Daniel 4:24 kjv
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
Daniel 4:24 nkjv
this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
Daniel 4:24 niv
"This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
Daniel 4:24 esv
this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,
Daniel 4:24 nlt
"'This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king.
Daniel 4 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 4:17 | The decree is by the word of watchers, and the decision by the saying of holy ones | Sovereignty and Divine Decrees |
| Psa 115:3 | But our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases. | God's Absolute Sovereignty |
| Psa 135:6 | Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all depths. | God's All-Encompassing Power |
| Job 2:10 | ...Shall we receive good from God, and not also evil?" In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. | Divine Prerogative over Good and Evil |
| Rom 9:20-21 | ...Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? | God as the Ultimate Sovereign Potter |
| Pro 16:33 | The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. | God's Providence in Apparent Chance |
| Jer 27:5 | It is I who by my great power and by my outstretched arm have made the earth, with its people and its animals that are on the surface of the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. | God's Granting of Kingdoms |
| John 19:11 | Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. | Earthly Authority Derived from God |
| Acts 17:24-25 | The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hand, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all man life and breath and all things. | God as the Source of All |
| 1 Tim 6:15 | ... which He will display at the appointed time— He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, | God's Ultimate Rule and Authority |
| Rev 17:14 | They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his faithful followers— | Christ's Ultimate Lordship |
| Neh 9:6 | You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. | God's Creation and Sustaining Power |
| Isa 46:10 | ... declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ | God's Predetermined Plan |
| 1 Chr 29:11 | Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head over all. | God's Dominion over All |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; | God's Power to Change Rule |
| Pro 21:1 | The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. | God's Influence on Human Leaders |
| Dan 5:18-19 | You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given dominion, power, and might and glory. And wherever people dwell, or animals of the field, or birds of the heavens, has he given into your hand, and he has made you ruler over them all. | God Giving Rule to Kings |
| Matt 1:23 | Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," which means God with us. | Divine Presence and Purpose |
| John 10:28 | I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. | Divine Security of Believers |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. | Humility and Divine Exaltation |
| Rev 1:8 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." | God's Eternal Authority |
Daniel 4 verses
Daniel 4 24 Meaning
This verse declares that the decree is from the watchers and the decision is by the word of the holy ones, indicating a divine and authoritative pronouncement originating from heavenly beings, ultimately submitted to the will of God. The purpose is to inform all that the Most High is sovereign and bestows kingdoms upon whomever He wills, demonstrating His absolute control over earthly dominion.
Daniel 4 24 Context
In Daniel chapter 4, King Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream and its interpretation by Daniel, leading to a period of pride and subsequent divine judgment. Nebuchadnezzar experienced a vision of a mighty tree being cut down, which Daniel interpreted as a pronouncement of divine judgment against the king due to his arrogance and self-exaltation. Verse 24 summarizes this interpretation, explaining the heavenly origin of the decree for Nebuchadnezzar's humbling and loss of his kingdom, underscoring God's ultimate authority over all earthly powers. This context reveals God's intervention in human affairs to demonstrate His sovereignty and to correct pride, even in the mightiest rulers.
Daniel 4 24 Word Analysis
'yəḏe·ṯā (וְיֵדַ֔ע) - "that you may know" (Aramaic). This highlights the educational purpose of Nebuchadnezzar's experience. The humbling is not merely punitive but didactic.
·ḏên (דִּ֥) - "this" (Aramaic). Refers directly to the decree just stated and the subsequent judgment.
’ă·rū (אֲמַ֥) - "decision" or "decree" (Aramaic). From the root 'mr (to say), implying something spoken into effect.
·ma·rê (מַרֵּ֥) - "saying" or "word" (Aramaic). The formal declaration.
·ḥă·sî·ḏîn (חֲסִידִ֖) - "holy ones" (Aramaic). This term can refer to angels or celestial beings, serving as agents of God's judgment and will in the heavenly court. It points to divine council overseeing earthly matters.
·ma·ṯu·qən (מַתּוּקְנָֽ) - "decision" or "pronouncement" (Aramaic). The resolved outcome, echoing "decision."
·yə·qā·rə·ḇō·wn (יְקַרְּב֗וּ) - "approach" or "hasten" (Aramaic). Suggests the decree is made, ratified, and being put into effect swiftly from the heavenly perspective.
·li·ḏ·ʿə·ṯā (לִדְעָתָ֖) - "to know" (Aramaic). Reinforces the learning aspect.
·’əl·māl·qā (עַלְמָּקָ֑) - "the living" or "those who live" (Aramaic). This is a crucial and potentially debated term. Some scholars see it as connected to alam (to hide), implying a hidden decree or secret knowledge, possibly from the watchers. Others interpret it as a genitive case for "the Most High" (compare 'Elyon). The latter view, implying the knowledge of the Most High's sovereignty, fits the broader theological context better.
·la·’a·lā ·’î (לְעָלָּי עֵי) - "the Most High" (Aramaic). A divine title emphasizing God's supreme status.
·qə·māl (קְמַ֣ל) - "Kingdoms" or "rule" (Aramaic).
·dyî·ḇā (דִּ֥) - "of" or "which" (Aramaic).
·la·hēw (לְהֶ֖) - "to him" or "upon whom" (Aramaic).
·ḇa·b·wʾê (בָּאֶ֥) - "wills" or "pleases" (Aramaic).
·ne·paḥ (נְפַ֖) - "bestow" or "gives" (Aramaic). The act of transferring dominion.
Group Analysis: "that you may know, O king, this is the decree of the Most High, which is brought upon my lord the king" emphasizes the heavenly origin and unavoidable nature of Nebuchadnezzar's downfall, revealing it as God's ordered action. The subsequent clause, "that they who live may know that the Most High is the ruler of the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will," broadens the lesson to all humanity, declaring God's supreme authority over all political powers and His prerogative to dispense them as He chooses. This forms a powerful theological statement within the narrative.
Daniel 4 24 Bonus Section
The phrase "the Most High" (El 'Elyon) is significant. It is the name Melchizedek used when blessing Abraham (Gen 14:18-20), highlighting God's preeminence and possession of heaven and earth. This recurrence in Daniel reinforces Nebuchadnezzar's forced recognition of this ultimate divine authority, transcending even Babylonian or any other earthly power. The "watchers" (Hebrew: ‘ir), from Daniel 4:13, 17, likely refers to angels. Their role in pronouncing judgment is seen in other prophetic passages and Jewish thought as celestial beings involved in the administration of God's justice. The choice of Aramaic for the book of Daniel, especially these pronouncements, gives them an international and universal scope, as Aramaic was a common language of diplomacy and commerce in that era. This signifies that God's word and sovereignty extend beyond the Hebrew nation.
Daniel 4 24 Commentary
The verse articulates a dual source of the decree: the "watchers" and the "holy ones," and then definitively links it to "the Most High." This structure highlights how heavenly beings, possibly angels, act as messengers or enforcers of God's ultimate will. The inclusion of "so that the living may know" signifies that this event is a public testament to God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly rulers and kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar's experience, though personal, serves as a universal lesson about who truly holds ultimate power—not human kings, but God, who bestows kingdoms according to His purposes. The verse is a clear statement of divine predestination and election in the context of earthly rule.