---
title: "Bullinger"
description: "Nebuohadnezzar. What follows is evidently a proclamation. Given probably in 454 B.C., the last of the seven years of his \"madness\"(461-454 B.C.), the sam"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
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---

**Nebuohadnezzar.** What follows is evidently a proclamation. Given probably in 454 B.C., the last of the seven years of his "madness"(461-454 B.C.), the same year as the decree of Astyages, Daniel being then fifty-nine.
**people** = the peoples.
**nations** = races.
**languages** = tongues.

**thought** = have thought.
**wonders** = astonishing things.
**HIGH** = most HIGH.
**God** . Chaldee. *'elaha'* (emphatic). App-4 .

**How great, &c** . Compare [Daniel 4:34](../../../kjv/daniel/4/34) ; [Daniel 2:44](../../../kjv/daniel/2/44) ; [Daniel 7:17](../../../kjv/daniel/7/17) .

**dream** . One of twenty recorded dreams. See note on [Genesis 20:3](../../../kjv/genesis/20/3) .
**visions of my head, &c** . Compare [Daniel 4:10](../../../kjv/daniel/4/10) , and [Daniel 2:28](../../../kjv/daniel/2/28) .

**to bring in all the wise men, &c** . Probably done from motives of state policy, or acting on Daniel's own advice. A writer clever enough to be a forger would be wise enough not to leave the loophole alleged.

**magicians, &c** . See note on [Daniel 1:2](../../../kjv/daniel/1/2) .

**Belteshazzar.** See note on [Daniel 1:7](../../../kjv/daniel/1/7) .
**god** . Chaldee. *'elah.* App-4 .
**spirit** . Hebrew. *ruach.* App-9 .
**holy** . See note on [Exodus 3:5](../../../kjv/exodus/3/5) .
**gods** . Chaldee. *'elahin* (plural) App-4 .

**master of the magicians** . Daniel still held the position given him in [Daniel 2:48](../../../kjv/daniel/2/48) .
**secret** . Chaldee. *raz.* Same word as in [Daniel 2](../../../kjv/daniel/2) : (except [Daniel 2:22](../../../kjv/daniel/2/22) ). See notes on [Daniel 2:18](../../../kjv/daniel/2/18) , [Daniel 2:22](../../../kjv/daniel/2/22) .

**I saw** = I was gazing.
**behold** . Figure of speech *Asterismos.* App-6 .

**a watcher and an holy one** . Figure of speech *Hendiadys* ( App-6 ) = an holy angel.
**watcher** . A Chaldee name ( *'ir* ) for an angelic being, watching over the affairs of men. Compare: [Daniel 4:17](../../../kjv/daniel/4/17) , [Daniel 4:23](../../../kjv/daniel/4/23) . Not the same root as in [Daniel 9:14](../../../kjv/daniel/9/14) .

**the stump of his roots** = his root-trunk.
**tender grass** = herbage.
**wet** = drenched.

**Let his heart, &c** . The figure here changes from a tree to that of a beast, mentioned in [Daniel 4:15](../../../kjv/daniel/4/15) .
**man's** . Chaldee. *'anasha'.* App-14 .
**seven times.** The inscriptions state that there were several years in which Nebuchadnezzar did nothing,

**demand** = mandate.
**ruleth** = hath dominion.
**basest** = lowest.

**astonied** = astonished.
**one hour.** Chaldee. *sha* ' *ah* = a moment, as [Daniel 4:33](../../../kjv/daniel/4/33) ; [Daniel 3:6](../../../kjv/daniel/3/6) , [Daniel 3:15](../../../kjv/daniel/3/15) ; [Daniel 5:5](../../../kjv/daniel/5/5) .
**The king spake.** Note the change of speakers.
**answered and said** . See note on [Deuteronomy 1:41](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/1/41) .

**drive thee, &c** . The mental disease of Nebuchadnezzar is rare. It is called *Lycanthropy* (from Greek, *lukos* = a wolf, and *anthropos =* a man), because the man imagines himself to be a wolf, or some other animal.
**men** . Chaldee plural of ' *anash* . App-14 .
**make** = suffer.

**the heavens** . Put by Figure of speech *Metonymy* (of Subject), App-6 , for God Who dwells there. Compare [Luke 15:18](../../../kjv/luke/15/18) .

**counsel** = advice. Not the same word as in [Daniel 3:24](../../../kjv/daniel/3/24) , [Daniel 3:27](../../../kjv/daniel/3/27) ; [Daniel 4:36](../../../kjv/daniel/4/36) ; [Daniel 6:7](../../../kjv/daniel/6/7) .
**break off** . This is rendered in the Vulgate (the Authorized version of the Church of Rome) by "redeem"; but the Chaldee *perak* = break off. First occurs in Hebrew ( *parak* ) [Genesis 27:40](../../../kjv/genesis/27/40) . [Exodus 32:2](../../../kjv/exodus/32/2) , [Exodus 32:3](../../../kjv/exodus/32/3) , [Exodus 32:24](../../../kjv/exodus/32/24) , &c. See note on [Psalms 136:24](../../../kjv/psalms/136/24) .
**sins:** *chatai.* Same as App-44 .
**righteousness** . This is rendered as "almsgiving" in the Vulgate. But Chaldee. *tzidkah* (Hebrew. *tzedakah) =* righteousness never signifies alms or almsgiving.
**iniquities** . Chaldee. *'ivya'.* Same as App-44 .
**poor** = wretched, miserable. Chaldee. *'anah.* See note on "poverty", [Proverbs 6:11](../../../kjv/proverbs/6/11) . Here referring doubtless to the Jewish captives.

**All this came** . Here the change is to the historical narration.

**spake** = answered.
**great Babylon** . The German Orient Society's excavations during recent years have shown how "great" it was. See *Records of the Past,* vol. i, p, &c.
**that I have built** . Everywhere this is repeated by Nebuchadnezzar on bricks, pavements, walls, &c.
**house of the kingdom** = the royal palace.

**I Nebuchadnezzar, &c** . Here the king again speaks. This corresponds with the Proclamation (verses: [Daniel 4:1-3](../../../kjv/daniel/4/1-3) ), and is the ground of its being made.
**the Most High** . Compare verses: [Daniel 4:17](../../../kjv/daniel/4/17) , [Daniel 4:32](../../../kjv/daniel/4/32) .
**I praised, &c** . Modern critics are stumbled because Nebuchadnezzar should do this while he was an idolater. But surely it is the token that a great change had taken place. This occurred in 454, just after Astyages (the great king = Artaxerxes) had issued his decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem; and it was imperative that Nebuchadnezzar should now issue this imperial decree. See App-58 . This year, 454 B. C, is specially marked by the issue of these two momentous proclamations. When Nebuchadnezzar's madness began, Daniel was fifty-two, and when it ended, he was fifty-nine years old.

**all, &c** . Compare [Job 34:14](../../../kjv/job/34/14) , [Job 34:15](../../../kjv/job/34/15) , [Job 34:19-24](../../../kjv/job/34/19-24) .[Isaiah 40:15-17](../../../kjv/isaiah/40/15-17) , [Isaiah 40:22-24](../../../kjv/isaiah/40/22-24) .
**and He, &c** . Compare [1 Samuel 3:18](../../../kjv/1-samuel/3/18) . [Job 23:13](../../../kjv/job/23/13) .[Psalms 33:9-11](../../../kjv/psalms/33/9-11) ; [Psalms 115:3](../../../kjv/psalms/115/3) ; [Psalms 135:6](../../../kjv/psalms/135/6) . [Isaiah 14:24-27](../../../kjv/isaiah/14/24-27) ; [Isaiah 46:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/46/10) , [Isaiah 46:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/46/11) .
**the inhabitants, &c** . [Psalms 33:8](../../../kjv/psalms/33/8) , [Psalms 33:14](../../../kjv/psalms/33/14) ; [Psalms 49:1](../../../kjv/psalms/49/1) .[Isaiah 26:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/26/9) .
**none, &c** . Compare [Job 9:4](../../../kjv/job/9/4) , [Job 9:13](../../../kjv/job/9/13) ; [Job 34:29](../../../kjv/job/34/29) ; [Job 40:9-12](../../../kjv/job/40/9-12) ; [Job 42:2](../../../kjv/job/42/2) .[Acts 5:39](../../../kjv/acts/5/39) ; [Acts 9:5](../../../kjv/acts/9/5) ; [Acts 11:17](../../../kjv/acts/11/17) , &c.
**What, &c** . Compare [Job 9:12](../../../kjv/job/9/12) ; [Job 33:12](../../../kjv/job/33/12) , [Job 33:13](../../../kjv/job/33/13) ; [Job 40:2](../../../kjv/job/40/2) .[Isaiah 45:9-11](../../../kjv/isaiah/45/9-11) .

**counsellers** . See note on [Daniel 3:24](../../../kjv/daniel/3/24) .
**lords** . See note on [Daniel 5:1](../../../kjv/daniel/5/1) , and "princes", [Daniel 5:2](../../../kjv/daniel/5/2) .

**I Nebuchadnezzar, &c** . This corresponds with verses: [Daniel 4:1-3](../../../kjv/daniel/4/1-3) . See the Structure, p. 1185.

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