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Daniel 4
New English Translation

4 (3:31)[a] King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: “Peace and prosperity![b] 2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.

3 “How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever,[c]
and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”

Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of a Tree Chopped Down

4 (4:1)[d] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home,[e] living luxuriously[f] in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that[g] frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed—these visions of my mind—were terrifying me. 6 So I issued an order[h] for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought[i] before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me. 8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god,[j] and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider[k] my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 10 Here are the visions of my mind[l] while I was on my bed.

“While I was watching,
there was a tree in the middle of the land.[m]
It was enormously tall.[n]
11 The tree grew large and strong.
Its top reached far into the sky;
it could be seen[o] from the borders of all the land.[p]
12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;
on it there was food enough for all.
Under it the wild animals[q] used to seek shade,
and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.
All creatures[r] used to feed themselves from it.
13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions[s] on my bed,

a holy sentinel[t] came down from heaven.
14 He called out loudly[u] as follows:[v]
‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!
Strip off its foliage
and scatter its fruit!
Let the animals flee from under it
and the birds from its branches.
15 But leave its taproot[w] in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze around it[x]
surrounded by the grass of the field.
Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,
and let it live with[y] the animals in the grass of the land.
16 Let his mind[z] be altered from that of a human being,
and let an animal’s mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of time[aa] go by for[ab] him.
17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so that[ac] those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms,[ad]
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its[ae] interpretation, for none of the wise men in[af] my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time;[ag] his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir,[ah] if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries! 20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and that could be seen[ai] in all the land, 21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals[aj] used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest— 22 it is you,[ak] O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth. 23 As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’— 24 this is the interpretation, O king. It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 25 You will be driven[al] from human society,[am] and you will live[an] with the wild animals. You will be fed[ao] grass like oxen,[ap] and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before[aq] you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven[ar] rules. 27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.”[as]

28 Now all this happened[at] to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements[au] of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence[av] by my own mighty strength[aw] and for my majestic honor?” 31 While these words were still on the king’s lips,[ax] a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you,[ay] King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before[az] you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

33 Now in that very moment[ba] this pronouncement about[bb] Nebuchadnezzar came true.[bc] He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws.[bd]

34 But at the end of the appointed time[be] I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up[bf] toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.

I extolled the Most High,

and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever.
For his authority is an everlasting authority,
and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing.[bg]
He does as he wishes with the army of heaven
and with those who inhabit the earth.
No one slaps[bh] his hand
and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored[bi] to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated[bj] over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live[bk] in pride.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 4:1 sn Beginning with 4:1, the verse numbers through 4:37 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text (BHS), with 4:1 ET = 3:31 AT, 4:2 ET = 3:32 AT, 4:3 ET = 3:33 AT, 4:4 ET = 4:1 AT, etc., through 4:37 ET = 4:34 AT. Thus Dan 3:31-33 of the Aramaic text appears as Dan 4:1-3 in the English Bible, and the corresponding verses of ch. 4 differ accordingly. In spite of the division of the Aramaic text, a good case can be made that 3:31-33 AT (= 4:1-3 ET) is actually the introduction to ch. 4.
  2. Daniel 4:1 tn Aram “May your peace increase!”
  3. Daniel 4:3 tn Aram “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”
  4. Daniel 4:4 sn This verse marks the beginning of chap. 4 in the Aramaic text of Daniel (see the note on 4:1). The Greek OT (LXX) has the following addition: “In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign he said.” This date would suggest a link to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. In general, the LXX of chapters 4-6 is very different from the MT, so much so that the following notes will call attention only to selected readings. In Daniel 4 the LXX lacks sizable portions of material in the MT (e.g., vv. 3-6, 31-32), includes sizable portions of material not in the MT (e.g., v. 14a, parts of vv. 16, 28), has a different order of some material (e.g., v. 8 after v. 9), and in some instances is vastly different from the MT (e.g., vv. 30, 34). Whether these differences are due to an excessively paraphrastic translation technique adopted for these chapters in the LXX, or are due to differences in the underlying Vorlage of the LXX, is a disputed matter. The latter seems more likely. There is a growing trend in modern scholarship to take the LXX of chapters 4-6 much more seriously than was the case in most earlier text-critical studies that considered this issue.
  5. Daniel 4:4 tn Aram “my house.”
  6. Daniel 4:4 tn Aram “happy.”
  7. Daniel 4:5 tn Aram “and it.”
  8. Daniel 4:6 tn Aram “from me there was placed a decree.”
  9. Daniel 4:6 tn The Aramaic infinitive here is active.
  10. Daniel 4:8 sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology. See the note at 1:7. The king's god was Marduk, who was called Bel (“Lord”).
  11. Daniel 4:9 tc The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי (khazi, “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי (khezve, “visions”). The MT implies that the king required Daniel to disclose both the dream and its interpretation, as in chapter 2. But in the following verses Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream, while Daniel presents only its interpretation.
  12. Daniel 4:10 tc The LXX lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.
  13. Daniel 4:10 tn Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (NRSV); NAB, CEV “of the world”; NLT “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.
  14. Daniel 4:10 tn Aram “its height was great.”
  15. Daniel 4:11 tn Aram “its sight,” as also v. 17.
  16. Daniel 4:11 tn Or “to the end of all the earth” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “from anywhere on earth.”
  17. Daniel 4:12 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
  18. Daniel 4:12 tn Aram “all flesh.”
  19. Daniel 4:13 tn Aram “the visions of my head.”
  20. Daniel 4:13 tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys, as also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelos, “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (ʿir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).
  21. Daniel 4:14 tn Aram “in strength.”
  22. Daniel 4:14 tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”
  23. Daniel 4:15 tn Aram “the stock of its root,” as also in v. 23. The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.
  24. Daniel 4:15 sn The function of the band of iron and bronze is not entirely clear, but it may have had to do with preventing the splitting or further deterioration of the portion of the tree that was left after being chopped down. By application it would then refer to the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar’s life during the time of his insanity.
  25. Daniel 4:15 tn Aram “its lot be.”
  26. Daniel 4:16 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
  27. Daniel 4:16 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
  28. Daniel 4:16 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
  29. Daniel 4:17 tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (ʿal divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (ʿad divrat, “until”).
  30. Daniel 4:17 tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”
  31. Daniel 4:18 tc The present translation, as also in the next verse, reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pishreh, “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss; the Kethib is פִּשְׁרָא (pishraʾ, “the interpretation”).
  32. Daniel 4:18 tn Aram “of.”
  33. Daniel 4:19 tn Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.
  34. Daniel 4:19 tn Aram “my lord.”
  35. Daniel 4:20 tn Aram “its sight.”
  36. Daniel 4:21 tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
  37. Daniel 4:22 sn Much of modern scholarship views this chapter as a distortion of traditions that were originally associated with Nabonidus rather than with Nebuchadnezzar. A Qumran text, the Prayer of Nabonidus, is often cited for parallels to these events.
  38. Daniel 4:25 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive, as also in vv. 28, 29, and 32.
  39. Daniel 4:25 tn Aram “from mankind,” as also in v. 32.
  40. Daniel 4:25 tn Aram “your dwelling will be,” as also in v. 32.
  41. Daniel 4:25 tn Or perhaps: “be made to eat.”
  42. Daniel 4:25 sn Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.
  43. Daniel 4:25 tn Aram “until.”
  44. Daniel 4:26 sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Compare the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as: “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).
  45. Daniel 4:27 tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”
  46. Daniel 4:28 tn Aram “reached.”
  47. Daniel 4:29 tn The word “battlements” is not in the text but is supplied from context. Many English versions supply “roof” here (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); cf. NLT “on the flat roof.”
  48. Daniel 4:30 tn Aram “house.”
  49. Daniel 4:30 tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”
  50. Daniel 4:31 tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”
  51. Daniel 4:31 tn Aram “to you they say.”
  52. Daniel 4:32 tn Aram “until.”
  53. Daniel 4:33 tn Aram “hour.”
  54. Daniel 4:33 tn Or “on.”
  55. Daniel 4:33 tn Aram “was fulfilled.”
  56. Daniel 4:33 tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.
  57. Daniel 4:34 tn Aram “days.”
  58. Daniel 4:34 tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”
  59. Daniel 4:35 tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kelaʾ), with many medieval Hebrew mss, rather than כְּלָה (kelah) of BHS.
  60. Daniel 4:35 tn Aram “strikes against.”
  61. Daniel 4:36 tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.
  62. Daniel 4:36 tc The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת (hotqenet, “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת (hotqenat, “it was established”). The MT could read: “And regarding my kingdom, it was established.”
  63. Daniel 4:37 tn Aram “walk.”
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Daniel 5
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Daniel 7
New English Translation

Daniel has a Vision of Four Animals Coming up from the Sea

7 In the first[a] year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had[b] a dream filled with visions[c] while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion.[d] 2 Daniel explained:[e] “I was watching in my vision during the night as[f] the four winds of the sky[g] were stirring up the great sea.[h] 3 Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another.

