Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

DANIEL 4:27KJV
Know the Bible

Daniel 4:27 (KJV)

What does Daniel 4:27 mean?

Daniel 4:27 is Daniel’s plea to King Nebuchadnezzar, urging him to change his ways by doing what is right and showing mercy to the poor, in hopes that this might delay or lessen the coming judgment that Daniel has just warned him about. Daniel tells the king that turning from wrongdoing and practicing justice and kindness could bring continued peace and stability.

Daniel is speaking directly to King Nebuchadnezzar after interpreting the king’s troubling dream, which warned of a coming downfall due to pride and sin. Daniel’s advice is practical and compassionate: he encourages the king to “break off” his sins by living righteously and to address his “iniquities” by being merciful to those in need. The verse highlights Daniel’s concern for both the king’s spiritual state and the welfare of the vulnerable in Babylon.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 4:27

  • “Break off” (פְּרַק, pᵉraq): This word carries the sense of tearing away or separating oneself from something. Daniel is urging the king to make a decisive break from his sinful patterns, not just minor adjustments.
  • “Sins” (חֲטָאָה, ḥaṭā’ā): This word refers to moral failings or offenses, emphasizing that the king’s actions have been wrong in a general sense.
  • “Righteousness” (צִדְקָה, ṣidqāh): This word means doing what is right or just, especially in a way that is visible and practical. Daniel is not talking about abstract goodness but about real, fair actions.
  • “Mercy” (חֲנָן, ḥănān): This word means showing kindness or compassion, especially to those who are suffering or in need. Daniel specifically ties this to helping “the poor” (עֲנִי, ʿanî), highlighting social responsibility.

Why Daniel 4:27 matters

  • Daniel 4:27 clarifies that the king’s response to God’s warning should be practical—changing behavior and caring for the poor—rather than just feeling regret or making empty promises.
  • The verse shows Daniel’s courage and compassion, as he risks offending the king by calling for real change, not just interpreting the dream.
  • Daniel 4:27 connects the king’s personal choices to the fate of his kingdom, underlining a theme throughout Daniel: that rulers are accountable to God for how they treat others, especially the vulnerable.

Where else these words appear

“mercy” Hebrew H2604 · used in 2 verses

  • Daniel 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

“acceptable” Hebrew H8232 · used in 3 verses

  • Daniel 4:2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
  • Daniel 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

“Wherefore” Hebrew H3861 · used in 10 verses

  • Ezra 5:12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
  • Daniel 2:11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
  • Daniel 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

“if” Hebrew H2006 · used in 12 verses

  • Ezra 4:13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
  • Ezra 7:26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
  • Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?