The Meaning of Daniel 4:33 Explained

Daniel 4:33

KJV: The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

YLT: 'In that hour the thing hath been fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, and from men he is driven, and the herb as oxen he eateth, and by the dew of the heavens his body is wet, till that his hair as eagles' hath become great, and his nails as birds.'

Darby: The same hour was the word fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen; and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

ASV: The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles feathers , and his nails like birds claws .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The same hour  was the thing  fulfilled  upon  Nebuchadnezzar:  and he was driven  from  men,  and did eat  grass  as oxen,  and his body  was wet  with the dew  of heaven,  till  his hairs  were grown  like eagles'  [feathers], and his nails  like birds'  [claws]. 

What does Daniel 4:33 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 4:33 mean?

In hour the word the was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar and from men he was driven and grass like oxen ate and with dew of heaven the his body was wet until till his hair like eagles' [feathers] had grown and his nails like birds' [claws]
בַּהּ־ שַׁעֲתָ֗א מִלְּתָא֮ סָ֣פַת עַל־ נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒ וּמִן־ אֲנָשָׁ֣א טְרִ֔יד וְעִשְׂבָּ֤א כְתוֹרִין֙ יֵאכֻ֔ל וּמִטַּ֥ל שְׁמַיָּ֖א גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּ יִצְטַבַּ֑ע עַ֣ד דִּ֥י שַׂעְרֵ֛הּ כְּנִשְׁרִ֥ין רְבָ֖ה וְטִפְר֥וֹהִי כְצִפְּרִֽין

שַׁעֲתָ֗א  hour  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: שָׁעָה  
Sense: brief time, moment.
מִלְּתָא֮  word  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מִלָּה  
Sense: word, thing.
סָ֣פַת  was  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: to be fulfilled, be completed, come to an end.
עַל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר  
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
וּמִן־  and  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
אֲנָשָׁ֣א  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
טְרִ֔יד  he  was  driven 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טְרַד  
Sense: (P’al) to drive away, drive from, chase away.
וְעִשְׂבָּ֤א  and  grass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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).
יֵאכֻ֔ל  ate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour.
וּמִטַּ֥ל  and  with  dew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: טַל  
Sense: dew.
שְׁמַיָּ֖א  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גְּשֵׁם  
Sense: body.
יִצְטַבַּ֑ע  was  wet 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבַע  
Sense: to dip, wet (something).
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: even to, until, up to, during conj.
דִּ֥י  till 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
שַׂעְרֵ֛הּ  his  hair 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׂעַר  
Sense: hair (of head).
כְּנִשְׁרִ֥ין  like  eagles'  [feathers] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נְשַׁר  
Sense: eagle, vulture, griffon-vulture.
רְבָ֖ה  had  grown 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רְבָה  
Sense: to grow great.
וְטִפְר֥וֹהִי  and  his  nails 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: טְפַר  
Sense: fingernail, nail, claw.
כְצִפְּרִֽין  like  birds'  [claws] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine plural
Root: צִפַּר  
Sense: bird.