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Daniel 4:11

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Daniel 4:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
Daniel 4:11 — American Standard Version

Context — Daniel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, [saying],
9O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
10Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and the height thereof was great.
11The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
12The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches thereof, and all flesh was fed from it.
13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.
14He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“The tree grew, and was strong, etc.] Grew higher and broader, taller and thicker, increased in boughs and branches, and became strong and stable, that no winds nor storms could move it: this shows the increasing power of Nebuchadnezzar, the enlargement of his dominions, and the stability of his empire: and the height thereof reached unto heaven; higher than any on earth; expressive of his dominion over all nations and people of the earth; or of his ambition of deity itself; and so Saadiah illustrates it by (<231414>Isaiah 14:14). “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds etc.”: and the sight thereof to the end of the earth: being so high, it was seen afar off; the fame of this great…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The tree grew - Or the tree was “great” - רבה rebâh. It does not mean that the tree grew while he was looking at it so as to reach to the heaven, but that it stood before him in all its glory, its top reaching to the sky, and its branches extending afar. And was strong - It was well-proportioned, with a trunk adapted to its height, and to the mass of boughs and foliage which it bore. The strength here refers to its trunk, and to the fact that it seemed fixed firmly in the earth. And the height thereof reached unto heaven - To the sky; to the region of the clouds. The comparison of trees reaching to heaven is common in Greek and Latin authors. - Grotius. Compare Virgil’s description of Fame.…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“4:11 The tree . . . reaching high into the heavens possibly alludes to the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“reached: Dan 4:21, Dan 4:22; Gen 11:4; Deu 9:1; Mat 11:23 Daniel 4:12”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification