언어
챗봇 KG 근거 인용 · draft

주석[매튜 헨리] — 다니엘 4장 · 느부갓네살의 광기

요약
매튜 헨리 주석 · 섹션 6개 · 한국어 번역 있음(한국어 우선) · 본문 보기
아래 주석은 원문(및 번역문) 그대로입니다.

1~3절 카드 ↗

Nebuchadnezzar Magnifies God. . 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2 I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward 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. Here is, I. Something of form, which was usual in writs, proclamations, or circular letters, issued by the king, Daniel 4:1 ; Daniel 4:1 . The royal style which Nebuchadnezzar makes use of has nothing in it of pomp or fancy, but is plain, short, and unaffected-- Nebuchadnezzar the king. If at other times he made use of great swelling words of vanity in his title, how he laid them all aside; for he was old, he had lately recovered from a distraction which had humbled and mortified him, and was now in the actual contemplation of God's greatness and sovereignty. The declaration is directed not only to his own subjects, but to all to whom this present writing shall come-- to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth. He is not only willing that they should all hear of it, though it carry the account if his own infamy (which perhaps none durst have published if he had not done it himself, and therefore Daniel published the original paper), but he strictly charges and commands all manner of persons to take notice of it; for all are concerned, and it may be profitable to all. He salutes those to whom he writes, in the usual form, Peace be multiplied unto you. Note, It becomes kings with their commands to disperse their good wishes, and, as fathers of their country, to bless their subjects. So the common form with us. We send greeting, Omnibus quibus hæ præsentes literæ pervenerint, salutem--To all to whom these presents shall come, health; and sometimes Salutem sempiternam--Health and salvation everlasting. II. Something of substance and matter. He writes this, 1. To acquaint others with the providences of God that had related to him ( Daniel 4:2 ; Daniel 4:2 ): I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God (so he calls the true God) has wrought towards me. He thought it seemly (so the word is), that it was his duty, and did well become him, that it was a debt he owed to God and the world, now that he had recovered from his distraction, to relate to distant places, and record for future ages, how justly God had humbled him and how graciously he had at length restored him. All the nations, no doubt, had heard what befell Nebuchadnezzar, and rang of it; but he thought it fit that they should have a distinct account of it from himself, that they might know the hand of God in it, and what impressions were made upon his own spirit by it, and might speak of it not as a matter of news, but as a matter of religion. The events concerning him were not only wonders to be admired, but signs to be instructed by, signifying to the world that Jehovah is greater than all gods. Note, We ought to show to others God's dealings with us, both the rebukes we have been under and the favours we have received; and though the account hereof may reflect disgrace upon ourselves, as this did upon Nebuchadnezzar, yet we must not conceal it, as long as it may redound to the glory of God. Many will be forward to tell what God has done for their souls, because that turns to their own praise, who care not for telling what God has done against them, and how they deserved it; whereas we ought to give glory to God, not only by praising him for his mercies, but by confessing our sins, accepting the punishment of our iniquity, and in both taking shame to ourselves, as this mighty monarch here does. 2. To show how much he was himself affected with them and convinced by them, Daniel 4:3 ; Daniel 4:3 . We should always speak of the word and works of God with concern and seriousness and show ourselves affected with those great things of God which we desire others should take notice of. (1.) He admires God's doings. He speaks of them as one amazed: How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! Nebuchadnezzar was now old, had reigned above forty years, and had seen as much of the world and the revolutions of it as most men ever did; and yet never till now, when himself was nearly touched, was he brought to admire surprising events as God's signs and his wonders. Now, How great, how mighty, are they! Note, The more we see events to be the Lord's doing, and see in them the product of a divine power and the conduct of a divine wisdom, the more marvellous they will appear in our eyes, Psalms 118:23 ; Psalms 66:2 . (2.) He thence infers God's dominion. This is that which he is at length brought to subscribe to: His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and not like his own kingdom, which he saw, and long since foresaw, in a dream, hastening towards a period. He now owns that there is a God that governs the world and has a universal, incontestable, absolute dominion in and over all the affairs of the children of men. And it is the glory of this kingdom that it is everlasting. Other reigns are confined to one generation, and other dynasties to a few generations, but God's dominion is from generation to generation. It should seem, Nebuchadnezzar here refers to what Daniel had foretold of a kingdom which the God of heaven would set up, that should never be destroyed ( Daniel 2:44 ; Daniel 2:44 ), which, though meant of the kingdom of the Messiah, he understood of the providential kingdom. Thus we may make a profitable practical use and application of those prophetical scriptures which yet we do not fully, and perhaps not rightly, comprehend the meaning of. return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-4-18" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/dan-4-1, bible-text/dan-4-2, bible-text/dan-4-3

Source

> 1 왕 느부갓네살은 온 땅에 거하는 모든 백성들, 민족들, 언어들에게 문안하노니 평강이 너희에게 넘치기를 원하노라. 2 지극히 높으신 하나님이 내게 행하신 표적과 이적을 알리는 것이 내가 마땅히 할 일이로다. 3 그의 표적이 얼마나 크며 그의 이적이 얼마나 강한지! 그의 나라는 영원한 나라요 그의 통치는 대대로 이어지도다.

느부갓네살 왕은 이 문서에서 두 가지 내용을 전달한다.

**첫째, 형식적 요소 (1절)** — 왕이 반포하는 칙령이나 공개 서한에서 통상적으로 쓰이는 형식이 담겨 있다. 느부갓네살이 사용하는 왕의 호칭은 과장되거나 허식적이지 않고, 단순하고 소박하다. "왕 느부갓네살." 그는 아마도 이전에는 자신의 호칭에 거창한 수식어를 붙였을 테지만 이제는 모두 내려놓았다. 그는 나이가 들었고, 얼마 전 이성을 잃었다가 회복된 경험이 그를 겸손하고 절제하게 만들었으며, 지금 이 순간 하나님의 위대하심과 주권을 묵상하고 있었다. 선언문의 수신자는 자신의 백성뿐 아니라 "온 땅에 거하는 모든 백성들, 민족들, 언어들"이다. 그는 자신의 수치가 담긴 이야기가 모든 사람에게 알려지기를 바랄 뿐 아니라, 모든 이가 이를 주목해야 한다고 명령한다. 왕들은 명령과 함께 좋은 뜻을 전해야 한다.

**둘째, 실질적 내용**

1. 하나님의 섭리를 알림 (2절) — 그는 지극히 높으신 하나님(참 하나님을 이렇게 부른다)이 자신에게 행하신 표적과 이적을 알리는 것이 자신의 의무라고 여겼다. 이성을 회복한 이후, 하나님이 어떻게 자신을 정당하게 낮추시고 또 어떻게 은혜롭게 회복시키셨는지를 먼 곳까지 전하고 후대에 기록으로 남기는 것이 하나님과 세상에 대한 자신의 빚이라고 생각했다. 그 사건들은 감탄할 기적일 뿐 아니라, 세상에 여호와가 모든 신보다 크다는 것을 알리는 표적이었다. 우리는 하나님이 우리에게 행하신 일들, 즉 우리가 받은 징계와 은혜를 다른 이들에게 알려야 한다. 비록 그 이야기가 느부갓네살에게 그랬듯이 우리 자신의 수치를 드러낸다 하더라도 숨겨서는 안 된다.

2. 하나님의 일에 얼마나 깊이 감동받았는지를 보여줌 (3절) — 우리는 하나님의 말씀과 행하심에 대해 경건한 마음으로 말해야 하며, 우리가 다른 이들이 주목하기 바라는 하나님의 위대한 일들에 우리 자신도 진심으로 감동받았음을 드러내야 한다.

- 그는 하나님의 행하심에 경탄한다. "그의 표적이 얼마나 크며 그의 이적이 얼마나 강한지!" 느부갓네살은 나이 들었고 40년 이상 통치했으며 세상의 변화를 누구보다 많이 보았지만, 자신이 직접 깊이 감동받기 전까지는 놀라운 사건들을 하나님의 표적과 이적으로 경탄하는 데 이르지 못했다. 하나님의 사건들을 주님의 행하심으로, 신적 능력과 지혜의 산물로 볼수록 그것들이 더욱 놀랍게 보일 것이다.

- 그는 거기서 하나님의 통치를 추론한다. "그의 나라는 영원한 나라요." 그는 이것이 자기 나라와 다름을 안다. 자기 나라는 꿈 속에서도 오래전에 이미 종말을 향해 가고 있었다. 그는 이제 세상을 다스리고 인류의 모든 일에 절대적이고 논란의 여지 없는 주권을 가진 하나님이 계심을 인정한다. 다른 나라들은 한 세대에 국한되고, 다른 왕조들은 몇 세대에 그치지만, 하나님의 통치는 "대대로 이어진다."

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원주석

1~37절 카드 ↗

D A N I E L. CHAP. IV. The penman of this chapter is Nebuchadnezzar himself: the story here recorded concerning him is given us in his own words, as he himself drew it up and published it; but Daniel, a prophet, by inspiration, inserts it in his history, and so it has become a part of sacred writ and a very memorable part. Nebuchadnezzar was as daring a rival with God Almighty for the sovereignty as perhaps any mortal man ever was; but here he fairly owns himself conquered, and gives it under his hand that the God of Israel is above him. Here is, I. The preface to his narrative, wherein he acknowledges God's dominion over him, Daniel 4:1-3 . II. The narrative itself, wherein he relates, 1. His dream, which puzzled the magicians, Daniel 4:1-18 . 2. The interpretation of his dream by Daniel, who showed him that it was a prognostication of his own fall, advising him therefore to repent and reform, Daniel 4:19-27 . 3. The accomplishment of it in his running stark mad for seven years, and then recovering the use of his reason again, Daniel 4:28-36 . 4. The conclusion of the narrative, with a humble acknowledgment and adoration of God as Lord of all, Daniel 4:37 . This was extorted from him by the overruling power of that God who has all men's hearts in his hand, and stands upon record a lasting proof of God's supremacy, a monument of his glory, a trophy of his victory, and a warning to all not to think of prospering while they lift up or harden their hearts against God. return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-1-3" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

Source

다니엘 4장을 기록한 사람은 느부갓네살 왕 자신이다. 여기 기록된 이야기는 왕이 직접 작성하고 반포한 자신의 글이다. 그러나 선지자 다니엘이 영감을 받아 이를 자신의 역사서에 삽입함으로써, 이 내용은 성경의 한 부분이 되었고 매우 기억할 만한 본문이 되었다. 느부갓네살은 아마도 어떤 인간도 견줄 수 없을 만큼 대담하게 전능하신 하나님의 주권에 도전했던 사람이었다. 그러나 이 장에서 그는 자신이 완전히 굴복했음을 공개적으로 인정하고, 이스라엘의 하나님이 자신보다 위에 계심을 친필로 기록한다.

이 장의 내용은 다음과 같다.

