The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
The first was like a lion - the symbol of strength and courage; chief among the kingdoms, as the lion among the beasts. Nebuchadnezzar is called "the lion come up from his thicket" (Jeremiah 4:7).
And had eagle's wings - denoting a widespread and rapidly acquired (Isaiah 46:11; Lamentations 4:19) empire (Jeremiah 4:13, "his horses are swifter than eagles;" Jeremiah 48:40; Habakkuk 1:6, "the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation").
I beheld until the wings thereof were plucked. Babylon's ability for widespread conquest passed away under Evil-merodach, etc. (Grotius.) Rather, the reference is to the period during Nebuchadnezzar's privation of his throne while deranged.
And it was lifted up from the earth - i:e., from its grovelling bestiality.
And made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. So long as Nebuchadnezzar, in haughty pride, relied on his own strength, he forfeited the true dignity of man, and was therefore degraded to be with the beasts. Daniel 4:16, "Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him." But after that he learned by this sore discipline that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:35-36), the reverse change took place in him-`a man's heart is given to him, instead of his former beast's heart; he attains man's true position-namely, to be consciously dependent on God' (cf. Psalms 9:20).