Nebuchadnezzar's own proclamation, told in the first person: at rest in his house and flourishing in his palace, he dreams of a tree in the midst of the earth whose height reaches to heaven — and a watcher and a holy one comes down crying, 'Hew down the tree... and let seven times pass over him.' Daniel, appalled for one hour, must say it: 'it is you, O king.' And the counsel: 'break off your sins by almsgiving... if there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.' Twelve months later, walking on the royal palace of Babylon: 'is not this great Babylon, which I have built?' While the word is in the king's mouth, the voice falls from heaven; he is driven from men, eats grass as oxen, his hair grown like eagles' feathers — until, at the end of the days, 'I lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High... those who walk in pride He is able to abase.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
verse value 2111
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "Nebuchadnezzar" (נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·my·house" (בְּבֵיתִ֔י), "and·flourishing" (וְרַעְנַ֖ן), "in·my·palace" (בְּהֵיכְלִֽי). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·was" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "Nebuchadnezzar" (root נבוכדנצר, 28x in Daniel). Full calculation: אֲנָ֣ה [I] (56) + נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר [Nebuchadnezzar] (422) + שְׁלֵ֤ה [at·rest] (335) + הֲוֵית֙ [I·was] (421) + בְּבֵיתִ֔י [in·my·house] (424) + וְרַעְנַ֖ן [and·flourishing] (376) + בְּהֵיכְלִֽי [in·my·palace] (77) = 2111.
Rashi
was tranquil in my house [as translated,] was tranquil in my house.
Ibn Ezra
I ... was at rest — like [the phrase] ‘I was at ease’.
Metzudat David
I – This is the substance of the letter’s account: he says, ‘Here I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house, and moist and flourishing in my palace’ — and because the dream he is about to relate concerns a parable of a tree, he here uses, in figurative language, expressions of praise befitting the flourishing well-being of a tree.
Metzudat Zion
And flourishing (vera'anan) - An expression of moisture and freshness, as in "full of sap and richly green (ra'ananim)" (Psalms 92).
Malbim
The Questions: (1) Why does he preface [his account] by saying that he 'was at rest in my house'? 'I Nebuchadnezzar' — he prefaces this to make known that the dream, and the whole affair that befell him — that he became like an animal and was cut off from mankind, and fell ill with melancholia (the sickness of the black bile) to the point of utter despair — did not come upon him through troubles and sorrows, which are what bring on such melancholia; for he had no troubles in his house, since 'I was at rest in my house' (I have explained elsewhere that shelah/shalvah denotes inner tranquility, which is how it differs from shalom). Nor did I have troubles from enemies round about, or wars within the province or outside it, for 'I was flourishing in my palace' — that is, in the royal palace.
Ibn Yahya
'I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house' — for I was tranquil, and had ceased making war any further, since the whole world was at rest, subject to me; that is why 'I was flourishing in my palace,' for I pursued all the pleasures of man that gladden the body and make it flourish like a cypress. For with all my strength I pursued the physical, thinking that my own power and the might of my hand had produced all this wealth for me, and I forgot the Name of Him who dwells on high, who raised up my nest. And therefore—
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and imaginings upon my bed and the visions of my head affrighted me.
verse value 2324
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "a·dream" (חֵ֥לֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·frightened·me" (וִֽידַחֲלִנַּ֑נִי, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·frightened·me" (וִֽידַחֲלִנַּ֑נִי), "and·imaginings" (וְהַרְהֹרִין֙). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·saw" (root חזה, 30x in Daniel); "a·dream" (root חלם, 24x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·frightened·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: חֵ֥לֶם [a·dream] (78) + חֲזֵ֖ית [I·saw] (425) + וִֽידַחֲלִנַּ֑נִי [and·frightened·me] (168) + וְהַרְהֹרִין֙ [and·imaginings] (476) + עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֔י [upon·my·bed] (472) + וְחֶזְוֵ֥י [and·the·visions·of] (37) + רֵאשִׁ֖י [my·head] (511) + יְבַהֲלֻנַּֽנִי [affrighted·me] (157) = 2324.
Rashi
and it frightened me It brought upon me fear and fright.
Ibn Ezra
Made me afraid — it frightened me. Imaginings — the musings of the heart/mind; it has no parallel [elsewhere in Scripture]. The visions of my head — because the eyes are in the head, or because the vision occurs in the brain.
Metzudat David
A dream – I saw a dream, and it frightened me. And imaginings – The thoughts I had while lying asleep on my bed — that is, the dream that arises from thought — and the visions of my head alarmed me; this too refers to the dream perceived in the mind, which is in the head. And the matter is repeated two or even three times, a rhetorical device to reinforce the point and heighten the effect.
Malbim
'I saw a dream' — yet nonetheless, 'I saw a dream' that cast dread and fear upon me. Afterward I had 'imaginings upon my bed,' which are frightening thoughts, and also 'the visions of my head affrighted me' — afterward, frightening visions stood before my eyes, so that it seemed to me I was seeing terrible and frightening visions.
Ibn Yahya
I saw a dream that made me afraid, and my thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me — for besides the fear he felt in his sleep during the dream itself, he remained frightened even after waking.
Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
verse value 1999
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "was·placed" (שִׂ֣ים, 3 letters) and the longest is "might·make·known·to·me" (יְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּֽנִי, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·bring·in" (לְהַנְעָלָ֣ה), "that·interpretation·of" (דִּֽי־פְשַׁ֥ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "might·make·known·to·me" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel); "all" (root כל, 41x in Daniel); "before·me" (root קדם, 38x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Babylon', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּמִנִּי֙ [and·from·me] (106) + שִׂ֣ים [was·placed] (350) + טְעֵ֔ם [a·decree] (119) + לְהַנְעָלָ֣ה [to·bring·in] (190) + קׇֽדָמַ֔י [before·me] (154) + לְכֹ֖ל [all] (80) + חַכִּימֵ֣י [wise·men·of] (88) + בָבֶ֑ל [Babylon] (34) + דִּֽי־פְשַׁ֥ר [that·interpretation·of] (594) + חֶלְמָ֖א [the·dream] (79) + יְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּֽנִי [might·make·known·to·me] (205) = 1999.
Ibn Ezra
Therefore I made a decree — he [Nebuchadnezzar] relates the whole event that had occurred; and it was written this way for the honor of Daniel, that the king wrote thus to all the provinces of his kingdom — and this was a great glory for Israel.
Metzudat David
Therefore I made a decree – From me was issued a decree, a command, to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
Malbim
The Questions: (3-6) Why does it say 'and by me a decree was made,' rather than saying that he sent to summon the magicians of Babylon, as it says in chapter 2? And why did he not order them killed now for failing to give the interpretation, seeing that this was an easier task than what he had demanded of them the first time — that they tell him what he had dreamed? And why did he call for Daniel only at the end — did he not already know of Daniel's wisdom, and should he not have called him first? 'And by me' — 'from me the decree went out, to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they should make known to me the interpretation of the dream.' Since until now the wise men of Babylon had been kept at a distance from him — for in his eyes they had, from that time on, been as good as condemned to death — he therefore issued a decree that they were permitted to come before him, and that they should be brought in. (This is why he does not say here, as he did above in chapter 2, that he sent to summon all the wise men of Babylon.)
Ibn Yahya
It was decreed by me that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me, so that they would make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
verse value 3418
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִֽי, 2 letters) and the longest is "did·not·make·known" (לָא־מְהוֹדְעִ֥ין, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "before·them" (קֳדָ֣מֵיה֔וֹן), "did·not·make·known" (לָא־מְהוֹדְעִ֥ין). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "told" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "then" (root אדין, 46x in Daniel); "did·not·make·known" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·astrologers', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Ibn Ezra
Then ... came in — they were coming in before him. He says ‘ani’ [I] rather than ‘amarti’ [I said] — this too is grammatically correct, as in [the phrases] ‘I am the man that has seen [affliction]’ and ‘and I remain, for wretched am I’ — since the pronoun stands at the head [of the clause].
Metzudat David
Then – Then the magicians, etc., came in, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known to me the interpretation.
Malbim
'Then' — then the magicians and so forth came in, 'and I told the dream before them' (not as the first time, when he wanted them to tell him the dream), and yet they were unable to make known its interpretation.
But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told the dream before him:
verse value 3797
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "came·in" (עַל֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·spirit·of·gods" (רֽוּחַ־אֱלָהִ֥ין, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "at·last" (אׇחֳרֵ֡ין), "like·name·of" (כְּשֻׁ֣ם), "I·told" (אַמְרֵֽת). The root קדם appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·who" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "I·told" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "Daniel" (root דניאל, 75x in Daniel). First appearance of the root קדיש ("holy") in Daniel. First appearance of the root בה ("in·him") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 3 words.
Rashi
Until, at last, until, at last, Daniel was brought in before me. like the name of my god The deity of Babylon was named Bel. Teshazzar is the name of an expression of wisdom in Aramaic.
Ibn Ezra
But at the last — [i.e.] ‘last, final’; and since the spirit of the holy gods is in him, he is holy.
Metzudat David
But at the last – And finally, at the last, Daniel came in before me — whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god — in whom is the spirit of the holy gods — and I told the dream before him.
Malbim
'But at the last' — at the end, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, 'and I told the dream before him.' Why did he not call Daniel first, seeing that he already knew Daniel could reveal secrets? Because Daniel had said, the first time, that his knowing the first dream and its interpretation had come from God Most High, inasmuch as Hashem had wished to make known to the king what would happen at the end of days, and had told him that this was something no wise man could know, since that dream did not come from the lower powers but from God Most High alone. Therefore, as long as the king thought this dream was a simple one of the lower order, [coming] through the stars and the constellations and by means of the imaginative faculty, he assumed Daniel would not tell its meaning, since Daniel's domain was with God Most High — who, [in the king's view,] would not know or reveal anything but general matters, not particular details, for he did not then believe that God Most High attends to minor particulars. He therefore called the wise men, whose domain is the powers of the stars and demons and the like, expecting to learn such minor matters from them. But when he saw that their wisdom had failed to grasp the meaning of the thing, he recognized that this was a great, general matter beyond the bounds of their wisdom, and that this dream too came from God Most High, who is the God who inspires Daniel, as it says, 'and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.' Then he called for Daniel. And [the verse] explains that he called him last because his name was Belteshazzar and the spirit of the holy gods is in him; and the word 'I told' extends to cover both [clauses], meaning: and I told it to him.
Ibn Yahya
But they could not interpret it, until at last Daniel came before me — he whose name, in honor of his rank, I made Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods — and I told the dream before him.
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret causes you trouble, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
verse value 4321
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 76 letters. The shortest word is "master·of" (רַ֣ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "Belteshazzar" (בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר֮, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: because, that. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·all·secret" (וְכׇל־רָ֖ז), "not·trouble" (לָא־אָנֵ֣ס), "visions·of" (חֶזְוֵ֨י). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "because" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "tell" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "gods" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel). First appearance of the root בך ("in·you") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Rashi
and no secret is hidden from you No mystery is robbed [from you] or denied you.
Ibn Ezra
No secret causes you trouble — [i.e.] does not overpower you; and similarly the word for ‘duress’ [ones] — [meaning] ‘overpowering, compelling’.
Metzudat David
O Belteshazzar – And thus I said to him: You, Belteshazzar, master of the magicians — since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret overpowers you or proves too hard for you, that you would not know it — Tell me the visions – I will tell you the visions of the dream that I saw, and you tell me the interpretation.
Metzudat Zion
Causes you trouble (anes) - An expression of coercion and force; for this reason a robber is called an "anas" (one who takes by force).
Malbim
'O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret causes you trouble, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation' — he said to him: it is for you to interpret the dream, whether it is of the lower order — in which case you shall interpret it through the wisdom of divination, for you are master of the magicians — or whether it is of the higher order, from God Most High, which the wisdom of divination cannot grasp — for is not the spirit of the holy gods in you, so that in that respect no secret is too difficult for you? If so, you need not seek the interpretation by working from the dream backward to its meaning, for through the spirit of God you will know the matter forward, from the earlier to the later, until you know the dream and its interpretation together, just as the first time. That is why he says, 'the visions of my dream... and its interpretation' — that you should know the dream itself as well.
Ibn Yahya
You, Belteshazzar, are the greatest of all the magicians, for I know from experience that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that no secret or mystery is hidden from you — nothing, however deep or obscure, can defeat you. Indeed, you will master it and understand the visions of my dream that I saw, and tell me its interpretation, just as you told me both the dream and its interpretation the other time. Now unlike the first time, when he had asked him to state the dream itself, this time he did not need to ask that of him, since — unlike the first time — he had not forgotten it. And since Daniel was faithful to him, and would not give him a false and corrupt interpretation, he did not want to trouble him by making him state the dream himself — instead, he simply related it to him just as he had seen it.
Thus the visions of my head upon my bed were: I saw, And behold a tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great.
verse value 2450
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Verse gematria: 2450 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "seeing" (חָזֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·my·bed" (עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "a·tree" (אִילָ֛ן). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·was" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "seeing" (root חזה, 30x in Daniel); "the·earth" (root ארע, 20x in Daniel). First appearance of the root אילן ("a·tree") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·my·bed', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְחֶזְוֵ֥י [and·the·visions·of] (37) + רֵאשִׁ֖י [my·head] (511) + עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י [upon·my·bed] (472) + חָזֵ֣ה [seeing] (20) + הֲוֵ֔ית [I·was] (421) + וַאֲל֥וּ [and·behold] (43) + אִילָ֛ן [a·tree] (91) + בְּג֥וֹא [in·the·midst·of] (12) + אַרְעָ֖א [the·earth] (272) + וְרוּמֵ֥הּ [and·its·height] (257) + שַׂגִּֽיא [great] (314) = 2450.
Ibn Ezra
A tree — a tree [growing] out of the ground.
Metzudat David
The visions of my head – And this was what I saw in my head while I was lying on my bed: I saw – I was seeing, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
Malbim
The Questions: (7-9) Why is 'and its height was great' repeated with 'and its height reached to heaven'? And likewise, why is 'and in it was food for all' repeated with 'and all flesh was fed of it'? 'Thus the visions of my head' — in light of this, he told him the dream, saying, 'the visions of my head upon my bed.' And you should not think this was an imaginary vision, of the kind where the head, when full of vapors, imagines it is seeing something; rather, 'I saw' — meaning I actually perceived the thing, not in imagination. 'And behold a tree in the midst of the earth' — that is, he saw it as though the tree were sprouting at that very moment and coming forth out of the ground; and afterward 'I saw' that its height was great, growing, rising, and increasing.
Ibn Yahya
In the visions of my mind that were in my head upon my bed, I saw what seemed to be a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
The tree grew, and was strong, And its height reached to heaven, And its sight to the end of all the earth.
verse value 2513
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "grew" (רְבָ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·sight" (וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ, 6 letters). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel); "all·the·earth" (root ארע, 20x in Daniel). First appearance of the root מטא ("reached") in Daniel. First appearance of the root חזות ("and·its·sight") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·was·strong', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: רְבָ֥ה [grew] (207) + אִֽילָנָ֖א [the·tree] (92) + וּתְקִ֑ף [and·was·strong] (586) + וְרוּמֵהּ֙ [and·its·height] (257) + יִמְטֵ֣א [reached] (60) + לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א [to·the·heaven] (381) + וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ [and·its·sight] (432) + לְס֥וֹף [to·the·end·of] (176) + כׇּל־אַרְעָֽא [all·the·earth] (322) = 2513.
Rashi
The tree grew and became strong The tree grew and became stronger and stronger. reached the sky [as translated,] reached the sky.
Ibn Ezra
Grew — became great. Reached — [will] reach, arrive. Its sight — [refers to] its branches; and similarly [the phrase] ‘a horn of vision’, which has the shape of branches.
Metzudat David
The tree grew – The tree grew and became strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and its appearance was visible to the end of all the earth.
Malbim
'Grew' — and afterward I saw that the tree became large and great in bulk; 'and was strong' — that the trunk of the tree became very thick, not like trees that grow tall but stay thin. And I saw that it grew so much that 'its height reached to heaven,' and it likewise became so mighty and thick that 'its sight [reached] to the end of all the earth' — for something thin, even if it rises to the heavens, cannot be seen from afar, and for it to be visible at so great a distance, its trunk had necessarily become as thick as many parasangs.
Ibn Yahya
The tree grew and became strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and its branches reached to the end of all the earth.
Its leaves were fair, and its fruit much, And in it was food for all; The beasts of the field had shadow under it, And the fowls of the heaven dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed of it.
verse value 5886
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 86 letters. Verse gematria: 5886 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "the·field" (בָּרָ֗א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·its·branches" (וּבְעַנְפ֙וֹהִי֙, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "sheltered" (תַּטְלֵ֣ל), "dwelt" (יְדוּרָן֙), "was·fed" (יִתְּזִ֥ין). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·all·in·it" (root כל, 41x in Daniel); "and·from·it" (root מן, 32x in Daniel); "the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel). First appearance of the root עפי ("its·leaves") in Daniel. First appearance of the root תחות ("under·it") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·all·in·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 12 words.
Rashi
its branches were beautiful [as translated,] its branches were beautiful. and its fruit was plentiful [as translated,] and its fruit was plentiful. and on it was sustenance for all On it was enough sustenance for all took shade Aram. תַּטְלֵל, an expression of shade. dwelt Aram. יְדֻרָן, an expression of dwelling and lodging. was nourished Aram. יִתְּזִין, an expression of food.
Ibn Ezra
Its leaves — Yefet said: its branches, similar to [the phrase] ‘from among the branches they give forth their voice’. He also explained ‘its sight’ [4:8] as meaning ‘its thickness’, and likewise ‘a horn of vision’. But some say that ‘its leaves’ means its foliage. Its fruit — and its fruit. Had shadow — in the manner of shade. In its branches — its branches. The fowls — birds. Was fed — from the root of mazon (sustenance).
Metzudat David
Its leaves – Its leaves were fair and beautiful, and its fruit was abundant, and there was enough in it to feed and sustain all creatures. Under it – Under it the beasts of the field took shelter in its shade, and in its branches the birds of heaven nested, and from its fruit all creatures were fed.
Metzudat Zion
Its leaves (afyah) - [Meaning] the foliage, as in "among the branches (afa'im)" (Psalms 104).
