At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him. At thisThis phrase indicates a reaction to a preceding event. In the context of Daniel 2, it refers to the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream by Daniel. The king's dream and its interpretation were of divine origin, revealing God's sovereignty and the unfolding of future kingdoms. The phrase underscores the immediacy and impact of Daniel's revelation on the king, highlighting the power of God's wisdom imparted through His servant. King Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the Babylonian Empire, a historical figure known for his military conquests and the grandeur of his reign. His encounter with Daniel marks a significant moment where a pagan king recognizes the power of the God of Israel. Historically, Nebuchadnezzar's reign is well-documented, and his interactions with Daniel illustrate the intersection of divine providence with human history. fell facedown
This act of prostration is a physical expression of deep respect and submission. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, falling facedown was a gesture reserved for deities or individuals of high honor. Nebuchadnezzar's action signifies his acknowledgment of the divine wisdom granted to Daniel, and by extension, the supremacy of Daniel's God over the Babylonian gods. paid homage to Daniel
Paying homage involves showing reverence and honor. While it might seem unusual for a king to honor a captive, this act reflects the profound impact of Daniel's interpretation. It also foreshadows the recognition of God's authority by the nations, a recurring theme in the prophetic literature. Daniel's faithfulness and God's revelation through him lead to this moment of acknowledgment. commanded that an offering and incense be presented to him
Offerings and incense were typically associated with worship and reverence in ancient religious practices. Nebuchadnezzar's command to present these to Daniel indicates a recognition of the divine presence and authority working through Daniel. While theologically, worship is due to God alone, this act underscores the king's awe and the cultural context of expressing honor. It also serves as a testament to the influence of God's wisdom in the world, compelling even the most powerful rulers to respond with reverence. Persons / Places / Events 1. King NebuchadnezzarThe Babylonian king who had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret, except for Daniel. His reaction in this verse shows a moment of humility and recognition of divine wisdom. 2. DanielA Hebrew prophet and wise man in the Babylonian court, who, through God's revelation, interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream, leading to the king's response in this verse. 3. BabylonThe setting of this event, a powerful empire where Daniel and other Israelites were in exile. It represents a place of both challenge and opportunity for God's people. 4. Homage and OfferingNebuchadnezzar's actions of falling facedown and commanding offerings signify a recognition of divine authority and wisdom, albeit misdirected towards Daniel rather than God. 5. Dream InterpretationThe event that leads to this verse, where Daniel reveals and interprets the king's dream, demonstrating God's sovereignty and power over earthly kingdoms. Teaching Points Recognition of Divine AuthorityNebuchadnezzar's response, though misdirected, shows an acknowledgment of a power greater than his own. We should recognize and submit to God's authority in our lives. God's Sovereignty in RevelationGod reveals His plans and purposes through His servants. We should seek His wisdom and guidance in our decisions and interpretations of life's events. Humility Before GodThe king's act of falling facedown is a reminder of the humility required before God. We should approach God with reverence and humility, acknowledging His greatness. Misplaced WorshipNebuchadnezzar's homage to Daniel instead of God warns against directing our worship and reverence to humans rather than the Creator. We must ensure our worship is rightly directed to God alone. Witness Through ObedienceDaniel's faithfulness and obedience to God provided a powerful witness to Nebuchadnezzar. Our lives should reflect God's truth, serving as a testimony to those around us. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Nebuchadnezzar's reaction to Daniel's interpretation reflect his understanding of divine power, and what can we learn from this about recognizing God's work in our lives? 2. In what ways does Daniel's experience in Babylon parallel Joseph's in Egypt, and how do these accounts encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty? 3. How can we ensure that our worship and reverence are directed towards God and not misplaced on human leaders or achievements? 4. What does Nebuchadnezzar's act of falling facedown teach us about the importance of humility before God, and how can we cultivate this attitude in our daily lives? 5. How can Daniel's example of faithfulness and obedience serve as a model for us in being a witness to God's truth in a secular world? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 41Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams parallels Daniel's experience, highlighting God's ability to reveal mysteries through His chosen servants. Acts 10Peter's vision and subsequent understanding that God shows no favoritism, similar to how God reveals His plans to those who seek Him, regardless of their status. Philippians 2:10-11The act of Nebuchadnezzar bowing parallels the ultimate recognition of Christ's lordship, where every knee will bow. People Abednego, Arioch, Azariah, Belteshazzar, Daniel, Hananiah, Meshach, Mishael, Nebuchadnezzar, ShadrachPlaces Babylon, ShinarTopics Commanded, Daniel, Face, Fallen, Falling, Fell, Fragrant, Homage, Honor, Incense, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnez'zar, Obeisance, Oblation, Odors, Odours, Offer, Offered, Offering, Ordered, Orders, Paid, Pour, Present, Presented, Prostrate, Spices, Sweet, Worship, Worshiped, WorshippedDictionary of Bible Themes Daniel 2:46 5174 prostration
5594 tribute
7386 incense Daniel 2:17-49 6694 mystery Daniel 2:44-47 7949 mission, of Israel Daniel 2:46-47 5366 king Daniel 2:46-48 8369 worthiness Daniel 2:46-49 5501 reward, human Library The Image and the Stone
'This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureBook and Tract Catalogue.
THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION. BY I. C. WELLCOME AND C. GOUD. "The Plan of Redemption is an earnest book, evidently prepared after no little study, and with a conscientious desire to advance the cause of Christ. The Bible is made the basis of argument; it contains many fresh and well considered suggestions. The careful reader will find much that is valuable."--Watchman and Reflector. "This treatise aims to serve up the gospel scheme in a compact form. It states the plan and work well, and usually correctly. …
Dwight L. Moody—That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope Editor's Preface
Professor Maspero does not need to be introduced to us. His name is well known in England and America as that of one of the chief masters of Egyptian science as well as of ancient Oriental history and archaeology. Alike as a philologist, a historian, and an archaeologist, he occupies a foremost place in the annals of modern knowledge and research. He possesses that quick apprehension and fertility of resource without which the decipherment of ancient texts is impossible, and he also possesses a sympathy …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 1 The Scattering of the People
[Illustration: (drop cap A) The Fish-god of Assyria and Babylonia] At last the full punishment for their many sins fell upon God's chosen people. The words of warning written in the fifth book of Moses had told them plainly that if they turned aside and worshipped the wicked idol-gods of Canaan, the Lord would take their country from them and drive them out into strange lands. Yet again and again they had yielded to temptation. And now the day of reckoning had come. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope
In 2 Timothy, 3:16, Paul declares: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;" but there are some people who tell us when we take up prophecy that it is all very well to be believed, but that there is no use in one trying to understand it; these future events are things that the church does not agree about, and it is better to let them alone, and deal only with those prophecies which have already been …
Dwight L. Moody—That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope Epistle Xliii. To Eulogius and Anastasius, Bishops.
To Eulogius and Anastasius, Bishops. Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria, and Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch. When the excellent preacher says, As long as I am the apostle of the Gentiles I will honour my ministry (Rom. xi. 13); saying again in another place, We became as babes among you (1 Thess. ii. 7), he undoubtedly shews an example to us who come after him, that we should retain humility in our minds, and yet keep in honour the dignity of our order, so that neither should our humility be …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great A Description of Heart-Purity
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 The holy God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity' calls here for heart-purity, and to such as are adorned with this jewel, he promises a glorious and beatifical vision of himself: they shall see God'. Two things are to be explained the nature of purity; the subject of purity. 1 The nature of purity. Purity is a sacred refined thing. It stands diametrically opposed to whatsoever defiles. We must distinguish the various kinds …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The Wicked Husbandmen.
"Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord The First Great Group of Parables.
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.) Subdivision B. Parable of the Sower. ^A Matt. XIII. 3-23; ^B Mark IV. 3-25; ^C Luke VIII. 5-18. ^a Behold, ^c 5 The sower went forth to sow his seed [Orientals live in cities and towns. Isolated farmhouses are practically unknown. A farmer may therefore live several miles from his field, in which case he literally "goes forth" to it]: ^b 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed { ^a seeds } fell by the way side, ^c and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Necessity of Regeneration, Argued from the Immutable Constitution of God.
John III. 3. John III. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. WHILE the ministers of Christ are discoursing of such a subject, as I have before me in the course of these Lectures, and particularly in this branch of them which I am now entering upon, we may surely, with the utmost reason, address our hearers in those words of Moses to Israel, in the conclusion of his dying discourse: Set your hearts unto all …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration Letters of St. Bernard
I To Malachy. 1141.[924] (Epistle 341.) To the venerable lord and most blessed father, Malachy, by the grace of God archbishop of the Irish, legate of the Apostolic See, Brother Bernard called to be abbot of Clairvaux, [desiring] to find grace with the Lord. 1. Amid the manifold anxieties and cares of my heart,[925] by the multitude of which my soul is sore vexed,[926] the brothers coming from a far country[927] that they may serve the Lord,[928] thy letter, and thy staff, they comfort …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his Approaching Passion.
(Galilee.) ^C Luke XII. 1-59. ^c 1 In the meantime [that is, while these things were occurring in the Pharisee's house], when the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another [in their eagerness to get near enough to Jesus to see and hear] , he began to say unto his disciples first of all [that is, as the first or most appropriate lesson], Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. [This admonition is the key to the understanding …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The First Sayings of Jesus --His Ideas of a Divine Father and of a Pure Religion --First Disciples.
Joseph died before his son had taken any public part. Mary remained, in a manner, the head of the family, and this explains why her son, when it was wished to distinguish him from others of the same name, was most frequently called the "son of Mary."[1] It seems that having, by the death of her husband, been left friendless at Nazareth, she withdrew to Cana,[2] from which she may have come originally. Cana[3] was a little town at from two to two and a half hours' journey from Nazareth, at the foot …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus The Gospel of the Kingdom.
"This is He whom Seers in old time Chanted of with one accord; Whom the voices of the Prophets Promised in their faithful word." We have seen that, in the providence of God, John the Baptist was sent to proclaim to the world that "The Kingdom of Heaven" was at hand, and to point out the King. And as soon as the Herald had raised the expectation of men by the proclamation of the coming Kingdom, our Lord began His public ministry, the great object of which was the founding of His Kingdom for the salvation …
Edward Burbidge—The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it? Daniel
Daniel is called a prophet in the New Testament (Matt. xxiv. 15). In the Hebrew Bible, however, the book called by his name appears not among the prophets, but among "the writings," between Esther and Ezra. The Greek version placed it between the major and the minor prophets, and this has determined its position in modern versions. The book is both like and unlike the prophetic books. It is like them in its passionate belief in the overruling Providence of God and in the sure consummation of His …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Daniel 2:46 NIVDaniel 2:46 NLTDaniel 2:46 ESVDaniel 2:46 NASBDaniel 2:46 KJV
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