The Meaning of Daniel 4:20 Explained

Daniel 4:20

KJV: The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

YLT: The tree that thou hast seen, that hath become great and strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to all the land,

Darby: The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heavens, and the sight of it to all the earth;

ASV: The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The tree  that thou sawest,  which grew,  and was strong,  whose height  reached  unto the heaven,  and the sight  thereof to all  the earth; 

What does Daniel 4:20 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 4:20 mean?

Tree the that you saw which grew and became strong and whose height reached to heavens the and which [could be seen] by all earth the
אִֽילָנָא֙ דִּ֣י חֲזַ֔יְתָ דִּ֥י רְבָ֖ה וּתְקִ֑ף וְרוּמֵהּ֙ יִמְטֵ֣א לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ לְכָל־ אַרְעָֽא

אִֽילָנָא֙  Tree  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אִילָן  
Sense: tree.
דִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
חֲזַ֔יְתָ  you  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חֲזָה  
Sense: to see, behold.
רְבָ֖ה  grew 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רְבָה  
Sense: to grow great.
וּתְקִ֑ף  and  became  strong 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תְּקִף  
Sense: to grow strong, be hardened.
וְרוּמֵהּ֙  and  whose  height 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּם  
Sense: height.
יִמְטֵ֣א  reached 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מְטָא  
Sense: to reach, come upon, attain.
לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א  to  heavens  the 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ  and  which  [could  be  seen] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲזׄות  
Sense: view, sight, visibility.
לְכָל־  by  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
אַרְעָֽא  earth  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֲרַע  
Sense: earth, world, ground.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 4:20?

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