1. 서술의 서문 — 하나님의 주권을 인정함 (다니엘 4:1-3)

2. 서술 본문

- 그가 꾼 꿈 — 술객들이 해석하지 못함 (다니엘 4:4-18)

- 꿈의 해석 — 다니엘이 왕 자신의 몰락을 예고하며 회개를 권고 (다니엘 4:19-27)

- 성취 — 7년간 완전히 미쳐 짐승처럼 살다가 이성을 회복함 (다니엘 4:28-33)

- 결론 — 겸손한 고백과 하나님을 만주의 주로 경배함 (다니엘 4:34-37)

이 사건은 하나님의 지배력에 대항하여 자신을 높이거나 마음을 완고하게 하면서 형통하리라고 생각해서는 안 된다는 것을 모든 이에게 경고하는, 하나님의 최고 주권에 대한 영속적 증거이며 그분의 영광의 기념비이고 그분의 승리의 전리품이다.

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원주석

4~18절 카드 ↗

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream; Nebuchadnezzar Relates His Dream. . 4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. 8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. 11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: 12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. 13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; 14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: 15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: 16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. 17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. Nebuchadnezzar, before he relates the judgments of God that had been wrought upon him for his pride, gives an account of the fair warning he had of them before they came, a due regard to which might have prevented them. But he was told of them, and of the issue of them, before they came to pass, that, when they did come to pass, by comparing them with the prediction of them, he might see, and say, that they were the Lord's doing, and might be brought to believe that there is a divine revelation in the world, as well as a divine Providence, and that the works of God agree with his word. Now, in the account he here gives of his dream, by which he had notice of what was coming, we may observe, I. The time when this alarm was given to him ( Daniel 4:4 ; Daniel 4:4 ); it was when he was at rest in his house, and flourishing in his palace. He had lately conquered Egypt, and with it completed his victories, and ended his wars, and made himself monarch of all those parts of the world, which was about the thirty-fourth or thirty-fifth year of his reign, Ezekiel 29:17 . Then he had this dream, which was accomplished about a year after. Seven years his distraction continued, upon his recovery from which he penned this declaration, lived about two years after, and died in his forty-fifth year. He had undergone a long fatigue in his wars, had made many a tedious and dangerous campaign in the field; but now at length he is at rest in his house, and there is no adversary, nor any evil occurrent. Note, God can reach the greatest of men with his terrors even when they are most secure, and think themselves at rest and flourishing. II. The impression it made upon him ( Daniel 4:5 ; Daniel 4:5 ): I saw a dream which made me afraid. One would think no little thing would frighten him that had been a man of war from his youth, and used to look the perils of war in the face without change of countenance; yet, when God pleases, a dream strikes a terror upon him. His bed, no doubt, was soft, and easy, and well-guarded, and yet his own thoughts upon his bed made him uneasy, and the visions of his head, the creatures of his own imagination, troubled him. Note, God can make the greatest of men uneasy even when they say to their souls, Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry; he can make those that have been the troublers of the world, and have tormented thousands, to be their own troublers, their own tormentors, and those that have been the terror of the mighty a terror to themselves. By the consternation which this dream put him into, and the impression it made upon him, he perceived it to be, not an ordinary dream, but sent of God on a special errand. III. His consulting, in vain, with the magicians and astrologers concerning the meaning of it. He had not now forgotten the dream, as before, Daniel 2:1-21 ; Daniel 2:1-21 He had it ready enough, but he wanted to know the interpretation of it and what was prefigured by it, Daniel 4:6 ; Daniel 4:6 . Orders are immediately given to summon all the wise men of Babylon that were such fools as to pretend by magic, divination, inspecting the entrails of beasts, or observations of the stars, to predict things to come: they must all come together, to see if any, or all of them in consultation, could interpret the king's dream. It is probable that these people had sometimes, in a like case, given the king some sort of satisfaction, and by the rules of their art had answered the king's queries so as to please him, whether it were right or wrong, hit or missed; but now his expectation from them was disappointed: He told them the dream ( Daniel 4:7 ; Daniel 4:7 ), but they could not tell him the interpretation of it, though they had boasted, with great assurance ( Daniel 2:4 ; Daniel 2:7 ), that, if they had but the dream told them, they would without fail interpret it. But the key of this dream was in a sacred prophecy ( Ezekiel 31:3 , c.), where the Assyrian is compared, as Nebuchadnezzar here, to a tree cut down, for his pride and that was a book they had not studied, nor acquainted themselves with, else they might have been let into the mystery of this dream. Providence ordered it so that they should be first puzzled with it, that Daniel's interpreting it afterwards might redound to the glory of the God of Daniel. Now was fulfilled what Isaiah foretold ( Isaiah 47:12 ; Isaiah 47:13 ), that when the ruin of Babylon was drawing on her enchantments and sorceries, her astrologers and star-gazers, should not be able to do her any service. IV. The court he made to Daniel, to engage him to expound his dream to him: At the last Daniel came in. Daniel 4:8 ; Daniel 4:8 . Either he declined associating with the rest because of their badness, or they declined his company because of his goodness; or perhaps the king would rather that his own magicians should have the honour of doing it if they could than that Daniel should have it; or Daniel, being governor of the wise men ( Daniel 2:48 ; Daniel 2:48 ), was, as is usual, last consulted. Many make God's word their last refuge, and never have recourse to it till they are driven off from all other succours. He compliments Daniel very highly, takes notice of the name which he had himself given him, in the choice of which he thinks he was very happy and that it was a good omen: "His name was Belteshazzar, from Bel, the name of my god. " He applauds his rare endowments: He has the spirit of the holy gods, so he tells him to his face ( Daniel 4:9 ; Daniel 4:9 ), with which we may suppose that Daniel was so far from being puffed up that he was rather very much grieved to hear that which he had by gift from the God of Israel, the true and living God, ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar's god, a dunghill deity. Here is a strange medley in Nebuchadnezzar, but such as is commonly found in those that side with their corruptions against their convictions. 1. He retains the language and dialect of his idolatry, and therefore, it is to be feared, is no convert to the faith and worship of the living God. He is an idolater, and his speech betrayeth him. For he speaks of many gods, and is brought to acquiesce in one as sufficient, no, not in him who is all-sufficient. And some think, when he speaks of the spirit of the holy gods, that he supposes there are some evil malignant deities, whom men are concerned to worship, only to prevent their doing them a mischief, and some who are good beneficent deities, and that by the spirit of the latter Daniel was animated. He also owns that Bel was his god still, though he had once and again acknowledged the God of Israel to be Lord of all, Daniel 2:47 ; Daniel 3:29 . He also applauds Daniel, not as a servant of God, but as master of the magicians ( Daniel 4:9 ; Daniel 4:9 ), supposing his knowledge to differ from theirs, not in kind, but only in degree; and he consulted him not as a prophet, but as a celebrated magician, so endeavouring to save the credit of the art when those blundered and were nonplussed who were masters of the art. See how close his idolatry sat to him. He has got a notion of many gods, and has chosen Bel for his god, and he cannot persuade himself to quit either his notion or his choice, though the absurdity of both had been evidenced to him, more than once, beyond contradiction. He, like other heathens, would not change his gods, though they were no gods, Jeremiah 2:11 . Many persist in a false way only because they think they cannot in honour leave it. See how loose his convictions sat, and how easily he had dropped them. He once called the God of Israel a God of gods, Daniel 2:47 ; Daniel 2:47 . Now he sets him upon a level with the rest of those whom he calls the holy gods. Note, If convictions be not speedily prosecuted, it is a thousand to one but in a little time they will be quite lost and forgotten. Nebuchadnezzar, not going forward with the acknowledgements he had been brought to make of the sovereignty of the true God, soon went backwards, and relapsed to the same veneration he had always had for his false gods. And yet, 2. He professes a great opinion of Daniel, whom he knows to be a servant of the true God, and of him only. He looked upon him as one that had such an insight, such a foresight, as none of his magicians had: I know that no secret troubles thee. Note, The spirit of prophecy quite outdoes the spirit of divination, even the enemies themselves being judges; for so it was adjudged here, upon a fair trial of skill. V. The particular account he gives him of his dream. 1. He saw a stately flourishing tree, remarkable above all the trees of the wood. This tree was planted in the midst of the earth ( Daniel 4:10 ; Daniel 4:10 ), fitly representing him who reigned in Babylon, which was about the midst of the then known world. His dignity and eminency above all his neighbours were signified by the height of this tree, which was exceedingly great; it reached unto heaven. He over-topped those about him, and aimed to have divine honours given him; nay, he over-powered those about him, and the potent armies he had the command of, with which he carried all before him, are signified by the strength of this tree: it grew and was strong. And so much were Nebuchadnezzar and his growing greatness the talk of the nations, so much had they their eye upon him (some a jealous eye, all a wondering eye), that the sight of this tree is said to be to the end of all the earth. This tree had every thing in it that was pleasant to the eye and good for food ( Daniel 4:12 ; Daniel 4:12 ); The leaves thereof were fair, denoting the pomp and splendour of Nebuchadnezzar's court, which was the wonder of strangers and the glory of his own subjects. Nor was this tree for sight and state only, but for use. (1.) For protection; the boughs of it were for shelter both to the beasts and to the fowls. Princes should be a screen to their subjects from the heat and from the storm, should expose themselves to secure them, and study how to make them safe and easy. If the bramble be promoted over the trees, he invites them to come and trust in his shadow, such as it is, Judges 9:15 . It is protection that draws allegiance. The kings of the earth are to their subjects but as the shadow of a great tree; but Christ is to his subjects as the shadow of a great rock, Isaiah 32:2 . Nay, because that, though strong, may be cold, they are said to be hidden under the shadow of his wings ( Psalms 17:8 ), where they are not only safe, but warm. (2.) For provision, The Assyrian was compared to a cedar ( Ezekiel 31:6 ), which affords shadow only; but this tree here had much fruit--in it was meat for all and all flesh was fed of it. This mighty monarch, it should seem by this, not only was great, but did good; he did not impoverish, but enrich his country, and by his power and interest abroad brought wealth and trade to it. Those that exercise authority would be called benefactors ( Luke 22:25 ), and the most effectual course they can take to support their authority is to be really benefactors. And see what is the best that great men, with their wealth and power can attain to, and that is to have the honour of having many to live upon them and to be maintained by them; for, as goods are increased, those are increased that eat them. 2. He heard the doom of this tree read, which he perfectly remembered, and related here, perhaps word for word as he heard it. The sentence was passed upon it by an angel, whom he saw come down from heaven, and heard proclaim this sentence aloud. This angel is here called a watcher, or watchman, not only because angels by their nature are spirits, and therefore neither slumber nor sleep, but because by their office they are ministering spirits, and attend continually to their ministrations, watching all opportunities of serving their great Master. They, as watchers, encamp round those that fear God, to deliver them, and bear them up in their hands. This angel was a messenger, or ambassador (so some read it), and a holy one. Holiness becomes God's house; therefore angels that attend and are employed by him are holy ones; they preserve the purity and rectitude of their nature, and are in every thing conformable to the divine will. Let us review the doom passed upon the tree. (1.) Orders are given that it be cut down ( Daniel 4:14 ; Daniel 4:14 ); now also the axe is laid to the root of this tree. Though it is ever so high, ever so strong, that cannot secure it when its day comes to fall; the beasts and fowls, that are sheltered in and under the boughs of it, are driven away and dispersed; the branches are cropped, the leaves shaken off, and the fruit scattered. Note, Worldly prosperity in its highest degree is a very uncertain thing; and it is no uncommon thing for those that have lived in the greatest pomp and power to be stripped of all that which they trusted to and gloried in. By the turns of providence, those who made a figure become captives, those who lived in plenty, and above what they had, are reduced to straits, and live far below what they had, and those perhaps are brought to be beholden to others who once had many depending upon them and making suit to them. But the trees of righteousness, that are planted in the house of the Lord and bring forth fruit to him, shall not be cut down, nor shall their leaf wither. (2.) Care is taken that the root be preserved ( Daniel 4:15 ; Daniel 4:15 ); " Leave the stump of it in the earth, exposed to all weathers. There let it lie neglected and buried in the grass. Let the beasts that formerly sheltered themselves under the boughs now repose themselves upon the stump; but that it may not be raked to pieces, nor trodden to dirt, and to show that it is yet reserved for better days, let it be hooped round with a band of iron and brass, to keep it firm." Note, God in judgment remembers mercy; and may yet have good things in store for those whose condition seems most forlorn. There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, that through the scent of water it will bud, Job 14:7-9 . (3.) The meaning of this is explained by the angel himself to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4:16 ; Daniel 4:16 . Whoever is the person signified by this tree he is sentenced to be deposed from the honour, state, and dignity of a man, to be deprived of the use of his reason, and to be and live like a brute, till seven times pass over him. Let a beast's heart be given unto him. This is surely the saddest and sorest of all temporal judgments, worse a thousand times than death, and though, like it, least felt by those that lie under it, yet to be dreaded and deprecated more than any other. Nay, whatever outward affliction God is pleased to lay upon us, we have reason to bear it patiently, and to be thankful that he continues to us the use of our reason and the peace of our consciences. But those proud tyrants who set their heart as the heart of God ( Ezekiel 27:2 ) may justly be deprived of the heart of man, and have a beast's heart given them. (4.) The truth of it is confirmed ( Daniel 4:17 ; Daniel 4:17 ); This matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones. God has determined it, as a righteous Judge; he has signed this edict; pursuant to his eternal counsel, the decree has gone forth, And, [1.] The angels of heaven have subscribed to it, as attesting it, approving it, and applauding it. It is by the decree of the watchers; not that the great God needs the counsel or concurrence of the angels in any thing he determines or does, but, as he uses their ministration in executing his counsels, so he is sometimes represented, after the manner of men, as if he consulted them. Whom shall I send? Isaiah 6:8 . Who shall persuade Ahab? 1 Kings 22:20 . So it denotes the solemnity of this sentence. The king's breves, or short writs, pass, Teste me ipso--in my presence; but charters used to be signed, His testibus--In the presence of us whose names are under-written; such was Nebuchadnezzar's doom; it was by the decree of the watchers. [2.] The saints on earth petitioned for it, as well as the angels in heaven: The demand is by the word of the holy ones. God's suffering people, that had long groaned under the heavy yoke of Nebuchadnezzar's tyranny, cried to him for vengeance; they made the demand, and God gave this answer to it; for, when the oppressed cry to God, he will hear, Exodus 22:27 . Sentence was passed, in Ahab's time, that there should be no more rain, at Elijah's word, when he made intercession against Israel, 1 Kings 17:1 . (5.) The design of it is declared. Orders are given for the cutting down of this tree, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules. This judgment must be executed, to convince the unthinking, unbelieving, world, that verily there is a God that judges in the earth, a God that governs the world, that not only has a kingdom of his own in it, and administers the affairs of that kingdom, but rules also in the kingdom of men, in the dominion that one man has over another, and gives that to whomsoever he will; from him promotion comes, Psalms 75:6 ; Psalms 75:7 . He advances men to power and dominion that little expected it, and crosses the projects of the ambitious and aspiring. Sometimes he sets up the basest of men, and serves his own purposes by them. He sets up mean men, as David from the sheepfold; he raises the poor out of the dust, to set them among princes, Psalms 113:7 ; Psalms 113:8 . Nay, sometimes he sets up bad men, to be a scourge to a provoking people. Thus he can do, thus he may do, thus he often does, and gives not account of any of his matters. By humbling Nebuchadnezzar it was designed that the living should be made to know this. The dead know it, that have gone to the world of spirits, the world of retribution; they know that the Most High rules; but the living must be made to know it and lay it to heart, that they may make their peace with God before it be too late. Thus has Nebuchadnezzar fully and faithfully related his dream, what he saw and what he heard, and then demands of Daniel the interpretation of it ( Daniel 4:18 ; Daniel 4:18 ), for he found that no one else was able to interpret it, but was confident that he was: For the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, or of the Holy God, the proper title of the God of Israel. Much may be expected from those that have in them the Spirit of the Holy God. Whether Nebuchadnezzar had any jealousy that it was his own doom that was read by this dream does not appear; perhaps he was so vain and secure as to imagine that it was some other prince that was a rival with him, whose fall he had the pleasing prospect of given him in this dream; but, be it for him or against him, he is very solicitous to know the true meaning of it and depends upon Daniel to give it to him. Now, When God gives us general warnings of his judgments we should be desirous to understand his mind in them, to hear the Lord's voice crying in the city. return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-19-27" class="com-number"

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> 4 나 느부갓네살이 내 집에서 평안하게 지내며 내 궁궐에서 번영을 누리고 있었다. 5 나는 두렵게 하는 꿈을 꾸었고 내 침상의 생각들과 머릿속의 환상들이 나를 두렵게 했다. 6 그리하여 내가 칙령을 내려 바벨론의 모든 지혜자들을 내 앞에 데려오게 하여 그들이 꿈의 해석을 내게 알리게 했다. 7 그때 박수들과 요술사들과 갈대아 사람들과 점쟁이들이 들어왔으나 그들은 내게 꿈의 해석을 알리지 못했다. 8 마지막으로 다니엘이 내 앞에 들어왔는데 그의 이름은 내 신의 이름을 따라 벨드사살이었으며 거룩한 신들의 영이 그 안에 있었다. 나는 그에게 꿈을 말하면서 9 "거룩한 신들의 영이 네 안에 있고 어떤 비밀도 너를 어렵게 할 수 없음을 내가 아노니 박수장 벨드사살아, 내가 꾼 내 꿈의 환상과 그 해석을 내게 알리라" 고 했다. 10 내가 내 침상에서 머릿속에 꾼 환상들이 이러했다. 내가 보니 땅의 한가운데 나무 한 그루가 있었는데 그 높이가 아주 컸다. 11 그 나무는 자라서 강해졌고 그 높이는 하늘에 닿았고 그것은 온 땅의 끝에서도 보였다. 12 그 잎은 아름답고 그 열매는 풍성했으며 그 안에 모든 사람의 먹을 것이 있었다. 들의 짐승들이 그 아래 그늘 아래 있었고 하늘의 새들이 그 가지 안에 살았으며 모든 육체가 그것으로 먹이를 얻었다. 13 내가 침상에서 머릿속에 꾸는 환상에서 보니 한 경비자이자 거룩한 이가 하늘에서 내려왔다. 14 그가 큰 소리로 외쳐 이렇게 말했다. "그 나무를 베고 그 가지들을 꺾어라. 그 잎들을 털고 그 열매들을 흩어라. 짐승들이 그 아래서 떠나게 하고 새들이 그 가지에서 떠나게 하라. 15 그러나 그 뿌리의 그루터기는 땅에 남겨두어라. 들의 어린 풀 안에서 쇠와 놋으로 된 줄로 묶어두어라. 그가 하늘의 이슬로 촉촉하게 되고 그 땅의 풀에서 짐승들과 함께 살게 하라. 16 그의 마음이 사람의 것에서 변하여 짐승의 마음이 그에게 주어지게 하라. 일곱 때가 그에게 지나가게 하라. 17 이 선고는 경비자들의 명령에 의한 것이며 이 결정은 거룩한 이들의 말씀에 의한 것이니, 이는 살아 있는 자들이 지극히 높으신 이가 사람들의 나라를 통치하시며 그가 원하시는 자에게 그것을 주시고 그 위에 가장 낮은 자를 세우심을 알게 하려 함이라." 18 왕 나 느부갓네살이 이 꿈을 보았다. 이제 너 벨드사살아, 내 왕국의 모든 지혜자들이 그 해석을 내게 알릴 수 없으나 너는 할 수 있느니라. 거룩한 신들의 영이 네 안에 있음이니라.

느부갓네살은 자신의 교만에 대한 하나님의 심판을 서술하기에 앞서, 그 심판이 오기 전에 충분한 경고를 받았다는 사실을 먼저 언급한다. 그 경고를 적절히 따랐다면 심판을 피할 수도 있었다. 그러나 그는 예고를 받았고, 그것이 실제로 이루어졌을 때 예언과 비교함으로써 이 일이 주님의 하심임을 알 수 있었다.

**첫째, 이 경고를 받은 때 (4절)** — 그가 자기 집에서 평안하게 지내며 궁궐에서 번영을 누리고 있을 때였다. 그는 이집트를 정복하여 승리를 완성하고 모든 전쟁을 끝냈으며 그 지역 전체의 군주가 되었다. 그것이 통치 34, 35년경 일이었다. 그 후 약 1년 뒤에 이 꿈이 성취되었다. 그는 7년 동안 미쳐 있었으며, 회복 후 약 2년을 더 살고 45년 통치를 마쳤다. 하나님은 가장 안전하다고 여기며 쉬고 번영을 누리는 최고 위인에게도 그분의 두려움으로 찾아오실 수 있다.

**둘째, 꿈이 그에게 준 충격 (5절)** — 젊어서부터 전사였고 전쟁의 위험을 안색 변함 없이 바라보던 그가, 하나님이 기뻐하시매 한 꿈이 그를 두렵게 만들었다. 그의 침상은 분명 부드럽고 편안하며 잘 지켜졌지만, 침상에서의 그 자신의 생각들이 그를 불편하게 만들었다. 하나님은 세상을 고통스럽게 하고 수천 명을 괴롭혔던 이들을 그들 자신의 고통거리로, 자신들의 괴롭히는 자로 만드실 수 있다. 이 꿈이 그에게 준 공포와 강렬한 인상을 통해, 그는 이것이 보통 꿈이 아니라 하나님이 특별한 목적으로 보내신 것임을 알았다.

**셋째, 술객들과 점성가들에게 헛되이 문의함 (6-7절)** — 이번에는 꿈을 잊은 것이 아니었다. 꿈 자체는 분명히 기억했지만, 그 해석과 의미를 알고 싶었다. 즉시 명령이 내려져 마술, 점술, 짐승의 내장 검사, 별 관측으로 미래를 예언한다고 주장하는 바벨론의 모든 지혜자들이 소집되었다. 그들이 함께 모여도 왕의 꿈을 해석할 수 없었다. 왕이 꿈을 알려주었지만 (이전처럼 꿈 자체를 말하지 않고 해석만 요구한 것이 아니라) 해석을 알지 못했다. 이 꿈의 열쇠는 선지자서에 있었다(에스겔 31:3 등). 하나님의 섭리가 그들을 먼저 막히게 하여, 이후 다니엘이 해석했을 때 다니엘의 하나님의 영광이 더욱 드러나게 했다. 이사야가 예언했던 것처럼 바벨론의 멸망이 다가올 때 마술사들과 점성가들이 아무 도움이 되지 못할 것이라는 말씀이 이루어졌다.

**넷째, 다니엘에게 도움을 구함 (8절)** — 다니엘이 지혜자들의 우두머리였기 때문에 마지막에 부름을 받았거나, 왕이 자국 술객들에게 영예를 주려 했거나, 나쁜 동료들이 그를 꺼렸거나, 또는 다니엘이 그들의 나쁜 행실을 피했기 때문이었을 것이다. 많은 사람이 하나님의 말씀을 마지막 피난처로 삼아, 다른 모든 도움에서 밀려날 때야 비로소 말씀에 의지한다.

왕은 다니엘을 매우 높이 평가한다. 그에게 지은 이름을 언급하며 그것을 행운의 징조로 여긴다. "벨드사살 — 내 신 벨의 이름을 따서." 그는 다니엘의 탁월한 자질을 칭찬한다. "거룩한 신들의 영이 그 안에 있다." 그러나 이 말을 듣는 다니엘은 자신이 이스라엘의 살아 계신 참 하나님에게서 받은 것이 느부갓네살의 신, 즉 쓸모없는 우상에게 귀속되는 것을 듣고 기쁘기는커녕 오히려 깊이 슬퍼했을 것이다.

느부갓네살에게는 이상한 혼합이 있었다. 이것은 자신의 죄된 본성을 따르는 사람에게서 흔히 볼 수 있는 것이다.

1. 그는 여전히 우상숭배의 언어와 방식을 고집한다. 그는 많은 신들에 대해 말하고, 벨이 여전히 자기 신이라고 말한다. 이전에 이스라엘의 하나님을 "신들의 하나님"이라고 인정했지만, 이제 그분을 나머지 신들과 같은 수준에 놓는다. 확신을 빨리 행동으로 옮기지 않으면 곧 잃게 된다. 느부갓네살은 참 하나님의 주권을 인정하는 데서 앞으로 나아가지 않았기에, 곧 뒤로 물러나 자신의 거짓 신들에 대한 예전 경배로 돌아갔다.

2. 그럼에도 그는 다니엘을 진심으로 높이 평가하며 다니엘이 참 하나님의 종임을 안다. 그는 다니엘이 자신의 술객들이 갖지 못한 통찰과 선견지명을 가졌다고 보았다. 예언의 영은 점술의 영을 훨씬 능가하며, 이것은 공정한 시험을 통해 여기서 판명되었다.

**다섯째, 꿈의 구체적 내용**

1. 그는 장엄하게 번성하는 나무를 보았다 (10-12절). 이 나무는 땅의 한가운데 심겨져 있었는데, 당시 알려진 세계의 한가운데 있었던 바벨론에서 통치하던 왕을 적절히 상징한다. 그 높이가 매우 크고 하늘에 닿았다는 것은, 그가 주변 모든 이들보다 뛰어났고 신적 영예까지 요구했음을 뜻한다. 나무가 자라고 강해졌다는 것은 그의 군사력을 상징한다. 이 나무는 아름다운 잎과 풍성한 열매를 갖고 있었다. 잎은 느부갓네살 궁정의 화려함과 장엄함을 나타낸다. 이 나무는 관상용만이 아니라 실용적이었다.

- 보호의 역할: 짐승들이 가지 아래 피신하고 새들이 가지에 둥지를 틀었다. 군주들은 백성들에게 방패가 되어야 한다. 땅 위에서 군주들은 백성들에게 큰 나무의 그늘에 불과하지만, 그리스도는 그분의 백성에게 큰 바위의 그늘과 같다.

- 공급의 역할: 이 나무에는 풍성한 열매가 있어 모든 육체가 먹이를 얻었다. 이 위대한 군주는 단지 크기만 한 것이 아니라 실제로 선을 행했다. 그는 나라를 가난하게 하지 않고 풍요롭게 했다.

2. 그는 이 나무의 선고가 낭독되는 것을 들었다 (13-17절). 판결은 하늘에서 내려온 천사에 의해 선포되었다. 이 천사는 경비자 또는 파수꾼이라 불리는데, 천사들은 본성상 영들로서 졸거나 자지 않으며, 직무상 섬기는 영들로서 항상 주님의 명령을 이행할 기회를 지킨다.

- 나무를 베라는 명령이 내려진다 (14절). 나무가 아무리 높고 강해도 그 날이 오면 막을 수 없다. 짐승들과 새들이 흩어지고, 가지가 꺾이고, 잎이 떨어진다. 번성하는 세상 형통이 얼마나 불확실한지, 그리고 최고의 영화와 권세 속에 살던 이들이 완전히 빼앗기는 것이 얼마나 흔한 일인지 알 수 있다. 그러나 주님 안에 심겨진 의의 나무들은 잘리지 않으며, 그 잎도 시들지 않는다.

- 뿌리를 보존하라는 배려가 있다 (15절). 그루터기는 땅에 남겨두고 쇠와 놋 줄로 둘러싸라 하였다. 이것이 썩어 없어지지 않도록, 더 나은 날을 위해 남겨놓으라는 것이다. 하나님은 심판 중에도 긍휼을 기억하신다. 잘린 나무도 희망이 있다(욥 14:7-9).

- 선고의 의미가 설명된다 (16절). 이 나무로 상징된 사람은 사람의 존엄과 지위에서 쫓겨나 이성을 잃고 짐승처럼 되어 일곱 때가 지날 때까지 그렇게 살게 된다. 이것은 모든 육체적 고통 중 가장 슬프고 혹독한 것으로, 죽음보다 천 배는 나쁜 것이다. 그러나 교만한 폭군들이 마음을 하나님의 마음과 같이 높였으니, 짐승의 마음을 받는 것이 당연하다.

- 그 진실성이 확인된다 (17절). "이 선고는 경비자들의 명령에 의한 것이며 거룩한 이들의 말씀에 의한 것이다." 하나님께서 공의로운 재판장으로서 이를 결정하셨다.

- 하늘의 천사들이 이에 동의했다. "경비자들의 명령에 의한 것"이라는 말은 하나님이 천사들의 조언이나 동의를 필요로 하신다는 것이 아니라, 선고의 엄숙성을 나타내는 방식이다.

- 땅의 성도들도 이를 간구했다. "거룩한 이들의 말씀에 의한 것"이란, 느부갓네살의 압제 아래 오랫동안 신음하던 하나님의 백성들이 부르짖었고 하나님이 이에 응답하신 것이다. 압제받는 이들이 하나님께 부르짖으면 그가 들으신다.

- 선고의 목적이 선언된다. "살아 있는 자들이 지극히 높으신 이가 사람들의 나라를 통치하심을 알게 하려 함이다." 이 심판은 땅에 참으로 심판하시는 하나님이 계신다는 것을 어리석고 믿지 않는 세상에 확신시키기 위해 집행되어야 한다. 그분은 홀로 진급을 주신다. 그분은 이를 기대하지 못했던 자들에게 권세와 지위를 주시고, 야망 있고 포부가 큰 자들의 계획을 좌절시키신다.

그리고 느부갓네살은 다니엘에게 해석을 요구한다 (18절). 왕국의 다른 어떤 지혜자도 해석할 수 없었지만 다니엘은 할 수 있을 것이라고 확신했다. "거룩한 신들의 영이 네 안에 있음이니라." 하나님의 거룩한 영을 지닌 이들에게서 많은 것이 기대된다. 느부갓네살이 이 꿈이 자신의 운명을 나타낸다는 것을 의심했는지는 알 수 없다. 어쩌면 그는 자신이 경쟁자인 어떤 군주의 몰락을 보는 것이라고 안이하게 생각했을 수도 있다. 그러나 어떻든 그는 그 진정한 의미를 알고자 간절히 원했다. 하나님이 하시는 일반적 경고들을 받을 때, 우리는 그 말씀 안에서 하나님의 뜻을 이해하고자 해야 한다.

---

원주석

19~27절 카드 ↗

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Interpreted. . 19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 21 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: 22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; 24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. 27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. We have here the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream; and when once it is applied to himself, and it is declared that he is the tree in the dream ( Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur--Change but the name, the fable speaks of thee ), when once it is said, Thou art the man, there needs little more to be said for the explication of the dream. Out of his own mouth he is judged; so shall his doom be, he himself has decided it. The thing was so plain that Daniel, upon hearing the dream, was astonished for one hour, Daniel 4:19 ; Daniel 4:19 . He was struck with amazement and terror at so great a judgment coming upon so great a prince. His flesh trembled for fear of God. He was likewise struck with confusion when he found himself under a necessity of being the man that must bring to the king these heavy tidings, which, having received so many favours from the king, he had rather he should have heard from any one else; so far is he from desiring the woeful day that he dreads it, and the thoughts of it trouble him. Those that come after the ruined sinner are said to be astonished at his day, as those that went before, and saw it coming (as Daniel here), were affrighted, Job 18:20 . I. The preface to the interpretation is a civil compliment which, as a courtier, he passes upon the king. The king observed him to stand as one astonished, and, thinking he was loth to speak out for fear of offending him, he encouraged him to deal plainly and faithfully with him; Let not the dream, nor the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. This he speaks either, 1. As one that sincerely desired to know this truth. Note, Those that consult the oracles of God must be ready to receive them as they are, whether they be for them or against them, and must accordingly give their ministers leave to be free with them. Or, 2. As one that despised the truth, and set it at defiance. When we see how regardless he was of this warning afterwards we are tempted to think that this was his meaning; " Let it not trouble thee, for I am resolved it shall not trouble me; nor will I lay it to heart." But, whether he have any concern for himself or no, Daniel is concerned for him, and therefore wishes, " The dream be to those that hate thee. Let the ill it bodes light on the head of thy enemies, not on thy head." Though Nebuchadnezzar was an idolater, a persecutor, and an oppressor of the people of God, yet he was, at present, Daniel's prince; and therefore, though Daniel foresees, and is now going to foretell, ill concerning him, he dares not wish ill to him. II. The interpretation itself is only a repetition of the dream, with application to the king. "As for the tree which thou sawest flourishing ( Daniel 4:20 ; Daniel 4:21 ), it is thou, O king! " Daniel 4:22 ; Daniel 4:22 . And willing enough would the king be to hear this (as, before, to hear, Thou art the head of gold ), but for that which follows. He shows the king his present prosperous state in the glass of his own dream; " Thy greatness has grown and reaches as near to heaven as human greatness can do, and thy dominion is to the end of the earth, " Daniel 2:37 ; Daniel 2:38 . "As for the doom passed upon the tree ( Daniel 4:23 ; Daniel 4:23 ), it is the decree of the Most High, which comes upon my lord the king, " Daniel 4:24 ; Daniel 4:24 . He must not only be deposed from his throne, but driven from men, and being deprived of his reason, and having a beast's heart given him, his dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and with them he shall be a fellow-commoner: he shall eat grass as oxen, and, like them, lie out all weathers, and be wet with the dew of heaven, and this till seven times pass over him, that is, seven years; and then he shall know that the Most High rules, and when he is brought to know and own this he shall be restored to his dominion again ( Daniel 4:26 ; Daniel 4:26 ): " Thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, shall remain as firm as the stump of the tree in the ground, and thou shalt have it, after thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. " God is here called the heavens, because it is in heaven that he has prepared his throne ( Psalms 103:19 ), thence he beholds all the sons of men, Psalms 33:13 . The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord's; and the influence which the visible heavens have upon this earth is intended as a faint representation of the dominion the God of heaven has over this lower world; we are said to sin against heaven, Luke 15:18 . Note, Then only we may expect comfortably to enjoy our right in, and government of, both ourselves and others, when we dutifully acknowledge God's title to, and dominion over, us and all we have. III. The close of the interpretation is the pious counsel which Daniel, as a prophet, gave the king, Daniel 4:27 ; Daniel 4:27 . Whether he appeared concerned or not at the interpretation of the dream, a word of advice would be very seasonable--if careless, to awaken him, if troubled, to comfort him; and it is not inconsistent with the dream and the interpretation of it, for Daniel knew not but it might be conditional, like the prediction of Nineveh's destruction. Observe, 1. How humbly he gives his advice, and with what tenderness and respect: " O king! let my counsel be acceptable unto thee; take it in good part, as coming from love, and well-meant, and let it not be misinterpreted." Note, Sinners need to be courted to their own good, and respectfully entreated to do well for themselves. The apostle beseeches men to suffer the word of exhortation, Hebrews 13:22 . We think it a good point gained if people will be persuaded to take good counsel kindly; nay, if they will take it patiently. 2. What his advice is. He does not counsel him to enter into a course of physic, for the preventing of the distemper in his head, but to break off a course of sin that he was in, to reform his life. He wronged his own subjects, and dealt unfairly with his allies; and he must break off this by righteousness, by rendering to all their due, making amends for wrong done, and not triumphing over right with might. He had been cruel to the poor, to God's poor, to the poor Jews; and he must break off this iniquity by showing mercy to those poor, pitying those oppressed ones, setting them at liberty or making their captivity easy to them. Note, It is necessary, in repentance, that we not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well, not only do no wrong to any, but do good to all. 3. What the motive is with which he backs this advice: If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility. Though it should not wholly prevent the judgment, yet by this means a reprieve may be obtained, as by Ahab's humbling himself, 1 Kings 21:29 . Either the trouble may be the longer before it comes or the shorter when it does come; yet he cannot assure him of this, but it may be, it may prove so. Note, The mere probability of preventing a temporal judgment is inducement enough to a work so good in itself as the leaving off of our sins and reforming of our lives, much more the certainty of preventing our eternal ruin. " That will be a healing of thy error " (so some read it); "thus the quarrel will be taken up, and all will be well again." return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-28-33" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/dan-4-19, bible-text/dan-4-20, bible-text/dan-4-21, bible-text/dan-4-22, bible-text/dan-4-23, bible-text/dan-4-24, bible-text/dan-4-25, bible-text/dan-4-26, bible-text/dan-4-27

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> 19 그때 다니엘, 곧 이름이 벨드사살인 그가 잠시 동안 어리둥절해하고 그의 생각이 그를 놀라게 했다. 왕이 말하면서 "벨드사살아, 꿈이나 그 해석이 너를 놀라게 하지 말라"고 했다. 벨드사살이 대답하여 말했다. "내 주여, 원하건대 이 꿈은 당신을 미워하는 자들에게, 그 해석은 당신의 원수들에게 해당되기를 바랍니다. 20 당신이 보신 나무, 곧 자라고 강해졌으며 그 높이는 하늘에 닿고 그 모습은 온 땅에 보인 나무요, 21 그 잎은 아름답고 그 열매는 풍성하며 그 안에 모든 사람의 먹을 것이 있고 들의 짐승들이 그 아래 살며 하늘의 새들이 그 가지 안에 살던 그것은, 22 왕이시여, 바로 왕이십니다. 왕께서 자라고 강해지셨으며 왕의 위대함은 자라 하늘에 닿았고 왕의 통치는 땅 끝까지 미쳤습니다. 23 왕께서 한 경비자이자 거룩한 이가 하늘에서 내려와 '그 나무를 베어 멸하라. 그러나 그 뿌리의 그루터기는 땅에 남겨두어 들의 어린 풀 안에서 쇠와 놋으로 된 줄로 묶어두어라. 그가 하늘의 이슬로 촉촉하게 되고 그 땅의 짐승들과 함께 하며 일곱 때가 그에게 지나가게 하라'고 말하는 것을 보신 것은 24 왕이시여, 이것이 해석이며 이것은 내 주 왕께 이른 지극히 높으신 이의 선고입니다. 25 사람들이 왕을 몰아내어 왕의 거처가 들의 짐승들과 함께 되고 그들이 왕을 소처럼 풀을 먹게 하며 하늘의 이슬로 촉촉하게 하고 지극히 높으신 이가 사람들의 나라를 통치하시며 그가 원하시는 자에게 그것을 주신다는 것을 알기까지 일곱 때가 왕에게 지나갈 것입니다. 26 그들이 나무 뿌리의 그루터기는 남겨두라고 명령한 것은 왕께서 하늘이 통치함을 아신 후에 왕의 나라가 왕에게 확실히 있을 것임입니다. 27 그러므로 왕이시여, 내 충고를 받으시어 의로움으로 죄를 끊고 가난한 자들에게 자비를 베풂으로 불의를 끊으소서. 그것이 왕의 평안을 연장하는 것일 수 있습니다."

여기에 느부갓네살의 꿈에 대한 해석이 있다. 일단 자신에게 적용되어 "당신이 바로 그 나무입니다"라고 선언되자, 꿈의 설명을 위해 더 많은 말이 필요하지 않았다. "당신이 바로 그 사람입니다"라고 선언되면 더 이상 말할 것이 없다. 그가 스스로 그 운명을 결정한 것이다.

**전문 (19절)** — 다니엘은 꿈을 듣고 잠시 어리둥절하여 그 자리에 섰다. 그는 그토록 큰 심판이 그토록 위대한 군주에게 임하는 것에 놀라고 두려웠다. 또한 자신이 왕에게 이 무거운 소식을 전해야 하는 사람이 되었다는 사실에 당혹스러웠다. 왕에게 많은 은혜를 받은 자로서, 이 슬픈 날이 오는 것을 원하기는커녕 두려워했다. 자신 이후에 오는 사람들은 멸망한 죄인의 날에 경악했다고 하지만, 그것이 오는 것을 미리 본 사람들, 즉 여기서 다니엘처럼 보는 사람들은 두려워했다(욥 18:20).

왕은 다니엘이 두렵거나 당혹스러워 말하기를 꺼리는 것을 보고, 솔직하게 말하도록 격려했다. 이에 다니엘은 예의 바른 인사말로 답한다. "원하건대 이 꿈은 당신을 미워하는 자들에게 해당되기를 바랍니다." 느부갓네살은 우상숭배자이고 박해자이며 하나님 백성의 압제자였지만, 지금은 다니엘의 군주였다. 다니엘은 그에게 임할 일을 예견하고 이제 그것을 예언하려 했지만, 그에게 악을 바라지 않았다.

**해석 자체 (20-26절)** — 번성하던 나무(20-21절)는 왕 자신이다(22절). 왕은 이 말을 기꺼이 들었을 것이다. "당신은 황금 머리입니다"라는 말을 전에 들었을 때처럼. 그러나 이어지는 내용 때문에 그리 기쁘지 않았다. 다니엘은 꿈의 거울로 왕의 현재 번성한 상태를 보여준다. "왕의 위대함은 자라 하늘에 닿았고 왕의 통치는 땅 끝까지 미쳤습니다." 나무의 선고(23절)는 지극히 높으신 이의 명령이 왕에게 이른 것이다(24절). 왕은 보좌에서 쫓겨나야 할 뿐 아니라 사람들에게서 쫓겨나야 한다. 이성을 빼앗기고 짐승의 마음을 받아 들의 짐승들과 함께 지내며 소처럼 풀을 먹어야 하고, 무슨 날씨든 야외에서 지내며 하늘의 이슬을 맞아야 한다. 이것이 일곱 때, 즉 7년 동안이다. 그러면 그는 지극히 높으신 이가 통치하심을 알게 될 것이고, 그것을 알고 인정할 때 회복될 것이다(26절). "왕께서 하늘이 통치함을 아신 후에 왕의 나라가 왕에게 확실히 있을 것입니다." 여기서 하나님은 하늘이라고 불리는데, 그가 하늘에 그분의 보좌를 예비하셨기 때문이다(시 103:19). 우리는 하늘에 대해 죄를 짓는다고 말한다(눅 15:18). 우리가 자신과 다른 이들에 대한 우리의 권리와 통치를 평안하게 누리기를 기대할 수 있는 것은, 오직 하나님의 우리에 대한, 그리고 우리가 가진 모든 것에 대한 통치권과 주권을 순종하며 인정할 때뿐이다.

**마무리 (27절)** — 다니엘은 선지자로서 왕에게 경건한 권고를 한다. 왕이 해석에 관심을 보이든 아니든, 이 시점에 권고의 말씀은 매우 시의적절했다. 만약 무관심하다면 깨우치기 위해, 만약 괴로워한다면 위로하기 위해서다. 또한 다니엘은 이 꿈이 니느웨 멸망 예언처럼 조건부일 수도 있다는 것을 알고 있었다.

1. 그는 얼마나 겸손하게, 얼마나 부드럽고 존중하며 권고를 드리는지. "왕이시여, 내 충고를 받으시어." 죄인들은 자신의 유익을 위해 설득 받아야 한다. 사도는 사람들이 권면의 말씀을 참아 달라고 부탁한다(히 13:22). 사람들이 좋은 권고를 기꺼이 받아들이도록 설득할 수 있다면, 아니 그것을 인내하도록 설득할 수 있다면 이미 좋은 점을 얻은 것이다.

2. 그의 권고의 내용은 무엇인가. 그는 왕에게 약을 먹거나 건강 관리를 하라고 권하지 않는다. 그보다 죄의 행로를 끊으라고 권한다. 왕은 백성들에게 불의를 행하고 동맹국들을 공정하지 않게 대했다. 이것을 의로움으로 끊어야 한다. 그는 가난한 자들에게, 하나님의 가난한 자들인 유대인 포로들에게 잔인했다. 이것을 그들에게 긍휼을 베풀어 끊어야 한다. 회개에는 악을 멈추는 것만이 아니라 선을 배우는 것도 필요하다.

3. 그가 이 권고를 뒷받침하는 동기는 무엇인가. "그것이 왕의 평안을 연장하는 것일 수 있습니다." 완전히 심판을 막지는 못하더라도, 아합이 자신을 낮춤으로써 얻었던 것처럼 유예를 얻을 수 있다. 심판이 오기까지 더 오래 걸리거나 왔을 때 더 짧아질 수 있다. 다니엘은 이것을 보장할 수는 없다. 오직 "그럴 수 있다"고 말한다. 세상적 심판을 막는 데 있어서도 단지 그 가능성만으로도, 그 자체로 선하고 우리의 영원한 멸망을 방지하는 확실한 방법인 죄를 버리고 삶을 개혁하는 일을 하기에 충분한 동기가 된다.

