Daniel doesn't just tell the king to stop doing wrong; he urges him to actively break off his sins, like casting off a heavy burden, by practicing righteousness and showing mercy. This isn't about appeasing God with good deeds, but about demonstrating a genuine change of heart and turning from his oppressive behavior.
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel has just interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's terrifying dream, which foretells a period of madness and humiliation for the king as a consequence of his pride. Now, Daniel implores the king to heed his counsel, offering a path to potentially avert or mitigate this coming judgment by turning from his wicked ways and embracing righteousness and mercy. This is Daniel's earnest plea for the king's repentance, hoping that a change of heart and actions might lead to a prolonged period of peace and prosperity.
Imagine being the king's advisor, knowing a terrifying fate awaits him. Daniel doesn't just deliver the bad news; he offers a path to avert it. What does 'breaking off sins' truly look like in practice?
Daniel's counsel to Nebuchadnezzar is direct and actionable. He doesn't just say 'stop sinning.' Instead, he breaks it down:
Abandoning Wrongdoing
The Hebrew word used here, often translated as 'break off,' carries a sense of violently separating or tearing away. Daniel urges the king to actively rebel against his sinful nature – his pride, his harshness, his cruelty. It's not a passive wishing for things to be different, but a forceful rejection of his sinful patterns.
The Twin Pillars: Righteousness and Mercy
Daniel points to two key actions: 'practicing righteousness' and 'showing mercy to the oppressed.'
This isn't about 'buying' God's favor with good deeds, but about demonstrating a genuine change of heart through tangible actions. It's about reorienting his life towards what God desires.
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Daniel doesn't offer a guarantee of a full pardon. He speaks of a 'perhaps.' What does this uncertainty reveal about God's response to repentance?
The phrase 'that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity' is crucial. Daniel isn't manipulating God or offering a magical formula. He's presenting a conditional hope.
A Conditional Promise
Nebuchadnezzar's future wasn't set in stone, but it hinged on his response. Daniel offers the possibility of prolonged peace and prosperity, not a certainty. This reflects God's patient nature – He warns, He counsels, and He offers hope, but He doesn't force compliance.
God's Character in Action
This 'perhaps' highlights that God's mercy is not automatic. It's offered freely but received through genuine repentance and a change of heart. It also shows Daniel's own humility; he doesn't claim to know the future or to have the final word, but he faithfully conveys God's hopeful warning.
Understand the original words
ḥăṭâ' · Aramaic Noun
Missing the mark or failing to meet God's standard of holiness; involves rebellion against God's law and requires repentance.
tsedâqâh · Aramaic Noun
A lifestyle of conformity to God's will and law, involving justice, integrity, and upright conduct before God and others.
‘ăvâyâh · Aramaic Noun
Twistedness or moral perversion; acts of rebellion against God's character and commandments that require turning away from.
ḥasan · Aramaic Noun
An attitude or action of compassion and kindness toward those suffering or in need, reflecting the character of God, who is compassionate.
shelêvâh · Aramaic Noun
General state of ease, success, or peace; in a biblical context, it often refers to God's gracious blessing and the duration of one's favor or stability.
Daniel's counsel to Nebuchadnezzar highlights that even a powerful king's prosperity is contingent on justice and mercy, a stark reminder that true success is tied to godly character, not just earthly power.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar becomes King
Nebuchadnezzar II ascends to the throne of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, initiating a period of significant expansion and monumental building projects.
c. 605-562 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Reign
Nebuchadnezzar's reign is marked by military campaigns, the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple (586 BC), and extensive construction in Babylon, including the famed Ishtar Gate and possibly the Hanging Gardens.
Undated, during Nebuchadnezzar's reign— this verse
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and Daniel's Counsel
King Nebuchadnezzar experiences a disturbing dream about a great tree cut down, which Daniel interprets as a divine judgment on the king for his pride. Daniel advises the king to repent by practicing righteousness and showing mercy to the oppressed.
Following Daniel's counsel
Nebuchadnezzar's Pride and Subsequent Madness
Despite Daniel's warning and counsel, Nebuchadnezzar boasts of his achievements, leading to his descent into a period of madness, living like an animal for seven years as foretold.
After seven years
Nebuchadnezzar's Restoration
Having been humbled, Nebuchadnezzar's sanity is restored, and he acknowledges the sovereignty of God.
562 BC
Death of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar II dies, having reigned for 43 years, leaving behind a vast empire and a complex legacy.
This passage echoes Daniel's counsel by highlighting that true worship isn't about outward rituals but about 'doing justice, and loving kindness, and walking humbly with your God,' which aligns with breaking off sins through righteousness and mercy.
Luke 3:8John the Baptist's call for repentance in the New Testament emphasizes producing 'fruits in keeping with repentance,' directly mirroring Daniel's plea for Nebuchadnezzar to demonstrate his change of heart through righteous actions and mercy.
Jonah 3:10The repentance of Nineveh, who turned from their evil ways after Jonah's prophecy, provides a powerful parallel to Daniel's hopeful counsel; God saw their actions and relented, showing that genuine change can avert judgment.
Matthew 5:7Jesus' teaching on the Beatitudes states, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,' reinforcing Daniel's specific instruction to Nebuchadnezzar to show mercy to the oppressed as a path toward potential leniency and continued prosperity.
Proverbs 14:34This verse states that 'righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people,' underscoring the core message Daniel delivers to Nebuchadnezzar: that personal and national well-being are directly tied to practicing righteousness and justice.
barnesDaniel 4:27: "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."
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee - Daniel was permitted to see not only the fact that this calamity impended over the king, but the cause of it, and as that cause was his proud and sinful heart, he supposed that the judgment might be averted if the king would…
bensonDaniel 4:27: "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 4:27 . Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee — These words Daniel adds out of love to the king, if perhaps his complying with the advice given might turn away this dreadful stroke from him, or at least might give the king some hopes of a mitigation of the ca…
Daniel doesn't just tell the king to stop doing wrong; he urges him to actively break off his sins, like casting off a heavy burden, by practicing righteousness and showing mercy. This isn't about appeasing God with good deeds, but about demonstrating a genuine change of heart and turning from his oppressive behavior.
Daniel has just interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's terrifying dream, which foretells a period of madness and humiliation for the king as a consequence of his pride. Now, Daniel implores the king to heed his counsel, offering a path to potentially avert or mitigate this coming judgment by turning from his wicked ways and embracing righteousness and mercy. This is Daniel's earnest plea for the king's repentance, hoping that a change of heart and actions might lead to a prolonged period of peace and prosperity.
Daniel has just interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's terrifying dream, which foretells a period of madness and humiliation for the king as a consequence of his pride. Now, Daniel implores the king to heed his counsel, offering a path to potentially avert or mitigate this coming judgment by turning from his wicked ways and embracing righteousness and mercy. This is Daniel's earnest plea for the king's repentance, hoping that a change of heart and actions might lead to a prolonged period of peace and prosperity.
"Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”" — Daniel doesn't just tell the king to stop doing wrong; he urges him to actively break off his sins, like casting off a heavy burden, by practicing righteousness and showing mercy. This isn't ab…
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Last reviewed October 2026
