Daniel 4.3-Nebuchadnezzar Affirms The Most High God's Great Signs, Wonders And That His Kingdom Is Eternal And His Authority Continues From Generation To Generation
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 21, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 4:3-Nebuchadnezzar Affirms The Most High God’s Great Signs, Wonders And That His Kingdom Is Eternal And His Authority Continues From Generation To Generation
Lesson # 109
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 4:1.
This evening we will study Daniel 4:3, which records Nebuchadnezzar affirming the Most High God’s great signs, wonders and that His kingdom is eternal and His authority continues from generation to generation.
Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound! 2 It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.” (NASB95)
“How great are His signs” is composed of the masculine plural construct form of the noun ʾāṯ (אָת) (awth), which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “His” which is followed by the preposition k- (כְּ־) (kee) which is employed with the interrogative pronoun mā(h) (מָה) (maw), which together are translated “how” and this is followed by the adjective rǎḇ (רַב) (rab), “great.”
The preposition k- is employed with the interrogative pronoun mā(h) and together they mean “how” since they refer to a great degree, a relatively high point on a scale involving exclamation.
These two words are used with the adjective rǎḇ, which means “great” in the sense of degree describing the signs and wonders God performed on behalf of Nebuchadnezzar as being tremendous displays of God’s omnipotence.
The word denotes that these signs and wonders were great in the sense that they dwarf what man can do and were superior to anything any man could do.
The noun ʾāṯ means “miraculous signs” and refers to the miraculous events recorded in Daniel chapter four, which were intended to get the attention of Nebuchadnezzar and to confirm and demonstrate to him the God of Israel’s authority over the king and that the king was under the God of Israel’s authority.
These miracles were “confirmation” of this authority and served as “proof” that the God of Israel was sovereign over the earth and Nebuchadnezzar himself.
“And how mighty His wonders” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the masculine plural construct form of the noun temǎh (תְּמַהּ) (tem-ah´), “wonders,” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “His” and then we have the preposition k- (כְּ־) (kee) which is employed once again with the interrogative pronoun mā(h) (מָה) (maw), which together are translated “how” and this is followed by the masculine plural form of the adjective tǎq∙qîp̄ (תַּקִּיף) (tak-keef´), “mighty.”
The conjunction wa is emphatic meaning that the word is introducing a statement that is advancing upon and intensifying Nebuchadnezzar’s previous statement, which is indicated by the fact that this word in Daniel 4:2 joined the nouns ʾāṯ and temǎh in order to communicate one idea, which is called “hendiadys.”
Once again, we have the preposition k- employed with the interrogative pronoun mā(h) and together they mean “how” since they refer to a great degree, a relatively high point on a scale involving exclamation.
However, this time in this second statement, they are used with the adjective tǎq∙qîp̄, which means “mighty” in the sense of powerful describing the signs and wonders God performed on behalf of Nebuchadnezzar as being tremendous displays of God’s omnipotence.
The noun temǎh also refers to the miraculous events contrary to the usual course of nature but from the perspective that it describes the supernatural character and nature of these miracles.
It speaks of a miracle from the perspective that it is designed by God to fill the witnesses and beneficiaries of the miracle with “wonder” in the sense of being filled with admiration for God and amazement and awe of Him.
Here the word speaks of the fact that the miracles that God performed on behalf of Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in chapter four filled him with admiration for God and amazement and awe of Him.
The miracle is designed to reach into the heart of the witnesses to the miracle and beneficiary of the miracle and shake them up so that it overwhelms them with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for Him.
Here the miracles performed by God on behalf of the king overwhelmed him with an emotion that was a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for Him.
“His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” is composed of the feminine singular construct form of the noun mǎl∙ḵûṯ (מַלְכוּת) (mal-kooth), “kingdom” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “His” and then once again we have the feminine singular construct form of the noun mǎl∙ḵûṯ (מַלְכוּת) (mal-kooth), “an kingdom” which this time is modified by the masculine singular form of the noun ʿā∙lǎm (עָלַם) (aw-lam´), “everlasting.”
