Daniel 4.8-Nebuchadnezzar Communicates The Content Of The Dream To Daniel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday August 30, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 4:8-Nebuchadnezzar Communicates The Content Of The Dream To Daniel
Lesson # 114
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 4:8.
This evening we will study Daniel 4:8 which records Nebuchadnezzar communicating his dream to Daniel.
Daniel 4:1 “King Nebuchadnezzar, to each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups, who are living throughout the entire earth: May your prosperity increase! 2 It is pleasing to me to make known the miraculous signs, yes, and wondrous signs at that, which the Most High God performed on my behalf. 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. 4 I myself, Nebuchadnezzar was content in my house, specifically prosperous in my palace. 5 I saw a dream, which caused me to be frightened, specifically revelations on my bed. Indeed, visions in my mind caused me to be terrified. 6 Therefore, from me a command was issued for the purpose of causing each and every one of the city of Babylon’s wise men to be brought into my presence in order that they could make known to me the dream’s interpretation. 7 Consequently, when the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers as well as diviners entered, I communicated the content of the dream before them but they could not make its interpretation known to me.” (My translation)
Daniel 4:8 “But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him.” (NASB95)
“But finally Daniel came in before me” presents the next event that took place after the city of Babylon’s occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners could not interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which had terrified him.
The conjunction wa means “then” and not “but” since it is a marker of a sequence of closely related events meaning it is introducing a statement that marks the next event that took place after the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners could not interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which had terrified him.
“Finally” is composed of the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) (ad) and its object is the masculine singular noun ʾā∙ḥǒrān (אָחֳרָן) (okh-or-awn´).
Together they are used adverbially meaning “finally, at last, last of all” in the sense of last in a series.
This indicates that though Daniel was ruler over the wise men who were composed of occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners, he did not enter into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence with them.
This is clear here in Daniel 4:8 since the verse clearly says that Daniel entered the king’s presence after the wise men could not interpret the king’s dream.
“Whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god” refers to the Babylonian god Bel who is also known as Marduk.
Though, the king is already a believer in Yahweh at this point in the narrative of Daniel, the king is speaking retrospectively here in Daniel 4:8 to his subjects.
Therefore, he is referring to Marduk or Bel from his pre-conversion part of his life.
“A spirit of the holy gods” is composed of the feminine singular construct form of the noun rûaḥ (רוּחַ) (roo´-akh), “a spirit of” which is followed by the masculine plural noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “gods” which is modified by the masculine plural adjective qǎd∙dîš (קַדִּישׁ) (kad-deesh´), “holy.”
The noun rûaḥ refers to the Holy Spirit and is used of Daniel indicating that Nebuchadnezzar is describing Daniel to his subjects as one who possesses God’s Holy Spirit.
The noun ʾělāh means “God” referring to the Holy Spirit since it is modified by the adjective qǎd∙dîš, which means “holy.”
This adjective describes God’s Spirit as set apart and morally pure in the sense that the God of Israel is to be distinguished from the heathen gods in that He is the true God and they are not.
The noun rûaḥ is in the construct state meaning that it is governing the proper noun ʾělāh, which means “God” referring to the Holy Spirit.
This indicates a genitive relationship which means that God the Father “possesses” the Holy Spirit or that they possess a relationship with each other because they are both deity.
That this Aramaic expression should be rendered “God’s Holy Spirit” rather than “a spirit of the gods” is indicated by the fact that in Daniel 4:9, the king uses this expression to describe the basis for the fact that absolutely no mystery is too difficult for Daniel.
Now, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that Daniel’s God is a revealer of mysteries in Daniel 2:47.
Thus, the fact that the king associated the revealing of mysteries to Daniel’s God indicates that when Nebuchadnezzar uses the expression rûaḥ qǎd·dî·šînʾělā·hîn in Daniel 4:8-9, he is describing Daniel as possessing God’s Holy Spirit rather being indwelt with a spirit of the gods.
Daniel 4:8 “Then Daniel entered my presence whose name was Belteshazzar according to my god’s name and in addition one who possesses God’s Holy Spirit in him. Next, I communicated the content of the dream before him.” (My translation)
This verse tells us that even though Daniel was ruler over the wise men, he did not enter into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence with them.
But rather he entered the king’s presence after the wise men could not interpret the king’s dream.
Why the king did not have Daniel with the wise men since he was the authority over them is not told to us the reader.
However, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the king told Daniel he need not bother come along with the wise men.
As we have pointed in our studies of Daniel 4:6-7, we have the king again asking his wise men to interpret his dream, which he knows and they know they can’t do and have been proven to have no ability to meet this request of the king to interpret his dream.
Nebuchadnezzar’s seeking out his wise men to interpret his dream seems rather strange since Daniel chapter two records that the king was extremely upset with them as a result of their inability to tell him the content of his dream. In fact, he ordered them to be executed.
Also, it was Daniel who was able to tell the king the content and interpretation of his dream in chapter two.
Here Daniel 4:8 says that he entered the king’s presence after the wise men could not interpret the king’s dream.
So the king did not send for him until after the wise men failed again.
There are three possible reasons why Nebuchadnezzar sent for the wise men and then as a last resort Daniel.
The first is that the wise men were placed under Daniel’s authority according to Daniel 2:48, thus the king might have thought that the wise men had learned how to interpret dreams from Daniel.
The second reason was that Nebuchadnezzar might have felt embarrassed because of his great pride to call on the latter since chapter three records that he executed his three friends.
The first reason could have been used by the king to rationalize not having to face Daniel again, which undoubtedly would have been embarrassing to him.
The third reason is that the king knew the dream concerned him and was about a king who would be deposed until he acknowledged the God of Israel was sovereign over him.
Nebuchadnezzar knows that God is speaking to him again and his conscience has convicted him that he has not been obedient to the previous revelations given to him in that he has yet to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over his life.
So the king knows with this revelation or vision that God is dealing with him and is not happy with him which is reflected in Daniel’s interpretation, which said that the king would be deposed for seven years until he acknowledged that God was sovereign over him.
Notice in Daniel 4:8 that Nebuchadnezzar uses the name “Daniel” indicating that the king is demonstrating great respect for the God of Israel since the name “Daniel” honors the God of Israel whereas “Belteshazzar” honors the pagan Babylonian gods.
