Daniel 4 27

Daniel 4:27 kjv

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

Daniel 4:27 nkjv

Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."

Daniel 4:27 niv

Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."

Daniel 4:27 esv

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."

Daniel 4:27 nlt

"'King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.'

Daniel 4 verses

Daniel 4 27 Meaning

This verse declares Nebuchadnezzar's transformation, being driven from men and eating grass like oxen. It highlights a divine judgment against his pride, a humbling of his exalted state as ordained by the Most High. The experience serves as a direct consequence for his defiance and self-aggrandizement, demonstrating God's ultimate sovereignty over earthly kingdoms and individuals.

Daniel 4 27 Context

Chapter 4 of Daniel recounts Nebuchadnezzar's second dream and its interpretation by Daniel. This chapter details a period of madness and degradation imposed upon the Babylonian king as a divine judgment for his overwhelming pride. Nebuchadnezzar had achieved great power and wealth, and his self-aggrandizement led him to believe his dominion was entirely self-made, disregarding the Most High. The dream and its subsequent fulfillment serve as a stern warning to all rulers about the perils of arrogance and the absolute sovereignty of God. The immediate historical context is Nebuchadnezzar's reign over the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The prophecy was revealed to Daniel and conveyed to the king.

Daniel 4 27 Word Analysis

• Nebuchadnezzar (נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר - Nebūkadneṭṭsar): A prominent king of the Babylonian Empire.
• was driven (נְגִּיד - negiyd): In some contexts, means "driven out" or "thrust out."
• from men (מִן - min 'enas): From human society, separation from humanity.
• dwell (יְתִב - yetiv): To inhabit or reside.
• with the beasts (בַּהֵמוֹת - behemoh): Untamed or wild animals, signifying a regression to an animalistic state.
• grass (עֵשֶׂב - esev): Vegetation, forage for animals.
• oxen (בָּקָר - baqar): Domestic cattle, implying eating their food.
• heavens (שָׁמַיִן - shamayyin): The sky, referring to his gaze or orientation.
• dew (טַל - tal): Moisture that settles on surfaces overnight.
• were upon him (עָל - al): To be upon, resting on him.
• until (עַד - ad): Indicating the duration of the affliction.
• he grew (יְצַד - yetsad): To grow.
• long (אֹרֶךְ - orec): Extended in time or length.
• as eagles' feathers (בַּר - bar, and בָּר - bar): Often translated as "feathers" or "wings" in other contexts, or sometimes "corn" or "grain," but here signifies the texture/growth reminiscent of bird feathers.
• nails (צִפָּרְנַיִן - tsiphornayyin): Fingernails or claws.

• driven from men and dwell with beasts: This phrase depicts a profound loss of civilization and status, a descent into a sub-human existence, emphasizing a stripping away of human dignity and connection as a consequence of spiritual pride.
• eating grass like oxen: A visceral image of utter debasement, where the king, formerly accustomed to luxury, is forced to consume the lowest form of sustenance, mirroring the diet of beasts and signifying complete dependence and humility.
• his hair and nails grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws: This description highlights a physical transformation reflecting his wild state, suggesting a bestial appearance and an untamed, unkempt condition, all indicative of God's power to alter even human physiology as a manifestation of judgment.

Daniel 4 27 Bonus Section

The imagery of growing "like eagles' feathers" and nails "like birds' claws" is symbolic. Eagles represent freedom, majesty, and the sky, and while Nebuchadnezzar saw himself soaring in pride, his degradation is to a level of wild, uncontrollable nature. Birds' claws are associated with ferocity and tearing. This imagery, as vividly portrayed in visual depictions from ancient near eastern art of wild or degraded human-like figures, serves as a potent metaphor for his complete alienation from God and man, a descent into the primal. His focus shifts from earthly dominion to the celestial in a broken way ("look towards the heavens"), a distorted spiritual state where his physical condition mirrors his humbled, yet still pride-tainted, perception.

Daniel 4 27 Commentary

This verse marks the zenith of Nebuchadnezzar's divinely mandated affliction for his unbridled pride. The "drying" of his human aspect, his exclusion from human society, and his degradation to an animalistic level of existence, eating grass and developing wild-like physical characteristics, serve as a powerful, tangible consequence of his arrogance. The focus is on Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation and the external manifestation of his internal spiritual sickness—his usurpation of God's place in his own estimation. The "eating grass like oxen" and the unnatural growth of hair and nails underscore a profound regression, stripping away the king's identity and replacing it with that of a wild creature. This enforced humility is designed to break his haughty spirit and demonstrate that even kings are subject to the Most High.