4 “The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind[i] was given to it.[j]

5 “Then[k] a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs[l] in its mouth between its teeth.[m] It was told,[n] ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’

6 “After these things,[o] as I was watching, another beast[p] like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back.[q] This beast had four heads,[r] and ruling authority was given to it.

7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions[s] a fourth beast appeared—one dreadful, terrible, and very strong.[t] It had two large rows[u] of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.

8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn—a small one—came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it.[v] This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant[w] things.

9 “While I was watching,

thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days[x] took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s[y] wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame.[z]
10 A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.[aa]
The court convened[ab]
and the books were opened.

11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching[ac] until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into[ad] the flaming fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living[ae] for a time and a season.

13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And with[af] the clouds of the sky[ag]
one like a son of man[ah] was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted[ai] before him.
14 To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving[aj] him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.[ak]
His kingdom will not be destroyed.[al]

An Angel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed,[am] and the visions of my mind[an] were alarming me. 16 I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him about the meaning[ao] of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed[ap] to me the interpretation of the vision:[aq] 17 ‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 The holy ones[ar] of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.’

19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning[as] of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. 20 I also wanted to know[at] the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn that came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes[au] and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others.[av] 21 While I was watching, that horn began to wage war against the holy ones and was defeating[aw] them, 22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was rendered[ax] in favor of the holy ones of the Most High. Then the time came for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom.

23 “This is what he told me:[ay]

‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all the other kingdoms.
It will devour all the earth
and will trample and crush it.
24 The ten horns mean that ten kings
will arise from that kingdom.
Another king will arise after them,
but he will be different from the earlier ones.
He will humiliate[az] three kings.
25 He will speak words against the Most High.
He will harass[ba] the holy ones of the Most High continually.
His intention will be[bb] to change times established by law.[bc]
The holy ones will be delivered into his hand
for a time, times,[bd] and half a time.
26 But the court will convene,[be] and his ruling authority will be removed—
destroyed and abolished forever!
27 Then the kingdom, authority,
and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
will be delivered to the people of the holy ones[bf] of the Most High.
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

28 “This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and the color drained from my face.[bg] But I kept the matter to myself.”[bh]

