Daniel 4:16

“Let his heart be changed from man’s, etc.] Not as to the substance, but as to the quality: and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; from a human heart, let it be changed into a brutal one; let him be deprived of the use of reason, and have no more exercise of it than a brute has; let him be wholly governed by the animal senses, and behave and act as a beast does; be as senseless, stupid, and savage, as that: and such a heart Nebuchadnezzar had; not that his rational soul departed from him, then he must have died; but the powers of it were sadly vitiated and depraved; his understanding, imagining himself to be a beast, not a man; his judgment, in not distinguishing the actions of a beast…”

“heart--understanding (Isa 6:10). times--that is, "years" (Dan 12:7). "Seven" is the perfect number: a week of years: a complete revolution of time accompanying a complete revolution in his state of mind.”

“Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him - Here the same thing occurs in a more marked form, showing that some man was represented by the vision, and indicating some change which was fitted to attract the deepest attention - as if the person referred to should cease to be a man, and become a beast. The word heart here seems to refer to nature - “let his nature or propensity cease to be that of a man, and become like that of a beast; let him cease to act as a man, and act as the beasts do - evincing as little mind, and living in the same manner.” And let seven times pass over him - In this condition, or until he is restored. It is not indeed said that he…”

“4:16 Seven periods of time may refer to a seven-year period (cp. 7:25; 9:24-25). • mind of a wild animal: See 4:31-33.”

“Let his: Here a transition is made from the tree to Nebuchadnezzar, whom it represented; the tree being lost sight of, a person came in its stead. This person having lost the heart, or disposition of a man, and conceiving himself a beast, should act as such, and herd among them. be changed: Dan 4:32, Dan 4:33; Isa 6:10; Heb 1:11; Mar 5:4, Mar 5:5; Luk 8:27-29 seven times: That is, seven years, a time in the prophetic language denoting a year. Dan 4:23, Dan 4:25, Dan 4:31, Dan 7:25, Dan 11:13, Dan 12:7; Rev 12:14 Daniel 4:17”

“(4:13) Here the angel declares by what means Nebuchadnezzar shall be brought into this condition. His heart shall be changed from a man's heart, according to the following passage, into the heart of a beast. מן שׁנּא, to change, to make different from, so that it is no longer what it was. The Kethiv אנושׁא is the Hebr. form for the Chald. אנששׁא of the Keri, here, as in v. 14, where along with it also stands the Hebr. plur. form אנשׁים. אנושׁא stands here for the abbreviated comparison frequent in Hebr., אנושׁא מן לבב, and the 3rd pers. plur. ישׁנּון impers. for the passive. לבב is the heart, the centre of the intelligent soul-life. The heart of man is dehumanized when his soul becomes like…”