Daniel 4 · Verse 32

Daniel 4:32

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Daniel 4:32, King James Version

Daniel 4:32 in other translations

BSBYou will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”
WEBYou shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen. Seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.’”
ASVand thou shalt be driven from men; and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
YLTand from men they are driving thee away, and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling, the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.
DARBYand they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
BBEAnd they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.
WebsterAnd they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou shalt know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

What does Daniel 4:32 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 32 They shall make thee, etc. - Thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen. The madness that fell upon him induced him to forsake society, and to run to the woods and deserts, where he lived like a wild beast, his hairs growing long and thick, so as to be a substitute for clothing; and his nails strong and hooked, that he might the better climb trees and grub up the ground, in order to get roots and earth-nuts. It was the mercy of God that thus clothed and accoutred him. His case seems much like that of the maniac in the Gospel, whose dwelling was among the tombs and in the mountains, and who shunned the society of men.

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 4:32 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.

וּמִן\־u.min-and away fromH4481
אֲנָשָׁא֩'a.na.Sha'<the> humankindH606
לָ֨ךְlakh<obj.> you
טָֽרְדִ֜יןta.re.Din[they are] about to chaseH2957
וְֽעִם\־ve.'im-and [will be] withH5974
חֵיוַ֧תchei.Vat[the] animal[s] ofH2423
בָּרָ֣אba.Ra'field theH1251
מְדֹרָ֗ךְme.do.Rakhdwelling place yourH4070
עִשְׂבָּ֤א'is.Ba'<the> grassH6211
כְתוֹרִין֙khe.to.Rinlike oxenH8450
לָ֣ךְlakhto you
יְטַעֲמ֔וּןye.ta.'a.Munthey will feedH2939
וְשִׁבְעָ֥הve.shiv.'Ahand sevenH7655
עִדָּנִ֖ין'i.da.NintimesH5732
יַחְלְפ֣וּןyach.le.Funthey will passH2499
עֲלָ֑ךְa.la.yikhover youH5922
עַ֣ד'aduntilH5705
דִּֽי\־di-thatH1768
תִנְדַּ֗עtin.Da'you will knowH3046
דִּֽי\־di-thatH1768
שַׁלִּ֤יטsha.Lit[is] having masteryH7990
עִלָּיָא֙i.la.ya'Most High theH5943
בְּמַלְכ֣וּתbe.mal.Khutover [the] kingdom ofH4437
אֲנָשָׁ֔א'a.na.Sha'<the> humankindH606
וּלְמַן\־u.le.man-and to whomeverH4479
דִּ֥יdiwhomH1768
יִצְבֵּ֖אyitz.Be'he will be pleasedH6634
יִתְּנִנַּֽהּ\׃yi.te.ni.Nahhe will give itH5415

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

Cross references for Daniel 4:32

  • Daniel 5:21

    And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

  • Jeremiah 27:5

    I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

  • Proverbs 8:15-16

    By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

  • Job 12:18-21

    He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

  • Exodus 9:29

    And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s.

  • Exodus 8:10

    And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.

  • Joshua 4:24

    That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

  • Isaiah 37:20

    Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.

  • Daniel 4:25-26

    That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

  • Daniel 4:14-17

    He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

  • Exodus 9:14

    For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

  • Isaiah 45:3

    And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they shall drive.
14-16,25,26; 5:21; Job 30:5-7
until.
17,25; Ex 8:10; 9:14,29; Jos 4:24; Job 12:18-21; Pr 8:15,16
Isa 37:20; 45:3; Jer 27:5

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Daniel 4:32

    And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

  • Daniel 4:33

    The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

Read all of Daniel 4

Daniel 4:32 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y de entre los hombres te echan, y con las bestias del campo será tu morada, y como á los bueyes te apacentarán: y siete tiempos pasarán sobre ti, hasta que conozcas que el Altísimo se enseñorea en el reino de los hombres, y á quien él quisiere lo da.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et tous les habitants de la terre sont réputés comme néant, et il agit selon son bon plaisir dans l’armée des cieux et parmi les habitants de la terre; et il n’y a personne qui puisse arrêter sa main et lui dire: Que fais-tu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		und man wird dich von den Menschen ausstoßen, und bei den Tieren des Feldes wird deine Wohnung sein, und man wird dir Kraut zu essen geben wie den Rindern; und es werden sieben Zeiten über dir vergehen, bis du erkennst, daß der Höchste über das Königtum der Menschen herrscht und es verleiht, wem er will.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et omnes habitatores terræ apud eum in nihilum reputati sunt: juxta voluntatem enim suam facit tam in virtutibus cæli quam in habitatoribus terræ: et non est qui resistat manui ejus, et dicat ei: Quare fecisti?