The name Nebukadnetstsar (Nebuchadnezzar) is of Babylonian origin, meaning "Nabu, protect the boundary" or "Nabu, protect my heir." He was the most powerful king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (reigned c. 605-562 BC), known for conquering Jerusalem, destroying the First Temple, and exiling the people of Judah to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar appears extensively in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Scripture presents him as both an instrument of God's judgment against Judah and a recipient of divine revelation. In Jeremiah 25:9, God calls him "my servant," demonstrating that even the mightiest pagan king operates under divine sovereignty. The book of Daniel records his eventual humbling and acknowledgment of the God of Israel as the supreme ruler.