The Meaning of Daniel 4:37 Explained

Daniel 4:37

KJV: Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

YLT: Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works are truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'

Darby: Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and his paths judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

ASV: Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now  I  Nebuchadnezzar  praise  and extol  and honour  the King  of heaven,  all  whose works  [are] truth,  and his ways  judgment:  and those that walk  in pride  he is able  to abase. 

What does Daniel 4:37 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 4:37 mean?

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven whose all of works [are] truth and His ways justice and those who walk in pride He is able to put down -
כְּעַ֞ן אֲנָ֣ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר מְשַׁבַּ֨ח וּמְרוֹמֵ֤ם וּמְהַדַּר֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ שְׁמַיָּ֔א דִּ֤י כָל־ מַעֲבָד֙וֹהִי֙ קְשֹׁ֔ט וְאֹרְחָתֵ֖הּ דִּ֑ין וְדִי֙ מַהְלְכִ֣ין בְּגֵוָ֔ה יָכִ֖ל לְהַשְׁפָּלָֽה פ

כְּעַ֞ן  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כְּעַן  
Sense: now, at this time, until now.
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר  
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מְשַׁבַּ֨ח  praise 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבַח  
Sense: (Pael) to laud, praise, adulate, adore.
וּמְרוֹמֵ֤ם  and  extol 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רוּם  
Sense: to rise.
וּמְהַדַּר֙  and  honor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הֲדַר  
Sense: (Pael) to glorify (God).
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ  the  King 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
שְׁמַיָּ֔א  of  heaven 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
דִּ֤י  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
מַעֲבָד֙וֹהִי֙  of  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲבָד  
Sense: work.
קְשֹׁ֔ט  [are]  truth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קְשֹׁט  
Sense: truth.
וְאֹרְחָתֵ֖הּ  and  His  ways 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲרַח  
Sense: way, path, course of life.
דִּ֑ין  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דִּין  
Sense: judgment.
וְדִי֙  and  those 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
מַהְלְכִ֣ין  who  walk 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הֲלַךְ  
Sense: to walk, go.
בְּגֵוָ֔ה  in  pride 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֵּוָה 
Sense: pride.
יָכִ֖ל  He  is  able 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יְכִל  
Sense: to be able.
לְהַשְׁפָּלָֽה  to  put  down 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שְׁפַל  
Sense: to be or bring low, humble.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation