The New Testament is important for any further Christian theological development. Twentieth century linguistic analysis has shown the importance of communicative word structures to express realities. Words are human expressions about reality, but words convey meaning and feeling only within an understandable shared grammatical linguistic social structure. The authentic meaning of an utterance does not lie in a dictionary, but within the mind of the expression’s originator. Words exist in a specific historic time and place. However, some words endure and transcend spatial temporal limitations, while other words get lost in a particular misunderstood context. We now know the importance of the post-biblical history of the scriptural texts, the Wirkungsgeschichte, the reception and the interpretation of the biblical texts within a historical context with their varied meanings.
the interpretation
The great pride of the king (Dan 4:28-4:30)
“All this came
Upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
At the end of twelve months,
He was walking
On the roof
Of the royal palace
Of Babylon.
The king said.
‘Is this not magnificent Babylon?
I have built it
As a royal capital
By my mighty power.
I have built it
For my glorious power.’”
It is not clear if anything ever happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. However, some Jewish writings talk about his son, King Nabonidus (556-539 BCE), having some mental problems for 7 years. Anyway, this writing simply said that all this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. One day, a year later after the interpretation of Daniel, the king was walking on his roof, looking out at his beautiful magnificent Babylon. He had built this mighty powerful capital for his own glorious power. He was really proud of what he had accomplished.
The call for the king to repent (Dan 4:26-4:27)
“As it was commanded
To leave the stump,
As well as the roots
Of the tree,
Your kingdom
Shall be reestablished
For you,
From the time
That you learn
That Heaven is sovereign.
Therefore,
O king!
May my counsel
Be acceptable to you!
Atone
For your sins
With righteousness!
Atone
For your iniquities
By showing mercy
To the oppressed!
Thus,
Your prosperity
May be prolonged!”
Daniel continued with the interpretation of the dream. Just as the stump and the roots of the tree remained, so too the king would be restored or reestablished in his kingdom, as soon as he recognized the heavenly control of all kingdoms. Daniel gave him some more advice. The king was to atone for sins by doing right and good things. He was to atone for his iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. If he did this, his prosperity would be prolonged.
Daniel explains to the king his dream (Dan 2:29-2:30)
“‘To you!
O king!
As you lay in bed,
Thoughts came
Of what would be
Hereafter.
The revealer
Of the mysteries
Disclosed to you
What is to be.
But as for me,
This mystery
Has not been revealed
To me,
Because of any wisdom
That I have
More than any other living being.
But rather
That the interpretation
May be made known
To the king.
Thus,
You may understand
The thoughts
Of your mind.’”
Daniel addressed the king directly. As the king was laying in his bed, these thoughts from the revealer of all mysteries were disclosed to him. Now Daniel was not any wiser than anyone else, but God had revealed to him this mystery. Thus, the interpretation of the king’s dreams might be made known to him. The king then could understand his own thoughts.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 