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:1 sn The first year of Belshazzar’s reign would have been ca. 553 b.c. Daniel would have been approximately 67 years old at the time of this vision.
  2. Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “saw.”
  3. Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “and visions of his head.” The Aramaic is difficult here. Some scholars add a verb thought to be missing (e.g., “the visions of his head [were alarming him]”), but there is no external evidence to support such a decision, and the awkwardness of the text at this point may be original.
  4. Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “head of words.” The phrase is absent in Theodotion. Cf. NIV’s “the substance of his dream.”
  5. Daniel 7:2 tn Aram “answered and said.”
  6. Daniel 7:2 tn Aram “and behold.”
  7. Daniel 7:2 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  8. Daniel 7:2 sn The referent of the great sea is unclear. The common view that the expression refers to the Mediterranean Sea is conjectural.
  9. Daniel 7:4 tn Aram “heart of a man.”
  10. Daniel 7:4 sn The identity of the first animal, derived from v. 17 and the parallels in chap. 2, is Babylon. The reference to the plucking of its wings is probably a reference to the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity (cf. chap. 4). The latter part of v. 4 then describes the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar. The other animals have traditionally been understood to represent respectively Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, although most of modern scholarship identifies them as Media, Persia, and Greece. For a biblical parallel to the mention of lion, bear, and leopard together, see Hos 13:7-8.
  11. Daniel 7:5 tn Aram “and behold.”
  12. Daniel 7:5 sn The three ribs held securely in the mouth of the bear, perhaps representing Media-Persia, apparently symbolize military conquest, but the exact identity of the “ribs” is not clear. Possibly it is a reference to the Persian conquest of Lydia, Egypt, and Babylonia.
  13. Daniel 7:5 tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”
  14. Daniel 7:5 tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”
  15. Daniel 7:6 tn Aram “this,” as also in v. 7.
  16. Daniel 7:6 tn Aram “and behold, another one.”
  17. Daniel 7:6 tn Or “sides.”
  18. Daniel 7:6 sn If the third animal is Greece, the most likely identification of these four heads is the fourfold division of the empire of Alexander the Great following his death (see note on Dan 8:8).
  19. Daniel 7:7 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold,” as also in vv. 8, 13.
  20. Daniel 7:7 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.
  21. Daniel 7:7 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
  22. Daniel 7:8 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
  23. Daniel 7:8 tn Aram “great,” as also in vv. 11, 20.
  24. Daniel 7:9 tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers (cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God”).
  25. Daniel 7:9 tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (neqeʾ) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqyaʾ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word, see further, M. Sokoloff, “ʾamar neqeʾ, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.
  26. Daniel 7:9 tn Aram “a flaming fire.”
  27. Daniel 7:10 tn Aram “were standing before him.”
  28. Daniel 7:10 tn Aram “judgment sat.”
  29. Daniel 7:11 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.
  30. Daniel 7:11 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
  31. Daniel 7:12 tn Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”
  32. Daniel 7:13 tc The LXX has ἐπί (epi, “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64). Theodotion has μετά (meta, “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7).
  33. Daniel 7:13 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  34. Daniel 7:13 sn This text is probably the main OT background for Jesus’ use of the term “son of man.” In both Jewish and Christian circles the reference in the book of Daniel has traditionally been understood to refer to an individual, usually in a messianic sense. Many modern scholars, however, understand the reference to have a corporate identity. In this view, the “son of man” is to be equated with the “holy ones” (vv. 18, 21, 22, 25) or the “people of the holy ones” (v. 27) and understood as a reference to the Jewish people. Others understand Daniel’s reference to be to the angel Michael.
  35. Daniel 7:13 tn Aram “they brought him near.”
  36. Daniel 7:14 tn Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”
  37. Daniel 7:14 tn Aram “is an eternal authority that will not pass away.”
  38. Daniel 7:14 tn Aram “is one that will not be destroyed.”
  39. Daniel 7:15 tn The Aramaic text includes the phrase “in its sheath,” apparently viewing the body as a container or receptacle for the spirit somewhat like a sheath or scabbard is for a knife or a sword (cf. NAB “within its sheath of flesh”). For this phrase the LXX and Vulgate have “in these things.”
  40. Daniel 7:15 tn Aram “head.”
  41. Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “what is certain.”
  42. Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “and made known.”
  43. Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “matter,” but the matter at hand is of course the vision.
  44. Daniel 7:18 sn The expression holy ones is either a reference to angels, to human beings devoted to God, or to both. The context is an earthly kingdom the holy ones will possess, and man was appointed to rule the earth (Gen 1:28). The holy ones are defeated and harassed by an earthly ruler in 7:21, 25, and human rulers cannot defeat and harass angels. So the holy ones are almost certainly human beings devoted to God.
  45. Daniel 7:19 tn Aram “to make certain.”
  46. Daniel 7:20 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  47. Daniel 7:20 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
  48. Daniel 7:20 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”
  49. Daniel 7:21 tn Aram “prevailing against” (KJV, ASV both similar); NASB “overpowering them”; TEV “conquered them.”
  50. Daniel 7:22 tc In the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate the verb is active, understanding “judgment” to be the object rather than the subject of the verb (i.e., “the Ancient of Days rendered judgment”). This presupposes a different vocalization of the verb ( יְהַב [yehav] rather than the MT יְהִב [yehiv]).
  51. Daniel 7:23 tn Aram “thus he said.”
  52. Daniel 7:24 tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”
  53. Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “wear out” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB, NLT “wear down.” The word is a hapax legomenon in biblical Aramaic, but in biblical Hebrew it especially refers to wearing out such things as garments. Here it is translated “harass…continually.”
  54. Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “he will think.”
  55. Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.
  56. Daniel 7:25 sn Although the word times is vocalized in the MT as a plural, it probably should be regarded as a dual. The Masoretes may have been influenced here by the fact that in late Aramaic (and Syriac) the dual forms fall out of use. The meaning would thus be three and a half “times.”
  57. Daniel 7:26 tn Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).
  58. Daniel 7:27 tn If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” See 8:24 for the corresponding Hebrew phrase and the note there.
  59. Daniel 7:28 tn Aram “my brightness was changing on me.”
  60. Daniel 7:28 tn Aram “in my heart.”
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