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원주석

28~33절 카드 ↗

Nebuchadnezzar Driven among Beasts. . 28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. We have here Nebuchadnezzar's dream accomplished, and Daniel's application of it to him justified and confirmed. How he took it we are not told, whether he was pleased with Daniel or displeased; but here we have, I. God's patience with him: All this came upon him, but not till twelve months after ( Daniel 4:29 ; Daniel 4:29 ), so long there was a lengthening of his tranquility, though it does not appear that he broke off his sins, or showed any mercy to the poor captives, for this was still God's quarrel with him, that he opened not the house of his prisoners, Isaiah 14:17 . Daniel having counselled him to repent, God so far confirmed his word that he gave him space to repent; he let him alone this year also, this one year more, before he brought this judgment upon him. Note, God is long-suffering with provoking sinners, because he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9 . II. His pride, and haughtiness, and abuse of that patience. He walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, in pomp and pride, pleasing himself with the view of that vast city, which, with all the territories thereunto belonging, was under his command, and he said, either to himself or to those about him, perhaps some foreigners to whom he was showing his kingdom and the glory of it, Is not this great Babylon? Yes, it is great, of vast extent, no less that forty-five miles compass within the walls. It is full of inhabitants, and they are full of wealth. It is a golden city, and that is enough to proclaim it great, Isaiah 14:4 . See the grandeur of the houses, walls, towers, and public edifices. Every thing in Babylon he thinks looks great; "and this great Babylon I have built. " Babylon was built many ages before he was born, but because he fortified and beautified it, and we may suppose much of it was rebuilt during his long and prosperous reign, he boasts that he has built it, as Augustus Cæsar boasted concerning Rome, Lateritiam inveni, marmoream reliqui--I found it brick, but I left it marble. He boasts that he built it for the house of the kingdom, that is, the metropolis of his empire. This vast city, compared with the countries that belonged to his dominions, was but as one house. He built it with the assistance of his subjects, yet boasts that he did it by the might of his power; he built it for his security and convenience, yet, as if he had no occasion for it, boasts that he built it purely for the honour of his majesty. Note, Pride and self-conceitedness are sins that most easily beset great men, who have great things in the world. They are apt to take the glory to themselves which is due to God only. III. His punishment for his pride. When he was thus strutting, and vaunting himself, and adoring his own shadow, while the proud word was in the king's mouth the powerful word came from heaven, by which he was immediately deprived, 1. Of his honour as a king: The kingdom has departed from thee. When he thought he had erected impregnable bulwarks for the preserving of his kingdom, now, in an instant, it has departed from him; when he thought it so well guarded that none could take it from him, behold, it departs of itself. As soon as he becomes utterly incapable to manage it, it is of course taken out of his hands. 2. He is deprived of his honour as a man. He loses his reason, and by that means loses his dominion: They shall drive thee from men, Daniel 4:32 ; Daniel 4:32 . And it was fulfilled ( Daniel 4:33 ; Daniel 4:33 ): he was driven from men the same hour. On a sudden he fell stark mad, distracted in the highest degree that ever any man was. His understanding and memory were gone, and all the faculties of a rational soul broken, so that he became a perfect brute in the shape of a man. He went naked, and on all four, like a brute, did himself shun the society of reasonable creatures and run wild into the fields and woods, and was driven out by his own servants, who, after some time of trial, despairing of his return to his right mind, abandoned him, and looked after him no more. He had not the spirit of a beast of prey (that of the royal lion), but of the abject and less honourable species, for he was made to eat grass as oxen; and, probably, he did not speak with human voice, but lowed like an ox. Some think that his body was all covered with hair; however, the hair of his head and beard, being never cut nor combed, grew like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. Let us pause a little, and view this miserable spectacle; and let us receive instruction from it. (1.) Let us see here what a mercy it is to have the use of our reason, how thankful we ought to be for it, and how careful we ought to be not to do any thing which may either provoke God or may have a natural tendency to put us out of the possession of our own souls. Let us learn how to value our own reason, and to pity the case of those that are under the prevailing power of melancholy or distraction, or are delirious, and to be very tender in our censures of them and conduct towards them, for it is a trial common to men, and a case which, some time or other, may be our own. (2.) Let us see here the vanity of human glory and greatness. Is this Nebuchadnezzar the Great? What this despicable animal that is meaner than the poorest beggar? Is this he that looked so glorious on the throne, so formidable in the camp, that had politics enough to subdue and govern kingdoms, and now has not so much sense as to keep his own clothes on his back? Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms? Isaiah 14:16 . Never let the wise man then glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his strength. (3.) Let us see here how God resists the proud, and delights to abase them and put contempt upon them. Nebuchadnezzar would be more than a man, and therefore God justly makes him less than a man, and puts him upon a level with the beasts who set up for a rival with his Maker. See Job 40:11-13 . return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-34-37" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/dan-4-28, bible-text/dan-4-29, bible-text/dan-4-30, bible-text/dan-4-31, bible-text/dan-4-32, bible-text/dan-4-33

Source

> 28 이 모든 것이 왕 느부갓네살에게 일어났다. 29 열두 달 후에 그가 바벨론 왕국의 궁전을 거닐다가 30 왕이 말하여 이르기를 "이것이 내가 내 권능의 힘으로 세운, 내 위엄의 영광을 위한 왕도 대바벨론이 아니냐?"고 했다. 31 이 말이 왕의 입에 있는 동안 하늘에서 소리가 내려왔다. "왕 느부갓네살아, 네게 고하노니 나라가 네게서 떠났느니라. 32 사람들이 너를 몰아내어 네 거처가 들의 짐승들과 함께 되고 그들이 너를 소처럼 풀을 먹이고 지극히 높으신 이가 사람들의 나라를 통치하시며 그가 원하시는 자에게 그것을 주신다는 것을 알기까지 일곱 때가 너에게 지나가리라." 33 같은 시간에 이 일이 느부갓네살에게 이루어졌다. 그는 사람들로부터 쫓겨나 소처럼 풀을 먹었고 그의 몸은 하늘의 이슬로 촉촉해졌으며 머리카락은 독수리 깃털처럼, 손발톱은 새 발톱처럼 자랐다.

여기서 느부갓네살의 꿈이 성취되고 다니엘의 해석이 정당하고 확실한 것으로 입증된다.

**첫째, 하나님의 인내 (28-29절)** — 이 모든 것이 그에게 일어났지만, 12개월 후에야 이루어졌다. 그동안 그의 평안이 연장되었다. 비록 죄를 끊거나 가난한 포로들에게 자비를 보인 것은 아무것도 없었지만 말이다. 다니엘이 그에게 회개하도록 권고했고, 하나님은 그 말씀을 지지하여 회개할 시간을 더 주셨다. 이 해에도, 한 해 더, 기다리셨다. 하나님은 오래 참으신다. 어떤 사람도 멸망하는 것을 원치 않으시고 모든 사람이 회개에 이르기를 원하시기 때문이다(벧후 3:9).

**둘째, 그의 교만과 그 인내의 남용 (30절)** — 그는 바벨론 왕국의 궁전을 걸으며, 그 광대한 도시를 바라보며 뽐내고 교만해졌다. "이것이 대바벨론이 아니냐?" 그렇다, 바벨론은 매우 크다. 둘레 45마일 이상의 방대한 성이다. 그것은 주민들로 가득 하고 부요하다. 그 거리, 성벽, 탑, 공공 건물 등 모든 것이 웅장하다. "그리고 이 대바벨론을 내가 세웠다." 바벨론은 그가 태어나기 수백 년 전에 세워졌지만, 그가 요새화하고 미화했기에 그는 그것을 자신이 세웠다고 자랑한다. 아우구스투스 카이사르가 로마에 대해 "나는 벽돌 도시를 받아 대리석 도시로 남겼다"고 자랑했듯이. 그는 그것을 왕도로 세웠다고 자랑한다. "내 권능의 힘으로" 세웠다고 하지만 실제로는 신하들의 도움이 있었다. "내 위엄의 영광을 위해" 세웠다고 하지만 그에게 실제로 필요해서 세운 것이다. 교만과 자기 중심성은 위대한 것들을 가진 위대한 사람들을 가장 쉽게 사로잡는 죄다. 그들은 하나님께만 돌려야 할 영광을 자신에게 취하려 한다.

**셋째, 교만에 대한 그의 징벌 (31-33절)**

1. 그는 왕으로서의 명예를 빼앗겼다 (31절). "나라가 네게서 떠났느니라." 그가 자신의 나라를 굳건히 지키기 위한 난공불락의 보루를 세웠다고 생각했을 때, 순식간에 그것이 그에게서 떠났다. 그가 어느 누구도 그것을 빼앗아 갈 수 없다고 생각했을 때, 나라가 스스로 떠나갔다. 그는 그것을 더 이상 관리할 능력이 없어지는 순간 그것이 자연히 그의 손에서 빼앗긴다.

2. 그는 인간으로서의 명예를 빼앗겼다 (32-33절). 그는 이성을 잃었고, 그로 인해 지배권도 잃었다. 사람들이 그를 쫓아냈고, 같은 시간에 성취되었다(33절). 갑자기 완전히 미쳐버렸다. 이해와 기억이 사라지고, 이성적 영혼의 모든 기능이 무너져 완전히 짐승처럼 되었다. 그는 벗은 채 네 발로 기어다녔으며, 스스로 이성적 피조물들의 사회를 피해 들판과 숲으로 도망쳐 자기 종들에게 쫓겨났다. 종들도 한동안 시도하다 포기하고 내버려 두었다. 그는 짐승의 영이 아니라 사자(왕실 문양)가 아니라 가장 비천하고 덜 고귀한 종류의 짐승처럼 살았다. 소처럼 풀을 먹었고, 아마도 사람의 목소리 대신 소처럼 울었을 것이다. 머리카락과 수염은 잘리거나 빗겨지지 않아 독수리 깃털처럼 자랐고, 손발톱은 새 발톱처럼 자랐다.

잠시 멈춰 이 비참한 광경을 바라보고 교훈을 얻어야 한다.

1. 이성을 사용하는 것이 얼마나 큰 은혜인지 알아야 한다. 우리는 이에 감사해야 하고, 하나님을 화나게 하거나 자연적으로 이성을 잃게 하는 일을 하지 않도록 조심해야 한다.

2. 인간의 영광과 위대함이 얼마나 덧없는지 알아야 한다. 이 비천한 짐승 같은 존재가 위대한 느부갓네살인가? 보좌에서 영광스럽게 보였고 군영에서 두려운 존재였으며, 왕국을 정복하고 통치할 정치력을 가졌던 그가, 이제는 자기 등에 옷도 걸치지 못하는가? 이 자가 "땅을 진동시키고 왕국들을 흔들었던" 자인가(사 14:16)?

