And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

DANIEL 2:38KJV
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Daniel 2:38 (KJV)

What does Daniel 2:38 mean?

Daniel 2:38 describes how King Nebuchadnezzar has been given authority over all people, animals, and birds, and is identified as the "head of gold" in the statue from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. This verse highlights that Nebuchadnezzar’s rule is supreme and divinely granted, making him the most prominent part of the dream’s image.

In this scene, Daniel is speaking directly to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, explaining the meaning of the king’s troubling dream. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that his power stretches wherever people live, and even over the animals and birds, showing the vastness of his empire. By calling Nebuchadnezzar the "head of gold," Daniel is saying that the king’s reign is the first and most glorious of the kingdoms represented in the dream’s statue.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 2:38

  • "children" (בְּנֵי, bené) and "men" (אֱנָשׁ, enash): These words together emphasize that Nebuchadnezzar’s authority covers all humanity, not just a specific group or nation.
  • "given" (יְהַב, yehav): This verb stresses that Nebuchadnezzar’s power is not self-made but granted to him, pointing to a higher authority (God) as the source.
  • "head" (רֵאשָׁה, re’sha) and "gold" (דְּהַב, dehav): The image of the "head of gold" signals both the value and the preeminence of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom among those that follow in the dream.

Why Daniel 2:38 matters

  • Daniel 2:38 clarifies that Nebuchadnezzar’s rule is portrayed as the most splendid and significant of the kingdoms in the dream, setting the stage for the interpretation of the rest of the statue.
  • The verse makes it clear that Nebuchadnezzar’s power is not just political but universal, covering all living creatures, which shows the reach and might of the Babylonian Empire at its height.
  • By stating that Nebuchadnezzar’s authority is given, Daniel subtly reminds the king that his power is not absolute or permanent, but allowed by a higher power, preparing the reader for the later parts of Daniel’s message.

Where else these words appear

“fowls” Hebrew H5776 · used in 2 verses

  • Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

“dwell” Hebrew H1753 · used in 6 verses

  • Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
  • Daniel 4:12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
  • Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

“field” Hebrew H1251 · used in 7 verses

  • Daniel 4:12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
  • Daniel 4:21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
  • Daniel 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

“ruler” Hebrew H7981 · used in 7 verses

  • Daniel 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
  • Daniel 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
  • Daniel 5:16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.