The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth;
Parallel translations
- KJV The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
- BSB The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,
- ESV The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,
- NKJV “The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,
- NASB The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth,
- NLT The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.
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
Daniel begins the interpretation, recalling the great tree of the vision. He identifies the symbol the king has described.
Overview
Daniel repeats the image of the towering, far-reaching tree before naming its meaning. His careful retelling shows he speaks God's truth accurately, not flattery. The familiar picture now becomes the vehicle for a sobering personal message to the king.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Dan 4:10–12Thus 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.
- Ezek 31:3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
- Ezek 31:16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 4:20 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.