Meaning of the Name Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar is an Akkadian royal name usually explained along the lines of 'Nabu, protect the heir.' There is discussion over the precise nuance of the final element, whether 'son,' 'offspring,' or a related idea. So the main sense is clear, but the detailed etymology is not entirely certain.
Origin
The name Nebuchadnezzar is of Akkadian/Babylonian origin.
Who is Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible?
Nebuchadnezzar stands out as the Babylonian king in connection with the fall of Jerusalem and the exile. In Daniel he is also portrayed through his dreams, the golden image episode, and the humbling of his pride.
The story of Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible
Nebuchadnezzar is the Babylonian king who dominates the final chapters of Judah's story in the Bible. He enters the narrative in 2 Kings when King Jehoiakim becomes his vassal; in the chapters that follow he besieges Jerusalem, carries off the temple treasures, and sends much of the people into exile in Babylon. The book of Daniel shows another side of him: only Daniel can interpret the troubling dream of the great statue, and the king confesses that Daniel's God is a revealer of mysteries. When three young men refuse to worship the golden image he has set up, he has them thrown into a blazing furnace, only to witness them preserved unharmed. A later dream of a great tree announces the price of his pride: he loses his reason and lives for a time in the fields, away from people. In the end he lifts his eyes to heaven, his sanity returns, and he praises the Most High in Daniel 4 — a vivid portrait of a proud ruler humbled and restored.
Is Nebuchadnezzar mentioned in the Quran?
The name Nebuchadnezzar is not mentioned by this name in the Quran; in Islamic historical sources he is known as Bukhtunnasr. In the Bible he is the Babylonian king who took Jerusalem, led the people into exile, and appears in the book of Daniel with his dreams.
Verses where Nebuchadnezzar appears
- 2 Kings 24:1 —
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
- Daniel 2:1 —
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
- Daniel 4:34 —
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an…