Does Daniel 4:17 contain a Messianic Prophecy? Is it possible that the dream given to a Gentile king of a pagan nation could include a reference to the coming Messiah?

There's an interesting reference in verse 17 that God sets up over the kingdoms of earth the "lowest" of men. What exactly does this mean?

The King James Bible interprets this as "basest" while other translations refer to "lowest" or "lowliest." Bible commentaries skip right past the suggestion here that this might be an Old Testament reference to Jesus Christ as the One -- indeed the "lowest" of men -- whom God will set up over all the kingdoms of earth after the great and glorious Day of the Lord. While Daniel contains a number of Messianic prophecies, what makes this one (if it exists) interesting is that it was actually given by an angel to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Let's take a closer look at the potential meaning inherent in Daniel 4:17.

The word used here is the Chaldean/Aramaic word "Shphal." The exact same word is also used in Daniel 4:37, 5:19, 5:22 and 7:24. Except for its use in Daniel 4:17, the word always means "lower" in the sense of being humbled or reduced in position or esteem. This would fit with a Messianic prophecy, while an interpretation meaning "basest" would not.

The King James Bible interprets the identical word differently in 4:17, claiming that it means "basest" of men, a term that means low in the sense of crudeness or inability to perform the duties involved. This would mean the angelic watchman is implying that God gives kingdoms to men who don't deserve to be king, perhaps even representing a put-down of Nebuchadnezzar himself.

Strong's Dictionary

Because of the King James Authorized English interpretation, James Strong's Hebrew Chaldean Dictionary used as a primary source for translation work applies a separate entry to this word (8215 vs 8214) for Daniel 4:17, even though the spelling and context are identical to the other uses of the word. Why would the KJV apply a different meaning here? Was it because of the bias of King James himself, as he was a member of the translation team working on that translation and would have taken an interest in this particular story?

There appears to be no good reason why the KJV would interpret "shphal" differently here than its meaning in other places. All other translations use a consistent interpretation.

If the watchman really did mean Nebuchadnezzar was one of the "basest" of men, this would appear to conflict with Daniel 5, where Daniel himself praises King Nebuchadnezzar's reign as being a reasonably good one overall (in a human sense) except for the unfortunate time when he filled himself with pride and God humbled him through seven years of madness. He certainly doesn't put down the former king here.

Singular, not plural

The Chaldean/Aramaic text used by Daniel in his account does not actually refer to the "kingdoms" of men in the plural, but to the "kingdom" of men in the singular. The plural version of the Chaldean word "malkuw" ends with a thawv character ("malkuth"). This is significant. While it may refer to Nebuchadnezzar as the "king of the world" (the empire covered most of the known world of that time), it seems even more likely that it refers to the ultimate worldwide kingdom that will be ruled by the Messiah.

An interlinear translation of the passage says "the Most High (is Master) in the kingdom of men; and to whomever He wishes He gives it, and the lowliest of men He sets up over it."

The angelic messenger in the dream says that God sets up over all the kingdoms on earth the "lowest" of men. There is no guarantee that the Chaldean word used includes in its meaning a Messianic prophecy, but it appears that the KJV translation of "basest" is not an good rendering of "shphal" either.

The Chaldean word used here may mean nothing more than God's control over the world of men by setting up as kings men who don't necessarily deserve to be kings. However, there is a strong possibility that this is also a double reference, including the concept of the Servant-King -- the lowest of men -- who will ultimately be set up over all the kingdoms on earth, the one and only kingdom that will exist. Jesus Christ, the servant of all, born in a manger, beaten and crucified, is the humblest of men in this sense. How remarkable that the king of a pagan empire, writing a chapter in the Hebrew Tanach, may include a Messianic prophecy.

next: The Dream Comes True

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