At this point in Daniel 4:3, Nebuchadnezzar under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton.”
The Holy Spirit through Nebuchadnezzar uses this figure because He wants not only the subjects in Nebuchadnezzar’s world-wide kingdom to dwell or meditate upon this statement but also the reader to do so as well in order to acknowledge that God is sovereign over the nations of the earth.
This is to comfort God’s people and humble and warn those who are not.
The noun mǎl∙ḵûṯ means “kingdom” and refers to God’s kingdom in the sense of God’s authority over the kings of the earth and every creature and all creation.
It is modified by the noun ʿā∙lǎm, which means “forever” or “eternal” and denotes that God’s kingdom is infinite in duration in contrast to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and those which would follow his during the course of human history.
“And His dominion is from generation to generation” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the masculine singular construct form of the noun šā∙leṭān (שָׁלְטָן) (shol-tawn´), “dominion” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “His” and then we have the preposition ʿim (עִם) (eem), “from” and its object is the masculine singular noun dār (דָּר) (dawr), “generation” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “to” which is followed by the masculine singular noun dār (דָּר) (dawr), “generation.”
The conjunction wa is epexegetical this time meaning that it is introducing a statement which describes from a different perspective the previous statement that the Most High God’s kingdom is eternal.
The noun šā∙leṭān means “governmental dominion” referring to the Most High God’s supreme, sovereign authority or power to rule over every nation under heaven as well as every creature and all of creation.
Daniel 4:3 “How great are His miraculous signs! Indeed, how great are His wondrous signs! His kingdom is eternal. In other words, His governmental dominion is from generation to generation.” (My translation)
The four statements in Daniel 4:3 constitute a “doxology” which denotes a brief ascription of praise to the Most High God.
It is fitting for Nebuchadnezzar to burst into a doxology of praise of the God of Israel since he witnessed a great miracle, in which the God of Israel was revealing Himself personally to the king as omnipotent and sovereign.
Remember chapter four is retrospective exposition.
In this chapter, we see Nebuchadnezzar having a personal encounter with the God of Israel in the sense that the God of Israel disciplines him for his arrogance.
He encounters miraculous, wondrous signs in the form of a vision of tree, which was given to him by God.
Then, Daniel interprets the vision for him, which told the king he would be punished for his arrogance.
Nebuchadnezzar experiences the miraculous when Daniel’s interpretation is fulfilled.
Then, lastly, the king encounters the miraculous power of the God of Israel when he is restored to power after seven years of living as a wild animal.
Nebuchadnezzar has acknowledged that the God of Israel is sovereign over the kings of the earth including him and that there is no king outside of the God of Israel’s jurisdiction.
He has learned through experience with God that even though Babylon defeated Israel and took many of her citizens captive, the God of Israel was not defeated by him but rather he was an instrument in the hand of the God of Israel.
The king is no longer rebelling against the God of Israel but now serving willingly the God of Israel whereas prior to his conversion he was serving the God of Israel unknowingly and unwillingly.
Nebuchadnezzar is worshipping the God of Israel here in Daniel 4:3.
As a result of Nebuchadnezzar witnessing the power of God in his life as recorded in Daniel chapter four, the king’s attitude toward the God of Israel is one of deep respect and awe for Him.
As a result of personally encountering the power of the God of Israel, the king is esteeming the excellence of the person of the God of Israel as manifested through His attribute of omnipotence.
Nebuchadnezzar possesses an overwhelming feeling of reverence and admiration for the God of Israel as a result of the events recorded in Daniel chapter four.
As a result of personally encountering the power of the God of Israel as recorded in Daniel chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar is filled with admiration, amazement and awe for the God of Israel.
The miracles reached right into his heart and shook him up.
They enriched his life and overwhelmed him with an emotion which was a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence and fear and love for the God of Israel.