Daniel 4:37 kjv
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Daniel 4:37 nkjv
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
Daniel 4:37 niv
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Daniel 4:37 esv
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Daniel 4:37 nlt
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud."
Daniel 4 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 4:17 | "The judgment is by the decree of watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whom he will, and sets it over it the most abject of men." | Daniel 4:17 (Similar declaration of God's rule) |
| Daniel 2:21 | "And he changes the times and the seasons; he removes and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." | Daniel 2:21 (God's absolute control over kings) |
| Psalm 75:6-7 | "For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the judge! He puts down one, and sets up another." | Psalm 75:6-7 (God's sovereignty in exalting and abasing) |
| Proverbs 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Proverbs 16:18 (Consequences of pride) |
| Romans 9:20-21 | "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Or will the potter not have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?" | Romans 9:20-21 (God's authority over creation) |
| 1 Samuel 2:6 | "The Lord kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and brings up." | 1 Samuel 2:6 (God's power over life and death) |
| Isaiah 14:12 | "How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!" | Isaiah 14:12 (Example of pride leading to fall) |
| Job 40:11-14 | "Behold, even in his strength he is brought low; and his haughtiness will be abased." | Job 40:11-14 (God's power to humble the proud) |
| Acts 12:21-23 | "On a set day, Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and began to address them. By the people shouted, 'The voice of a god, and not of man!' Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and breathed his last." | Acts 12:21-23 (Example of judgment for receiving undue glory) |
| Revelation 19:11 | "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." | Revelation 19:11 (Christ as righteous judge) |
| Matthew 23:12 | "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." | Matthew 23:12 (Jesus' teaching on humility and exaltation) |
| Psalm 139:2 | "You know when I sit and when I rise; you discern my thoughts from afar." | Psalm 139:2 (God's comprehensive knowledge) |
| 1 Peter 5:5-6 | "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" | 1 Peter 5:5-6 (Call to humility, God opposes the proud) |
| Galatians 6:3 | "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." | Galatians 6:3 (Warning against self-deception due to pride) |
| John 3:31 | "He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in the earth. But he who comes from heaven is above all." | John 3:31 (Christ's superiority and heavenly origin) |
| Ephesians 4:2 | "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love," | Ephesians 4:2 (Fruits of the Spirit including humility) |
| Psalm 2:4 | "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." | Psalm 2:4 (God's control and mockery of earthly rulers) |
| Jeremiah 18:6 | "'Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done?' declares the LORD. 'Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'" | Jeremiah 18:6 (Metaphor of God as potter) |
| Psalm 8:3-4 | "When I look at your heavens, the work of your hands, what is man, that you are mindful of him, and the son of man, that you care for him?" | Psalm 8:3-4 (Awe at God's creation and human insignificance) |
| Luke 18:14 | "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." | Luke 18:14 (Parable reinforcing humility's reward) |
| Job 9:4 | "Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?" | Job 9:4 (Questioning resistance to God) |
Daniel 4 verses
Daniel 4 37 Meaning
This verse declares that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, acknowledges God's supreme sovereignty and power. He confesses that God's works are just and true, and that He has the authority to humble those who walk in pride.
Daniel 4 37 Context
Chapter 4 of Daniel details Nebuchadnezzar's second vision and its fulfillment. After experiencing divine madness as a consequence of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar is restored to his sanity and throne. This verse is his public confession and proclamation, occurring after his return to reason. He has been humbled and forced to live like an animal for a period, demonstrating God's power to strip away earthly status and power. His proclamation highlights his learned lesson about divine authority and the dangers of human arrogance.
Daniel 4 37 Word Analysis
- now : "At this time," indicating the present moment of his recovery and restored sanity.
- I : Nebuchadnezzar, speaking in the first person.
- Nebuchadnezzar : The powerful king of Babylon, a gentile ruler who, by divine intervention, witnesses and acknowledges God's power.
- praise : To express admiration, adoration, and approval. This reflects a shift from his previous self-aggrandizement to acknowledging a higher power.
- exalt : To raise to a higher rank or position; to glorify or praise highly. This is precisely what Nebuchadnezzar previously refused to do for God.
- and : Conjunction linking the two clauses.
- bless : To confer divine favor or to speak words of worship and praise to God.
- the : Definite article.
- Most High : A title for God (Elyon), emphasizing His supreme, ultimate authority and sovereignty above all earthly powers and beings.
- liveth : Refers to the eternal, enduring existence of God.
- for : Because, indicating the reason for his praise.
- ever : Eternally, for all time.
- for : Indicates duration.
- his : Possessive pronoun referring to God.
- dominion : Supreme authority or rule; sovereignty. This refers to God's absolute reign.
- is : Present tense verb.
- an : Indefinite article.
- everlasting : Without end or beginning; eternal. God's dominion is perpetual.
- dominion : Rule or authority.
- and : Conjunction.
- his : Possessive pronoun referring to God.
- kingdom : Realm of rule; empire. This points to God's heavenly kingdom, and His rule over earthly kingdoms.
- is : Present tense verb.
- from : Indicates origin.
- generation : A period of time, typically about thirty years; also can refer to lineage or posterity. Here it signifies eternity in both past and future.
- to : Indicating direction or endpoint.
- generation : Again, signifying the unending nature of God's rule.
Phrase/Group Analysis:
- "praise and exalt and bless the Most High" - This triad signifies complete and utter adoration and acknowledgment of God's supreme status. It moves beyond mere verbal praise to active exalting and the conferral of divine honor.
- "The Most High liveth for ever" - This phrase emphasizes God's eternal existence, which is the bedrock of His unchangeable dominion. It contrasts sharply with Nebuchadnezzar's previous fleeting human pride and power.
- "his dominion is an everlasting dominion" - This asserts the unending nature of God's rule, underscoring that earthly empires and rulers are temporary in comparison to His eternal reign.
- "and his kingdom is from generation to generation" - This speaks of the continuity and perpetuity of God's rule, passing through all epochs and times, establishing His ultimate authority.
Daniel 4 37 Bonus Section
This verse is a pivotal moment where a powerful pagan king publicly professes faith in the God of Israel. This fulfills Daniel's prophetic ministry to Gentiles. The king’s recognition of God’s dominion as "from generation to generation" aligns with theological concepts of God’s covenantal faithfulness and the eternal nature of His promises and kingdom, a theme further developed in the New Testament concerning the everlasting reign of Jesus Christ. The Babylonian empire, a global superpower of its time, now publicly acknowledges the true superpower, influencing potentially the religious landscape of its sphere. This also serves as a preemptive theological statement against any forms of Babylonian or Mesopotamian polytheism that attributed supreme power to various earthly or celestial deities.
Daniel 4 37 Commentary
Nebuchadnezzar's profound declaration is a testament to a radical transformation. His personal ordeal, decreed by God and carried out through the "watchers" (angelic beings), has shattered his pride. He now understands that true power and dominion belong not to earthly rulers, but to the eternal Most High. His confession mirrors Old Testament prayers of thanksgiving and pronouncements of God's majesty, such as those found in Psalms. He realizes his own life and throne are contingent upon God's grace and sovereignty. This statement functions as a public decree, a royal testimony that spreads the knowledge of God's supreme rule beyond his own personal understanding to his vast empire, echoing God's intent as stated earlier in the chapter: "that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men." His words now align with divine truth: God's existence and rule are eternal, unaffected by human folly or pride, and His kingdom endures through all generations.