Daniel 4:18

Daniel 4:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
• New International Version (NIV)“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Context of Daniel 4:18

16Take his human mind away from him. Instead, give him the mind of an animal for seven years. 17The holy angels who take care of the earth have decided this. It is their command. Now everyone will be sure that the powerful God above rules over human kingdoms. He gives authority to rule to anyone that he chooses. He causes humble men to rule as kings.” ’ Then I said to Belteshazzar, ‘This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, you must tell me what it means. None of the wise men in any region of my kingdom can tell me what it means. But you can tell me, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’ 19Daniel, whose other name was Belteshazzar, was upset for a short time. His thoughts caused him a lot of trouble. The king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or what it means cause you trouble.’ Then Belteshazzar answered the king. ‘Sir, I would like the dream to be about your enemies and not about you. 20You saw a tree that grew very tall and strong until its top touched the sky. Everyone in the world could see it.

Daniel 4:18 word by word

דְּנָה֙ חֶלְמָ֣א חֲזֵ֔ית אֲנָ֖ה מַלְכָּ֣א נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֑ר וְאַ֨נְתְּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֜ר פִּשְׁרֵ֣א׀ אֱמַ֗ר כָּל־קֳבֵל֙ דִּ֣י׀ כָּל־חַכִּימֵ֣י מַלְכוּתִ֗י לָֽא־יָכְלִ֤ין פִּשְׁרָא֙ לְהוֹדָ֣עֻתַ֔נִי וְאַ֣נְתְּ כָּהֵ֔ל דִּ֛י רֽוּחַ־אֱלָהִ֥ין קַדִּישִׁ֖ין בָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisדְּנָהdên · thisH1836
• dreamחֵ֫לֶםchêlem · dreamH2493
• Iאֲנָה'ănâ' 'ănâh · IH576
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• Nebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּרnebûkkadnetstsar · NebuchadnezzarH5020
• have seenחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
• Now thouאַנְתָּה'antâh · youH607
• O Belteshazzarבֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּרbêlţesha'tstsar · BelteshazzarH1096
• declareאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
• the interpretationפְּשַׁרpeshar · interpretationH6591
• thereof, forasmuch asקֳבֵלqebêl qŏbêl · before: becauseH6903
• allכֹּלkôl · allH3606
• the wiseחַכִּיםchakkîym · wiseH2445
• of my kingdomמַלְכוּmalkû · kingdomH4437
• are notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
• ableיְכִלyekêl yekîyl · be ableH3202
• to make knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• ableכְּהַלkehal · be ableH3546
• for the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7308
• of the holyקַדִּישׁqaddîysh · holyH6922
• godsאֱלָהּ'ĕlâhh · godH426

Cross-references for Daniel 4:18

• Daniel 4:17The holy angels who take care of the earth have decided this. It is their command. Now everyone will be sure that the powerful God above rules over human kingdoms. He gives authority to rule to anyone that he chooses. He causes humble men to rule as kings.” ’
• Daniel 2:7They answered the king again, ‘We are your servants, so please tell us your dream. Then we will tell you what it means.’
• Daniel 5:8Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the words. They could not tell the king what the words meant.
• Genesis 41:8In the morning, Pharaoh had trouble in his mind. So he told all the magicians and the wise men in Egypt to come to him. Pharaoh told them about his dreams. But no one could tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant.
• Isaiah 19:3The Egyptians will become afraid, so that they do not know what to do. They will ask for help from their idols. They will ask the spirits of dead people to tell them what to do. They will ask magicians to talk to those spirits on their behalf.
• Isaiah 47:12So continue with your magic, if you want to. Say your magic words. You have always used that magic, since you were young. Perhaps your magic will help you. Perhaps you will frighten your enemies!
• Daniel 4:8Last of all, Daniel came to me and I told him the dream. I call him Belteshazzar, like my god's name. The spirit of the holy gods is in this man, Daniel.
• Daniel 2:26The king spoke to Daniel, whose other name was Belteshazzar. He asked Daniel, ‘Can you tell me my dream? And can you tell me what it means?’
• 1 Kings 14:2So Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Change what you look like so that people will not recognize you as my wife. Then go to Shiloh. The prophet Ahijah lives there. He told me that I would rule the nation of Israel.
• Amos 3:7Before the Lord God decides to send trouble, he first tells his prophets about it.

Commentaries on Daniel 4:18

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen - This is the dream which I saw. He had detailed it at length as it appeared to him, without pretending to be able to explain it. Forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom … - Daniel 4:7. But thou art able … - See the notes at Daniel 4:9.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-37King Nebuchadnezzar was full of pride and believed he had built Babylon by himself (Daniel 4:30; see Genesis 11:1–9). He ignored the warning from the Most High God (Daniel 4:24–27). He had not learned the lesson that God was teaching him, that the God of Daniel exists beyond time and space, and no human is his equal. So, God's judgment came upon Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:17, 25–26; see Proverbs 16:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-37Punished with insanity for his haughtiness, he sinks to the level of the beasts (illustrating Psa 49:6, 12). The opposition between bestial and human life, set forth here, is a key to interpret the symbolism in the seventh chapter concerning the beasts and the Son of man. After his conquests, and his building in fifteen days a new palace, according to the heathen historian, Abydenus (268 B.C.), whose account confirms Daniel, he ascended upon his palace…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 4:18

• Babylon
• Converts
• Heathen
• Testimony
• Wicked (People)
• Wise Men

In the dictionaries

• Nebuchadnezzar
• Nebuchadnezzar; Nebuchadrezzar
• Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuchadrezzar
• Wise men
• Abase
• Alter
• Break
• Dominion
• Dream
• Dwelling

Commentaries on Daniel 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings