Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
beasts . . . shadow under it—implying that God's purpose in establishing empires in the world is that they may be as trees affording men "fruits" for "meat," and a "shadow" for "rest" (compare Lamentations 4:20). But the world powers abuse their trust for self; therefore Messiah comes to plant the tree of His gospel kingdom, which alone shall realize God's purpose (Ezekiel 17:23; Matthew 13:32). HERODOTUS [7.19] mentions a dream (probably suggested by the tradition of this dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel) which Xerxes had; namely, that he was crowned with olive, and that the branches of the olive filled the whole earth, but that afterwards the crown vanished from his head: signifying his universal dominion soon to come to an end.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Daniel 4:12:
Ezekiel 17:3
Ezekiel 17:23
Ezekiel 31:6
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