The Meaning of Daniel 4:21 Explained

Daniel 4:21

KJV: Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:

YLT: and its leaves are fair, and its budding great, and food for all is in it, under it dwell doth the beast of the field, and on its boughs sit do the birds of the heavens.

Darby: whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation:

ASV: whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whose leaves  [were] fair,  and the fruit  thereof much,  and in it [was] meat  for all;  under  which the beasts  of the field  dwelt,  and upon whose branches  the fowls  of the heaven  had their habitation: 

What does Daniel 4:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 4:19-37 - Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation
Beyond doubt Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most illustrious princes the world has ever seen. The discoveries which Layard commenced among the mounds of the Euphrates valley have afforded striking evidences of his magnificence. Nebuchadnezzar was very conscious of his greatness, and as he looked from the eminence of his throne upon the world at his feet, his heart was lifted up with pride. It would be easy to cite proofs from the stones and bricks of Babylon to corroborate the general tenor of this story; for all the bricks of the ruins in that great province, so far as they have been examined, bear the name of Nebuchadnezzar; and several inscriptions have been found which, in their boastfulness, tally exactly with Daniel 4:30. But how marvelous the contrast between those proud and vaunting words, and the ascriptions of humble homage and praise in Daniel 4:34-37! If God could produce such a result on the haughty king of Babylon, is there any sinner He cannot subdue? May not the stern discipline to which some lives are subjected be intended to subdue their proud wills and bring them to similar confessions? [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 4

1  Nebuchadnezzar confesses God's kingdom,
4  makes relation of his dreams, which the magicians could not interpret
8  Daniel hears the dream
19  He interprets it
28  The dream fulfilled

What do the individual words in Daniel 4:21 mean?

and whose leaves [were] lovely and its fruit abundant and food for all in that [was] under which dwelt the beasts of the field and in whose branches had their home the birds of heaven the
וְעָפְיֵ֤הּ שַׁפִּיר֙ וְאִנְבֵּ֣הּ שַׂגִּ֔יא וּמָז֨וֹן לְכֹ֖לָּא־ בֵ֑הּ תְּחֹת֗וֹהִי תְּדוּר֙ חֵיוַ֣ת בָּרָ֔א וּבְעַנְפ֕וֹהִי יִשְׁכְּנָ֖ן צִפֲּרֵ֥י שְׁמַיָּֽא

וְעָפְיֵ֤הּ  and  whose  leaves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֳפִי  
Sense: leafage, foliage.
שַׁפִּיר֙  [were]  lovely 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שַׁפִּיר  
Sense: fair, beautiful (of foliage).
וְאִנְבֵּ֣הּ  and  its  fruit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵב  
Sense: fruit, fresh, young, greening.
שַׂגִּ֔יא  abundant 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שַׂגִּיא  
Sense: great, much.
וּמָז֨וֹן  and  food 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָזׄון  
Sense: food, feed.
לְכֹ֖לָּא־  for  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
בֵ֑הּ  in  that  [was] 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
תְּחֹת֗וֹהִי  under  which 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: תְּחֹות  
Sense: under.
תְּדוּר֙  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: דּוּר  
Sense: (P’al) to dwell.
חֵיוַ֣ת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵיוָה  
Sense: beast, animal.
בָּרָ֔א  of  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּר  
Sense: field.
וּבְעַנְפ֕וֹהִי  and  in  whose  branches 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֲנַף  
Sense: bough, branch.
יִשְׁכְּנָ֖ן  had  their  home 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: שְׁכַן  
Sense: to dwell, reside.
צִפֲּרֵ֥י  the  birds 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: צִפַּר  
Sense: bird.
שְׁמַיָּֽא  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 4:21?

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