Letting Nebuchadnezzar Speak: The Purpose of the First-Person Narrative in Daniel 4 (original) (raw)
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The Daniel Narratives (Dan 1-6): Structure and Meaning
The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 19, 2019
This article presents a new structural analysis of the Daniel narratives in Chapters 1–6. This structure is based on a new reading of the Daniel narratives from a perspective that emphasizes the tension between earthly and divine rule. Shifting the limelight from the conflict between the Jew and his environment to the internal identity conflict burdening the Jewish courtier, caught between his loyalty to God and that to the king, sheds new light on the Daniel narratives in general and specifically on the status of Daniel 1.
A LION ATE GRASS LIKE AN OX: NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND EMPIRE TRANSFORMATION IN DANIEL FOUR
A common imagery in much biblical literature critical of empires, including apocalyptic texts, is that of carnivorous animals. Such comparisons emphasize the vociferous slaughter of their victims, an attitude characteristic of predators. This is a strong critique of the power exercised by empires. Based on such critique, I will approach Daniel 4 and the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into an herbivorous animal. The whole metaphors used in Daniel 4 lead interpreters to see the whole transformation experienced by Nebuchadnezzar as one from “high to low”, but this does not seem the kind of transformation envisaged in Daniel 4. The main question of this paper is to understand this transformation, taking into account the importance of the image of the herbivorous animal. I believe this approach will, at the same time, clarify some difficult aspects presented by this chapter: the change in metaphor from the “cosmic tree” to “animal” (Dan 4:15c-16 [12c-13]); the positive characterization of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, especially in its metaphor of the first beast in Daniel 7 as an animal becoming human; the relation between Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s exhortation (Dan 4:27 [24]); and the matter of recognizing God’s sovereignty that is more subtle than the obvious public recognition by Nebuchadnezzar.
The Identity of the “Mad King” of Daniel 4 in the Light of Ancient Near Eastern Sources
Christianesimo nella storia, 2012
The fourth chapter of the book of Daniel recounts a story of a Babylonian king who has a frightening dream, which only a Jewish exile is able to interpret for him. In his dream, and in the subsequent narrative, he is transformed into an animal-like being who lives away from human society for a period of seven years. Ultimately both his wits and his throne are restored to him and he praises the God of the Jews. The bizarre events of this passage make it one of the most puzzling in the entire Hebrew Bible. For generations, scholars have struggled to link Daniel 4 with historical evidence from the reign of the Neo-Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BCE), with whom it is explicitly associated. However, with the discovery and publication of numerous cuneiform sources from the ancient Near East, many scholars have reconsidered this passage in Daniel, looking instead to the events of the reign of the last Neo-Babylonian king, Nabonidus (556-539 BCE). 1 In this paper I show how the editors of Daniel reworked this Nabonidus tradition, attributing it to Nebuchadnezzar in order to promote their theological ideals. I begin by looking at the background of Daniel 4, examining descriptions of both Nebuchadnezzar's and Nabonidus's reigns. Next I survey the connections between the events of Daniel 4 and other sources, including a stela discovered at Harran 1 See, for example, the works of J.J. Collins, Daniel. A Commentary on the Book of Daniel, Minneapolis 1993; several articles in Judah and the Judeans in the Neo-
The Book of Daniel, An Analysis
The Book of Daniel, An Analysis, 2013
The Book of Daniel is a companion to the Book of Revelation. The following is an overview of the book. Daniel, the author, like Ezekiel, was a captive in Babylon. He was brought before King Nebuchadnezzar while young, and trained in the Chaldean language and sciences. His career resembled that of Joseph. He was promoted to the highest office in the realm. He maintained his spiritual life in the midst of a heathen court. The main theme of the Book is the Sovereignty of God over the affairs of men in all ages. The pagan king’s confessions of this fact constitute the Key Verses of this book. Section I is largely a narrative of personal biography and local history. It contains an account of thrilling events and divine interpositions unsurpassed in the Old Testament. It refers to six moral conflicts in which Daniel and his companions participated. The first conflict is between pagan self-indulgence and conscientious abstinence, in promoting health. We find in chapter one that abstinence wins. The second conflict is between pagan magic and heavenly wisdom in the interpretation of dreams. We find in chapter two that divine wisdoms wins. The third conflict is heathen idolatry arrayed against loyalty to God. In chapter three we find that loyalty to God wins. The fourth conflict is a pagan king’s pride arrayed against Divine Sovereignty. We find in chapter four that God wins and the king is turned out to eat grass. The fifth conflict is impious sacrilege arrayed against reverence for sacred objects. In chapter five we find that reverence wins. We also find the handwriting on the wall and Belshazzar being dethroned. The sixth conflict is between malicious plotting and the providence of God over His saints. In chapter six we find that providence wins with the lions’ mouths being stopped. Section II gives us the visions and prophecies relating to the controlling hand of God moving the scenes in the Panorama of History, chapters 7-12. The Book of Daniel is a companion to the Book of Revelation. Both of these books contain much imagery which appears mysterious. The attempt to fit the the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation into the facts and events of human history has usually produced an endless conflict of opinions. The reason for this is that the true interpretation of the details of the visions is not always clear. There are two facts that are generally acknowledged by most scholars: (1) That the prophecies represent a partly veiled Revelation of Future Events in secular and sacred history. (2) That the visions point to the ultimate triumph of God’s Kingdom over all Satanic and World Powers. In chapter seven, many commentators see the Four Beasts as representing the Four great Empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, followed by a vision of the coming Messiah. In chapter eight, another period of Medo-Persian and Grecian history appears under the figure of a beast. In chapter nine we find Daniel’s prayer and a veiled prophecy of the time of the coming of the Messiah. Chapters ten to twelve contain additional far-reaching predictions and revelations of future events. These three chapters have been the battleground of theological controversy with many varied interpretations. (Adapted from Thompson’s Chain Reference).
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin: Writing and Resistance in Daniel 5 and 6
2004
It is not surprising that the book of Daniel, whose leading character is a Jewish scribe serving in various imperial courts, should feature writing in a recurring role. The story begins with Daniel learning Chaldean literature (1:4) and ends with him in possession of a secret book (12:4). But in the book of Daniel writing is used not merely to give a degree of verisimilitude to the court tales; it marks the exercise of political power, by emperors and the deity alike. 1 The fate of Daniel's people (12:1) as well as that of the emperor (5:24-28) is determined by writing. The book of Daniel discloses an ideology of writing held by its authors. Investigating this ideology will provide insight into the way the text comprehends power and into the ways modern readers might understand the book's original social location.
The Book of Daniel : A Critical Study
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The naturalistic historical novel took a new twist around the middle of the twentieth century. It was a turbulent era in American history, when the cold war was at its peak, America and Russia were pressing ahead for dominating world politics; and American society was faced with Black Rights movement led by moderates like Martin Luther King Jr. and militants like Malcolm X. This age saw literally history in the making, and novelists like Norman Mailer and E.L. Doctorow chose
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This foray into Daniel 4 contends that Nebuchadnezzar published his personal testimony as a redeemed evangelist in order to persuade the nations to submit to the Most High God.