Daniel 4:10-18 · Bible study
Daniel 4:10-18 Commentary: The Tree and God's Sovereignty
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great tree cut down reveals God's rule over the proud. A study of symbol, judgment, and hope.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God humbles the proud and preserves a remnant, teaching all that He alone holds authority over human rulers.
- Key words: 'watcher' (Aramaic: wakeful angelic being), 'stump' (symbol of preservation), 'seven times' (probably years of judgment).
- Main debate: Whether 'seven times' is exactly seven years or an indefinite period; whether the watcher is Christ or an angel; the symbolic meaning of the bronze band.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over human history; pride leads to downfall; judgment is not the final word for the repentant.
- Best use: Preaching on God's sovereignty, humility, and the hope that follows discipline; paired with Daniel 4:19-37 for the full narrative.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.
11The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.
13As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.
17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
10These were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great.
11The tree grew and was strong. Its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13“I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a holy watcher came down from the sky.
14He cried aloud and said this: ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it and the birds from its branches.
15Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth.
16Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him.
17“‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’
18“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
KJV King James Version 1769
10Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
11The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
12The 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.
13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
14He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
15Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
16Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
18This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and the height thereof was great.
11The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
12The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches thereof, and all flesh was fed from it.
13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.
14He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.
15Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven: and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
16let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men.
18This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10As to the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and lo, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height is great:
11become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;
12its leaves are fair, and its budding great, and food for all is in it: under it take shade doth the beast of the field, and in its boughs dwell do the birds of the heavens, and of it fed are all flesh.
13`I was looking, in the visions of my head on my bed, and lo, a sifter, even a holy one, from the heavens is coming down.
14He is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its budding, move away let the beast from under it, and the birds from off its branches;
15but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens is it wet, and with the beasts is his portion in the herb of the earth;
16his heart from man's is changed, and the heart of a beast is given to him, and seven times pass over him;
17by the decree of the sifters is the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.
18`This dream I have seen, I king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation tell, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto the heavens, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the heavens;
14he cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
16Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones: that the living may know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
18This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holygods is in thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.
11He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.
12Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.
13Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given him: and let seven times pass over him.
14This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word and demand of the holy ones: till the living know, that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men: and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.
15I, king Nabuchodonosor, saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
16Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thought troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.
17The tree which thou sawest, which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all the earth:
18And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the tree in Nebuchadnezzar's dream represents the king himself and his vast empire. Calvin, Barnes, and Keil all note the tree's central position in the earth, a symbol of Babylon's global dominance. The command to cut down the tree but leave its stump points to a humbling that is severe yet not final. The stump preserved, even bound with iron and bronze, signals that Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom will be kept for him after his period of madness.
The 'watcher' (Aramaic: ir), as the Cambridge Bible explains, is a wakeful angelic being, ever ready to execute God's will. The seven times are understood as seven years, a complete period of judgment. The passage's climax in v. 17, 'the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men', is the theological center that all commentators highlight. Gill, Wesley, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown each underscore that God's sovereignty over human rulers is the lesson the dream is meant to teach both the king and the world.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal/historical reading: The tree symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar's empire; the judgment is a direct prophecy of the king's seven-year madness recorded in Daniel 4:28-37.
- Typological/allegorical reading: The tree represents all human power structures that oppose God; the watcher is Christ or a type of Christ; the stump points to the remnant of Israel or the church.
- Angelic council interpretation: The 'watchers' are a heavenly court that deliberates and decrees judgment (Job 1-2); the passage reveals God's governance through angelic intermediaries.
What is clear: The certain core of the passage is that God humbles the proud ruler and that all human authority is subject to the Most High's sovereign rule.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the watcher | All traditions identify the watcher as a holy angelic being sent from heaven to deliver God's judgment. | Some early Christian interpreters (cited by Ellicott) saw the watcher as Christ himself; most modern commentators identify him as an angel, noting the plural 'watchers' in v.17 suggests a class of angelic beings. Catholic tradition often sees him as an angel; Protestant commentators emphasize his role as a minister of God's decree. |
| Meaning of the stump and the band of iron and bronze | All agree the stump represents the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar's life and kingdom during his madness; the band signifies protection and restraint. | Barnes suggests the band refers to the chaining of the royal maniac; Keil interprets it as a symbolic protection of the stump from further damage, ensuring future regrowth. The band's specific purpose (restraint vs. preservation) is less firmly defined. |
| Length of the seven times | Most interpreters understand 'seven times' as seven years, a complete period of divine judgment. | A minority view (some ancient Jewish interpreters) sees 'times' as indefinite seasons, not necessarily calendar years. The Book of Daniel elsewhere uses 'time' for year (Daniel 7:25), which supports the year interpretation. |
| The purpose of the judgment | All traditions affirm the purpose is to demonstrate that the Most High rules over human kingdoms and sets up whomever He wills (v.17). | Some emphasize the pedagogical purpose: to teach Nebuchadnezzar personally. Others emphasize the public, cosmic purpose: to declare God's sovereignty to all nations through the king's testimony after his restoration. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Babylon in the 6th century BC was the superpower of the ancient Near East. Nebuchadnezzar II had expanded its reach to dominate from the Persian Gulf to the borders of Egypt. His palace and hanging gardens were wonders of the age. Into this world of imperial pride, Daniel served as a Jewish exile and royal advisor, renowned for interpreting dreams (Daniel 4:5-9).
The symbolism of a great tree was deeply familiar in ancient Near Eastern literature. Ezekiel 31 uses the same image for Assyria: 'Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon' (Ezekiel 31:3). The tree represented a monarch who provided shelter and sustenance for subject nations, a picture of royal beneficence. But when that power became self-glorifying, judgment came. The prophet Isaiah also used tree-felling imagery for the proud (Isaiah 10:33-34).
The dream's setting in a royal bedchamber reflects the ancient practice of kings receiving oracular dreams. The 'watcher' (the Aramaic ir, meaning 'wakeful one') appears in Jewish angelology as a class of heavenly beings who never sleep, always alert to do God's bidding. The band of iron and bronze around the stump may reflect a common practice of protecting a cut tree's stump with a metal hoop to prevent splitting, preserving hope of regrowth. The seven years of madness are a known condition in ancient medical texts (lycanthropy or boanthropy), where a person believed himself to be an animal. The most direct cultural parallel is the dream of Cambyses in Herodotus, where a vine grew from his daughter and covered Asia, a similar omen of imperial rise and fall.
This passage stands within Daniel's larger theme: God orders history, raises up rulers, and brings down the proud to display His glory. Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian wise men fail; only Daniel, filled with the 'spirit of the holy gods,' can interpret, a quiet witness to the God of Israel as the true source of wisdom.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and reference works note no significant textual variants for Daniel 4:10-18. The Aramaic text is consistent across the major manuscript traditions. Minor differences in English translations (e.g., 'watcher' vs 'sifter' in YLT, 'band of iron and brass/copper') reflect different renderings of the same underlying Aramaic words, not a textual disagreement. The verse numbering varies slightly between the Masoretic text and the LXX, but the content is stable.
Reception History
Early Christian writers (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus) sometimes identified the 'watcher' of Daniel 4 with the pre-incarnate Christ, a view that persisted in some Patristic circles but was largely set aside after Jerome insisted on the angelic interpretation. Medieval commentators used Nebuchadnezzar's dream as a moral lesson on the dangers of pride, frequently paired with the fall of Lucifer in Isaiah 14. The passage also featured in debates about divine sovereignty during the Reformation: Calvin and others pointed to v.17 as proof that God rules over all political authorities, a theme that shaped Reformed political theology.
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the story is read during Lent as a call to humility and repentance. Modern evangelical preaching often highlights the preservation of the stump as a model of God's grace in judgment, a theme that appears in hymns about God's steadfast love even in discipline. The image of the great tree cut down has also influenced literature and art, where it symbolizes the transience of human glory.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Tree of Pride. Nebuchadnezzar's dream opens with a tree of stunning height and reach, a picture of human empire at its zenith. It offers shelter and food to all creatures (vv.10-12). This is not evil in itself; a ruler is meant to provide for his people. But the tree's greatness is about to be its undoing, because it grows without reference to the One who gave it life.
- The Watcher's Verdict. A holy angel descends with a command: cut it down (vv.13-14). Yet the stump is left, banded with iron and bronze (v.15). Judgment is real but not final. The humbling is severe, the king's mind becomes animal-like for seven years (v.16). But the presence of the stump and the band signals that God has not abandoned his plan for Nebuchadnezzar.
- The Purpose Revealed. The decree is given so 'that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men' (v.17). God's sovereignty is the point of the whole dream. He gives power to the lowliest and takes it from the proud. The dream calls every person, and every nation, to recognize that all authority comes from above.
Five-point outline
- A King's Troubling Vision (vv.10-12). Nebuchadnezzar sees a tree at the center of the earth, his own kingdom in symbol. The beauty, growth, and blessing it provides are real, but the dream already disturbs him (Daniel 4:5).
- The Watcher Descends (v.13). A holy wakeful one comes from heaven. The scene shifts from earthly prosperity to heavenly intervention.
- The Sentence Pronounced (vv.14-16). Cut down, strip away, scatter, the tree is felled. The king will be driven from human society and given a beast's mind for seven times (years). The severity matches the majesty of the tree.
- The Stump Remains (v.15). Judgment is not annihilation. The band of iron and bronze suggests preservation, protection, and future hope. God's discipline has a limit and a purpose.
- The Sovereignty Proclaimed (v.17). The highest truth: the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. He sets up the lowliest. This is the lens through which we must read every rise and fall of power in our own day.
Illustration hooks
- The pride that comes before a fall: a star athlete, CEO, or political leader whose success becomes their blind spot. The dream's tree is beautiful, until it is cut down. No success is secure apart from humility before God.
- The stump in the grass: a business that fails but leaves a foundation that can be rebuilt, or a relationship broken but not destroyed. The band of iron and bronze represents boundaries that hold what remains.
- Learning sovereignty the hard way: anyone who has faced a season of loss and discovered that God is still on the throne. The message 'the Most High rules' is easy to sing in good times; the dream insists we learn it in the bad times too.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God bring such a strange and humiliating judgment on a king who already had a hint of faith (Daniel 4:8-9)?
- Does this passage mean God causes mental illness? How do we distinguish divine judgment from medical conditions?
- If God 'sets up the lowest of men,' does that justify bad leaders? How do we submit to God's sovereignty while working for good government?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a dream given to the most powerful man on earth, and it terrifies him. Nebuchadnezzar sees himself as a great tree, only to watch it be cut down by a heavenly decree. The dream is a mirror held up to the king's heart, and it asks each of us the same question: where does my confidence come from, my own strength or the God who rules over all?
Discussion questions
- Observation: What details in the dream description (tree, watcher, stump, seven times) stand out to you? Why do you think Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream that showed him in such a positive light?
- Observation: Re-read v.17. What is the stated purpose of the judgment? How does that shape the way you read the entire dream?
- Interpretation: The tree offers shelter and food to animals and birds (v.12). How does this image connect to a king's responsibility? In what ways do we see this blessing-and-threat pattern in other parts of Scripture (e.g., Ezekiel 31, Psalm 37:35-36)?
- Interpretation: The watcher leaves the stump banded but alive. What does this suggest about God's character and his plans for Nebuchadnezzar? Have you experienced a 'stump' moment, a time when something was cut down but not destroyed?
- Application: 'The Most High rules in the kingdom of men' (v.17). How does this truth affect how you think about current political leaders, your workplace, or your family? Is it easy or hard to rest in this truth?
- Application: Nebuchadnezzar had already seen Daniel's wisdom and the miracle of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Why do we so quickly forget God's past faithfulness when our pride is at stake? How can you guard against this in your own life?
- Closing reflection: The dream ends with a note of hope, the stump can grow again. In what area of your life do you need to trust God's sovereignty even when things have been 'cut down'? Share one concrete step of trust this week.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 37:35 | I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil. |
| Psalms 37:36 | But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. |
| Isaiah 10:33 | Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. |
| Isaiah 10:34 | He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. |
| Jeremiah 12:2 | You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart. |
| Ezekiel 31:3 | Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs. |
| Ezekiel 31:18 | “‘To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord Yahweh.” |
| Daniel 4:5 | I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that God alone rules the world, never leaving it to chance or human decisions. He illustrates this by citing two English monarchs: James II, whom he calls the basest of men, and his successor, who restored the kingdom. For Clarke, the throne itself confers no worth; the ruler's character is separate.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the tree in Nebuchadnezzar's dream was a natural emblem of a great monarch, one any ancient reader would recognize from poetry and prophecy. He also explains that the term "watcher" for the angel reflects Persian ideas of celestial beings who monitor the world, a concept familiar in Babylon but absent from pure Hebrew scripture.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the tree in Nebuchadnezzar's dream stands for the institution of government, not a virtuous king. Even cruel tyranny is preferable to anarchy, he argues, for any rule restrains the chaos that would otherwise destroy society. The "watcher" is an angel, called a holy one because angels are ever alert in executing God's commands.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights that the "watchers" and "holy ones" are angels, specifically a class called "wakeful ones" ever ready to carry out God's commands. Their decree represents the fixed judgment of God's heavenly council, underscoring that the king's humbling is unalterably ordained by the Most High and His angelic assembly.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that the angelic "watchmen" pronounce God's decree to demonstrate that earthly power belongs to God alone. He strips Nebuchadnezzar of his kingdom and gives it to the most despised people, showing that no ruler's status is secure apart from God's sovereign will.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees the tree as representing God's design for earthly empires: they should provide shelter and nourishment for people. But when rulers abuse their trust out of pride, holy angels in heaven's council demand their humbling. The decree against Nebuchadnezzar is not only God's will but a response to angels' prayers that God's glory be defended.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that the decree originates with God but is carried out by holy angels who consent to it as a just judgment. The point is to confront Nebuchadnezzar's claim of being an unaccountable god on earth: the Most High rules over all, raising and deposing rulers at His pleasure.