John Calvin Commentary Daniel 4:25

"that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet 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." — Daniel 4:25 (ASV)

Daniel proceeds with the explanation of the king’s dream, to which the last verse I explained yesterday applies. This ought to be expressed, because this message was sorrowful and bitter for the king. We know how indignantly kings are usually compelled not only to submit to orders, but even to be cited before God’s tribunal, where they must be overwhelmed in shame and disgrace.

For we know how prosperity intoxicates common people. What, then, can happen to kings except forgetfulness of our human condition when they attempt to free themselves from all inconvenience and trouble? For they do not consider themselves subject to the common necessities of humankind. Therefore, since Nebuchadnezzar could hardly bear this message, the Prophet here admonishes him in a few words concerning the cutting down of the tree as the figure of that ruin which hung over him.

He now follows this up at length when he says, They shall cast you out from among men, and your habitation shall be with the beasts of the field.

When Daniel had previously discussed the Four Monarchies, there is no doubt the king’s mind was at first exasperated. But this message was far more severe and, in the king’s opinion, far less tolerable. He was compared to wild beasts, cut off from humanity, and then driven into the fields and woods to feed with the wild animals.

If Daniel had only said the king was to be stripped of his royal dignity, he would have been greatly offended by that disgrace. But when he was subjected to such extreme shame, he was, undoubtedly, inwardly maddened by it. God, however, still restrained his fury, so that he would not seek revenge for the perceived injury he suffered.

For we shall later see from the context that he did not grow wise again. Therefore, since he always cherished the same pride, there is no doubt of his cruelty, for these two vices were united; but the Lord restrained his madness and spared His holy Prophet. Meanwhile, the constancy of God’s servant is worthy of observation, as he does not indirectly hint at what would happen to the king, but relates clearly and at length how base and disgraceful a condition awaited him.

They shall cast you out, he says, from among men. If he had said, you shall be, as it were, one of the common herd, and shall not differ from the very dregs of the people, this would have been very severe. But when the king is ejected from human society, so that not a single corner remains for him, and he is not allowed to spend his life among oxherds and swineherds, everyone can judge for themselves how odious this would be; nor does Daniel here hesitate to pronounce such a judgment.

The following clause has the same or at least similar weight — Your dwelling, he says, shall be with the beasts of the field, and its herb shall feed you. The plural number is used indefinitely in the original; and thus it may be properly translated, “You shall feed on grass; you shall be watered by the dew of heaven; your dwelling shall be with wild beasts.” I do not wish to engage in subtle philosophizing, as some do, who understand this to refer to angels.

I confess this to be true; but the Prophet simply teaches that punishment was at hand for the king of Babylon, when he would be reduced to extreme ignominy, and differ in nothing from the animals. This liberty, therefore, as I have said, is worthy of notice, to show us how God’s servants, who have to discharge the duty of teaching, cannot faithfully fulfill their role unless they shut their eyes and despise all worldly grandeur.

Therefore, by the example of the king, let us learn our duty, and not be stubborn and perverse when God threatens us. Although, as we have said, Nebuchadnezzar did not grow wise, as the context will show us, yet we shall see how he bore the terrible judgment denounced against him.

If, therefore, we, who are like refuse compared to him, cannot bear God’s threats when they are set before us, he will be our witness and judge—he who, though possessed of such mighty power, dared not act against the Prophet. Now, at the end of the verse, the sentence formerly explained is repeated — Until you acknowledge, he says, how great a Lord there is in the kingdom of men, who delivers it to whomever He wills. This passage teaches us again how difficult it is for us to attribute supreme power to God.

In our language, indeed, we are great heralds of God’s glory, but still everyone restricts His power, either by usurping something for themselves or by transferring it to someone else. Especially when God raises us to any degree of dignity, we forget that we are human, snatch God’s honor from Him, and desire to substitute ourselves for Him.

This disease is cured with difficulty, and the punishment which God inflicted on the king of Babylon is an example to us. A slight chastisement would have been sufficient, unless this madness had been deeply seated in his very core, since people claim for themselves what uniquely belongs to God.

Therefore, they need a violent medicine to learn modesty and humility. In these days, monarchs, in their titles, always present themselves as kings, generals, and counts, by the grace of God; but how many falsely pretend to apply God’s name to themselves, to secure supreme power for themselves!

For what is the meaning of that title of kings and princes — by the grace of God? — except to avoid acknowledging a superior? Meanwhile, they willingly trample upon that God with whose shield they protect themselves — they are so far from seriously thinking they reign by His permission! It is mere pretense, therefore, to boast that they reign through God’s favor. This being the case, we can easily judge how proudly irreverent kings despise God, even if they do not make deceptive use of His name, unlike those triflers who openly fawn upon Him and thus profane the name of His grace! It now follows: