Nebuchadnezzar's Statement About Babylon in Daniel
Nebuchadnezzar's Statement About Babylon in Daniel
Nebuchadnezzar's boastful statement about Babylon is recorded in Daniel 4:30: "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?" [1]. This declaration showcases Nebuchadnezzar's pride and arrogance, as he attributes the construction of Babylon to his own strength and power.
The biblical account of Nebuchadnezzar's achievements in Babylon is supported by historical records. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Nebuchadnezzar added much to the old city, built a splendid palace, and constructed city walls [7]. Herodotus, a ancient historian, attributes the building of Babylon to Semiramis and Nitocris, while Berosus and Abydenus give the Babylonian account, crediting Nebuchadnezzar with the construction [7].
Nebuchadnezzar's statement in Daniel 4:30 is seen as a manifestation of his pride and haughtiness. Adam Clarke notes that Nebuchadnezzar's heart was "inflated with pride; he attributed every thing to himself, and acknowledged God in nothing" [9]. The Tyndale House commentary observes that Nebuchadnezzar "convinced himself that he had built Babylon" and disregarded the warning of the Most High God [6].
The consequences of Nebuchadnezzar's pride are evident in the subsequent events. According to Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar is punished with insanity and sinks to the level of beasts, illustrating the opposition between bestial and human life [8]. This episode serves as a warning against the dangers of pride and the importance of acknowledging God's sovereignty.
The historical context of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and the construction of Babylon is also relevant. Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 BCE and was known for his military conquests and architectural achievements [5]. Flavius Josephus records that Nebuchadnezzar took some of the most noble Jews as children and delivered them into the hands of tutors [4].
The significance of Nebuchadnezzar's statement in Daniel 4:30 lies in its demonstration of his pride and the subsequent judgment he faced. As Matthew Henry notes, Nebuchadnezzar's actions were a manifestation of his character, and his punishment served as a warning to others [10]. The event also highlights the theme of God's sovereignty and judgment, as seen in the writings of Jeremiah, who prophesied against Babylon and its rulers [2, 3].
Sources
- Daniel “The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? -- Daniel 4:30”
- Jeremiah “Jeremiah 32:28 (LITV) — So Jehovah says this: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it.”
- Jeremiah “behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says Yahweh, and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. -- Jeremiah 25:9”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 10, section 1: . Concerning Daniel And What Befell Him At Babylon. 1. But now Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took some of the most noble of the Jews that were children, and the kinsmen of Zedekiah their king, such as were remarkable for the beauty of their bodies, and the comeliness of their countenances, and delivered them into the hands of tutors, and to the improvement to be made by them. He also made some of them to be eunuchs; which course he took also with those of other nations whom he had taken in the flower of their age, and afforde”
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H5019 — Emperor living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #An emperor of Babylon living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.24.1; <br>refe)”
- Daniel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Daniel 4:1: 4:1-37 In his pride, King Nebuchadnezzar convinced himself that he had built Babylon (4:30; cp. Gen 11:1-9). He disregarded the warning of the Most High God (Dan 4:24-27). He had still not learned the lesson God was teaching him through these experiences, that the God of Daniel stands outside the world of time and space, and no human is equal to him. So God’s decree of judgment fell upon Nebuchadnezzar (4:17, 25-26; see Prov 16:18).”
- Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 4:30: Babylon, that I have built--HERODOTUS ascribes the building of Babylon to Semiramis and Nitocris, his informant under the Persian dynasty giving him the Assyrian and Persian account. BEROSUS and ABYDENUS give the Babylonian account, namely, that Nebuchadnezzar added much to the old city, built a splendid palace and city walls. HERODOTUS, the so-called "father of history," does not even mention Nebuchadnezzar. (Nitocris, to whom he attributes the beautifying of Babylon, seems to have been Nebuchadnezzar's wife). Hence infidels have doubted the Scripture”
- Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 3:29: This decree promulgated throughout the vast empire of Nebuchadnezzar must have tended much to keep the Jews from idolatry in the captivity and thenceforth (Psa 76:10). Punished with insanity for his haughtiness, he sinks to the level of the beasts (illustrating Psa 49:6, Psa 49:12). The opposition between bestial and human life, set forth here, is a key to interpret the symbolism in the seventh chapter concerning the beasts and the Son of man. After his conquests, and his building in fifteen days a new palace, according to the heathen historian, ABYDE”
- Daniel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Daniel 4:30: Is not this great Babylon - Here his heart was inflated with pride; he attributed every thing to himself, and acknowledged God in nothing. The walls, hanging gardens, temple of Bel, and the royal palace, all built by Nebuchadnezzar, made it the greatest city in the world.”
- Daniel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Daniel 1:1: We have in these verses an account, I. Of the first descent which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, made upon Judah and Jerusalem, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, and his success in that expedition (Dan 1:1, Dan 1:2.): He besieged Jerusalem, soon made himself master of it, seized the king, took whom he pleased and what he pleased away with him, and then left Jehoiakim to reign as tributary to him, which he did about eight years longer, but then rebelled, and it was his ruin. Now from this first captivity most interpreters”