1 Kings 22:8) because he didn't like what that prophet often had to say. In fact, Ahab mistreated God's messenger for faithfully delivering bad news (1 Kings 22:26–28).

Nebuchadnezzar's program for Hebrew captives (Daniel 1:1–5) included renaming the captives to cement their identity as servants of Babylon (Daniel 1:6–7). Because of Daniel's prior success, the king sees him as one in direct contact with divine beings. As a pagan, and worshipper of many false gods, the king consulted with idols before seeking an answer from someone who served the true God. Unbelievers often resort to unreliable sources for answers to their problems before turning to God as a last resort. Yet Nebuchadnezzar remembered that Daniel had interpreted his previous frightening dream.

Daniel 4:1–18 introduces another of Nebuchadnezzar's mysterious dreams (Daniel 2:2–3). As before, the king summoned his wise men to interpret the experience. They failed, but Nebuchadnezzar also spoke with Daniel (Daniel 2:46–47). This time the king told his wise men and Daniel what he had dreamed. This sets the stage for Daniel's interpretation and the fulfillment of another prophecy.

Daniel 4 opens with a proclamation in which Babylon's king, Nebuchadnezzar, declares what God has done for him. He recalls yet another frightening dream (Daniel 2:1). He sees a tree cut down to the stump, and a man made like an animal. Once again, only Daniel could interpret the dream's meaning. The news is terrible: the king will be driven insane for "seven periods of time" until he learns humility. A year later, this happens. Also as promised, Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself and regains his senses and his throne. He praises God for this miraculous work.

Daniel chapter 1 depicted Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar as powerful. Chapter 2 showed his vindictive nature. His extreme vanity was on display in chapter 3. Daniel chapter 4 records his submission, repentance, and return to prominence as the King of Babylon, all under God's humiliating judgment. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 continue to speak about Gentile rulers and related prophecies.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.