Daniel 4 · Verse 30

Daniel 4:30

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
Daniel 4:30, King James Version

Daniel 4:30 in other translations

BSBthe king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
WEBThe king spoke and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”
ASVThe king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
YLTthe king hath answered and said, Is not this that great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour?
DARBYthe king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
BBEThe king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?
WebsterThe king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?

What does Daniel 4:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
30. Babylon, that I have built--Herodotus ascribes the building of Babylon to Semiramis and Nitocris, his informant under the Persian dynasty giving him the Assyrian and Persian account. Berosus and Abydenus give the Babylonian account, namely, that Nebuchadnezzar added much to the old city, built a splendid palace and city walls. Herodotus, the so-called "father of history," does not even mention Nebuchadnezzar. (Nitocris, to whom he attributes the beautifying of Babylon, seems to have been Nebuchadnezzar's wife). Hence infidels have doubted the Scripture account. But the latter is proved by thousands of bricks on the plain, the inscriptions of which have been deciphered, each marked "Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar." "Built," that is, restored and enlarged (2Ch 11:5, 6). It is curious, all the bricks have been found with the stamped face downwards. Scarcely a figure in stone, or tablet, has been dug out of the rubbish heaps of Babylon, whereas Nineveh abounds in them; fulfilling Jr 51:37, "Babylon shall become heaps." The "I" is emphatic, by which he puts himself in the place of God; so the "my ... my." He impiously opposes his might to God's, as though God's threat, uttered a year before, could never come to pass. He would be more than man; God, therefore, justly, makes him less than man. An acting over again of the fall; Adam, once lord of the world and the very beasts (Ge 1:28; so Nebuchadnezzar Da 2:38), would be a god (Ge 3:5); therefore he must die like the beasts (Psa 82:6; 49:12). The second Adam restores the forfeited inheritance (Psa 8:4-8).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 Is not this great Babylon - Here his heart was inflated with pride; he attributed every thing to himself, and acknowledged God in nothing. The walls, hanging gardens, temple of Bel, and the royal palace, all built by Nebuchadnezzar, made it the greatest city in the world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 4:28-37

Pride and self-conceit are sins that beset great men. They are apt to take that glory to themselves which is due to God only. While the proud word was in the king's mouth, the powerful word came from God. His understanding and his memory were gone, and all the powers of the rational soul were broken. How careful we ought to be, not to do any thing which may provoke God to put us out of our senses! God resists the…

Read the full comment on Daniel 4:28-37 →

Daniel 4:30 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עָנֵ֤ה'a.Neh[was] replyingH6032
מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka'king theH4430
וְאָמַ֔רve.'a.Marand [was] sayingH560
הֲלָ֥אha.La'¿ notH3809
דָא\־da'-[is] thisH1668
הִ֖יאhi'itH1932
בָּבֶ֣לba.VelBabylonH895
רַבְּתָ֑אra.be.Ta'<the> greatH7229
דִּֽי\־di-whichH1768
אֲנָ֤ה'a.NahIH576
בֱנַיְתַהּ֙ve.nay.TahI built itH1124
לְבֵ֣יתle.Veitto a house ofH1005
מַלְכ֔וּmal.Khua kingdomH4437
בִּתְקַ֥ףbit.Kafby [the] strength ofH8632
חִסְנִ֖יchis.Nipower myH2632
וְלִיקָ֥רve.li.Karand for [the] honor ofH3367
הַדְרִֽי\׃had.Rimajesty myH1923

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 4:30

  • Proverbs 16:18

    Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

  • Revelation 17:5

    And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

  • Ezekiel 29:3

    Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

  • Isaiah 10:8-15

    For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? …

  • Revelation 18:10

    Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

  • Luke 14:11

    For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

  • Daniel 5:18-20

    O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

  • Psalms 49:20

    Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

  • Isaiah 37:24-25

    By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel. I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

  • 1 Peter 5:5

    Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

  • Luke 12:19-20

    And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  • Psalms 73:8

    They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Is not.
5:20; Ps 73:8; Pr 16:18; Hab 1:15,16; 2:4,5; Lu 12:19,20; 14:11
1Pe 5:5
great.
Ge 10:10; 11:2-9; Re 16:19; 17:5; 18:10,21
that.
1Ch 29:12-14; 2Ch 2:5,6; Isa 10:8-15; 37:24,25; Eze 28:2-5; 29:3
and for.
5:18,19; Es 1:4; Ps 49:20; 104:1; 145:5-12; 1Co 10:31; Re 21:24-26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 4:29

    At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

  • Daniel 4:30

    The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

  • Daniel 4:31

    While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

Read all of Daniel 4

Daniel 4:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Habló el rey, y dijo: ¿No es ésta la gran Babilonia, que yo edifiqué para casa del reino, con la fuerza de mi poder, y para gloria de mi grandeza?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Au même instant la parole s’accomplit sur Nebucadnetsar: il fut chassé du milieu des hommes, et il mangea de l’herbe comme les bœufs, et son corps fut baigné de la rosée des cieux, jusqu’à ce que ses cheveux soient devenus longs comme les plumes de l’aigle, et ses ongles, comme ceux des oiseaux.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und der König hob an und sprach: Ist das nicht das große Babel, welches ich zum königlichen Wohnsitz erbaut habe durch die Stärke meiner Macht und zu Ehren meiner Herrlichkeit?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Eadem hora sermo completus est super Nabuchodonosor, et ex hominibus abjectus est, et fœnum ut bos comedit, et rore cæli corpus ejus infectum est, donec capilli ejus in similitudinem aquilarum crescerent, et ungues ejus quasi avium.