Daniel 4:35
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? | All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” | and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedAfter God humbled him, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven, regained his reason, and praised the most High. In this verse he confesses that all earth's people count as nothing beside God, who does as he wills in heaven and on earth, and no one can stop him or question him. Daniel 4:33Daniel 4:34Daniel 4:35
SpeakingKing Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon speaks in his own words, telling what happened to him. Daniel 4:1Daniel 4:34
ToHe addresses his account to "all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth." Daniel 4:1Daniel 4:2
Also involvedThe verse is about the most High, who rules over "the army of heaven" and "the inhabitants of the earth," including the king himself. Daniel 4:34Daniel 4:35Daniel 4:37
This is a confession of praise. The proud king who had boasted of Babylon as built "by the might of my power" now admits that human greatness is nothing before God, whose will no one can block. It is the lesson the dream foretold: "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." Daniel 4:30Daniel 4:35Daniel 4:17Daniel 4:25Daniel 4:32
The events take place in Babylon, where the king had walked in his palace and boasted of the great city. Daniel 4:29Daniel 4:30Daniel overview
The eventsIt happens "at the end of the days" of the king's madness, which began twelve months after Daniel interpreted the dream. This was during Nebuchadnezzar's reign, in the period the book covers, about 605-536 BC. Daniel 4:29Daniel 4:33Daniel 4:34Daniel overview
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the book's final form to about 167-164 BC, while others hold to the 500s BC date. Daniel overview
HereThe king's madness was sent "till thou know that the most High ruleth." This verse shows he has learned that lesson and now declares it to the nations. Daniel 4:25Daniel 4:32Daniel 4:1Daniel 4:37
In the whole of ScriptureThe book's main point is that God rules the kingdoms of men, setting up and removing kings. Its pagan king's confession echoes other Scripture: "Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth" (Psalms 135:6), and "All nations before him are as nothing" (Isaiah 40:17). Daniel overviewPsalms 135:6Isaiah 40:17Psalms 115:3
For readersNo ruler or nation, however strong, can resist God or demand that he explain himself. The fitting response is the king's: humble praise, since "those that walk in pride he is able to abase." Daniel 4:35Daniel 4:37Job 42:2Romans 11:33
- reputed (considered)חֲשַׁב
The word means to think or account. People are "accounted" as nothing in comparison with God, much as Isaiah says the nations "are counted to him less than nothing." Strong's H2804Isaiah 40:17Isaiah 40:15
The lexicon defines it as to desire or be pleased, and, of God, "to will (without hindrance)." This matches Psalms 115:3: "he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." Strong's H6634Psalms 115:3
- stay (strike)מְחָא
The word means to strike, and in one form "to hinder." No one can strike back God's hand or hold it back from acting. Strong's H4223Strong's H3028
- armyחַ֫יִל
The word means strength, army, or power. God's rule reaches the host of heaven as well as people on earth. Strong's H2429Strong's H8065Psalms 135:6
Takeaway
A humbled king confesses that God does as he wills in heaven and on earth, and no one can stop him or call him to account. Human pride, even an emperor's, counts for nothing before the most High. Daniel 4:35Daniel 4:37Psalms 135:6
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Aramaic words
This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.
| English | Aramaic | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and all | וְכָל־ | ve-khol | H3606 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, whole, the whole 1a) the whole of, all 1b) every, any, none |
| [the] inhabitants of | דָּיְרֵ֤י | da-'a-rei | H1753 | to dwellדּוּר (dur) (P'al) to dwell Aramaic of dur (דּוּר "to dwell" H1752) |
| earth the | אַרְעָא֙ | 'ar-'A' | H0772I | earth: soilאֲרַע (a.ra) : soil earth, world, ground Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H) |
| [are] as not | כְּלָ֣ה | ke-LAH | H3809 | notלָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808) |
| considered | חֲשִׁיבִ֔ין | cha-shi-VIN | H2804 | to accountחֲשַׁב (cha.shav) (P'al) to think, account Aramaic of cha.shav (חָשַׁב ": design" H2803) |
| and as pleases he | וּֽכְמִצְבְּיֵ֗הּ | u-khe-mitz-be-YEH | H6634 | to willצְבָא (tse.va) 1) to desire, be inclined, be willing, be pleased 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to desire 1a2) to be pleased 1a3) to will (without hindrance) (of God) |
| [he is] doing | עָבֵד֙ | 'a-VED | H5648 | to makeעֲבַד (a.vad) 1) to make, do 1a)(P'al) 1a1) to make, create 1a2) to do, perform 1b) (Ithp'al) 1b1) to be made into 1b2) to be done, be wrought, be performed, be executed, be carried out |
| with [the] army of | בְּחֵ֣יל | be-CHEIL | H2429 | strengthחַ֫יִל (cha.yil) 1) strength, army, power 1a) power 1b) force, army |
| heavens the | שְׁמַיָּ֔א | she-mai-YA' | H8065 | heavenשָׁמַ֫יִן (sha.ma.yin) 1) heaven, heavens, sky 1a) visible sky 1b) Heaven (as abode of God) |
| and [the] inhabitants of | וְדָיְרֵ֖י | ve-da-'a-rei | H1753 | to dwellדּוּר (dur) (P'al) to dwell Aramaic of dur (דּוּר "to dwell" H1752) |
| earth the | אַרְעָ֑א | 'ar-'A' | H0772I | earth: soilאֲרַע (a.ra) : soil earth, world, ground Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H) |
| and not | וְלָ֤א | ve-LA' | H3809 | notלָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808) |
| there | אִיתַי֙ | 'i-TAI | H0383 | there isאִיתַי (i.tay) 1) there is, there are 2) particle denoting existence |
| [is] who | דִּֽי־ | di- | H1768 | thatדִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because |
| he will strike | יְמַחֵ֣א | ye-ma-CHE' | H4223 | to smiteמְחָא (me.ach) 1) to strike, smite, kill 1a) (P'al) to strike 1b) (Pael) to hinder 1c) (Ithp'al) to allow to be stricken |
| on hand his | בִידֵ֔הּ | vi-DEH | H3028 | handיַד (yad) 1) hand 2) power (fig.) |
| so he may say | וְיֵ֥אמַר | ve-YE-mar | H0560 | to sayאֲמַר (a.mar) (P'al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate Aramaic of a.mar (אָמַר "to say" H0559) |
| what? | מָ֥ה | mah | H4101 | what?מָה (mah) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes) |
| have you done | עֲבַֽדְתְּ׃ | 'a-VADT | H5648 | to makeעֲבַד (a.vad) 1) to make, do 1a)(P'al) 1a1) to make, create 1a2) to do, perform 1b) (Ithp'al) 1b1) to be made into 1b2) to be done, be wrought, be performed, be executed, be carried out |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.