Daniel 4:11 — Word Study
WLCרְבָ֥ה אִֽילָנָ֖א וּתְקִ֑ף וְרוּמֵהּ֙ יִמְטֵ֣א לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ לְס֥וֹף כָּל־ אַרְעָֽא׃
BSAThe treeʼîylân
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| רְבָ֥ה | it grew great | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| אִֽילָנָ֖א | tree the | Noun common both singular determined, particle |
| וּתְקִ֑ף | and it grew strong | Conjunction, verb qal perfect third person masculine singular |
| וְרוּמֵהּ֙ | and height its | Conjunction, noun common both singular construct, suffix |
| יִמְטֵ֣א | it reached | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א | to heavens the | Preposition, noun common masculine plural determined, particle |
| וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ | and [the] sight of it | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לְס֥וֹף | [was] to [the] end of | Preposition, noun common both singular construct |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, both singular construct |
| אַרְעָֽא׃ | land the | Noun common both singular determined, particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. |
| KJV | The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: |
| ASV | The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth. |
| YLT | become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land; |
| WEB | The tree grew and was strong. Its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth. |
| BBE | And the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen from the ends of the earth: |
Where they part company is in stylistic choices — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by two descriptive clauses, providing a clear depiction of the tree's attributes.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbקְרָא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Daniel 4:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Vision of the Great Treegenerated
Daniel 4:11 describes a vision Daniel had of a tree that grew large and strong, symbolizing a kingdom or ruler. The tree's height and visibility represent its power and influence over the earth. This vision is part of a larger narrative where Daniel interprets dreams and visions that reveal God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel 4:21–22 | whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air nested— |
| 2 | Genesis 11:4 | “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.” |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 9:1 | Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens. |
| 4 | Matthew 11:23 | And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רְבָ֥ה, re.Vahgenerated
The verb רְבָה (re.Vah) means to grow great or to increase. It describes the action of something becoming larger or more significant, akin to a tree growing tall. The parsing indicates it is a perfect tense verb in the Qal stem, meaning it describes a completed action in the past.
This verb is often used in biblical contexts to denote growth in stature or importance, linking it to the broader themes of power and divine favor. In this verse, it highlights the impressive nature of the tree, suggesting a strong and influential presence.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb רְבָה governs the sentence, indicating the tree's growth. The structure includes a series of phrases: a noun phrase for the subject, followed by clauses that describe the tree's characteristics and its visibility.
The order emphasizes the tree's growth first, followed by its attributes and the extent of its visibility, which builds a vivid image of its grandeur.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates רְבָה as ἐκκόψατε, indicating a focus on the action of cutting down rather than the growth itself. This choice suggests an interpretative angle that may highlight the transient nature of power.
This contrasts with the Hebrew, which emphasizes the tree's impressive growth, reflecting a different understanding of the tree's significance in the narrative.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Daniel 4:11 describes a vision of a tree that grew large and strong, reaching high into the sky and visible to the ends of the earth. This tree symbolizes a powerful kingdom or ruler, demonstrating the extent of its influence.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The tree symbolizes a powerful kingdom or ruler, indicating strength and influence over the earth.
The height signifies the greatness and power of the kingdom it represents, showing its prominence in the world.
This indicates the far-reaching influence and recognition of the kingdom, suggesting that its power was acknowledged globally.
This vision reflects God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms, a recurring theme in the book of Daniel, where God reveals the fate of nations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do we see power and influence manifest in our world today?
- How can we understand the symbolism of the tree in relation to leadership and authority?
- What does this vision teach us about the nature of greatness and its visibility?
- How can we apply the lessons from this vision to our understanding of God's sovereignty?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Daniel 4:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe tree grew, and was strong,.... Grew higher and broader, taller and thicker, increased in boughs and branches, and became strong and stable, that no winds nor storms could move it: this shows the
Read John Gill on Daniel 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Daniel 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsDaniel 4:11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:Ver. 11. The tree grew, and was strong.] See Ezekiel 17:12; Ezekiel 17:24. Plato compareth a man to a tree inverted, with the root above and the branches below. He also calleth him φυτονουρανιον, a heavenly plant. Homer calleth great men γεγενημεναεχ Dιοςερνη.
Read John Trapp on Daniel 4 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) The tree grew.—It appeared in the vision to grow gradually larger and larger. According to the LXX., “The sun and moon dwelled in it and gave light to the whole earth.” The sight thereof—i.e., the tree could be seen from the most distant parts of the known world.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Daniel 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4–18. Nebuchadnezzar describes his dream, which, as the wise men of Babylon were unable to interpret it, he laid before Daniel.
Read Cambridge on Daniel 4 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe tree grew - Or the tree was “great” - רבה rebâh. It does not mean that the tree grew while he was looking at it so as to reach to the heaven, but that it stood before him in all its glory, its
Read Albert Barnes on Daniel 4 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10-12. The king saw in his dream a lofty tree rising as it were out of the very center of the world, and continuing to grow until it reached the clouds and could be seen to the end of the earth.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Daniel 4 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
The tree grew and was strong. Its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth.
The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
The tree grew large and strong. Its top reached far into the sky; it could be seen from the borders of all the land.
Tyndale line
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
The tree grew, and was strong, and its hight reached to heaven, and the sight of it to the end of all the earth:
And cried aloude, and said thus, Hew downe the tree, and breake off his branches: shake off his leaues, and scatter his fruite, that the beastes may flee from vnder it, and the foules from his branches.
Strictly literal
The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto the heavens, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;
the tree has become great, indeed, strong, and its height reaches to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;
(4:8) The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto heaven, and it was visible to the end of all the earth.
The tree grew and became strong. Its top reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the whole earth.
From the Latin
He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.
Simplified
It grew strong and tall, reaching high into the sky so it could be seen by everyone in the whole world.
And the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen from the ends of the earth:
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in content, with 7 of the 10 words matched. However, the Septuagint's translation reflects a different emphasis, focusing on the action of cutting down rather than the growth of the tree.
רְבָ֥ה אִֽילָנָ֖א וּתְקִ֑ף וְרוּמֵהּ֙ יִמְטֵ֣א לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ לְס֥וֹף כָּל־ אַרְעָֽא׃
7 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Daniel 4:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רְבָה (rbah) means to grow great or to increase. It can refer to growing tall or large in the P'al form, while the Pael form indicates making something great. The word is linked to the Aramaic root corresponding to another Hebrew word, רָב (rav), which also conveys the idea of greatness.
רְבָה vb. grow great
Pe. grow tall and large
Pa. make great
base
H7236 רְבָה
7236 rbah reb-aw'
(Aramaic) corresponding to 7235:--make a great man, grow.
see HEBREW for 07235
רְבָה (re.vah) — to grow great.
1) to grow great
1a) (P'al) to grow long, grow tall and large, grow great, increase
1b) (Pael) to make great
AVqp3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularAVqp3ms
אִילָן (iylan) means 'tree' in Hebrew and is noted in Aramaic as well. The word is linked to the concept of a tree and is derived from a related term for 'terebinth.' The entries consistently define it as a tree without significant disagreement.
אִילָן n.m. tree
base
H363 אִילָן
363 'iylan ee-lawn'
(Aramaic) corresponding to 356; a tree:--tree.
see HEBREW for 0356
אִילָן (i.lan) — tree.
ram
Aramaic of a.yil (אַ֫יִל "terebinth" H0352D)
Adj | Art — Noun common both singular determined · particleANcbsd/Ta
תְּקֵף (tqeph) means to grow strong or to become mighty. It can refer to both a literal strengthening and a figurative hardening or arrogance. The verb has forms indicating both intransitive and causative actions, such as making something strong or firm.
[תְּקֵף] vb. grow strong
Pe. grow arrogant, of spirit of man
Pa. make strong, stringent
base
H8631 תְּקֵף
8631 tqeph tek-afe'
(Aramaic) corresponding to 8630; to become (causatively,
make) mighty or (figuratively) obstinate:--make firm, harden,
be(-come) strong.
see HEBREW for 08630
תְּקֵף (te.qeph) — to grow strong.
1) to grow strong, be hardened
1a) (P'al)
1a1) to grow strong, be hardened
1a2) to grow arrogant (fig)
1b) (Pael) to make strong, make firm, make stringent
AC/Vqp3ms — Conjunction · verb qal perfect third person masculine singularAC/Vqp3ms
רוּם (ruwm) means 'height' in Hebrew and is derived from an Aramaic root. The entries consistently define it as referring to altitude or height, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[רוּם] n.m. height
base
H7314 רוּם
7314 ruwm room
(Aramaic) from 7313; (literally) altitude:--height.
see HEBREW for 07313
רוּם (rum) — height.
height
Aramaic of rum (רוּם "height" H7312)
AC/Ncbsc/Sp3ms — Conjunction · noun common both singular construct · suffixAC/Ncbsc/Sp3ms
מְטָא (mta') means to reach or attain. It covers the ideas of coming upon, extending, or arriving. The word is used in an intransitive sense in Aramaic, suggesting a sense of presence or occurrence. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
מְטָא, מְטָה vb. reach, attain
base
H4291 מְטָא, מְטָה
4291 mta' met-aw'
(Aramaic) or mtah (Aramaic) {met-aw'}; apparently
corresponding to 4672 in the intransitive sense of being found
present; to arrive, extend or happen:--come, reach.
see HEBREW for 04672
מְטָא (me.ta) — to reach.
1) to reach, come upon, attain
1a) (P'al)
1a1) to reach, come to
1a2) to reach, extend
1a3) to come upon
AVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularAVqi3ms
שָׁמַ֫יִן (shamayin) refers to 'heaven' or 'heavens' in Hebrew, encompassing both the visible sky and the spiritual abode of God. It is a plural noun and is related to the Aramaic term corresponding to the concept of heaven. The entries consistently highlight its meanings without significant disagreement.
[שָׁמַ֫יִן] n.m.pl. heavens
base
H8065 שָׁמַ֫יִן
8065 shamayin shaw-mah'-yin
(Aramaic) corresponding to 8064:--heaven.
see HEBREW for 08064
שָׁמַ֫יִן (sha.ma.yin) — heaven.
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible sky
1b) Heaven (as abode of God)
AR/Ncmpd/Ta — Preposition · noun common masculine plural determined · particleAR/Ncmpd/Ta
hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).
See HEAVENLY.
חֲזוֹת (chazowth) refers to sight or visibility, derived from the Aramaic root for vision. The term encompasses the concept of viewing or perceiving something. It is linked to the word חָזוֹן (chazon), which means vision.
[חֲזוֹת] n.f. sight, visibility
base
H2379 חֲזוֹת
2379 chazowth khaz-oth'
(Aramaic) from 2370; a view:--sight.
see HEBREW for 02370
חֲזוֹת (cha.zot) — visibility.
view, sight, visibility
Aramaic of cha.zon (חָזוֹן "vision" H2377)
AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixAC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
סוֹף (soph) means 'end' or 'conclusion' and is related to the Hebrew word סוֹף (H5490). It appears in an Aramaic context, corresponding to the concept of an ending.
H5491 סוֹף
5491 cowph sofe
(Aramaic) corresponding to 5490:--end.
see HEBREW for 05490
סוֹף (soph) — end.
end, conclusion
Aramaic of soph (סוֹף "end" H5490)
AR/Ncbsc — Preposition · noun common both singular constructAR/Ncbsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It encompasses meanings such as every, any, and none. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, indicating totality or completeness.
כֹּל, כָּל־ n.m. the whole, all
base
H3606 כֹּל, כָּל־
3606 kol kole
(Aramaic) corresponding to 3605:--all, any, + (forasmuch) as,
+ be-(for this) cause, every, + no (manner, -ne), + there
(where)-fore, + though, what (where, who)-soever, (the) whole.
see HEBREW for 03605
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, whole, the whole
1a) the whole of, all
1b) every, any, none
ANcbsc — Noun common · both singular constructANcbsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
אֲרַע (ara) refers to the earth or soil, with implications of being low or inferior. It is an Aramaic term corresponding to the Hebrew word for earth, אֶ֫רֶץ (erets). The entries suggest a range of meanings including earth, ground, and planet.
[אֲרַע] 21 n.[f.] earth
base
H772 אֲרַע
772 'ara` ar-ah'
(Aramaic) corresponding to 776; the earth; by implication
(figuratively) low:--earth, interior.
see HEBREW for 0776
אֲרַע (a.ra) — earth: soil.
: soil
earth, world, ground
Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H)
אֲרַע (a.ra) — earth: inferior.
: inferior
earth, world, ground
Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H)
אֲרַע (a.ra) — earth: planet.
: planet
earth, world, ground
Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H)
ANcbsd/Ta — Noun common both singular determined · particleANcbsd/Ta
((1) 'erets;
(2) 'adhamah;
(3) sadheh,
"a piece of land";
(4) ge, "earth";
(5) agros, "field";
(6) chora, "region";
(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;
(8) xeros, "dry land";
(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):
→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9
→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23
→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8
→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18