Daniel 4:36

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 counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(36) For the glory.—He means that the splendour returned, so as to increase the honour and glory of his reign.

Benson Commentary

Daniel 4:36-37. And for the glory — Or rather, And the glory of my kingdom, and mine honour and brightness — Or countenance, (as the word זיוי, here used, is translated, Daniel 5:6; Daniel 7:28,) returned to me — I recovered my former looks, was possessed of the same outward glory and majesty, and was honoured with the same attendance and retinue, as I was before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, and extol, and honour, &c. — The number and variety of the words here used are meant to express the vehemence of the king’s zeal and affectionate devotion. All whose works are truth, and his ways judgment — Who governs the world with equity and justice. And those who walk in pride he is able to abase — Of which Nebuchadnezzar himself was a remarkable instance. This doxology seems evidently to have proceeded from his heart; and it is very probable, from the confession that he makes, and the glory and praise which he gives to God, that his conversion was real, and that he was a true proselyte to the Jewish religion. This great king, it appears, lived only one year after his recovery; and it may be hoped that, during that term, he continued in the faith and worship of the true God. His death happened in the thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin’s captivity, after he had reigned sole monarch forty-three years.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:28-37 Pride and self-conceit are sins that beset great men. They are apt to take that glory to themselves which is due to God only. While the proud word was in the king's mouth, the powerful word came from God. His understanding and his memory were gone, and all the powers of the rational soul were broken. How careful we ought to be, not to do any thing which may provoke God to put us out of our senses! God resists the proud. Nebuchadnezzar would be more than a man, but God justly makes him less than a man. We may learn to believe concerning God, that the most high God lives for ever, and that his kingdom is like himself, everlasting, and universal. His power cannot be resisted. When men are brought to honour God, by confession of sin and acknowledging his sovereignty, then, and not till then, they may expect that God will honour them; 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. Afflictions shall last no longer than till they have done the work for which they were sent. There can be no reasonable doubt that Nebuchadnezzar was a true penitent, and an accepted believer. It is thought that he did not live more than a year after his restoration. Thus the Lord knows how to abase those that walk in pride, but gives grace and consolation to the humble, broken-hearted sinner who calls upon Him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

At the same time my reason returned unto me - Showing that he regarded himself as having been insane.

And for the glory of my kingdom - That is, his restoration to the exercise of his reason contributed to the glory of his kingdom, either by the acts of justice and beneficence which he intended should characterize the remainder of his reign, or by his purpose to reform the abuses which had crept into the government while he was deprived of his reason, or by his determination to complete public works which had been purposed or commenced before his affliction.

Mine honor and brightness returned unto me - Evidently referring to his intellect. He was again restored to that strength and clearness of understanding by which, before his affliction, he had been able to do so much for the glory of his kingdom.

And my counselors and my lords sought unto me - As they had done formerly. During his state of mental alienation, of course, the great lords of the empire would not resort to him for counsel.

And excellent majesty was added unto me - Majesty and honor appropriate to my state, instead of the treatment incident to the condition of a maniac; Theodotion renders this, "and greater majesty was added to me." It is by no means improbable that additional honor would be conferred on the recovered monarch.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

36. An inscription in the East India Company's Museum is read as describing the period of Nebuchadnezzar's insanity [G. V. Smith]. In the so-called standard inscription read by Sir H. Rawlinson, Nebuchadnezzar relates that during four (?) years he ceased to lay out buildings, or to furnish with victims Merodach's altar, or to clear out the canals for irrigation. No other instance in the cuneiform inscriptions occurs of a king recording his own inaction.

my counsellors … sought unto me—desired to have me, as formerly, to be their head, wearied with the anarchy which prevailed in my absence (compare Note, see on [1088]Da 4:33); the likelihood of a conspiracy of the nobles is confirmed by this verse.

majesty was added—My authority was greater than ever before (Job 42:12; Pr 22:4; "added," Mt 6:33).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

My reason returned unto me: what is a magistrate, yea, or a man, without reason? A brute; as a ship without a pilot, as an army without a commander, as a flock or herd without a shepherd.

Mine honour and brightness returned unto me; instead of the shape of a savage beast, I got the majesty of a king in my countenance.

My counsellors and my lords sought unto me; they who before despised and rejected me now were glad to creep to me, and to know their place and distance.

I was established in my kingdom; in my wonted power and place, owned and obeyed without competitors by all, without question or complaint: see Daniel 5:18,19.

Excellent majesty was added unto me; he was the most august and magnificent prince on earth, therefore was his kingdom called the lady of kingdoms, Isaiah 47:7,8.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

At the same time my reason returned unto me,.... Or, "my understanding" (q); this he repeats, not only to express the certainty of it, but the sense he had of the greatness of the favour, and of which what he said at this time is a full proof:

and for the glory of my kingdom mine honour and brightness returned unto me: or "form" (r), as the Septuagint; his majestic form, that royal majesty, that appeared in his countenance formerly, returned again; which graced him as a king, and made for the glory of his kingdom, and the administration of his office. Jarchi renders it, "and to the glory of my kingdom I returned"; and to the same purpose the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions. This whole clause is wanting in the Syriac version. Jarchi interprets "brightness" of the form of his countenance; and Jacchiades of the light of it, the sparkling lustre and majesty of it. A strange change and alteration this!

And my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; who very likely had the administration of government in their hands during this time; and as the dream, and the interpretation, were publicly known, and they had seen the first part of it fulfilled in the king's madness and miserable state, they had reason to believe the latter part also, and therefore waited for the accomplishment of it at the end of seven years; when they sought for him, and sought unto him, very probably by the direction of Daniel, who was at the head of them; and this may be the reason why another prince was not set upon the throne, because they expected his return to it at the expiration of these years; and in the mean while held the reins of government in their own hands, but now delivered them up to him:

and I was established in my kingdom; as Daniel had told him, in the interpretation of his dream, that his kingdom should be sure to him, Daniel 4:26,

and excellent majesty was added unto me; or, more majesty (s); he had more honour and grandeur than he had before; more respect was shown him, and homage paid him: his latter end, like Job's, was greater than his beginning.

(q) "intellectus meus", Cocceius, Michaelis. (r) , Sept.; "forma mea", Tigurine version, "figura mea", Munster. (s) "magnificentia amplior", Pagninus, Montanus; "amplitudo major", Junius & Tremellius; "magnificentia major", Piscator; "majestas amplior seu major", Michaelis.

Geneva Study Bible

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 {t} my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

(t) By whom it seems that he had been put from his kingdom before.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

36. reason] The word is the same as that which in Daniel 4:34 is rendered understanding.

mine honour] my majesty (R.V.), as the word is rendered in A.V. in Daniel 4:30. In Heb. the word is regularly used of the majesty of a king (or of God), as Psalm 21:5; Psalm 29:4; Psalm 45:3-4.

and my splendour] i.e. my royal state (cf. Psalm 21:6 Pesh. [for Heb. הדר], 1 Chronicles 29:25 Pesh. and Targ. [for Heb. הוד]); though others, comparing Daniel 5:6; Daniel 5:9-10, Daniel 7:28, think the recovered brightness of the countenance to be meant. The ‘glory’ of Nebuchadnezzar’s ‘kingdom’ had been impaired by his absence: it was restored when he reappeared in his usual place and resumed his former royal state.

my ministers (Daniel 3:24; Daniel 3:27) and my lords sought unto me] They welcomed him back, and again consulted him on affairs of state.

excellent majesty] surpassing greatness. See on Daniel 2:31; and, for ‘greatness,’ cf. Daniel 4:22, Daniel 7:27 (A.V. in both greatness), Daniel 5:18-19 (R.V. in both greatness).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 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. As we have already mentioned, the verse in the Septuagint text which agrees to this is very brief, "At that time my kingdom was set up and my glory restored to me." It may be a condensation of some independent scribe, carried to a greater degree in the one case than the other. Only from the genesis of our Daniel, as we have imagined it, it would seem more probable that the briefer forms are the more primitive, and the longer the result of the expansion to be credited to imaginative copyists. In proof of this it is to be observed that neither Theodotion nor the Peshitta exactly represents the Massoretic text. Theodotion renders, "At that time my intellect (αἱ φρένες μου) was restored to me, and came to the glory of my king-dora, and my beauty ("form," ἡ μορφή μου) returned to me, and my rulers and nobles sought me, and I was confirmed upon my kingdom, and more abundant greatness was added unto me." The Peshitta differs somewhat from this, "And when my intellect returned to me, my nobles and my great army sought me, and to my kingdom was I restored, and its great inheritance was increased to me." The differences between these two and the Massoretic text are slight compared with those that separate any one of those from the Septuagint; yet starting with the Septuagint text, the others are easily reached by slightly varying additions. The Peshitta certainly more clearly portrays what seems likely to have taken place - first, a revolution during the king's madness, and a counter-revolution to restore him when his reason returned. If, however, Nebuchadnezzar was simply confined in a portion of the palace, then his nobles, on the news of his restoration, might seek unto him. None of the texts presents quite a self-consistent representation. If we could perfectly unravel the confusion of the texts which form our present Septuagint text, we should probably find one of them nearly self-consistent. Daniel 4:36

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

With the restoration of his understanding Nebuchadnezzar also regained his royal dignity and his throne. In order to intimate the inward connection between the return of reason and the restoration to his sovereignty, in this verse the first element of his restoration is repeated from v. 31 (Daniel 4:34), and the second follows in connection with it in the simple manner of Semitic narrative, for which we in German (and English) use the closer connection: "when my understanding returned, then also my royal state and my glory returned." The passage beginning with וליקר is construed very differently by interpreters. Many co-ordinate מל ליקר with וזיוי מדרי, and then regard ליקר either as the nominative, "and then my kingly greatness, my glory and splendour, came to me again" (Hitzig), or unite וזיוי מדרי as the genitive with מלכוּתי: "and for the honour of my royalty, of my fame and my glory, it (my understanding) returned to me again" (v. Leng., Maur., Klief.). The first of these interpretations is grammatically inadmissible, since ל cannot be a sign of the genitive; the other is unnecessarily artificial. We agree with Rosenmller and Kranichfeld in regarding וזיוי מדרי as the subject of the passage. הדר [splendour, pomp] is the majestic appearance of the prince, which according to Oriental modes of conception showed itself in splendid dress; cf. Psalm 110:3; Psalm 29:2; Psalm 96:9; 2 Chronicles 20:21. זיו, splendour (Daniel 2:31), is the shining colour or freshness of the appearance, which is lost by terror, anxiety, or illness, as in Daniel 5:6, Daniel 5:9-10; Daniel 7:28. ליקר as in Daniel 4:27. In how far the return of the external dignified habitus was conducive to the honour of royalty, the king most fully shows in the second half of the verse, where he says that his counsellors again established him in his kingdom. The בּעא, to seek, does not naturally indicate that the king was suffered, during the period of his insanity, to wander about in the fields and forests without any supervision, as Bertholdt and Hitzig think; but it denotes the seeking for one towards whom a commission has to be discharged, as Daniel 2:13; thus, here, the seeking in order that they might transfer to him again the government. The "counsellors and great men" are those who had carried on the government during his insanity. התקנת, on account of the accent. distinct., is Hophal pointed with Patach instead of Tsere, as the following הוּספת. If Nebuchadnezzar, after his restoration to the kingdom, attained to yet more רבוּ, greatness, than he had before, so he must have reigned yet a considerable time without our needing to suppose that he accomplished also great deeds.