Daniel 4:1

The Introduction.

‘Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all peoples, nations and languages who dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you.'

The proclamation is addressed to the whole empire, but would go to their rulers. ‘Peoples, nations and languages' was the official way of addressing members of the empire. See Daniel 3:4. The great kings of Babylon and Persia saw themselves as, and called themselves, kings of the earth. Anyone not in their empire was not worthy of consideration, and certainly Nebuchadnezzar's empire was widespread and covered many nations, from Elam and Media in the north east to Egypt in the south west.

These opening words can be compared with Daniel 6:25 in a decree issued by Darius the Mede, the king-governor of Babylon appointed by Cyrus the Persian after the Medo-Persian forces had taken Babylon, who by reason of his status used the Babylonian format.