Malbim
'Its leaves were fair' — afterward I saw that it grew beautiful foliage; 'and its fruit much' — its fruit multiplied greatly, so that 'in it was food for all' — the fruit sufficed as food for every creature. 'Under it' — afterward he saw that all living creatures gathered to this tree, so that 'the beasts of the field had shadow under it,' and 'the fowls of the heaven dwelt in its branches'; and he saw that 'all flesh was fed of it' — for at first he saw that food for all was to be found in it, and now he saw that they actually fed from it.
Ibn Yahya
Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, so that there was food enough for all in it. Under it, in its shade, dwelt every beast of the field, and in its branches dwelt the birds of heaven, and from it all living creatures, all flesh, were fed — for besides providing sufficient food for all mankind, it also sufficed for every living creature, for all flesh.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.
verse value 3099
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "seeing" (חָזֵ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·my·bed" (עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י, 7 letters). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·was" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "seeing" (root חזה, 30x in Daniel); "from·the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel). First appearance of the root עיר ("a·watcher") in Daniel. First appearance of the root נחת ("came·down") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·my·bed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: חָזֵ֥ה [seeing] (20) + הֲוֵ֛ית [I·was] (421) + בְּחֶזְוֵ֥י [in·visions·of] (33) + רֵאשִׁ֖י [my·head] (511) + עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י [upon·my·bed] (472) + וַאֲלוּ֙ [and·behold] (43) + עִ֣יר [a·watcher] (280) + וְקַדִּ֔ישׁ [and·a·holy·one] (420) + מִן־שְׁמַיָּ֖א [from·the·heaven] (441) + נָחִֽת [came·down] (458) = 3099.
Rashi
I saw lit. I was seeing. and behold a wakeful holy one i.e., an angel who is forever awake and holy.
Ibn Ezra
A watcher — an angel. And Rabbi Moshe said that it has no body, and that it is always awake and never sleeps. Came down — descended, similar to [the phrase] ‘her troops came down’.
Metzudat David
I saw – I was seeing, in the visions of my head, while I was sleeping on my bed: And, behold – And behold, a destroying angel, who was holy, came down from heaven.
Metzudat Zion
A watcher ('ir) - A destroying angel; related to the term "raze it, raze it (aru aru)" (Psalms 137).
Malbim
The Questions: (10–14) What is the difference between a “watcher” and a “holy one”? And likewise, why does the text double itself — saying both “the matter is by the decree of the watchers” and “the sentence by the word of the holy ones”? And how can any of this apply to a tree — that it should be bound in iron and brass, that it should eat grass, and that its heart should be changed from that of a man — none of which applies to a tree at all? I saw [in the visions of my head upon my bed] — now he saw a new vision. and, behold, A watcher and A holy one came down from heaven — that is, an angel called “a watcher and a holy one” came down from heaven. The “watcher” is the angel appointed to carry the matter into effect, while the “holy one” is the higher angel above him who directs him — so that what he saw was, in effect, an enforcing officer together with a judge.
Ibn Yahya
And afterward I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven.
He cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts get away from under it, And the fowls from its branches.
verse value 4830
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "hew·down" (גֹּ֤דּוּ) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "cried" (קָרֵ֨א, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·under·it" (מִן־תַּחְתּ֔וֹהִי, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·cut·off" (וְקַצִּ֣צוּ), "its·branches" (עַנְפ֔וֹהִי), "shake·off" (אַתַּ֥רוּ). The root ענף appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "the·beast" (root חיוה, 20x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'its·fruit', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
Crying out loudly crying with might. Cut down the tree...shake off its branches shake off and cause its branches to fall. shake off its branches shake off and cause its branches to fall. and scatter its fruit [as translated,] and scatter its fruit. the beasts shall wander away from beneath it [as translated,] the beasts shall wander away from beneath it.
Ibn Ezra
Cried aloud — with strength. Cut off — chopped off. Shake off — caused to fall. Scatter — scattered, or destroyed. Get away — [i.e.] wander restlessly.
Metzudat David
Aloud – With strength and a raised voice. Hew down – Cut down the tree, chop off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Get away – Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds flee from its branches.
Metzudat Zion
Hew down — [it means] 'cut down'; it is close in form to 'the sycamores are cut down' (Isaiah 9). Shake off — a term of knocking down and casting off, as in 'He beheld, and drove asunder the nations' (Habakkuk 3:6).
Malbim
He cried aloud, and said thus — that is, the watcher proclaimed loudly, and said as follows: Hew down the tree — cut down the tree. and cut off its branches — these are the large branches. Shake off its leaves — strip off the small shoots that grow out from the branches, on which the fruit grows. and scatter its fruit — scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches — the beasts shall wander away from beneath it, and the birds from its branches.
Ibn Yahya
He cried aloud, and said thus: 'Cut down the tree and lop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit — so that the beast standing beneath it flees away, and likewise the birds from its branches.'
Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, Even in a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth;
verse value 5619
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·with·the·beast" (וְעִם־חֵיוְתָ֥א, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 408: leave, in·the·tender·grass. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·with·the·beast" (וְעִם־חֵיוְתָ֥א), "in·grass·of" (בַּעֲשַׂ֥ב). The root ארע appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel); "in·the·earth" (root ארע, 20x in Daniel). First appearance of the root עקר ("stump·of") in Daniel. First appearance of the root שרש ("its·roots") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·field', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Rashi
But leave its main roots in the ground but its main roots leave over. and in fetters of iron and copper i.e., place his feet in iron fetters as is done to a horse that is left in the meadow; so shall you chain him with fetters. in the grass Aram. בְדִתְאָא in the grass of the field, i.e., in the meadow, so that he should not move from there. it shall be drenched Aram. יִצְטַבַּע, it shall always be drenched, an expression of immersion. its lot [as translated,] its lot.
Ibn Ezra
Nevertheless — but they left the main part of its root in the ground, and it remained among the grasses and the greenery, similar to [the phrase] ‘bound in chains of brass’. Wet with the dew — [meaning] soaked.
Metzudat David
Nevertheless – But leave the main part of its roots in the earth, and let it be bound and tied with bands of iron and brass, amid the grass of the field, so that it does not move from its place. Let it be wet – Let it be soaked by the dew of heaven. And let his portion be with the beasts – With the beasts shall be its portion, in the grass of the field, eating alongside them, share for share.
Malbim
Nevertheless [leave the stump of its roots in the earth] — only the main part of its root shall remain in the earth: Even in A band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Once the parable of the tree has been given, the vision shifts over into its own interpretation — this being a case of a dream that is interpreted within the dream itself — for being bound in chains cannot rightly apply to a tree, but only to a wild man, a madman; and eating grass and being drenched with dew can likewise apply only to an animal. This, then, is the interpretation of the dream: once the black-bile sickness (melancholia) fell upon him and he became like a wild man and did harm to all around him and wished to flee to the forest, they surely made every effort to restrain him, and bound him in chains of iron, in the way that raving madmen are bound — and this is the meaning of and [let Him be bound] with A band of iron and brass. Afterward the physicians saw that he had become like an animal and wanted to eat the grass of the field, so they gave him grass in his house — and this is the meaning of in the tender grass of the field. After that they saw that he wanted to bathe in the dew of heaven, and they brought him dew to dip and wash himself in — and this is the meaning of and let it be wet with the dew of heaven. But none of this helped, until they let him flee to the wilderness and eat grass together with the beasts — and this is the meaning of and let his portion be with the beasts.
Ibn Yahya
Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
Let his heart be changed from man’s, And let a beast’s heart be given to him; And let seven times pass over him.
verse value 2658
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "to·him" (לֵ֑הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·the·mankind" (מִן־אֲנָשָׁ֣א, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 184: times, pass. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "be·changed" (יְשַׁנּ֔וֹן), "be·given" (יִתְיְהִ֣ב). The root לבב appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·him" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "be·changed" (root שנה, 38x in Daniel); "from·the·mankind" (root אנש, 23x in Daniel). First appearance of the root חלף ("pass") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words.
Rashi
and seven periods seven years. will pass over him will pass over him with this decree.
Ibn Ezra
His heart — his heart shall be changed from a human heart. Pass over — [meaning] shall pass, like [the phrase] ‘the rain has passed and gone’.
Metzudat David
Let his heart – His heart shall be changed from a man's heart, and a beast's heart shall be given to him, and seven times shall pass over him while this remains so.
Malbim
Let his heart [be changed from man’s] — afterward his heart changed from the heart of a man, and he was given the heart of a beast, until he no longer feared any animal, and became like an animal himself, joining together with them. And Let seven times pass over him — meaning that within this madness there would be seven changes: the illness would alter upon him in each year or period, until the final change came, through which he was healed.
Ibn Yahya
Let his heart and his mind be changed from a man's; let the heart of a beast be given to him, until seven years pass over him while he remains in this condition.
The matter is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence 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, And gives it to whomsoever He will, And sets up over it the lowest of men.
verse value 7625
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 113 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "holy·ones" (קַדִּישִׁ֖ין, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·decree·of" (בִּגְזֵרַ֤ת), "watchers" (עִירִין֙), "the·matter" (פִּתְגָמָ֔א). The root אנש appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "over·it" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "in·kingdom·of" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root צבה ("He·wills") in Daniel. First appearance of the root שפל ("and·lowest·of") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·sentence', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 18 words.
Rashi
the edict a decree, but since they take counsel from the Holy One, blessed be He, before they issue the decree, he calls it a question. in order that Aram. עַד דִּבְרַת, like לְמַעַן. that the living should know in order that all the living should know. and to whom He wishes [as translated,] and to whom He wishes.
Ibn Ezra
By the decree — thus they [the watchers] decreed, for they are servants of Hashem, just as He commanded them; and this is [the meaning of] ‘the word of the holy ones’. And the question is: why is it phrased this way? So that the living may know that the Most High — that is, Hashem — rules over the kingdom of lowly men, and gives it to whomever He wishes, and sets up over it the lowliest of men.
Metzudat David
By the decree – The matter is decreed by the decree of the destroying angels, who carry out God's judgment. And the sentence – That decree is made by the pronouncement of the holy angels — it is the very same decree, and the matter is repeated here in different words. To the intent – So that all the living should know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He desires. And sets up... the lowest – And whenever He wishes, He sets over the kingdom a man lowly and base among men.
Metzudat Zion
The matter — this denotes a decree; it is so called because it comes about at the behest of Hashem's word. To the intent that — [the Aramaic] 'ad divrat' is like 'al divrat,' and it means 'for the sake of,' i.e., 'in order that.'
Malbim
The matter is by The decree of The watchers — the carrying of the decree into effect, so that it becomes a fully determined decree, is done through the watchers. And The sentence by The word of The holy ones — these are the higher angels, who requested the matter from the One who is high above the high ones set over them, namely Hashem. And the reason for this decree is TO The intent that The living may know that The Most High rules in The kingdom of men, And gives it To whomsoever He will, And sets up over it The lowest of men — until, in the end, the lowliest of men will take hold of the kingdom in the Holy Land: that is, the stone that was cut out without hands, which will seize the kingdom in the Holy Land in the end of days.
Ibn Yahya
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence is by the word of the holy ones, who required that both this act and this tree come to pass, so that the living may know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wishes; and even if a person is among the lowliest of men, He can raise him up to kingship, should He so desire.
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen; and you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
verse value 7452
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 119 letters. Verse gematria: 7452 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "because" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·make·known·to·me" (לְהוֹדָ֣עוּתַ֔נִי, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 581: the·interpretation, the·interpretation, to·make·known·to·me. The root אנתה appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "because" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "declare" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Nebuchadnezzar', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 19 words.
Rashi
its interpretation [as translated,] its interpretation. but you can [as translated,] but you can.
Ibn Ezra
This — thus I said to Daniel.
Metzudat David
This – This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you – And you, tell me the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom were unable to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
Malbim
The Questions: (15) As for what is said, “forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able,” etc. — how does it follow from this that he [Daniel] would be able to interpret it? This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen — meaning, this is not a simple dream, but a dream that pertains to the kingdom, since it is I, the king, who have seen it; and a king’s dream is a matter of sweeping, general import — and all the more so since it is I, Nebuchadnezzar, who am feared by the kings of the earth. and you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation — for in lofty, all-encompassing matters, you are able to know the interpretation. And he brings proof that this dream is not a private matter of the sort that the magicians could grasp, who attain only the small things belonging to the lower rungs: forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation — for had it been a private matter, it would have been within their power to know it. And since it is a lofty matter, beyond sorcery and astrology, it must therefore be a great matter proceeding from God on high — but you are able [to know its interpretation], for the spirit of the holy gods is in you, who tells you matters of sweeping, general import.
Ibn Yahya
This is the dream that I saw; and you, Belteshazzar, are to state the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the interpretation known to me, while you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while, and his thoughts affrighted him. The king spoke and said: ‘Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, affright you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said: ‘My lord, the dream be to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries.
verse value 8049
Insights
Verse structure: 26 words, 128 letters. The shortest word is "one" (חֲדָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "Belteshazzar" (בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֗ר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 632: Belteshazzar, Belteshazzar, Belteshazzar. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "was·appalled" (אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם֙), "like·hour" (כְּשָׁעָ֣ה), "frightened·him" (יְבַהֲלֻנֵּ֑הּ). The root בלטשאצר appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "Daniel" (root דניאל, 75x in Daniel). First appearance of the root שמם ("was·appalled") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'frightened·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 17 words.
Rashi
Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was bewildered He was silent. and his thoughts [as translated,] and his thoughts. alarmed him for he was afraid to interpret the dream for him. My lord Aram. מָרִאי. Our Rabbis said (Shevu. 35b): “My Lord, may the dream be for Your enemies,” refers to God. He raised his eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, “May this dream be fulfilled upon this enemy of Yours.” But if you say that he said it to Nebuchadnezzar, was not Israel his enemy? Is it possible that he would curse them? for your foes Aram. לְעָרָךְ, like (Sam. 28:16): “and has become [the supporter of] your foes (עָרֶךָ).”
Ibn Ezra
Then … was appalled — he was dumbstruck for a short while [lit. ‘for a single hour’]. My lord — my master. To your adversaries — similar in form to [the phrase] ‘vayehi arekha’ [and he was your foe]; and this is simply a matter of courtly etiquette toward the king. Some say that in his heart he intended it for Heaven [i.e., he was not truly wishing the dream’s ill effects on the king’s enemies], but this is unnecessary — the straightforward sense, exactly as it reads, is correct.
Metzudat David
Was appalled – He stood silent and astonished for about an hour, and his thoughts terrified him. The dream – Let not the dream or the interpretation terrify you — as if to say, are they not meant for someone other than you? My lord – My lord, may the dream come to pass upon those who hate you, and its interpretation upon your enemies; and this repeats the same matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
Was appalled — a term denoting astonishment and silence, as in 'appalled among them' (Ezekiel 3). Your adversaries — [meaning] 'those who hate you'; the word 'erekh' is used similarly in 1 Samuel 25.
Malbim
Then [Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while] — that is, then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was struck with astonishment for about an hour, and his thoughts terrified him, for he was afraid to tell him the interpretation, which pointed to his [the king’s] misfortune, lest the king’s anger flare up against him. The king spoke and said: ‘Belteshazzar, let not The dream, or The interpretation, affright you’ — he assured him that no harm would come to him if he revealed to him the evil that was destined to befall him. And Nebuchadnezzar himself already sensed that it was an evil dream, for from what would be told him at the end, he knew that the tree signified himself and his kingdom — this being a dream that was interpreted within the dream itself, as will be explained. Belteshazzar answered and said: ‘My lord, The dream be to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries’ — meaning, may it be through them that the dream and its interpretation come to pass. And since “adversary” denotes a greater degree [of enmity] than “one who hates,” it is through the adversary that the interpretation — that is, the fulfillment — would come to pass, while the one who merely hates would dream such evil, terrifying dreams.
Ibn Yahya
Then Daniel fell silent and was dumbfounded for a while, his thoughts alarming him, like one frightened and afraid of the matter. That is why the king told him not to be alarmed by the dream or its interpretation, and to state what he knew boldly, without fear. Then Belteshazzar answered: 'My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies — that is why I was alarmed and dumbfounded.'
The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the heaven, and its sight to all the earth;
verse value 2820
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·all·the·earth" (לְכׇל־אַרְעָֽא, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: that, which. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·all·the·earth" (לְכׇל־אַרְעָֽא). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "you·saw" (root חזה, 30x in Daniel); "to·the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·was·strong', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: אִֽילָנָא֙ [the·tree] (92) + דִּ֣י [that] (14) + חֲזַ֔יְתָ [you·saw] (425) + דִּ֥י [which] (14) + רְבָ֖ה [grew] (207) + וּתְקִ֑ף [and·was·strong] (586) + וְרוּמֵהּ֙ [and·its·height] (257) + יִמְטֵ֣א [reached] (60) + לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א [to·the·heaven] (381) + וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ [and·its·sight] (432) + לְכׇל־אַרְעָֽא [to·all·the·earth] (352) = 2820.
Ibn Ezra
The tree — R. Yeshuah said that ‘its sight’ [chazotei] is from the root ‘chazah’ (to see), meaning that which is visible, as in [the phrase] ‘a horn of vision [chazut]’. But if so, how would he then explain [the verse] ‘and four conspicuous ones arose in its place’, where the same word appears in a different sense?
Metzudat David
The tree – The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached the heavens, and whose sight was visible to all the earth.
Malbim
The Questions: (17–21) Why did Daniel skip over several details of the dream, as the careful reader will notice? And as for what is said, “this is the interpretation... and it is the decree of the Most High” — this implies that he had already told him the interpretation and had also said of it that it is the decree of the Most High, yet he had not in fact told him its interpretation yet — [how can this be]? The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong — he did not mention the beginning of the dream, namely, “behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great,” for that describes the tree’s early growth, and he did not wish to remind him that he had risen up from a lowly state — but repeated only what points to his greatness. Now, in the dream it was said that beneath it the beasts of the field found shade [using a word meaning “shaded”], whereas Daniel says “dwelt” — because at first the neighboring kings had from him only shade and shelter, and only afterward did they come under his authority and dwell beneath him. And the birds are a parable for the merchants, as is stated in Ezekiel (chapter 31); and in the dream he saw the birds dwelling in its branches [using a general word for “dwell”], whereas Daniel says “lodged,” since the term for lodging fittingly describes how birds roost, in their own characteristic way — and he changed the wording out of respect for the king. And Daniel did not repeat the phrase “and all flesh was fed from it,” for a reason that will be explained afterward.
Ibn Yahya
The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and whose branches reached to all the earth.
whose leaves were fair, and its fruit much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation;
verse value 4792
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "the·field" (בָּרָ֔א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·its·boughs" (וּבְעַנְפ֕וֹהִי, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·its·leaves" (וְעׇפְיֵ֤הּ), "dwelt" (תְּדוּר֙), "dwell" (יִשְׁכְּנָ֖ן). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·all·in·it" (root כל, 41x in Daniel); "the·heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel); "beast·of" (root חיוה, 20x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·all·in·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְעׇפְיֵ֤הּ [and·its·leaves] (171) + שַׁפִּיר֙ [fair] (590) + וְאִנְבֵּ֣הּ [and·its·fruit] (64) + שַׂגִּ֔יא [much] (314) + וּמָז֨וֹן [and·food] (109) + לְכֹ֖לָּא־בֵ֑הּ [to·all·in·it] (88) + תְּחֹת֗וֹהִי [under·it] (829) + תְּדוּר֙ [dwelt] (610) + חֵיוַ֣ת [beast·of] (424) + בָּרָ֔א [the·field] (203) + וּבְעַנְפ֕וֹהִי [and·in·its·boughs] (229) + יִשְׁכְּנָ֖ן [dwell] (430) + צִפְּרֵ֥י [birds·of] (380) + שְׁמַיָּֽא [the·heaven] (351) = 4792.
Ibn Ezra
And its leaves — the verse that follows this needs no [further] explanation.
Metzudat David
Whose leaves – And whose leaves were fair and beautiful, and its fruit was abundant, and there was enough in it to feed all creatures; the beasts of the field dwelt under it, and the birds of heaven had their habitation on its branches.
Ibn Yahya
whose leaves were beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, with food for all in it; under it dwelt the beasts of the field, and in its branches dwelt the birds of heaven —
it is you, O king, who are grown and become strong; for your greatness is grown, and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
verse value 6159
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "who" (דִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·are" (אַנְתְּ־ה֣וּא, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 602: grew, grew. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·grew·strong" (וּתְקֵ֑פְתְּ), "and·your·greatness" (וּרְבוּתָ֤ךְ), "and·reached" (וּמְטָ֣ת). The root רבה appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "who" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "to·the·heavens" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel). First appearance of the root רבו ("and·your·greatness") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·grew·strong', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
It is you – That is, this tree alludes to you, for you have become like it, having grown great and become strong. Your greatness – Your greatness has continually grown and reached to the heavens, and your dominion has reached to the ends of the earth.
Malbim
It is you, O king — that is, it can only be interpreted as referring to you and to no one else: that you have grown great and become powerful, and your greatness has reached the heavens — through his guardian prince and star of fortune above — and your dominion has reached to the end of the earth. And also, in saying that his greatness "reached the heavens," his sin is hinted at, as it is written, "But you said: I will ascend to heaven... yet you shall be brought down to Sheol" (Isaiah 14:13, 15).
Ibn Yahya
it is a parable of you, O king, who have grown great and mighty; your greatness has grown until it reached the heavens, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying: Hew down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even in a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him—
verse value 8278
Insights
Verse structure: 33 words, 144 letters. Notable word values: "cut·down" (גֹּ֨דּוּ) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·destroy·it" (וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 408: leave, in·the·grass. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·destroy·it" (וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי), "that·seven" (דִּֽי־שִׁבְעָ֥ה). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 30 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "and·that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "and·saying" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·field', dividing the verse into phrases of 22 and 11 words.
Metzudat David
And whereas – And as for what the king saw: a destroying angel, who was holy, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it; but leave the main part of its roots in the earth, bound and tied with bands of iron and brass amid the grass of the field; and let it be washed with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field, until seven years pass over it.’
Malbim
And whereas the king saw A watcher And A holy one coming down from heaven, And saying: Hew down the tree, And destroy it — he does not repeat what was said earlier, "cut off its branches, and shake off from it the beast and the fowl," for that was a parable for the fact that his servants, his officers, and all the peoples would depart from him; he wished to tell him only what would happen to his own body, since all the rest is understood on its own — that at the time of his madness, everyone would depart from him. And since it goes on to say, "but leave the stump of its roots in the earth," it is clear that the kingdom as a whole would not be annulled; and so this [departure of his men] would only occur during the time of his madness, and there was no need to state it explicitly. Likewise, he does not repeat what was said, that his heart would be changed from the heart of a man to the heart of a beast, for that is included in the words, "let his portion be with the beasts of the field" — and it does not say, "his portion shall be in the grass of the field," as the angel had said earlier, so as to include that his portion would be with the beasts in every respect: that he would be turned in all his ways to be like an animal.
Ibn Yahya
And as for what you saw — a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it,' etc. —
this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,
verse value 2485
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "which" (דִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·my·lord" (עַל־מָרִ֥אי, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: the·king, the·king. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·decree·of" (וּגְזֵרַ֤ת), "came" (מְטָ֖ת), "upon·my·lord" (עַל־מָרִ֥אי). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "which" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "the·interpretation" (root פשר, 34x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words.
Rashi
which befalls my lord, the king [as translated,] which befalls my lord, the king.
Ibn Ezra
This is the interpretation — it is the interpretation, as has been stated to you. And the meaning of ‘malki’ [my counsel] is ‘my advice’, similar to [the phrase] ‘and my heart took counsel [va-yimlekh] within me’.
Metzudat David
This – You, O king, behold this is the interpretation — the words as they plainly mean, for so it shall come upon you; and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.
Malbim
This is the interpretation, O king — that is, what was concluded in the dream — that he would be bound in chains, eat grass, and dwell with the beasts — none of this applies to the tree that he saw in the dream, but only to a human being. This makes clear that these details are not part of the dream itself, but rather its interpretation: that the statement "hew down the tree" is interpreted to mean that he would go mad, become like an animal, and be removed from the kingdom — and that is the hewing down of the tree. So this is a dream interpreted within a dream, and a dream that is doubled — all of which shows that the decree is fixed and imminent, as our sages have said. And this is the meaning of "this is the interpretation": that this is the interpretation of the dream of the tree, interpreted within a [second] dream by way of its concluding words, "...and bound with a band of iron and brass," etc.; and "it is the decree of the Most High" means that the decree is fixed and imminent. He goes on to explain to him that from the first dream of the tree alone, one might have thought that his kingdom would be annulled entirely, and that only afterward would it sprout again from its roots through his sons — as in, "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots" (Isaiah 11:1), which is understood to mean from his sons and his descendants. But through the second dream — which is the interpretation of the first, in which he was likened to a beast — it becomes clear that this too would be fulfilled in him: that he would afterward be restored to his kingdom. And this is the meaning of "which has come upon my lord the king": that all of it would be fulfilled in him. And he goes on to explain.
Ibn Yahya
This is the interpretation, and it is the decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king.
that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and you shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you; till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will.
verse value 7673
Insights
Verse structure: 30 words, 137 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·with·beast·of" (וְעִם־חֵיוַ֣ת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 184: times, will·pass. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·to·you" (וְלָ֣ךְ), "shall·be" (לֶהֱוֵ֨ה), "shall·be·wet" (מְצַבְּעִ֔ין). The root לך appears 3 times in this verse. 25 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·you" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "shall·be" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "in·kingdom·of" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root טרד ("driving") in Daniel. First appearance of the root תור ("like·oxen") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 20 and 10 words.
Rashi
And they will banish you from mankind [as translated,] and they will banish you from mankind. and with the dew of the heavens you shall be drenched They will immerse you. and seven periods shall pass over you We may say that this is the recompense for the Temple, which he destroyed, which was built in seven years.
Metzudat David
That you – And you shall be driven away from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall feed you grass like oxen, and the dew of heaven shall wash you, and seven years shall pass over you by this decree, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He desires.
Metzudat Zion
You shall be made to eat — a term denoting tasting and eating.
Malbim
And you shall be driven from men — thus the parable does not concern your kingship itself, which would not be annulled, since his son reigned in his stead during that time, but concerns you personally; and of you it is fitting to say that you would be given grass [to eat] and become like a beast. And what is said, "and seven times shall pass over you," continues, "until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men" — meaning that in the seventh time you would come to this recognition. For in every one of the times, the matter was attributed to one of the seven planets, until all seven times had passed, at which point he was restored to his senses and recognized that everything comes from God above.
Ibn Yahya
For because of your pride they will drive you away from dwelling among men, and in place of your having exalted yourself above them, you will be brought low beneath them. Your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, which were given under the dominion of men, and you will be fed grass like oxen; and you will be bathed with the dew of heaven, suffering heat by day and frost by night, and seven periods will pass over you while you remain in this condition — until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wishes.
And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you, after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule.
verse value 4135
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "its·roots" (שׇׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: of, that. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·leave" (לְמִשְׁבַּ֞ק), "sure" (קַיָּמָ֑א). The root די appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "they·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "your·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root קים ("sure") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sure', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
And what they said, etc. What they said—to leave the roots of the tree—this is the interpretation: מַלְכוּתָךְ, your kingdom—will remain yours. Your kingdom will ultimately be restored to you. as soon as you know that Heaven rules as soon as you know that the heavenly beings rule over the world.
Metzudat David
And whereas – And as for what was said, to leave the main part of the tree's roots — this indicates and alludes that the kingdom shall be preserved for you, and you shall return to reign, from the time that you come to recognize and know that He who dwells in heaven rules.
Malbim
And whereas it was commanded [to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you, after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule] — from this he derived that the words "to leave the stump of its roots in the earth" mean that the kingdom itself would remain his; for otherwise it would have seemed more likely that the parable referred to the kingdom of Babylon as a whole — that it would depart for the time being, with only its root remaining for his sons after him, in the course of years. He then explained at what time the kingdom would be restored to him, from the words "until you shall have known that the heavens do rule": from the time you come to this recognition — that you know that Hashem rules and governs — the kingdom will be restored to you. Now, [Daniel] did not interpret for him the words of the earlier vision, "and the lowest of men shall be set up over it," for the wrath that came upon him was principally on account of the image he had made, since he had thought, through that very act, to nullify the heavenly decree — that is, to nullify the decree of the Most High concerning the four kingdoms that he had seen in the first dream. For this he was punished and immediately removed from his kingdom, so that he would know that Hashem rules over mankind and that it is not within their power to change His decrees. And once he recognized that the kingship belongs to Hashem, and that his actions through the image he had made had achieved nothing, and that it is Hashem who rules over the kingship — and that ultimately, at the end of days, there would arise in the Holy Land one who is now [counted] the lowest of men, namely, the stone that was cut out without hands — then he would be restored to his kingdom. Daniel, however, did not wish to mention this matter, so as not to inflame his wrath against Israel.
Ibn Yahya
And as for what was said, to leave the stump of its roots in the earth — your kingdom will be preserved for you, so that you may know that the powers above rule, and are able to give the kingdom, remove it, and restore it, as they please.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.’
verse value 4069
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 70 letters. Verse gematria: 4069 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "if" (הֵ֛ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·your·iniquity" (וַעֲוָיָתָ֖ךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 100: my·counsel, by·showing·mercy. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "be·acceptable" (יִשְׁפַּ֣ר), "and·your·sin" (וַחֲטָאָךְ֙), "in·charity" (בְּצִדְקָ֣ה). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "upon·you" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "may·be" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel). First appearance of the root חטא ("and·your·sin") in Daniel. First appearance of the root צדקה ("in·charity") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Rashi
Indeed, O king Indeed, O king, hearken to my counsel. my counsel Aram. מִלְכִּי, my counsel, like (Num. 24:14): “I shall advise you (אִיעָצְךָ),” which is translated: אֲמַלְּכִינָךְ. please you May my counsel please you that you hearken to my words. and with charity you will remove your sin With charity, break your sin off your neck. and your iniquity by showing mercy to poor and remove your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. perhaps your tranquility will last Perhaps there will be time for your tranquility, that the evil should not come swiftly. Now what did Daniel see to give Nebuchadnezzar good advice? He saw the Jews poor and humbled by the exile, going from door to door begging for alms, and he gave him advice to deal mercifully with them. He said to him, “These poor people whom you exiled are hungry; nourish them.” And so he did. He opened his storehouses and fed them for a full twelve months.
Ibn Ezra
Break off — [meaning] redeem, as in [the phrase] ‘and He set us free from our foes’. By showing mercy to the poor — [meaning] to show favor to the poor. As for [the word] ‘lengthening [arkhah]’ — it may mean an extension of your tranquility, or it may be related to [the word] ‘arukhah’ [remedy, healing], [i.e., a remedy] for your unwitting sin.
Metzudat David
Wherefore – As if to say: You have no escape from that decree; nevertheless, O king, let my counsel be good and pleasing to you: do this — redeem your sin through charity, and your iniquity through kindness to the poor. And this repeats the same matter in different words. If [there may be] – Behold, through this there will be a lengthening of the tranquility you now enjoy, and the matter will be fulfilled in the end of days.
Metzudat Zion
My counsel — [it means] 'my advice,' as in 'and my heart took counsel within me' (Nehemiah 5:7).
Malbim
The Questions: (24) Why did he give him counsel to avert the heavenly decree — concerning this wicked man who made the earth tremble? Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be A lengthening of your prosperity — Daniel's counsel is also alluded to in the dream, in the words "there was food for all in it," and "from it all flesh was fed." The words "there was food for all in it" had already been fulfilled: all the world's abundance was concentrated in Babylon, and the whole world was sustained from its surplus. But the addition, that "from it all flesh would be fed," had not yet been fulfilled, for he had not fed the poor but had rather taken what was theirs. This very thing was shown to him in the dream: that he would yet feed all flesh, in accordance with Daniel's counsel, and that only afterward would the tree be cut down. On this basis Daniel saw fit to advise him to feed all flesh through charity, understanding that so long as he continued to practice charity, his reprieve would be extended. He also knew from the words of the dream that the king would not continue to heed his counsel for many days, and so he said, "if there may be a lengthening of your prosperity" — meaning that it would be extended at least until the time he ceased giving charity to the poor, at which point the tree would be cut down. "Sin" refers to an act rooted in desire, for which righteous deeds suffice to atone; "iniquity" stems from a corruption of the intellect and deliberate denial of God, and requires showing mercy to the poor to atone for it, which is a greater remedy than ordinary charity.
Ibn Yahya
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you: redeem your sins through charity, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor — for surely through this there will be a remedy for your error. For whereas you were proud and haughty and brought others low, now show mercy to the poor and raise them up, and this will be your submission to God.
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֣לָּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Nebuchadnezzar" (עַל־נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר, 10 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "came" (מְּטָ֔א). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "all" (root כל, 41x in Daniel); "upon·Nebuchadnezzar" (root נבוכדנצר, 28x in Daniel). Full calculation: כֹּ֣לָּא [all] (51) + מְּטָ֔א [came] (50) + עַל־נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר [upon·Nebuchadnezzar] (522) + מַלְכָּֽא [the·king] (91) = 714.
Rashi
All this befell The entire interpretation befell Nebuchadnezzar.
Ibn Ezra
All this — it all came about and arrived, just as it is written in the text. And do not wonder that it was not written ‘upon me’ but rather ‘upon Nebuchadnezzar’ [in the third person], similar to [the phrase] ‘and Hashem sent Yerubaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel’ — even though he himself [Samuel] is the one relating it, speaking of himself in the third person. And likewise [we find] ‘while the word was still [in the king’s mouth]’ and ‘the king answered’ — as though he had said ‘I answered’; and so too [elsewhere], ‘in the king’s mouth’, again referring to himself as ‘the king’.
Metzudat David
All this – This too is part of the words of the letter, [continuing] to the end of the matter; and he says in his letter: Behold, all this interpretation came upon King Nebuchadnezzar — and so he continues relating it. (Even though it was Nebuchadnezzar himself who wrote it, he did not speak of himself in the first person, but rather as one speaking of another; this is Scripture's way, as it is written, 'And He sent...and Samuel' (I Samuel 12), even though Samuel himself was the speaker, yet it does not say, 'and me.')
Malbim
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar — that is, through Daniel's counsel, everything the dream had indicated came upon him, for even his feeding of the poor before his downfall had been foretold in the dream. And according to several commentators, the passage that follows is spoken in the words of the author of the book.
At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon.
verse value 2899
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Verse gematria: 2899 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "twelve" (תְּרֵֽי־עֲשַׂ֑ר, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "at·end·of" (לִקְצָ֥ת), "months" (יַרְחִ֖ין), "twelve" (תְּרֵֽי־עֲשַׂ֑ר). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "was" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "the·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'twelve', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: לִקְצָ֥ת [at·end·of] (620) + יַרְחִ֖ין [months] (278) + תְּרֵֽי־עֲשַׂ֑ר [twelve] (1180) + עַל־הֵיכַ֧ל [upon·palace·of] (165) + מַלְכוּתָ֛א [the·kingdom] (497) + דִּ֥י [of] (14) + בָבֶ֖ל [Babylon] (34) + מְהַלֵּ֥ךְ [walking] (95) + הֲוָֽה [was] (16) = 2899.
Rashi
he was walking [as translated,] he was walking.
Metzudat David
At the end – At the end of twelve months, Nebuchadnezzar was walking about upon the royal palace in Babylon.
Malbim
The Questions: (26) Regarding what he said, "Is not this great Babylon," what did he mean by it? At the end of twelve months [he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon] — until the year was over, he remained afraid because of the dream and did not go outdoors, since he had humbled himself before Hashem. But when he saw that the year had gone full circle and no harm had come to him, he thought that the decree had been annulled — as it is written, "for he prophesies of times far off" (Ezekiel 12:27) — and so he went out onto the royal palace, something he had not done the whole year.
Ibn Yahya
Now Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel's advice, and by it he was spared from the decree, until twelve months had passed; then, as he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon, a spirit of pride came over him at the sight of the beauty of the palace and the city —
The king spoke, and said: ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’
verse value 3507
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "is·not" (הֲלָ֥א) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "spoke" (עָנֵ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "this·is" (דָא־הִ֖יא, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "this·is" (דָא־הִ֖יא), "great" (רַבְּתָ֑א), "which·I" (דִּֽי־אֲנָ֤ה). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "is·not" (root לא, 74x in Daniel). First appearance of the root בנה ("I·built·it") in Daniel. First appearance of the root הדר ("my·majesty") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Rashi
Is this not He heard poor people coming to the door and crying out. He said, “What is the sound of this multitude in my ears?” His servants said to him, “These are the poor for whom you arranged a time to feed.” He said, “Is this not the great Babylon, etc. If I had squandered my storehouses, from where would I have built all these palaces? From now on, I shall not feed them.” Rabbi Tanhuma (Mishpatim 4) explained it in this manner. and for the honor of my glory [as translated,] and for the honor of my glory.
