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Daniel 4:23
ESV And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’
NIV Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'
NASB And in that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the animals of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,'
CSB "The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.'
NLT '‘Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.'
KJV And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof 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 of the field, till seven times pass over him;

What does Daniel 4:23 mean?

Daniel refers again to Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 4:10–12). He recalls the angelic being who orders the cutting down of the tree until only its stump remains (Daniel 4:13–15). Daniel's words repeat the dream's transition from speaking about an "it"—the tree—to a "him." The tree stump is bound, and the person it represents is "bound" in madness and an animalistic mind (Daniel 4:16).

Nebuchadnezzar will suffer this fate (Daniel 4:24–25). He will become like an animal: wallowing and eating as a mindless beast for "seven periods of time." Interpreters differ about how long these periods are. Some suggest seven years, others a shorter span. In any case, the king will be driven utterly insane and forced to accept his lowly state compared to God. In the same way, commentators differ as to whether Nebuchadnezzar would come to believe he was an animal, or if he would simply be incapacitated by madness.

This means that Nebuchadnezzar's dream predicted not merely a loss of royal position and authority, but also the loss of his mind. It must have been difficult for Daniel to stand before Nebuchadnezzar and deliver such stunning news. The Babylonian king was infamous for his cruelty and temper (Daniel 2:5; 3:19–20). Yet Daniel seems to realize he stood before the Lord God, supreme Ruler of the universe, and determined to be His faithful spokesman.
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