Page 127 - Daniel

watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop
down the tree and destroy it, but 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 him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion
be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over

him….’”

Keil well summarizes the situation facing Daniel: “As Daniel at once
understood the interpretation of the dream, he was for a moment so
astonished that he could not speak for terror at the thoughts which
moved his soul. This amazement seized him because he wished well to
the king, and yet he must now announce to him a weighty judgment
from God.” No doubt Daniel was not only troubled by the dream’s
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content but by the need to tell Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation in an
appropriate way.
Verse 19 introduces both names of Daniel again, the Hebrew name in

recognition that he is acting as a servant of the God of Israel and his
Babylonian name by which he was known officially. Daniel’s
consternation at the interpretation of the dream is indicated in that he
“was dismayed for a while,” to be understood as being in a state of
perplexity for a period of time. Nebuchadnezzar urged Daniel not to let
the dream trouble him. The comment reflected his respect for Daniel as a

person as well as the interpreter of the dream, and indirectly this was an
assurance that Daniel himself need not fear the king regardless of what
he revealed.

With this encouragement, Daniel replied with typical oriental courtesy
that he wished the dream and its interpretation would apply to
Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies. Was this mere flattery? it would not seem so.
Daniel had a high regard for Nebuchadnezzar and undoubtedly wished
the interpretation of the dream could have been different. Besides, he
ended his interpretation by calling for Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his

sins.
Daniel began by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in detail. He
immediately identified the tree as representing Nebuchadnezzar. Just
like the tree in the dream, the king had grown and become strong, with

his dominion reaching to the end of the earth. After recounting the