Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Wednesday August 15, 2012Daniel: The Greeting Of Nebuchadnezzar’s Proclamation Which Is Addressed To All The Nations, Ethnicities And Language Groups In His KingdomLesson # 107

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 4:1.

4. This evening we will study Daniel 4:1, which records the greeting of a proclamation by Nebuchadnezzar, which was addressed to the all the nations, ethnicities and language groups in his kingdom.

5. In Daniel 4:1-3, we have Nebuchadnezzar issuing a proclamation.

6. Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound! 2 It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.” (NASB95)

7. Daniel 4:1 contains the greeting to Nebuchadnezzar’s proclamation and identifies its recipients.

8. Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound!” (NASB95)

9. “Peoples” is the masculine plural form of the noun ʿǎm (עַם) (am), which means “nations” in the sense of a large group based on various cultural, physical and geographical ties.

10. It refers to a large group that is larger than a tribe or clan but smaller than a race.

11. This word speaks of the national entities.

12. Most of the English translations render the word “peoples.”

13. However, the TNIV renders the word “nations.”

14. “Nations” is the masculine plural noun ʾǔm∙mā(h) (אֻמָּה) (oom-maw´), which means “ethnicities” referring to an ethnic group, divided on the basis of constituting a unique entity and thus speaks of the various ethnicities in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

15. “Men of every language” is the masculine plural noun liš∙šān (לִשָּׁן) (lish-shawn´), which means “language groups” referring to a distinct, rational form of communication unique to a socio-linguistic group, i.e. national people.

16. It speaks of those groups who share the same language.

17. “All” is the singular construct form of the noun kōl (כֹּל) (kole), whichis modifying the nouns ʿǎm, “nations,” ʾǔm∙mā(h), “ethnicities” and liš∙šān, “language groups” and denotes totality but is used in a distributive sense meaning “each and every.”

18. Here it refers to the totality of these nations, ethnicities and language groups who were recipients of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree.

19. This word emphasizes that there were no exceptions.

20. Everyone was addressed.

21. This expression contains the figure of “synecdoche of the whole,” which means, that the nations, ethnicities and language groups are being put for the persons, who belong to each of these groups.

22. The nouns ʿǎm, “nations,” ʾǔm∙mā(h), “ethnicities,” and liš∙šān, “language groups” all function as a genitive of possession.

23. Therefore, the noun kōl and these three nouns denote that the recipients of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree here in Daniel 3:29 are “any person belonging to the nations, ethnicities or language groups” in his kingdom.

24. “In all the earth” is composed of the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) “over” and then we have the singular construct form of the noun kōl (כֹּל) (kole) “all” which is modifying feminine singular noun ʾǎrǎʿ (אֲרַע) (ar-ah´), “the earth.”

25. The noun ʾǎrǎʿ means “earth” referring to that which composes planet earth, namely, the dry land, the various bodies of water on the earth and the atmosphere.

26. The word is modified by the noun kōl, which denotes totality.

27. Here the word means “the entire” earth and is the object of the preposition b-, which is a marker of place indicating that the recipients of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree here in Daniel chapter four are located “throughout” the entire earth.

28. “May your peace abound” is composed of the masculine singular construct form of the noun šelām (שְׁלָם) (shel-awm´), “peace” which is modified by the second person masculine plural pronominal suffix -ḵōm (־כֹם) (khome), “your” and then we have the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) jussive form of the verb śeḡā(ʾ) (שְׂגָא) (seg-aw´), “may abound.”

29. The verb śeḡā(ʾ) is a transitional discourse marker used to introduce a written communication with emphasis on the content to follow.

30. Formally it is expressing Nebuchadnezzar’s desire that peace “be multiplied” to each and every one of the people belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups who live throughout the entire earth.

31. The jussive form of the verb is expressing Nebuchadnezzar’s strong desire that the prosperity of the recipients of his decree would increase.

32. The noun šelām refers to prosperity and total well-being of a person in the sense of the mind and body being in a healthy state.

33. The king is expressing his desire that everyone in his kingdom be of sound mind and body and prosperity financially and materially as well.

34. Daniel 4:1 “King Nebuchadnezzar, to each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups, who are living throughout the entire earth: May your prosperity increase!” (My translation)

35. Daniel 4:1 presents to the reader the greeting to the proclamation which Nebuchadnezzar issued which was addressed to each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups in his kingdom who lived throughout the earth.

36. He expresses his desire that the prosperity of these people increase in the sense that they prosper in physical health as well as prosper financially and materially.

37. The recipients of this royal proclamation were located throughout the earth which reveals that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was world-wide.

38. This was given to him by God according to Daniel 2:37-38 and Jeremiah 27.

39. The Holy Spirit through the prophet Jeremiah warned the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon that the Father had given Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty over the entire earth (Jeremiah 27:6-7, 14).

40. Nebuchadnezzar is issuing this proclamation as a regenerate person.

41. As we noted in our study of Daniel 3:28, the fact that the king praises the God of Israel was an expression of his faith in the Lord.

42. The king’s praise is an expression of his faith in the God of Israel.

43. The Aramaic verb berǎḵ which we translated “worthy to be praised” appears only once in the book of Daniel.

44. However, its Hebrew equivalent bā∙rǎḵ (בָּרַךְ) (baw-rak´) appears 75 times in the Old Testament.

45. When the word is used of praising God, the individual praising God is always a believer and never an unbeliever.

46. Thus, Daniel 3:28 is recording for us the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar.

47. In Daniel 3:28, the king praises the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

48. Nowhere in Scripture does it record a fallen angel, or an unregenerate human being praising the God of Israel, Jesus Christ or God the Father.

49. Only believers praise the God of Israel.

50. The fact that Nebuchadnezzar published this proclamation throughout his kingdom about his experience with the God of Israel indicates how important he thought it was to make it known to those in his kingdom.