The Meaning of Daniel 4:35 Explained

Daniel 4:35

KJV: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

YLT: and all who are dwelling on the earth as nothing are reckoned, and according to his will He is doing among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth, and there is none that doth clap with his hand, and saith to Him, What hast Thou done?

Darby: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

ASV: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all  the inhabitants  of the earth  [are] reputed  as nothing:  and he doeth  according to his will  in the army  of heaven,  and [among] the inhabitants  of the earth:  and none  can  stay  his hand,  or say  unto him, What  doest  thou? 

What does Daniel 4:35 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 4:35 mean?

And all - the inhabitants of earth the as nothing [are] reputed and according to His will He does in army of heaven the - and [among] the inhabitants of earth the and No [one] [there] is that can restrain His hand Or say to Him what have You done
וְכָל־ [דארי] (דָּיְרֵ֤י) אַרְעָא֙ כְּלָ֣ה חֲשִׁיבִ֔ין וּֽכְמִצְבְּיֵ֗הּ עָבֵד֙ בְּחֵ֣יל שְׁמַיָּ֔א [ודארי] (וְדָיְרֵ֖י) אַרְעָ֑א וְלָ֤א אִיתַי֙ דִּֽי־ יְמַחֵ֣א בִידֵ֔הּ וְיֵ֥אמַר לֵ֖הּ מָ֥ה עֲבַֽדְתְּ

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
[דארי]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
(דָּיְרֵ֤י)  the  inhabitants  of 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: דּוּר  
Sense: (P’al) to dwell.
אַרְעָא֙  earth  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֲרַע  
Sense: earth, world, ground.
כְּלָ֣ה  as  nothing 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
חֲשִׁיבִ֔ין  [are]  reputed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: חֲשַׁב  
Sense: (P’al) to think, account.
וּֽכְמִצְבְּיֵ֗הּ  and  according  to  His  will 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבָה  
Sense: to desire, be inclined, be willing, be pleased.
עָבֵד֙  He  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲבַד  
Sense: to make, do.
בְּחֵ֣יל  in  army 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַיִל  
Sense: strength, army, power.
שְׁמַיָּ֔א  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
[ודארי]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
(וְדָיְרֵ֖י)  and  [among]  the  inhabitants  of 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: דּוּר  
Sense: (P’al) to dwell.
אַרְעָ֑א  earth  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֲרַע  
Sense: earth, world, ground.
וְלָ֤א  and  No  [one] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
אִיתַי֙  [there]  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אִיתַי  
Sense: there is, there are.
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
יְמַחֵ֣א  can  restrain 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מְחָא  
Sense: to strike, smite, kill.
בִידֵ֔הּ  His  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יַד  
Sense: hand.
וְיֵ֥אמַר  Or  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
לֵ֖הּ  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
עֲבַֽדְתְּ  have  You  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עֲבַד  
Sense: to make, do.