Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsDaniel 4

English College of Douai–Rheims

Daniel 4:13

Let his heart be changed.

In what manner King Nabuchodonosor was changed is hard to explicate. ^◦ But omitting other opinions, the most probable & common is, that he was not deprived of his reasonable soul, nor the form & parts of his body substantially changed from the nature of a man: but he was distracted losing the use of reason, & in his own melancholy imagination & phantasy, thought that he was a beast. And therefore easily refused the conversation of men, & comforted himself with beasts, went naked; his hair growing very much, & covering all his body, his nails likewise extreme long; he went on his hands together with his feet, like fourfooted beasts; did eat grass as an oxe, putting his mouth to the ground to shear and swallow it, the space of seven years. Then God restoring to him the use of reason, and inspiring him with grace, he lifted up his eyes to heaven (v. 32.) & in perfect sense blessed God, the Highest, and praised him; was again received, yea sought for by his nobles and magistrates: so was restored to his Kingdom, and had more magnificence than before.

◦ Nabuchodonosor was not changed in substance; but became mad, and lived seven years like a beast.

Daniel 4:34

Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise, magnify, and glorify God

Albeit holy Scripture doth not report, when and how King Nabuchodonosor died, ^[1] yet by this last thing written of him, it is very like he lived not long after his great chastisement: for if he had, it is probable that Daniel would have written more of him, and that he being so fully converted to God, would have delivered Ioachin King of Juda, out of prison (which his next successor Evilmerodach did. 4 Reg. 25. v. 27.) and all the Jews from captivity, if God had longer spared him life, he being now well affected towards them. ^[2] And that he died in state of salvation, may with great reason be supposed, seeing his repentance and conversion to God is so fully expressed in holy Scripture, and no mention that he fell again. Which is also the judgement of most learned writers. Namely of Josephus, li. 10. Antiq. Dorotheus in Synopsi. S. Epiphanius, in vita Danielis. S. Jerom. epist. 7. ad Letam, S. Augustin epist. 122. ad Victoriam & li. de predest. & gratia c. 15. Where he compareth Pharao with Nabuchodonosor, and their diverse ends, by God's grace, moving the one to penance for his iniquity, the other willfully fighting against God's merciful verity, as we have noted. Exo. 7.

1 It is probable that he died shortly after his restoration.
2 And most like that he is eternally saved.

Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0