The Meaning of Daniel 4:19 Explained

Daniel 4:19

KJV: Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

YLT: Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, hath been astonished about one hour, and his thoughts do trouble him; the king hath answered and said, O Belteshazzar, let not the dream and its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar hath answered and said, My lord, the dream -- to those hating thee, and its interpretation -- to thine enemies!

Darby: Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, nor its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies!

ASV: Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Daniel,  whose name  [was] Belteshazzar,  was astonied  for one  hour,  and his thoughts  troubled  him. The king  spake,  and said,  Belteshazzar,  let not  the dream,  or the interpretation  thereof, trouble  thee. Belteshazzar  answered  and said,  My lord,  the dream  [be] to them that hate  thee, and the interpretation  thereof to thine enemies. 

What does Daniel 4:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Daniel"s initial reluctance to tell the king the interpretation must have been due to the bad news itself, or to the potentially harmful consequences to Daniel for telling it to the king. The AV translation "for one hour" ( Daniel 4:19) describes a brief period of time better rendered "for a while" (NASB, et al.). Daniel had not hesitated to interpret the king"s first dream ( Daniel 2:27-28). Sensing Daniel"s uneasiness, Nebuchadnezzar encouraged the prophet to relate the interpretation without fear of punishment. This verse reflects the respect that each man held for the other.
"This verse reveals the heart of Daniel as well as any in the entire book of Daniel. He knew the meaning of this dream and how well Nebuchadnezzar deserved what was to come upon him. Nevertheless, Daniel"s heart was concerned for the king and grieved over what he had to tell him. This was the distinctive feature of the true prophets of God: though they often had to predict judgments, they were nevertheless grieved when any of God"s creatures were chastised." [1]

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 4:19 mean?

Then Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar was astonished for time a and his thoughts troubled him [So] spoke king the and said Belteshazzar dream the or its interpretation not do let trouble you answered Belteshazzar - My lord dream the - [may] concern those who hate you and its interpretation - concern your enemies
אֱדַ֨יִן דָּֽנִיֵּ֜אל דִּֽי־ שְׁמֵ֣הּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֗ר אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם֙ כְּשָׁעָ֣ה חֲדָ֔ה וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי יְבַהֲלֻנֵּ֑הּ עָנֵ֨ה מַלְכָּ֜א וְאָמַ֗ר בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר֙ חֶלְמָ֤א וּפִשְׁרֵא֙ אַֽל־ יְבַהֲלָ֔ךְ עָנֵ֤ה בֵלְטְשַׁאצַּר֙ [מראי] (מָרִ֕י) חֶלְמָ֥א [לשנאיך] (לְשָֽׂנְאָ֖ךְ) וּפִשְׁרֵ֥הּ [לעריך] (לְעָרָֽךְ)

דָּֽנִיֵּ֜אל  Daniel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִיֵּאל  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
דִּֽי־  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
שְׁמֵ֣הּ  name  was 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֻׁם  
Sense: name.
בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֗ר  Belteshazzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon; because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם֙  was  astonished 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁמַם  
Sense: (Ithpolel) [CLBL] to be appalled, be stunned.
כְּשָׁעָ֣ה  for  time 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁעָה  
Sense: brief time, moment.
וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי  and  his  thoughts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רַעְיׄון  
Sense: thought.
יְבַהֲלֻנֵּ֑הּ  troubled  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: הִתְבְּהָלָה 
Sense: (Pual) to frighten, alarm, dismay.
עָנֵ֨ה  [So]  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָה  
Sense: to answer, respond.
מַלְכָּ֜א  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
וְאָמַ֗ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר֙  Belteshazzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon; because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
חֶלְמָ֤א  dream  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֵלֶם  
Sense: dream.
וּפִשְׁרֵא֙  or  its  interpretation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּשַׁר  
Sense: interpretation (of dream).
יְבַהֲלָ֔ךְ  do  let  trouble  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: הִתְבְּהָלָה 
Sense: (Pual) to frighten, alarm, dismay.
עָנֵ֤ה  answered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָה  
Sense: to answer, respond.
בֵלְטְשַׁאצַּר֙  Belteshazzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר  
Sense: the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon; because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel.
[מראי]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
(מָרִ֕י)  My  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מָרֵא  
Sense: lord.
חֶלְמָ֥א  dream  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֵלֶם  
Sense: dream.
[לשנאיך]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(לְשָֽׂנְאָ֖ךְ)  [may]  concern  those  who  hate  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שְׂנָא  
Sense: (P’al) to hate.
וּפִשְׁרֵ֥הּ  and  its  interpretation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּשַׁר  
Sense: interpretation (of dream).
[לעריך]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(לְעָרָֽךְ)  concern  your  enemies 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָר  
Sense: enemy, adversary, foe.