Daniel 4 14

Daniel 4:14 kjv

He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

Daniel 4:14 nkjv

He cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.

Daniel 4:14 niv

He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

Daniel 4:14 esv

He proclaimed aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

Daniel 4:14 nlt

The messenger shouted,
"Cut down the tree and lop off its branches!
Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit!
Chase the wild animals from its shade
and the birds from its branches.

Daniel 4 verses

Daniel 4 14 meaning

This verse proclaims a solemn, divine command for the complete and utter demolition of a majestic tree, which in context represents King Nebuchadnezzar's pride, power, and vast kingdom. It signifies a profound judgment and the dismantling of his authority, influence, and the protection he offered, foreshadowing his dramatic downfall. The detailed destruction — cutting, lopping, stripping, scattering — emphasizes the thoroughness of the impending divine judgment.

Daniel 4 14 Context

Daniel 4:14 is part of Nebuchadnezzar's second dream recorded in Daniel chapter 4, recounted by the king himself. This dream occurs after his previous encounter with Daniel (chapter 2) and his defiant display with the golden idol (chapter 3). The dream's central image is an enormous, magnificent tree reaching to heaven, providing food and shelter for all living things. The verse describes an angelic command to completely destroy this tree, signifying a devastating judgment. This impending destruction is directly against Nebuchadnezzar, intended to humble his pride and teach him that the Most High God rules over all earthly kingdoms. The dream foreshadows Nebuchadnezzar's period of madness where he would be removed from his throne and live like a beast for a specified time.

Daniel 4 14 Word analysis

• He cried aloud (Aramaic: קְרָא, qeraʾ): This implies a loud, public, and authoritative proclamation, not a whisper. It conveys the gravity and undeniable nature of the divine decree, emanating from the "watcher, a holy one" in the dream, signifying a message from a heavenly messenger of high authority.
• and said thus: Introduces a direct quotation, emphasizing that the following words are the exact divine pronouncement, unedited and unequivocal.
• ‘Chop down the tree (Aramaic: גֹּבּוּ אִילָנָא, gobbu ilanâ):
  • gobbu (chop down): A forceful imperative, signifying an act of decisive and violent felling. It represents the complete termination of the tree's existence and thus the end of Nebuchadnezzar's functioning as a reigning king.
  • ilanâ (the tree): In this prophetic dream, the tree is unequivocally identified with King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:20-22). Its immense size and fruitfulness symbolize his vast power, glory, kingdom's reach, and the many peoples and nations sustained or sheltered by his empire.
• and lop off its branches, (Aramaic: וְהַנְזִקוּ עַנְפּוֹהִי, v'hanziqû anpôhî):
  • hanziqû (lop off/damage): Means to injure, harm, or destroy, indicating a violent severing.
  • anpôhî (its branches): Representing the king's extended power, influence, and the structures of his administration. Lopping them off signifies a dismantling of his network of authority and reach.
• strip off its leaves (Aramaic: וַחְדֹּשׁוּ טַרְפֵּהּ, vachdošû tarpeh):
  • vachdošû (strip off/tear off): Conveys removal of a covering, rendering the tree vulnerable and unsightly.
  • tarpeh (its leaves): Symbolizing the outward beauty, vitality, and even the protection or provision (like shade) offered by the tree. Stripping them denotes the loss of honor, splendor, and essential life-giving capacity.
• and scatter its fruit. (Aramaic: וּבַדַּרוּ אִיבְּהּ, uvaddarû îbbeh):
  • uvaddarû (scatter): To disperse, spread abroad. This signifies a lack of order and an inability to retain or benefit from what the tree produced.
  • îbbeh (its fruit): Represents the tangible benefits, resources, wealth, or achievements of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Scattering it indicates that these will no longer be collected or enjoyed under his former authority, signifying the dissolution of his provision.
• Let the beasts flee from under it (Aramaic: לִנְדּוֹד חֵיוְתָא מִן־תַּחְתַּיהּ, lindôd cheyv'tâ min-tachtayyah):
  • lindôd (flee/wander away): An urgent, spontaneous departure.
  • cheyv'tâ (beasts): Representing the nations and peoples who found shelter, sustenance, or benefit under Nebuchadnezzar's vast empire (Dan 4:21). Their flight symbolizes the king's abandonment and loss of support.
• and the birds from its branches.’ (Aramaic: וְצִפְּרֵי שְׁמַיָּא מֵעַנְפָוֹהִי, v'tzifrei shemayyâ meiʿanfâvohi):
  • tzifrei shemayyâ (birds of the sky/air): A parallel to the "beasts," emphasizing that all who previously sought refuge or gained advantage from the king's power and domain will abandon him.

Words-group analysis:

• “Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.”: This sequence details the comprehensive destruction, moving from the mighty trunk to its outermost elements. It portrays a complete dismantling of Nebuchadnezzar's power, glory, and ability to provide for or rule. It's a decree of total humiliation.
• “Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.”: These two parallel clauses emphasize the direct consequence of the tree's destruction – abandonment. The immediate departure of those who depended on the tree highlights Nebuchadnezzar's impending isolation and loss of all his loyal subjects and beneficiaries, leaving him utterly desolate.

Daniel 4 14 Bonus section

• The identity of the "watcher" (ʿîr) and "holy one" (qaddîsh) in the preceding verse (Dan 4:13) indicates a heavenly being or group of beings executing God's sovereign decrees. This elevates the authority and certainty of the judgment.
• While the tree is chopped down, the subsequent verse (Dan 4:15) importantly states that the stump and roots are to be left in the earth. This subtle but crucial detail in the dream foreshadows not absolute destruction, but a temporary removal of Nebuchadnezzar's power with the promise of eventual restoration once he acknowledges God's supremacy. Verse 14 focuses entirely on the destructive aspect to emphasize the king's fall from power.
• The phrase "flee from under it" finds a darkly ironic fulfillment in Nebuchadnezzar himself, as he is later driven from men and eats grass like an ox (Dan 4:33), essentially becoming one of the "beasts" fleeing a once glorious structure, only now it is his own identity.
• The use of tree imagery to represent mighty rulers and nations is common in ancient Near Eastern literature and the Bible (e.g., Pharaoh as a cedar in Ezek 31). This made the symbolism immediately understandable and impactful for Nebuchadnezzar and the original audience.

Daniel 4 14 Commentary

Daniel 4:14 is a forceful, symbolic declaration of divine judgment against a human king swollen with pride. The imagery of cutting down a magnificent tree, systematically stripping away its grandeur and provisions, vividly portrays the sudden and devastating downfall awaiting Nebuchadnezzar. It signifies the absolute removal of his earthly authority, his loss of all external glory, and the dispersal of his kingdom's wealth and benefits. The flight of the "beasts and birds" is a stark portrayal of the resulting isolation, showing that all who once depended on him will abandon his broken domain. The core message is clear: human power, no matter how immense, is entirely subject to the sovereignty of God, who alone establishes and removes rulers according to His will. This judgment serves as a profound lesson on humility and the ultimate futility of self-exaltation. This prophetic judgment finds its fulfillment in Nebuchadnezzar's temporary madness, reducing him to living like a beast, thus enacting the dream's decree to the fullest extent of his humiliation before divine restoration.