The Meaning of Daniel 4:23 Explained

Daniel 4:23

KJV: And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

YLT: and that which the king hath seen -- a sifter, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, and he hath said, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens it is wet, and with the beast of the field is his portion, till that seven times pass over him.

Darby: And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heavens, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him:

ASV: And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven: and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And whereas the king  saw  a watcher  and an holy one  coming down  from  heaven,  and saying,  Hew  the tree  down,  and destroy  it; yet  leave  the stump  of the roots  thereof in the earth,  even with a band  of iron  and brass,  in the tender grass  of the field;  and let it be wet  with the dew  of heaven,  and [let] his portion  [be] with  the beasts  of the field,  till  seven  times  pass  over  him; 

What does Daniel 4:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 4:19-37 - Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation
Beyond doubt Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most illustrious princes the world has ever seen. The discoveries which Layard commenced among the mounds of the Euphrates valley have afforded striking evidences of his magnificence. Nebuchadnezzar was very conscious of his greatness, and as he looked from the eminence of his throne upon the world at his feet, his heart was lifted up with pride. It would be easy to cite proofs from the stones and bricks of Babylon to corroborate the general tenor of this story; for all the bricks of the ruins in that great province, so far as they have been examined, bear the name of Nebuchadnezzar; and several inscriptions have been found which, in their boastfulness, tally exactly with Daniel 4:30. But how marvelous the contrast between those proud and vaunting words, and the ascriptions of humble homage and praise in Daniel 4:34-37! If God could produce such a result on the haughty king of Babylon, is there any sinner He cannot subdue? May not the stern discipline to which some lives are subjected be intended to subdue their proud wills and bring them to similar confessions? [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 4

1  Nebuchadnezzar confesses God's kingdom,
4  makes relation of his dreams, which the magicians could not interpret
8  Daniel hears the dream
19  He interprets it
28  The dream fulfilled

What do the individual words in Daniel 4:23 mean?

And inasmuch as saw king the a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying Chop down tree the and destroy it but its stump and roots in earth the leave and [bound] with a band of iron and bronze in tender grass the of field the and with dew of heaven the let it be wet and with the beasts of field the let graze him until till seven times pass over him
וְדִ֣י חֲזָ֣ה מַלְכָּ֡א עִ֣יר וְקַדִּ֣ישׁ נָחִ֣ת ׀ מִן־ שְׁמַיָּ֡א וְאָמַר֩ גֹּ֨דּוּ אִֽילָנָ֜א וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי בְּרַ֨ם עִקַּ֤ר שָׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙ בְּאַרְעָ֣א שְׁבֻ֔קוּ וּבֶאֱסוּר֙ דִּֽי־ פַרְזֶ֣ל וּנְחָ֔שׁ בְּדִתְאָ֖א דִּ֣י בָרָ֑א וּבְטַ֧ל שְׁמַיָּ֣א יִצְטַבַּ֗ע וְעִם־ חֵיוַ֤ת בָּרָא֙ חֲלָקֵ֔הּ עַ֛ד דִּֽי־ שִׁבְעָ֥ה עִדָּנִ֖ין יַחְלְפ֥וּן עֲלֽוֹהִי

וְדִ֣י  And  inasmuch  as 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
חֲזָ֣ה  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲזָה  
Sense: to see, behold.
מַלְכָּ֡א  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
עִ֣יר  a  watcher 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עִיר  
Sense: waking, watchful, wakeful one, watcher, angel.
וְקַדִּ֣ישׁ  and  a  holy  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קַדִּישׁ  
Sense: holy, separate.
נָחִ֣ת ׀  coming  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נְחַת  
Sense: to descend.
שְׁמַיָּ֡א  heaven 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְאָמַר֩  and  saying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
גֹּ֨דּוּ  Chop  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: גְּדַד  
Sense: to cut down, hew down.
אִֽילָנָ֜א  tree  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אִילָן  
Sense: tree.
וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי  and  destroy  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲבַל  
Sense: to hurt, destroy.
עִקַּ֤ר  its  stump 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עִקַּר  
Sense: root, stock.
שָׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙  and  roots 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁרֹשׁ  
Sense: root.
בְּאַרְעָ֣א  in  earth  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֲרַע  
Sense: earth, world, ground.
שְׁבֻ֔קוּ  leave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שְׁבַק  
Sense: to leave, let alone.
וּבֶאֱסוּר֙  and  [bound]  with  a  band 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱסוּר  
Sense: band, bond, imprisonment.
פַרְזֶ֣ל  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
וּנְחָ֔שׁ  and  bronze 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְחָשׁ  
Sense: copper, bronze.
בְּדִתְאָ֖א  in  tender  grass  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דֶּתֶא  
Sense: grass.
בָרָ֑א  field  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּר  
Sense: field.
וּבְטַ֧ל  and  with  dew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טַל  
Sense: dew.
שְׁמַיָּ֣א  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
יִצְטַבַּ֗ע  let  it  be  wet 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבַע  
Sense: to dip, wet (something).
וְעִם־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
חֵיוַ֤ת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵיוָה  
Sense: beast, animal.
בָּרָא֙  of  field  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּר  
Sense: field.
חֲלָקֵ֔הּ  let  graze  him 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲלָק  
Sense: portion, possession, lot.
עַ֛ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: even to, until, up to, during conj.
דִּֽי־  till 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
שִׁבְעָ֥ה  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבַע  
Sense: seven.
עִדָּנִ֖ין  times 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִדָּן  
Sense: time.
יַחְלְפ֥וּן  pass 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חֲלַף  
Sense: .
עֲלֽוֹהִי  over  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 4:23?

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