4:1–3 · Nebuchadnezzar’s confession: Nebuchadnezzar’s confession of God’s sovereignty results from a series of events described in 4:4–37. The manner of expression is typical of Israelite poetry and probably reflects editorial reworking. The intent of this section of praise is to show that even a pagan king has to acknowledge that Yahweh is great, that his kingdom extends to all “nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth” (4:1), and that “his dominion endures from generation to generation” (4:3).

4:4–27 · The dream and its interpretation:Nebuchadnezzar had reasons to be proud. In a short time he had consolidated the power of Babylon from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and from the Amanus Mountains to the Sinai. He had spent many years on campaigns subduing a…