5.2.52 - Nebuchadnezzar

King of Babylon and son of Nabopolassar. “The meaning of the name formerly given as ‘O Nabû, protect the boundary’ is more likely to be interpreted as ‘O Nabû, protect my offspring.’ ”¹ “The name’s Hebrew spelling can be explained philologically (Berger, ZA 64 [1975] 227–30), but van Selms (Travels, 223–27) suggests that Nebuchadnezzar corresponds to Nabu-ku̇danu-uṣur, ‘Nabu protect(s) the mule,’ a corruption devised among opposition groups in Babylon which would naturally appeal to foreigners such as Jews.”² “In the year he began reconstruction work on the Etemenanki ziggurat Nabopolassar refers to Nebuchadrezzar as his ‘eldest son’ . . . and the Babylonian Chronicle called him ‘the chief son, the crown-prince . . .’ Nebuchadrezzar always described himself as ‘the legitimate/true heir of Nabopolassar and commonly in his standard brick inscriptions as ‘the first (or chief) son’ . . . or simply as ‘son’ . . . of Nabopolassar.”³

Notes

¹ Donald J. Wiseman, Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1985, 2004), 3.

² John E. Goldingay, “Daniel,” vol. 30 in Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard, and Glenn W. Barker, eds., Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas, TX: Word Books), Dan. 1:1.

³ Wiseman, Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon, 5.