And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Parallel translations
- WEB All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?
- BSB All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
- NKJV All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
- NASB “All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, But He does according to His will among the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can fend off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
- NLT All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
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 confesses that all peoples are as nothing before God, who does as he wills and cannot be resisted. He proclaims God's absolute sovereignty.
Overview
Nebuchadnezzar now states the lesson he has learned: God rules heaven and earth, and no one can stay his hand or question him. The proudest of kings bows to the Most High's unchallengeable will. His confession echoes Scripture's consistent witness that the Lord reigns supreme over all creation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 35
- Job 42:2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
- Ps 135:6Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
- Ps 115:3But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
- Rom 11:33–36O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
- Isa 43:13Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
- Eph 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
- Isa 40:15–17Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
- Matt 11:25–26At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
- Acts 4:28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
- Rom 9:19–20Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
- Job 34:14–15If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
- Isa 45:9–11Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
- Ps 33:8–11Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
- 1 Cor 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- 1 Cor 10:22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
- Isa 46:10–11Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
- Job 40:2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
- Job 23:13But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
- Job 9:12–13Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
- Job 34:19–24How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
- Job 9:4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
- Job 33:12–13Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
- Job 34:29When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
- 1 Sam 3:18And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
- Job 40:9–12Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
- Phil 2:10–11That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
- Acts 5:39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
- Isa 14:24–27The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
- Acts 9:5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
- Isa 26:9With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
- Ps 49:1Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
- Isa 40:22–24It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
- Ps 33:14From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Acts 11:17Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 4:35 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.