In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.
Parallel translations
- WEB Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great.
- KJV Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
- ESV The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
- NKJV “These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great.
- NASB ‘Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the middle of the earth and its height was great.
- NLT “‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The king recounts seeing a great tree in the midst of the earth. The towering tree pictures his own vast dominion.
Overview
Trees commonly symbolize kingdoms in Scripture, and this one's great height represents the reach of Nebuchadnezzar's empire. The vision begins in grandeur, only to move toward judgment. The image sets up a lesson that all earthly greatness stands under God's hand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jer 12:2You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
- Dan 4:5I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
- Isa 10:33–34Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled.
- Ps 37:35–36I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
- Ezek 31:3–18Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds.
- Dan 4:20–26The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 4:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.