Daniel 4:5
New International Version
I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.

New Living Translation
But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed.

English Standard Version
I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.

Berean Standard Bible
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

King James Bible
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

New King James Version
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

New American Standard Bible
I saw a dream and it startled me; and these appearances as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

NASB 1995
“I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

NASB 1977
“I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

Legacy Standard Bible
I saw a dream, and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my head kept alarming me.

Amplified Bible
I saw a dream and it made me afraid; and the fantasies and thoughts and the visions [that appeared] in my mind as I lay on my bed kept alarming me.

Christian Standard Bible
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

American Standard Version
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Contemporary English Version
when suddenly I had some horrifying dreams and visions.

English Revised Version
I saw a dream which made me afraid; the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I had a dream that terrified me. The visions I had while I was asleep frightened me.

Good News Translation
But I had a frightening dream and saw terrifying visions while I was asleep.

International Standard Version
I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me.

Majority Standard Bible
I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

NET Bible
I saw a dream that frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed--these visions of my mind--were terrifying me.

New Heart English Bible
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Webster's Bible Translation
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

World English Bible
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
a dream I have seen, and it makes me afraid, and the conceptions on my bed, and the visions of my head, trouble me.

Young's Literal Translation
a dream I have seen, and it maketh me afraid, and the conceptions on my bed, and the visions of my head, do trouble me.

Smith's Literal Translation
I saw a dream, and it will terrify me; and the conceptions upon my bed and the visions of my head, will cause me to tremble.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I saw a dream that terrified me, and my thoughts on my bed and the visions in my head disturbed me.

New American Bible
Finally there came before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods. I repeated the dream to him:

New Revised Standard Version
I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the visions of my head troubled me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I had seen a dream, and I was troubled, and a vision of my head troubled me
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I saw a dream which made me afraid; and imaginings upon my bed and the visions of my head affrighted me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of a Great Tree
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. 5I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me. 6So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.…

Cross References
Genesis 41:1-8
After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, / when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. / After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. ...

Job 33:14-16
For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. / In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, / He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings

Matthew 2:12-13
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route. / When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

Acts 16:9-10
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” / As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Genesis 20:3
One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”

Matthew 27:19
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”

1 Kings 3:5
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

Job 4:13-15
In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, / fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder. / Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.

Matthew 1:20
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:10-17
He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. / He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. / It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. ...

Genesis 37:5-10
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. / He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: / We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” ...

Judges 7:13-15
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.” / His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.” / When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

Matthew 27:19
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”

Acts 18:9-10
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. / For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.”

Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.


Treasury of Scripture

I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

a dream.

Daniel 2:1
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Daniel 5:5,6,10
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote…

Daniel 7:28
Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

and the thoughts.

Daniel 2:28,29
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; …

Jump to Previous
Affrighted Afraid Alarmed Alarming Bed Cause Dream Fancies Fantasies Fear Fearful Great Head Images Kept Lay Maketh Mind Passed Thoughts Trouble Troubled Visions
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Affrighted Afraid Alarmed Alarming Bed Cause Dream Fancies Fantasies Fear Fearful Great Head Images Kept Lay Maketh Mind Passed Thoughts Trouble Troubled Visions
Daniel 4
1. Nebuchadnezzar confesses God's kingdom,
4. makes relation of his dreams, which the magicians could not interpret.
8. Daniel hears the dream.
19. He interprets it.
28. The dream fulfilled.














I had a dream, and it frightened me;
In the ancient Near East, dreams were often considered messages from the divine. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, experienced a dream that caused him great fear. This reflects the belief that dreams could foretell future events or divine judgment. The fear indicates the seriousness of the dream's content, suggesting a message of significant consequence. In biblical context, dreams are frequently used by God to communicate with individuals, as seen with Joseph in Genesis 37 and Pharaoh in Genesis 41.

while I was in my bed,
The setting of the dream is significant. The mention of being in bed suggests a time of vulnerability and rest, a common time for divine revelations in the Bible. This setting emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of the dream experience. In the cultural context, beds were places of rest and reflection, and receiving a dream in such a setting underscores its importance and the personal impact it had on Nebuchadnezzar.

the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
The use of "images and visions" indicates a vivid and possibly symbolic dream, which is a common feature in biblical prophecy. The alarm caused by these visions suggests a message of warning or impending judgment. This aligns with other biblical instances where God uses dreams to convey urgent messages, such as with Daniel's own visions in later chapters. The alarm felt by Nebuchadnezzar can be seen as a precursor to the interpretation that Daniel will later provide, which reveals God's sovereignty and the king's need for humility.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nebuchadnezzar
The king of Babylon who has a troubling dream. His reign is marked by significant achievements and a powerful empire, but also by personal pride and eventual humbling by God.

2. Babylon
The capital city of the Babylonian Empire, known for its grandeur and as a center of power and culture during Nebuchadnezzar's reign.

3. The Dream
A divine message delivered to Nebuchadnezzar through a dream, which serves as a warning and a revelation of God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Communication
God uses various means, including dreams, to communicate His will and assert His sovereignty. We should remain open to His guidance in unexpected ways.

The Role of Fear in Spiritual Awakening
Fear can be a catalyst for seeking God. Nebuchadnezzar's fear led him to seek understanding, reminding us that our anxieties can drive us closer to God.

Pride and Humility
Nebuchadnezzar's dream is a precursor to his humbling experience. It serves as a warning against pride and a call to recognize God's ultimate authority.

The Importance of Seeking Godly Counsel
Nebuchadnezzar's need for interpretation highlights the value of seeking wisdom from those who are spiritually discerning.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I had
חֲזֵ֖ית (ḥă·zêṯ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2370: To gaze upon, mentally to dream, be usual

a dream,
חֵ֥לֶם (ḥê·lem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2493: A dream

and it frightened me;
וִֽידַחֲלִנַּ֑נִי (wî·ḏa·ḥă·lin·na·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 1763: To slink, to fear, be formidable

while in
עַֽל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5922: Above, over, upon, against

my bed,
מִשְׁכְּבִ֔י (miš·kə·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4903: Couch, bed

the images
וְהַרְהֹרִין֙ (wə·har·hō·rîn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2031: A mental conception

and visions
וְחֶזְוֵ֥י (wə·ḥez·wê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2376: Vision, appearance

in my mind
רֵאשִׁ֖י (rê·šî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7217: The head, the sum

alarmed me.
יְבַהֲלֻנַּֽנִי׃ (yə·ḇa·hă·lun·na·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 927: To terrify, hasten


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OT Prophets: Daniel 4:5 I saw a dream which made me (Dan. Da Dn)
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