Metzudat David
Spoke – The king raised his voice, boasting of himself and growing haughty, and said: Is this not great Babylon, which I have built to be a royal dwelling-place? By the might – And behold, I built it by the strength of my own power, without anyone else's help; and I built it solely for the honor of my glory, not out of any need to be fortified in it against an enemy, for my own power alone secures me.
Malbim
The king spoke, and said — that is, he meant that he was not afraid of the decree, since his strength was greater than that of the sons of the mighty [i.e., the angelic powers]: 'Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' For since it was by his own strength that he had been able to build such a royal city, and his fortune was successful, it was impossible, [he reasoned,] that it should decline and be overturned by any turn of fortune — whether from the standpoint of his might and power, or from the standpoint of the glory of his majesty, his rank and his importance. And he reasoned that had such a decree truly been decreed against him, some mark of it would already have appeared in his kingdom: either his royal house would have grown smaller, or the strength of his heart and the glory of his majesty would have been lost. [Since neither had happened,] this could only mean that he had, as it were, striven with beings divine and human, and had prevailed.
Ibn Yahya
and he said: 'Is this not great Babylon, which I built as a royal residence by the might of my power, for the honor and glory of my majesty?'
While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven: ‘O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you.
verse value 3440
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 letters. Verse gematria: 3440 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "voice" (קָ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "Nebuchadnezzar" (נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: the·king, king. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "while" (ע֗וֹד), "in·mouth·of" (בְּפֻ֣ם). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "saying" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "the·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root עוד ("while") in Daniel. First appearance of the root פם ("in·mouth·of") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fell', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: ע֗וֹד [while] (80) + מִלְּתָא֙ [the·word] (471) + בְּפֻ֣ם [in·mouth·of] (122) + מַלְכָּ֔א [the·king] (91) + קָ֖ל [voice] (130) + מִן־שְׁמַיָּ֣א [from·heaven] (441) + נְפַ֑ל [fell] (160) + לָ֤ךְ [to·you] (50) + אָֽמְרִין֙ [saying] (301) + נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר [Nebuchadnezzar] (422) + מַלְכָּ֔א [king] (91) + מַלְכוּתָ֖א [the·kingdom] (497) + עֲדָ֥ת [departed] (474) + מִנָּֽךְ [from·you] (110) = 3440.
Rashi
has turned away from you [as translated,] has turned away from you.
Ibn Ezra
The kingdom has departed [from you] — [meaning] it has turned aside and passed away from you. I have no way of knowing what these seven ‘times’ are — whether days, or weeks, or months, or years. That they should be days or weeks does not seem correct, since it is written, ‘until his hair grew like eagles’ [feathers]’. The Gaon said that they are months, but in my opinion they are years, similar to [the phrase] ‘a time, and times, and half a time’. And do not imagine that Nebuchadnezzar actually turned into an animal, male or female, for it is not written that he did so — only that he dwelt among the animals and ate grass as they did. And the meaning of ‘a beast’s heart’ is that his reason departed from him — that is, the intellect of the soul — and once the wisdom of the soul had departed, his mind reverted and remained like the mind of an animal. And the proof of all this is what he says at the end: ‘I lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me’. I myself knew a trustworthy colleague who told me that he had once been on an island called Sardinia, and that an uncircumcised man there had fled from his family because his mind had left him and he had gone mad; he lived among the deer for many years, walking on his hands and feet just as they did. Then the king of that island went out hunting and captured many deer, and this madman — taken to be one of the deer — was captured along with them. His family came and recognized him and spoke to him, but he did not answer; they set bread before him to eat and wine to drink, but he refused them. Then they gave him grass, together with the deer, and he ate it — and in the middle of the night he fled back to the deer of the field.
Metzudat David
While the word – The word was still in the king's mouth, and he had not yet finished speaking, when a voice fell from heaven and said: It is spoken to you, King Nebuchadnezzar — know that the kingdom has passed and turned away from you.
Malbim
The Questions: (29-34) If the matter is to be understood according to its plain sense — that he was completely transformed into the form of a beast — how did the nobles of his kingdom not rebel against him? And how could he lift his eyes to heaven while he was like a beast of the field? And why does it now say, 'his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation,' whereas above it said the opposite, 'his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation'? As for the matter itself, why did this punishment come upon him? And what connection is there among these three sections — the dream of the image, the making of the image, and the dream of the tree? While the word was in the king's mouth — there fell a voice from heaven and informed him that the kingdom had departed from him. Now Daniel had not told him, in his interpretation, that the kingdom would depart from him entirely; he had only said, 'your kingdom shall be sure to you, until you know that the Most High rules' — from which it is clear that only until that time would the kingdom be taken from him. And so, too, the voice told him: 'until you know that the Most High rules.'
Ibn Yahya
And while the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven, saying: 'It is said to you, O Nebuchadnezzar: the kingdom has departed from you.'
And you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will.’
verse value 6873
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 116 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֨ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·from·men" (וּמִן־אֲנָשָׁא֩, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 184: times, shall·pass. The root אנש appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·you" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "in·kingdom·of" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel); "that·you·know" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 10 words.
Rashi
they will banish Aram. טָרְדִין. an expression of driving away.
Metzudat David
And from men – They shall drive you away from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall feed you grass like oxen; and seven years shall pass over you by this decree, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He desires.
Ibn Yahya
You will be driven from the dwelling of men, your abode will be with the beasts of the field, you will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wishes — not as you supposed, that you built Babylon by your own power for the honor and glory of your kingdom.
The same hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
verse value 7339
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 96 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·Nebuchadnezzar" (עַל־נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒, 10 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "was·fulfilled" (סָ֣פַת), "ate" (יֵאכֻ֔ל), "his·hair" (שַׂעְרֵ֛הּ). 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "upon·Nebuchadnezzar" (root נבוכדנצר, 28x in Daniel); "heaven" (root שמין, 26x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·wet', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
was fulfilled The decree was executed upon him. his hair grew like [the feathers of] eagles His hair grew over his entire body like eagles’ feathers. and his nails like birds and his nails were like a bird’s [talons].
Metzudat David
The same hour – At that time the matter was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar: his mind became deranged, and he drove himself out to the haunts of the wild animals, to dwell among them. And he was driven from men – Of his own accord he drove himself away from people, and ate grass like oxen; his body was drenched by the dew of heaven, for he sat with no shelter over him. Till – Until his hair grew long like an eagle's feathers, and the nails of his hands and feet like the claws of birds of prey; for from all the dampness and filth they simply kept growing.
Malbim
The same hour The thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar — Abarbanel has already explained that this is not, as some say, that he was literally transformed into an ox — in name, category, and appearance. For if so, how could it be that when he lifted his eyes to heaven, his understanding returned to him? And how is it possible for a being to be both a man and an animal at once? Moreover, if he had truly been turned into an ox, and Nebuchadnezzar's body and human form had vanished, how could his kingship have continued? And how did his servants not rebel against him, saying, 'The king is dead already, or defeated, or taken captive — no one has seen him'? Rather, the true sense of the matter is explained by Daniel in his interpretation, in the words, 'and you shall be driven from men' — meaning that a wondrous, extraordinary degree of black bile [melancholic madness] overpowered him, so that he himself came to loathe human beings and flee from them, dwelling alone in the wilderness and eating grass like an animal. His splendor and his appearance grew dim, and his hair and nails grew very long; and his heart, which had formerly been the heart of a wise man, departed from him, and in his breast was, as it were, the heart of a single wild animal, drawn after his animal cravings. But since everyone could still see him, he was not forgotten as though dead, nor was his kingship removed from him entirely — only that his son conducted the kingdom in his place.
Ibn Yahya
And at that very moment the matter was fulfilled and came upon Nebuchadnezzar: he was driven from the dwelling of men, ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. For he lost his human intellect and was turned into a wild ass, loving to eat as the beasts do and to dwell among them — instead of loving to make his dwelling in the dwelling-place of the Supreme Ruler and to clothe himself in the garment of pride. For it is Hashem who reigns in majesty, and to Him alone belongs the right to majesty, since His kingdom is an everlasting and eternal kingdom.
‘And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him who lives for ever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom from generation to generation;
verse value 7288
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 108 letters. The shortest word is "for" (דִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Nebuchadnezzar" (נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֜ר, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 140: my·eyes, eternity. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·at·end·of" (וְלִקְצָ֣ת), "I·lifted" (נִטְלֵ֗ת), "and·my·understanding" (וּמַנְדְּעִי֙). The root עלם appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "upon·me" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "and·his·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root עין ("my·eyes") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·I·honored', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 7 words.
Rashi
And at the end of the days at the end of the days that were set for him; at the end of the seven years. raised [as translated,] raised. and my understanding was restored to me [as translated,] and my understanding was restored to me. and I blessed the Most High [as translated,] and I blessed the Most High.
Metzudat David
And at the end of the days – At the end of the years that had been fixed for him, which were seven years, as stated above. I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven – Throughout the seven years he did not recognize himself, who he was, for he had no human understanding; and when the time came to an end, his mind began to return to him little by little. Then he recognized himself, who he was, and became aware of his condition, and lifted his eyes to heaven to seek help from Hashem. And my understanding returned to me – That is, I asked of Hashem that He restore to me the understanding and wisdom I had had before. And I blessed the Most High – To the Most High I gave blessing, and to Him who lives forever I gave praise and glory — He whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom [endures] with all generations, meaning through the time of every generation.
Malbim
And at the end of the days — that is, after the seven times — I lifted up my eyes to heaven: for so long as he resembled a beast he looked down at the ground and walked on all fours; only then did he stand on his feet and look up to heaven, and his understanding was restored to him. This is the meaning of And my understanding returned to me: that he knew he was not a beast but a man — though he had not yet regained the wisdom to recall anything about his kingship; he recalled only the state of his own body and the punishment that had come upon him. And I blessed the Most High, And I praised And honored Him who lives forever — 'blessing' refers to the abundance that is received from Him through His providence and goodness, whereas 'praise' and 'honor' would be owed to Him even by the philosophers who deny [particular] providence, since He is the First Cause — though they would not consider 'blessing' to be owed to Him. He is called 'the Most High' insofar as He is the First Cause, and He is called 'Him who lives forever' insofar as He is the One who watches over and conducts the world; and just as the soul gives life to the body, so His providence is the soul and life-force of the world. Until now [Nebuchadnezzar] had thought that, insofar as He is the God on high and the First Cause, praise and honor were owed to Him, but not blessing — for he had thought that the governance of the world (on whose account He is called 'the life of the world') had been handed over to the ministering princes of heaven and the stars and constellations, supposing that they are the life of the world, and that blessing was therefore owed to them, since good and abundance come from them. But now he grasped that the God on high is Himself the life of the world, and that blessing is fitting for Him even though He is the God on high — and this is why he says, 'I blessed the Most High,' for the abundance issues from the First Cause without any intermediary. And likewise, praise and honor are fitting for Him even though He is the life of the world — unlike his opinion at first, that it was beneath His honor to attend to lowly matters. He further added, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom from generation to generation — with this he raised and added to the praise beyond what was said earlier, 'his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.' For we have already explained that 'kingdom' refers to the governance according to the laws of nature set in order from the six days of creation, which persists forever without change, while 'dominion' refers to the overturning of nature — the miraculous course [of events] — which varies according to the generation. Now it was newly revealed to him that dominion, too, is perpetual and everlasting: that the miraculous governance, which follows the will of the Creator, is likewise constant; and that the governance of nature, too, follows the generation and its deeds, so that even nature is filled with hidden miracles. The natural order proceeds according to merit and deed, by which nature either declines or is elevated; and the essential governance follows Divine will. This point has already been explained in my commentary on Psalms, on the verse, 'Hashem, Your kindness is in the heavens,' where I elaborated on it at length.
Ibn Yahya
And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting and eternal dominion, and whose kingdom endures from generation to generation — for even though generations come to an end and die, He alone endures forever.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; And He does according to His will in the host of heaven, And among the inhabitants of the earth; And none can stay His hand, Or say to Him: What do You?
verse value 3940
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 86 letters. The shortest word is "to·Him" (לֵ֖הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·dwellers·of" (וְכׇל־דָּיְרֵ֤י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 272: the·earth, the·earth. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·all·dwellers·of" (וְכׇל־דָּיְרֵ֤י), "as·nothing" (כְּלָ֣ה), "are·reputed" (חֲשִׁיבִ֔ין). The root דור appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·says" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "as·nothing" (root לא, 74x in Daniel); "does" (root עבד, 40x in Daniel). First appearance of the root חשב ("are·reputed") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 8 words.
Rashi
are reckoned as nothing Aram. כְּלָה. Our Rabbis said (Yoma 20b): The dust of the sun is called לָא i.e., the dust that appears in the sun. and according to His will, He does with the host of heaven [as translated,] and according to His will, He does with the host of heaven. and no one can stop His hand Aram. וְלָא אִיתַי דִּי יְמַחֵא בִידֵהּ. And there is none who will stop His hand.
Metzudat David
And all the inhabitants of the earth – All who dwell on the earth are counted before Him as nothing; He does as He wishes among the host of heaven and the dwellers of earth, and there is no one who can stay His hand and say to Him, 'What have You done?' — for it would not be right [to say so].
Malbim
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing — for He does according to His will in heaven and on earth, and there is no one who can stay His hand. At first he had thought that the essential governance [of the world] followed the constellations and nature, such that it was conceivable that these might obstruct [Divine] providence — so that if a wicked man's fortune and hour were favorable, providence could not touch him. But now he saw that willed providence rules over everything, and all else is accounted as nothing.
Ibn Yahya
And all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing; and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand and say to Him, 'What are You doing?'
At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me; and my ministers and my lords sought to me; and I was established in my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
verse value 6317
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 95 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִֽי, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·over·my·kingdom" (וְעַל־מַלְכוּתִ֣י, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 418: returned, returned. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "my·understanding" (מַנְדְּעִ֣י), "and·to·me" (וְלִ֕י), "my·ministers" (הַדָּֽבְרַ֥י). The root תוב appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "my·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). First appearance of the root רברבנין ("and·my·lords") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sought', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
At that time [as translated,] at that time. and I returned to the glory of my kingdom [as translated,] and I returned to the glory of my kingdom. and my splendor the features of my face. my leaders and my dignitaries were seeking me and My advisers and my princes were seeking me and hoping for my return. and I was established [as translated,] and I was established. and excessive greatness was added to me and more greatness than the earlier [kings] was added to me. Our Rabbis said (Shab. 150a) that he rode astride a lion and tied a serpent to its head.
Metzudat David
At the same time – At that moment, when I blessed Hashem, the understanding I had had before returned to me, and I returned to the honor of my kingdom; the splendor of my countenance returned to me, and my counselors and officers sought me out and asked to be ruled by me as before. And I was established in my kingdom – I was re-established over my kingdom, and surpassing, abundant greatness was added to me.
Metzudat Zion
Sought — a term denoting asking and seeking, as in 'if you will inquire, inquire' (Isaiah 21:12).
Malbim
At the same time my understanding returned to me — then his reason returned to him also with regard to the affairs of the kingdom, for at first only the understanding relating to his own body had returned to him. And he goes on to explain: and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty returned to me — that his mind was restored regarding what pertains to the honor of the kingdom; and also my majesty and my splendor returned to me — that the majesty and splendor of the kingdom, which until then had been altered in his very appearance, were restored to him, until his officers and nobles sought him out and he was reinstated in his kingdom, and even greater honor than he had had before was added to him.
Abarbanel has already explained that, because Nebuchadnezzar made the image with the intention of thereby nullifying Hashem's decree concerning the four kingdoms and of seizing the kingship forever, he was punished and removed from his kingdom even in his own lifetime, so that he would come to recognize that God's kingship rules over all. In this regard, the three narratives that appear in this book unfold one out of the other: because of the dream of the image, he made the image in the plain of Dura in order to nullify the decree of the Most High, and for this he was punished and driven from his kingdom even in his lifetime — yet the kingship was not uprooted from him altogether, for it had already been foretold through Jeremiah that the nations would serve him, his son, and his son's son. He was also restored to his kingdom so that he might make known to mankind the praise of God and His mighty acts; therefore he wrote this in an open letter to all the peoples, and concluded his words by saying —
Ibn Yahya
At that time my understanding returned to me, and I returned to the glory of my kingdom; my splendor and the light of my countenance returned to me; my officers and my ministers sought me out; I was reestablished over my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are truth, and His ways justice; and those who walk in pride He is able to abase.’
verse value 4015
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "for" (דִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·his·works" (כׇל־מַעֲבָד֙וֹהִי֙, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "praise" (מְשַׁבַּ֨ח), "and·extol" (וּמְרוֹמֵ֤ם), "and·honor" (וּמְהַדַּר֙). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·of" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "for" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "Nebuchadnezzar" (root נבוכדנצר, 28x in Daniel). First appearance of the root דין ("justice") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'justice', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
and Whose ways are just His ways are just. who walk with arrogance Those who walk with arrogance He can humble.
Ibn Ezra
Those who walk in pride — [meaning] haughtiness, as in [the phrase] ‘when they are brought low, you will say, it was pride’.
Metzudat David
Now – This too is part of the words of the letter, in which he said: 'Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol, and glorify the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and whose ways are justice, and who is able to humble those who walk in pride and haughtiness.'
Metzudat Zion
In pride — [it means] like 'be-ga'avah' (with pride); similarly, 'for they are brought low, and you say: pride!' (Job 22).
Malbim
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven — for all His works are truth and His ways are justice: he had seen that God's governance operates according to providence, and that this providence follows justice and judgment; and those who walk in pride He is able to abase — for so He abased his own pride and the arrogance of his heart, when he had said, 'I will ascend to heaven,' in order to nullify the decree of the Most High and to reign as king forever.
Ibn Yahya
Therefore I now praise, extol, and glorify the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and whose ways are justice; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim
Ibn Yahya