3. 하나님이 어떻게 교만한 자들을 대적하시며 그들을 낮추고 수치를 주기를 기뻐하시는지 알아야 한다. 느부갓네살은 사람 이상이 되려 했고, 그래서 하나님이 정당하게 그를 사람 이하로, 그의 창조주에게 대적한 경쟁자를 짐승과 같은 수준으로 낮추셨다(욥 40:11-13).

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원주석

34~37절 카드 ↗

Nebuchadnezzar Restored. . 34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 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? 36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. We have here Nebuchadnezzar's recovery from his distraction, and his return to his right mind, at the end of the days prefixed, that is, of the seven years. So long he continued a monument of God's justice and a trophy of his victory over the children of pride, and he was made more so by being struck mad than if he had been in an instant struck dead with a thunderbolt; yet it was a mercy to him that he was kept alive, for while there is life there is hope that we may yet praise God, as he did here: At the end of the days (says he), I lifted up my eyes unto heaven ( Daniel 4:34 ; Daniel 4:34 ), looked no longer down towards the earth as a beast, but begun to look up as a man. Os homini sublime dedit--Heaven gave to man an erect countenance. But there was more in it than this; he looked up as a devout man, as a penitent, as a humble petitioner for mercy, being perhaps never till now made sensible of his own misery. And now, I. He has the use of his reason so far restored to him that with it he glorifies God, and humbles himself under his mighty hand. He was told that he should continue in that forlorn case till he should know that the Most High rules, and here we have him brought to the knowledge of this: My understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High. Note, Those may justly be reckoned void of understanding that do not bless and praise God; nor do men ever rightly use their reason till they begin to be religious, nor live as men till they live to the glory of God. As reason is the substratum or subject of religion (so that creatures which have no reason are not capable of religion), so religion is the crown and glory of reason, and we have our reason in vain, and shall one day wish we had never had it, if we do not glorify God with it. This was the first act of Nebuchadnezzar's returning reason; and, when this became the employment of it, he was then, and not till then, qualified for all the other enjoyments of it. And till he was for a great while disabled to exercise it in other things he never was brought to apply it to this, which is the great end for which our reason is given us. His folly was the means whereby he became wise; he was not recovered by his dream of this judgment (that was soon forgotten like a dream), but he is made to feel it, and then his ear is opened to discipline. To bring him to himself, he must first be beside himself. And by this it appears that what good thoughts there were in his mind, and what good work was wrought there, were not of himself (for he was not his own man), but it was the gift of God. Let us see what Nebuchadnezzar is now at length effectually brought to the acknowledgment of; and we may learn from it what to believe concerning God. 1. That the most high God lives for ever, and his being knows neither change nor period, for he has it of himself. His flatterers often complimented him with, O king! live for ever. But he is now convinced that no king lives for ever, but the God of Israel only, who is still the same. 2. That his kingdom is like himself, everlasting, and his dominion from generation to generation; there is no succession, no revolution, in his kingdom. As he lives, so he reigns, for ever, and of his government there is no end. 3. That all nations before him are as nothing. He has no need of them; he makes no account of them. The greatest of men, in comparison with him, are less than nothing. Those that think highly of God think meanly of themselves. 4. That his kingdom is universal, and both the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth are his subjects, and under his check and control. Both angels and men are employed by him, and are accountable to him; the highest angel is not above his command, nor the meanest of the children of men beneath his cognizance. The angels of heaven are his armies, the inhabitants of the earth his tenants. 5. That his power is irresistible, and his sovereignty uncontrollable, for he does according to his will, according to his design and purpose, according to his decree and counsel; whatever he pleases that he does; whatever he appoints that he performs; and none can resist his will, change his counsel, nor stay his hand, nor say unto him, What doest thou? None can arraign his proceedings, enquire into the meaning of them, nor demand a reason for them. Woe to him that strives with his Maker, that says to him, What doest thou? Or, Why doest thou so? 6. That every thing which God does is well done: His works are truth, for they all agree with his word. His ways are judgment, both wise and righteous, exactly consonant to the rules both of prudence and equity, and no fault is to be found with them. 7. That he has power to humble the haughtiest of his enemies that act in contradiction to him or competition with him: Those that walk in pride he is able to abuse ( Daniel 4:37 ; Daniel 4:37 ); he is able to deal with those that are most confident of their own sufficiency to contend with him. II. He has the use of his reason so far restored to him as with it to re-enjoy himself, and the pleasures of his re-established prosperity ( Daniel 4:36 ; Daniel 4:36 ): At the same time my reason returned to me; he had said before ( Daniel 4:34 ; Daniel 4:34 ) that his understanding returned to him, and here he mentions it again, for the use of our reason is a mercy we can never be sufficiently thankful for. Now his lords sought to him; he did not need to seek to them, and they soon perceived, not only that he had recovered his reason and was fit to rule, but that he had recovered it with advantage, and was more fit to rule than ever. It is probable that the dream and the interpretation of it were well known, and much talked of, at court; and the former part of the prediction being fulfilled, that he should go distracted, they doubted not but that, according to the prediction, he should come to himself again at seven years' end, and, in confidence of that, when the time had expired they were ready to receive him; and then his honour and brightness returned to him, the same that he had before his madness seized him. He is now established in his kingdom as firmly as if there had been no interruption given him. He becomes a fool, that he may be wise, wiser than ever; and he that but the other day was in the depth of disgrace and ignominy has now excellent majesty added to him, beyond what he had when he went from kingdom to kingdom conquering and to conquer. Note, 1. When men are brought to honour God, particularly by a penitent confession of sin and a believing acknowledgment of his sovereignty, then, and not till then, they may expect that God will put honour upon them, will not only restore them to the dignity they lost by the sin of the first Adam, but add excellent majesty to them from the righteousness and grace of the second Adam. 2. Afflictions shall last no longer than till they have done the work for which they were sent. When this prince is brought to own God's dominion over himself. 3. All the accounts we take and give of God's dealing with us ought to conclude with praises to him. When Nebuchadnezzar is restored to his kingdom he praises, and extols, and honours the King of heaven ( Daniel 4:37 ; Daniel 4:37 ), before he applies himself to his secular business. Therefore we have our reason, that we may be in a capacity of praising him, and therefore our prosperity, that we may have cause to praise him. It was not long after this that Nebuchadnezzar ended his life and reign. Abydenus, quoted by Eusebius (Præp. Evang. 1. 9), reports, from the tradition of the Chaldeans, that upon his death-bed he foretold the taking of Babylon by Cyrus. Whether he continued in the same good mind that here he seems to have been in we are not told, nor does any thing appear to the contrary but that he did: and, if so great a blasphemer and persecutor did find mercy, he was not the last. And, if our charity may reach so far as to hope he did, we must admire free grace, by which he lost his wits for a while that he might save his soul for ever. return to ' Top of Page ' Daniel Dan 3 Daniel Dan Daniel Dan 5 Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website. Bibliographical Information Henry, Matthew. "Complete Commentary on Daniel 4". 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Solomon",url:"song-of-solomon",abbr:"Sng",sl:"so",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]},{num:22,name:"Isaiah",url:"isaiah",abbr:"Isa",sl:"isa",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66]},{num:23,name:"Jeremiah",url:"jeremiah",abbr:"Jer",sl:"jer",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52]},{num:24,name:"Lamentations",url:"lamentations",abbr:"Lam",sl:"la",ch:[1,2,3,4,5]},{num:25,name:"Ezekiel",url:"ezekiel",abbr:"Ezk",sl:"eze",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48]},{num:26,name:"Daniel",url:"daniel",abbr:"Dan",sl:"da",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]},{num:27,name:"Hosea",url:"hosea",abbr:"Hos",sl:"ho",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]},{num:28,name:"Joel",url:"joel",abbr:"Joe",sl:"joe",ch:[1,2,3]},{num:29,name:"Amos",url:"amos",abbr:"Amo",sl:"am",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]},{num:30,name:"Obadiah",url:"obadiah",abbr:"Oba",sl:"ob",ch:[1]},{num:31,name:"Jonah",url:"jonah",abbr:"Jon",sl:"jon",ch:[1,2,3,4]},{num:32,name:"Micah",url:"micah",abbr:"Mic",sl:"mic",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]},{num:33,name:"Nahum",url:"nahum",abbr:"Nah",sl:"na",ch:[1,2,3]},{num:34,name:"Habakkuk",url:"habakkuk",abbr:"Hab",sl:"hab",ch:[1,2,3]},{num:35,name:"Zephaniah",url:"zephaniah",abbr:"Zep",sl:"zep",ch:[1,2,3]},{num:36,name:"Haggai",url:"haggai",abbr:"Hag",sl:"hag",ch:[1,2]},{num:37,name:"Zechariah",url:"zechariah",abbr:"Zec",sl:"zec",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]},{num:38,name:"Malachi",url:"malachi",abbr:"Mal",sl:"mal",ch:[1,2,3,4]},{num:39,name:"Matthew",url:"matthew",abbr:"Mat",sl:"mt",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28]},{num:40,name:"Mark",url:"mark",abbr:"Mrk",sl:"mr",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16]},{num:41,name:"Luke",url:"luke",abbr:"Luk",sl:"lu",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24]},{num:42,name:"John",url:"john",abbr:"Jhn",sl:"joh",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]},{num:43,name:"Acts",url:"acts",abbr:"Act",sl:"ac",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28]},{num:44,name:"Romans",url:"romans",abbr:"Rom",sl:"ro",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16]},{num:45,name:"1 Corinthians",url:"1-corinthians",abbr:"1Co",sl:"1co",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16]},{num:46,name:"2 Corinthians",url:"2-corinthians",abbr:"2Co",sl:"2co",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]},{num:47,name:"Galatians",url:"galatians",abbr:"Gal",sl:"ga",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6]},{num:48,name:"Ephesians",url:"ephesians",abbr:"Eph",sl:"eph",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6]},{num:49,name:"Philippians",url:"philippians",abbr:"Phi",sl:"php",ch:[1,2,3,4]},{num:50,name:"Colossians",url:"colossians",abbr:"Col",sl:"col",ch:[1,2,3,4]},{num:51,name:"1 Thessalonians",url:"1-thessalonians",abbr:"1Th",sl:"1th",ch:[1,2,3,4,5]},{num:52,name:"2 Thessalonians",url:"2-thessalonians",abbr:"2Th",sl:"2th",ch:[1,2,3]},{num:53,name:"1 Timothy",url:"1-timothy",abbr:"1Ti",sl:"1ti",ch:[1,2,3,4,5,6]},{num:54,name:"2 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keys=t.split(',');keys.forEach(function(key){if(key==='com'){_ts_loadCom();}if(key==='bib'){_ts_loadBib();}});} function _ts_loadCom(){var commEl=document.querySelector('.commentary');comsec=commEl?commEl.getAttribute('data-com-sec'):'';comlang=commEl?commEl.getAttribute('data-com-lang'):'';comabbr=commEl?commEl.getAttribute('data-com-abbr'):'';var qs='bk='+encodeURIComponent(cur_com_bn)+'&ch='+encodeURIComponent(cur_com_cn)+'&vs='+encodeURIComponent(cur_com_vs)+'&cs='+encodeURIComponent(comsec)+'&cl='+encodeURIComponent(comlang)+'&ca='+encodeURIComponent(comabbr);fetch('/cgi-bin/bible/getBible_data.cgi?'+qs).then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(text){var doc=new DOMParser().parseFromString(text,'text/xml');var sn=_ts_xmlSplit(doc,'sn');var sa=_ts_xmlSplit(doc,'sa');var sf=_ts_xmlSplit(doc,'sf');for(var i=0;i u?o(n,r,t,e,u+1):0:0==i?1:-1}(o,n,r,t,0)})} var TS_PARENT_MODE={commentary:'section',translation:'language',chapter:'book',verse:'chapter'}; function 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0);}else{takesVerse=(parseInt(verse,10)>0);}if(takesVerse){translationSelector_menu('verse');}else{_ts_sendThemBack('reference-noverse');}}});}if(mode==='verse'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-chapter',data:{number:o},html:o,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();verse=parseInt(this.getAttribute('data-number'),10);_ts_sendThemBack('reference-verse');}});}if(mode==='language'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-languages',data:{'trans-lang':items[o].abbr},html:items[o].name,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();translang=this.getAttribute('data-trans-lang');translationSelector_menu('translation');}});}if(mode==='translation'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-translation',data:{'trans-abbr':items[o].trans},html:items[o].name,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();transabbr=this.getAttribute('data-trans-abbr');_ts_sendThemBack('translation');}});}} function _ts_sendThemBack(reason){var origPath=window.location.pathname;var parts=origPath.split('/');var noVerse=(reason==='reference-noverse');var inputIsPerVerse=_ts_isPerVerseUrl(origPath);if(parts[1]==='interlinear-study-bible'){parts=parts.slice(0,5);parts[3]=book_data[book].url;parts[4]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else if(parts[1]==='commentary'){parts=parts.slice(0,4);parts[2]=book_data[book].url;parts[3]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else if(parts[1]==='commentaries'){parts[2]=comlang;parts[3]=comabbr;if(inputIsPerVerse){parts=parts.slice(0,6);parts[4]=book_data[book].url;parts[5]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else{parts=parts.slice(0,5);parts[4]=book_data[book].url+'-'+chapter+'.html';}}else if(parts[1]==='bible'){parts=parts.slice(0,6);parts[2]=translang;parts[3]=transabbr;parts[4]=book_data[book].url;parts[5]=(verse duction ","Verses 1-3","Verses 4-18","Verses 19-27","Verses 28-33","Verses 34-37"]; function

