Daniel 4:30

New American Standard Bible (1995)

"The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built to be a royal residence by my vast power and for my majestic glory?”

Hebrew Names Version
The king spoke and said, Is not this great Bavel, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?

King James Version
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?

English Standard Version
and the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"

New American Standard Bible
"The king began speaking and was saying, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?'

New Century Version
he said, "I have built this great Babylon as my royal home. I built it by my power to show my glory and my majesty."

Amplified Bible
"The king said thoughtfully, 'Is not this the great Babylon which I myself have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King spake and sayde, Is not this great Babel, that I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie?

Berean Standard Bible
the 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?"

Complete Jewish Bible
"Within the hour the word was fulfilled. N'vukhadnetzar was driven from human society, he ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

Darby Translation
the 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?

George Lamsa Translation
And he spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the seat of my kingdom and for my great dominion and my majesty?

Good News Translation
he said, "Look how great Babylon is! I built it as my capital city to display my power and might, my glory and majesty."

Lexham English Bible
And the king answered and said, "Is this not the great Babylon which I have built as a royal palace by the strength of my own power, and for the glory of my own majesty?"

Literal Translation
The king spoke and said, Is this not 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?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde: This is the greate cite off Babilo, which I myself (with my power & strength) haue made a kynges courte, for the honoure off my magesty.

American Standard Version
The 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?

Bible in Basic English
The 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?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

King James Version (1611)
The King spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I haue built for the house of the kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king spake, & sayd: Is not this great Babylon that I haue buylt for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions’ hairs, and his nails as birds’ claws.

English Revised Version
The 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?

World English Bible
The 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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the kyng answeride, and seide, Whether this is not Babiloyne, the greet citee, which Y bildide in to the hous of rewme, in the miyt of my strengthe, and in the glorie of my fairnesse?

Update Bible Version
The 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?

Webster's Bible Translation
The 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?

New English Translation
The king uttered these words: "Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?"

New King James Version
The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

New Living Translation
As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.'

New Life Bible
And he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I have built as a beautiful place for the king? I have built it by my great strength and for the greatness of my power.'

New Revised Standard
and the king said, "Is this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for my glorious majesty?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
the king spake and said, Is not, this, Babylon the great, - which, I myself, have built as the home of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the dignity of my majesty?

Douay-Rheims Bible
30 [27] [fn] And the king answered, and said: Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?

Revised Standard Version
and the king said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"

Young's Literal Translation
the 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?

Contextual Overview

²⁸ "All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. ²⁹ "Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰ "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'³¹ "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, ³² and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' ³³ "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Is not: Daniel 5:20, Psalms 73:8, Proverbs 16:18, Habakkuk 1:15, Habakkuk 1:16, Habakkuk 2:4, Habakkuk 2:5, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20, Luke 14:11, 1 Peter 5:5

great: Genesis 10:10, Genesis 11:2-9, Revelation 16:19, Revelation 17:5, Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:21

that: 1 Chronicles 29:12-14, 2 Chronicles 2:5, 2 Chronicles 2:6, Isaiah 10:8-15, Isaiah 37:24, Isaiah 37:25, Ezekiel 28:2-5, Ezekiel 29:3

and for: Daniel 5:18, Daniel 5:19, Esther 1:4, Psalms 49:20, Psalms 104:1, Psalms 145:5-12, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Revelation 21:24-26

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:5 - as gods Genesis 4:17 - and he Genesis 11:4 - and let Exodus 14:4 - I will be Deuteronomy 8:17 - My power Deuteronomy 32:27 - they should Judges 7:2 - Mine own 1 Samuel 2:3 - let not arrogancy 2 Samuel 7:1 - the king 2 Samuel 18:18 - he called 2 Kings 18:19 - Thus saith 2 Kings 19:24 - with the sole 1 Chronicles 17:1 - as David 1 Chronicles 29:11 - is the greatness 1 Chronicles 29:14 - who am I 2 Chronicles 32:13 - I and my Esther 5:11 - the glory Job 31:25 - because Job 33:17 - hide Psalms 12:3 - tongue Psalms 30:6 - And Psalms 73:6 - Therefore Psalms 87:4 - Babylon Proverbs 11:2 - pride Proverbs 29:23 - man's Proverbs 30:9 - I be full Ecclesiastes 1:16 - communed Ecclesiastes 2:4 - made Isaiah 10:13 - For he saith Isaiah 13:19 - Babylon Isaiah 14:13 - thou Isaiah 23:13 - the Assyrian Isaiah 36:4 - Thus saith Isaiah 47:8 - I am Jeremiah 9:23 - neither Jeremiah 22:14 - I will Jeremiah 49:25 - General Jeremiah 50:31 - O thou Jeremiah 51:25 - O destroying Jeremiah 51:41 - the praise Jeremiah 51:53 - mount Ezekiel 16:49 - pride Ezekiel 28:5 - and thine Ezekiel 31:10 - and his Daniel 2:32 - head Daniel 4:37 - those that walk Daniel 7:4 - lifted Amos 6:13 - Have Habakkuk 1:11 - shall his Malachi 3:15 - we call Matthew 4:8 - and showeth Luke 14:9 - and thou Acts 12:23 - because Acts 25:23 - with 1 Corinthians 4:7 - why Galatians 6:14 - that I 1 Thessalonians 2:6 - of men 1 Timothy 6:17 - that they James 3:5 - so 2 Peter 2:18 - they speak 1 John 2:16 - and the pride

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The king spake and said,.... Either within himself, or to his nobles about him; or perhaps to foreigners he had took up with him hither to show the grandeur of the city:

is not this great Babylon, that I have built; he might well call it great, for, according to Aristotle c, it was more like a country than a city; it was, as Pliny d says, sixty miles in compass within the walls; and Herodotus e affirms it was four hundred and fourscore furlongs round, and such the "greatness" of it, and so beautified, as no other city was he ever knew; :-, though the king seems to have gone too far, in ascribing the building of it to himself; at least he was not the original builder of it; for it was built many hundreds of years before he was born, by Nimrod or Belus, who were the same, Genesis 10:10, and was much increased and strengthened by Semiramis, the wife of his son Ninus; therefore to her sometimes the building of it is ascribed; but inasmuch as it might be in later times greatly neglected by the Assyrian kings, Nineveh being the seat of their empire; Nebuchadnezzar, when he came to the throne, and especially after he had enriched himself with the spoils of the conquered nations, greatly enlarged, beautified, and fortified it: and Berosus f relates, that he not only adorned the temple of Bel therewith, but of the city which was of old he made a new one, and fortified it, built three walls within, and as many without; and another royal palace contiguous to his father's, which greatly exceeded it; and hanging gardens in it, which looked at a distance like mountains, for the pleasure of his wife; and now, because he had done so much to the repairing, enlarging, and fortifying of this city, he takes the honour to himself of being the builder of it: and this was done, he says,

for the house of the kingdom; that it might be the seat of the empire, and a proper place for the royal family to dwell in, to have their palace, and keep their court in:

by the might of my power; through the great riches he was possessed of, which he employed in many great works, as before related, to the advantage of this city; he takes all to himself, and excludes all instruments, and even God himself; though, unless the Lord build the city, in vain the builders build, Psalms 127:1:

for the honour of my majesty? not so much for the benefit of the city, for the good of his subjects, as for the honour and glory of himself; to show his riches, power, and grandeur, and to make his name immortal to future ages.

c Politic. l. 3. c. 3. d Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 26. e Clio, sive l. 1. c. 178. f Apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1. & contr. Allion, 1. 1. sect. 19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The king spake and said - The Chaldee, and the Greek of Theodotion and of the Codex Chisianus here is, “the king answered and said:” perhaps he replied to some remark made by his attendants in regard to the magnitude of the city; or perhaps the word “answered” is used, as it often seems to be in the Scriptures, to denote a reply to something passing in the mind that is not uttered; to some question or inquiry that the mind starts. He might merely have been thinking of the magnitude of this city, and he gave response to those thoughts in the language which follows.

Is not this great Babylon, that I have built - In regard to the situation and the magnitude of Babylon, and the agency of Nebuchadnezzar in beautifying and enlarging it, see the analysis prefixed to the notes at Isaiah 13:0. He greatly enlarged the city; built a new city on the west side of the river; reared a magnificent palace; and constructed the celebrated hanging gardens; and, in fact, made the city so different from what it was, and so greatly increased its splendor, that he could say without impropriety that he had “built” it.

For the house of the kingdom - To be considered altogether - embracing the whole city - as a sort of palace of the kingdom. He seems to have looked upon the whole city as one vast palace fitted to be an appropriate residence of the sovereign of so vast an empire.

And for the honour of my majesty - To ennoble or glorify my reign; or where one of so much majesty as I am may find an appropriate home.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 4:30. 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.