Daniel: The Price of Pride

September 28, 2025

Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "Daniel: The Price of Pride." A video of today's message is here on YouTube. The discussion that follows assumes you are familiar with the message content.

I was surprised to find at least six Biblical Hebrew words that can be translated as pride. Even more fascinating, however, is that most of these words can each be translated across a spectrum of meaning from majesty to pride. Bible Hub offers: "Across its nineteen occurrences [#1346] the term moves on a spectrum from noble "majesty" (of God) to condemnable "pride" (of creatures). The same root that celebrates the splendor of the LORD unmasks the self-exaltation that provokes His judgment. When applied to God the word extols His unrivaled greatness, inviting Israel to trust the One whose loftiness is life-giving, not oppressive. Moses anchors covenant security in this majestic character, while the psalmist makes God's exaltation the rallying cry for worship. Used of people, the word diagnoses a heart posture that displaces dependence on God. The wisdom books repeatedly contrast such arrogance with humility, showing that downfall, not dignity, is its harvest."

If you want to get into this a little deeper, check out what Bible Hub / Strong's Concordance has to say about them all. You may click on each underlined Strong's number to go to each word's entry. Down the left column in an entry is the commentary and down the right column are all the references to where the word is used. Today we're focusing on the left column.

1344, geh-AH, גֵּאָה
1346, gah-ah-VAH, גַּאֲוָה
1347, gah-ohn', גָּאוֹן
1465, gay-vaw', גֵּוָה
1466, gay-vaw', גֵּוָה
1467, gay-vaw', גֵּוָה

Summary: "The word gathers two seemingly opposite realities - God's incomparable loftiness and humanity's illegitimate self-exaltation. Scripture upholds divine majesty as the ground of salvation and exposes creaturely pride as the seed of ruin. The gospel finally answers both themes: God stoops in Christ to save, and the proud are called to bow before the One whose exaltation alone brings life."

The only time "pride" appears in Daniel 4 is in verse 37, the last verse of the chapter: "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." And this is the only time in the OT that this form of "pride" [1465] is used.

I'll finish with a few summarized comments from Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 30, Daniel by John Goldingay. Read pages 244-274 for his details. I suspect this will become routine throughout our study of the Book of Daniel.

This story is similar to a thanksgiving or testimony as in Psalm 30 where a person recounts how their life was going well, went wrong, and how God restored them. This pattern continues in many NT epistles. It also harkens back to stories such as the Pharoah's dream and interpretation in Genesis 41, including Pharoah noting the presence of the deity in the interpreter. See also Job 33.

The tree motif can also be seen in Ezekiel 17 and 19.

How Kings are supposed to behave is outlined in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

Like "pride" discussed above, two other words can be ambivalent. The term "earth" can mean both the great extent of the King's rule or it can mean how small it is compared to God's reign. Likewise, the term "heavens" can mean both the physical sense of sky or all of God's dwelling. No other OT chapter uses these words as much and as meaningfully as here.

Another phrase used a great deal here (compared to the rest of OT) is "One on High."

There are three perspectives in this story. The King tells the story, the story is about the King, and Daniel adds some words as well. Given the structure of the book, we are probably to accept Daniel's words and be skeptical of the King's.

King Nebuchadnezzar won't be heard from again after chapter. But we will hear tell of a similar story in the next chapter that did not end as well for Belshazzar.

Trees play quite a role in the OT starting with the Trees in the Garden. And there's Abraham's Tamarisk tree. And Judas' tree. And that of Jesus.

It is dangerous to embody too much power in one person.

Daniel's lookouts illustrate the thesis that the true ministry of angels (messengers) is to witness regarding God's work and word.

To affirm that the heavens rule is to affirm that history is not limited to what seems possible for humans.

If we bait the tyrants and dare them to do their worst, they may.

Everything depends on the subject's response.

Another similar story is the King of Nineveh who was only given 40 days to repent as opposed to Nebuchadnezzar's year. Unlike Nineveh's king, Nebuchadnezzar does not respond to his warning.

Whenever human beings rejoice in success and achievement, they may be about to experience the action of God to remind them of their place. God characteristically shames the wise and strong by means of the apparently weak and foolish. Anyone can be banished from their garden "on the day that you eat of it."

If God's kingship is acknowledged, human kingship can find its place.

Nebuchadnezzar is an example, a warning, of how not to be led away by power and achievment, and a model of how to respond to chastisement and humiliation.

Commentators are evenly mixed regarding the sincerity and effect of Nebuchadnezzar's confession. Perhaps the point is to put yourself into the story, that is, live inside the questions and the possibilities for action.

Bonus

Judaism = Law and Christianity = Love; True?

That's a typical understanding of the basic difference between the two religions. But is it true?

What if I told you there's a fair amount of love in the Old Testament and a fair amount of law in the New Testament?

Probably the best analogy I can come up with for both religions (both Testaments) is that of a parent and child. A parent demonstrates their love for the child by establishing boundaries and proper behavior, i.e. laws. Parents also do much forgiving in the process, i.e. love. My answer is: Judaism is law and love, and Christianity is love and law. If you want to split hairs, you can play with the order of the words. But the bottomline is: both have both.

For more on the topic, see aish.com's Does God Love You? Judaism's Surprising Answer.

Maybe it should be "the Conjoined Twins of Love and Law."