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/dan-4-34, bible-text/dan-4-35, bible-text/dan-4-36, bible-text/dan-4-37

Source

> 34 그 날들의 끝에 나 느부갓네살이 하늘을 향해 눈을 들었더니 내 이성이 내게 돌아왔고 나는 지극히 높으신 이를 찬양하며 영원히 사시는 이를 경배하고 존귀케 했으니 그의 통치는 영원한 통치요 그의 나라는 대대로 이어진다. 35 땅의 모든 주민들은 아무것도 아닌 것으로 여겨지며 그는 하늘의 군대와 땅의 주민들에게 자신의 뜻대로 행하시니 누구도 그의 손을 막을 수 없으며 그에게 "당신이 무엇을 하십니까?"라고 말할 수 없다. 36 그 때에 내 이성이 내게 돌아왔고 내 왕국의 영광을 위해 내 명예와 빛남이 내게 돌아왔으며 내 귀인들과 내 대신들이 나를 찾았고 나는 내 왕국에 굳건히 세워졌으며 내게 탁월한 위엄이 더해졌다. 37 이제 나 느부갓네살은 하늘의 왕을 찬양하고 높이며 존귀케 하노니 그의 모든 행하심은 진리요 그의 길은 심판이며 교만하게 행하는 자들을 그는 능히 낮추신다.

여기에 느부갓네살이 예정된 날들의 끝, 즉 7년이 끝난 후에 광기에서 회복되고 이성을 회복하는 내용이 있다. 그 긴 시간 동안 그는 하나님의 정의의 기념비이자 교만한 자들에 대한 그분 승리의 전리품이었다. 즉시 죽음의 벼락을 맞은 것보다 미쳐서 오랫동안 있었던 것이 그에게 더 큰 교훈이 되었다. 그러나 살려두신 것은 그에게 긍휼이었다. 살아 있는 동안은 아직 하나님을 찬양할 희망이 있기 때문이다.

"그 날들의 끝에 (말하기를) 나는 하늘을 향해 눈을 들었다." 짐승처럼 땅을 내려다보지 않고 사람처럼 위를 올려다보기 시작했다. 그러나 그 이상이 있었다. 그는 경건한 사람으로, 회개하는 사람으로, 겸손하게 긍휼을 구하는 사람으로 올려다보았다. 아마도 이전에는 한 번도 자신의 비참함을 느끼지 못했을 것이다.

**첫째, 이성이 어느 정도 회복되어 그것으로 하나님을 영화롭게 하고 강한 손 아래 자신을 겸손히 낮춘다 (34절)** — 이성이 돌아왔고 그는 지극히 높으신 이를 찬양했다. 하나님을 찬양하고 경배하지 않는 사람들은 사실 이성이 없다고 봐야 한다. 사람들은 하나님의 영광을 위해 이성을 사용하기 시작할 때 비로소 사람처럼 사는 것이다. 이성은 종교의 기반이고, 종교는 이성의 왕관이자 영광이다. 이것이 느부갓네살의 회복된 이성이 처음 한 일이었다. 그리고 이것이 그 이성의 적절한 사용이 되었을 때, 비로소 그는 그 이성의 다른 모든 즐거움을 누릴 자격을 갖추었다. 그가 오랫동안 다른 일들에 이성을 사용하지 못하게 되기까지, 이성의 가장 중요한 목적인 하나님께 그것을 적용하는 데 이르지 못했다. 그의 어리석음이 그를 지혜롭게 만든 수단이었다. 그는 꿈의 해석에 의해 회복된 것이 아니었다(그것은 꿈처럼 곧 잊혀졌다). 그는 그것을 실제로 느끼게 되어 귀가 열렸다. 자신에게로 돌아오기 위해 그는 먼저 자신 밖으로 나가야 했다.

이제 느부갓네살이 마침내 인정하게 된 것, 그리고 우리가 하나님에 대해 믿어야 할 것이 무엇인지 살펴보자.

1. 지극히 높으신 하나님은 영원히 사신다. 그의 존재는 변화나 끝을 알지 못한다. 그를 자주 경배했던 이들은 "왕이시여, 만세를 누리소서"라고 말했지만, 어떤 왕도 영원히 살지 않는다는 것을 이제 확신한다.

2. 그의 나라는 그와 같이 영원하고 그의 통치는 대대로 이어진다. 그의 나라에는 어떤 승계도 혁명도 없다.

3. 모든 민족이 그 앞에서 아무것도 아니다. 그는 그들을 필요로 하지 않으시고 그들을 전혀 고려하지 않으신다. 가장 위대한 사람들도 그분과 비교하면 없는 것과 같다. 하나님을 높이 생각하는 사람은 자신에 대해 낮게 생각한다.

4. 그의 나라는 보편적이며, 하늘의 군대와 땅의 주민들이 모두 그의 신하이며 그의 통제와 지배 아래 있다. 가장 높은 천사도 그의 명령 위에 있지 않고, 가장 낮은 인간도 그의 돌봄 밖에 있지 않다.

5. 그의 능력은 저항할 수 없고 그의 주권은 통제할 수 없다. 그분은 자신의 뜻대로, 자신의 계획과 목적에 따라 행하신다. 그가 기뻐하시는 것을 행하시고 임명하신 것을 이루신다. 누구도 그의 뜻을 막거나 그의 계획을 바꾸거나 그의 손을 잡을 수 없다. 창조주와 다투는 자에게 화가 있을 것이다.

6. 하나님이 하시는 모든 것은 잘 하신 것이다. "그의 모든 행하심은 진리요." 모든 것이 그분의 말씀과 일치한다. "그의 길은 심판이니" 지혜와 공의의 규범에 정확히 일치하며 아무 흠이 없다.

7. 그는 자신을 대적하여 경쟁하거나 대항하여 행동하는 가장 오만한 원수들도 낮추실 능력이 있다. "교만하게 행하는 자들을 그는 능히 낮추신다"(37절).

**둘째, 이성이 어느 정도 회복되어 그것으로 자신을 다시 즐기고 회복된 번영의 기쁨을 다시 누린다 (36절)** — 그때 그의 이성이 돌아왔다. 그는 전에(34절)에서 이미 이성이 돌아왔다고 했고, 여기서 다시 언급한다. 이성의 사용은 아무리 감사해도 지나치지 않는 은혜이기 때문이다. 이제 그의 귀인들이 그를 찾아왔다. 그들도 꿈과 그 해석을 잘 알고 있었고, 예언의 앞부분이 성취되었으니 예언의 뒷부분도 성취될 것이라 확신하여 7년이 끝나자 그를 받아들일 준비가 되어 있었다. 명예와 빛남이 돌아왔다. 그는 광기 이전과 같이 왕국에 굳건히 세워졌다. 그는 어리석은 자가 되어 지혜로운 자가 되었고, 어제까지만 해도 깊은 수치와 굴욕 가운데 있었던 그에게 이전에 가졌던 것 이상의 탁월한 위엄이 더해졌다.

1. 사람들이 하나님을 영화롭게 되도록 이끌리면, 특히 죄를 회개하는 고백과 그분의 주권에 대한 믿음의 인정을 통해, 그때 비로소 하나님이 그들에게 영예를 주실 것을 기대할 수 있다. 하나님은 그들을 첫 아담의 죄로 잃어버린 존엄으로 회복시킬 뿐 아니라, 둘째 아담의 의와 은혜로부터 탁월한 위엄을 더해 주신다.

2. 고난은 자신이 보내진 목적을 이룰 때까지만 지속된다. 이 군주가 하나님의 자신에 대한 통치를 인정하게 되었을 때 고난이 끝났다.

3. 하나님과의 관계에 대한 모든 기록은 그분을 향한 찬양으로 마무리되어야 한다. 느부갓네살이 나라를 회복했을 때, 세속적 일로 돌아가기 전에 먼저 하늘의 왕을 찬양하고 높이며 존귀케 한다(37절). 우리가 이성을 가진 것은 하나님을 찬양하기 위함이고, 번영을 누리는 것은 그를 찬양할 이유가 있기 때문이다.

이 일이 있은 후 얼마 되지 않아 느부갓네살은 삶과 통치를 마쳤다. 갈대아인들의 전승을 인용한 에우세비우스의 기록에 따르면, 그는 임종 때 키루스에 의한 바벨론의 함락을 예언했다고 한다. 그가 여기서 보인 것과 같은 좋은 마음을 계속 유지했는지는 성경이 알려주지 않으며, 그랬다고 볼 반대 증거도 없다. 만약 그토록 큰 신성 모독자이자 박해자가 긍휼을 받았다면, 그는 마지막이 아니었다. 그리고 우리의 자선이 그가 그랬기를 바라는 데까지 미친다면, 우리는 자유로운 은혜에 경탄해야 한다. 그 은혜로 인해 그는 잠시 이성을 잃었지만 영원히 그의 영혼을 구원받았다.

원주석

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