The Meaning of Daniel 4:32 Explained

Daniel 4:32

KJV: And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

YLT: and from men they are driving thee away, and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling, the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.

Darby: and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

ASV: and thou shalt be driven from men; and they dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they shall drive  thee from  men,  and thy dwelling  [shall be] with  the beasts  of the field:  they shall make thee to eat  grass  as oxen,  and seven  times  shall pass  over  thee, until  thou know  that the most High  ruleth  in the kingdom  of men,  and giveth  it to whomsoever  he will. 

What does Daniel 4:32 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 4:32 mean?

And from men you they shall drive and with the beasts of the field Your dwelling [shall be] grass like oxen they shall make eat and seven times shall pass - over you until that you know rules - in kingdom of men the and to [he] whom - He chooses gives it
וּמִן־ אֲנָשָׁא֩ לָ֨ךְ טָֽרְדִ֜ין וְֽעִם־ חֵיוַ֧ת בָּרָ֣א מְדֹרָ֗ךְ עִשְׂבָּ֤א כְתוֹרִין֙ יְטַעֲמ֔וּן וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה עִדָּנִ֖ין יַחְלְפ֣וּן [עליך] (עֲלָ֑ךְ) עַ֣ד דִּֽי־ תִנְדַּ֗ע שַׁלִּ֤יט עִלָּיָא֙‪‬‪‬ בְּמַלְכ֣וּת אֲנָשָׁ֔א וּלְמַן־ דִּ֥י יִצְבֵּ֖א יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ

וּמִן־  And  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
אֲנָשָׁא֩  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
טָֽרְדִ֜ין  they  shall  drive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: טְרַד  
Sense: (P’al) to drive away, drive from, chase away.
וְֽעִם־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
חֵיוַ֧ת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵיוָה  
Sense: beast, animal.
בָּרָ֣א  of  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּר  
Sense: field.
מְדֹרָ֗ךְ  Your  dwelling  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מְדֹור  
Sense: dwelling place.
עִשְׂבָּ֤א  grass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: עָשׁ 
Sense: moth.
כְתוֹרִין֙  like  oxen 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural
Root: תֹּור  
Sense: bull, young bull, ox (for sacrifice).
יְטַעֲמ֔וּן  they  shall  make  eat 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: (P’al) to feed, cause to eat.
וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה  and  seven 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבַע  
Sense: seven.
עִדָּנִ֖ין  times 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִדָּן  
Sense: time.
יַחְלְפ֣וּן  shall  pass 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חֲלַף  
Sense: .
[עליך]  - 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
(עֲלָ֑ךְ)  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: even to, until, up to, during conj.
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
תִנְדַּ֗ע  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
שַׁלִּ֤יט  rules 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שַׁלִּיט  
Sense: having mastery, having authority, ruling.
עִלָּיָא֙‪‬‪‬  - 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular determinate
בְּמַלְכ֣וּת  in  kingdom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַלְכוּ  
Sense: royalty, reign, kingdom.
אֲנָשָׁ֔א  of  men  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
וּלְמַן־  and  to  [he]  whom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Interrogative
Root: מַן  
Sense: who?, what?, whoever, whosoever.
דִּ֥י  - 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
יִצְבֵּ֖א  He  chooses 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבָה  
Sense: to desire, be inclined, be willing, be pleased.
יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ  gives  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נְתַן  
Sense: to give.