Daniel 4:26

As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Daniel delivers this interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar immediately after explaining the judgment of the dream, following the earlier decree that explicitly ordered the stump to remain.

The words — The Aramaic מַלְכוּתָךְ (mal.khu.Ta/kh) translates literally as "your kingdom," while the relative particle דִּי (di) functions as "that" or "of" in this conditional clause.

The thread — The declaration of divine rule over human sovereignty appears in Daniel 2:37, while the specific instruction to preserve the tree stump originates in the earlier command of Daniel 4:15.

Why it lands — The text conditions the direct restoration of the king’s reign solely on his public acknowledgment that Heaven rules, requiring a concrete admission of authority rather than a general moral turn.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְדִ֣יve./Diand/ that אֲמַ֗רוּ'a.Ma.ruthey said לְמִשְׁבַּ֞קle./mish.Bakto/ leave עִקַּ֤ר'i.Kar[the] stump of שָׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙sha.re.Sho./hiroots/ its דִּ֣יdiof אִֽילָנָ֔א'i.la.Na/'tree/ the מַלְכוּתָ֖ךְmal.khu.Ta/khkingdom/ yourלָ֣ךְla/khto/ youקַיָּמָ֑הkai.ya.Mah[will be] enduring מִן־min-from דִּ֣יdithat תִנְדַּ֔עtin.Da'you will know דִּ֥יdithat שַׁלִּטִ֖ןsha.li.Tin[are] having mastery שְׁמַיָּֽא׃she.mai.Ya/'heavens/ the

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Daniel 4:15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
Daniel 2:37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
Daniel 4:23 And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’
Matthew 5:34 But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Matthew 21:20 When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
Luke 15:18 I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Luke 15:21 The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’