Daniel 2:1

Nebuchadnezzar Has a Disturbing Dream

2:1 In the second year of his ¹  reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. ²  His mind ³  was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. ⁴ 

Daniel 2:30

2:30 As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom ⁵  than any other living person, but so that the king may understand ⁶  the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind. ⁷ 

Daniel 2:35

2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction ⁸  and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

Daniel 2:38

2:38 Wherever human beings, ⁹  wild animals, ¹⁰  and birds of the sky live – he has given them into your power. ¹¹  He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold.

Daniel 4:17

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ¹²  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ¹³ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

Daniel 4:32

4:32 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 ¹⁴  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

Daniel 6:4

6:4 Consequently the supervisors and satraps were trying to find ¹⁵  some pretext against Daniel in connection with administrative matters. ¹⁶  But they were unable to find any such damaging evidence, ¹⁷  because he was trustworthy and guilty of no negligence or corruption. ¹⁸ 

Daniel 6:17

6:17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening ¹⁹  to the den. The king sealed ²⁰  it with his signet ring and with those ²¹  of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel.

Daniel 8:25

8:25 By his treachery ²²  he will succeed through deceit. ²³  He will have an arrogant attitude, ²⁴  and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. ²⁵  He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart – but not by human agency. ²⁶ 

Daniel 9:7

9:7 “You are righteous, ²⁷  O Lord, but we are humiliated this day ²⁸  – the people ²⁹  of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you.

Daniel 9:12

9:12 He has carried out his threats ³⁰  against us and our rulers ³¹  who were over ³²  us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven!

Daniel 9:15

9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power ³³  and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly.

Daniel 10:16

10:16 Then ³⁴  one who appeared to be a human being ³⁵  was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, ³⁶  due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength.

Daniel 10:20

10:20 He said, “Do you know why I have come to you? ³⁷  Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming.

Daniel 11:25

11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm ³⁸  against the king of the south ³⁹  with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him.

Daniel 11:36

11:36 “Then the king ⁴⁰  will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of ⁴¹  wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. ⁴² 

Daniel 12:7

12:7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was over the waters of the river as he raised both his right and left hands to the sky ⁴³  and made an oath by the one who lives forever: “It is for a time, times, and half a time. Then, when the power of the one who shatters ⁴⁴  the holy people has been exhausted, all these things will be finished.”

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:1]  ² tn Heb “dreamed dreams.” The plural is used here and in v. 2, but the singular in v. 3. The plural “dreams” has been variously explained. Some interpreters take the plural as denoting an indefinite singular (so GKC 400 §124.o). But it may be that it is describing a stream of related dreams, or a dream state. In the latter case, one might translate: “Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance.” See further, J. A. Montgomery, Daniel (ICC), 142.

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “his sleep left (?) him.” The use of the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) here is unusual. The context suggests a meaning such as “to be finished” or “gone.” Cf. Dan 8:27. Some scholars emend the verb to read נָדְדָה (nadÿdah, “fled”); cf. Dan 6:19. See further, DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3; HALOT 244 s.v. היה nif; BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2.

[2:30]  ⁵ tn Aram “not for any wisdom which is in me more than [in] any living man.”

[2:30]  ⁶ tn Aram “they might cause the king to know.” The impersonal plural is used here to refer to the role of God’s spirit in revealing the dream and its interpretation to the king. As J. A. Montgomery says, “it appropriately here veils the mysterious agency” (Daniel [ICC], 164-65).

[2:30]  ⁷ tn Aram “heart.”

[2:35]  ⁸ tn Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 60.

[2:38]  ⁹ tn Aram “the sons of man.”

[2:38]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”

[2:38]  ¹¹ tn Aram “hand.”

[4:17]  ¹² tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

[4:17]  ¹³ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

[4:32]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “until.”

[6:4]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “looking to find.”

[6:4]  ¹⁶ tn Aram “from the side of the kingdom.”

[6:4]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “pretext and corruption.”

[6:4]  ¹⁸ tn Aram “no negligence or corruption was found in him.” The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the phrase “and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”

[6:17]  ¹⁹ tn Aram “mouth.”

[6:17]  ²⁰ sn The purpose of the den being sealed was to prevent unauthorized tampering with the opening of the den. Any disturbance of the seal would immediately alert the officials to improper activity of this sort.

[6:17]  ²¹ tn Aram “the signet rings.”

[8:25]  ²² tn The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל, שֶׂכֶל.

[8:25]  ²³ tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”

[8:25]  ²⁴ tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”

[8:25]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה.

[8:25]  ²⁶ tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”

[9:7]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to you (belongs) righteousness.”

[9:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and to us (belongs) shame of face like this day.”

[9:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “men.”

[9:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”

[9:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12]  ³² tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:15]  ³³ tn Heb “with a powerful hand.”

[10:16]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Behold.”

[10:16]  ³⁵ tc So most Hebrew MSS; one Hebrew MS along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX read “something that looked like a man’s hand.”

[10:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “my lord,” here a title of polite address. Cf. v. 19.

[10:20]  ³⁷ sn The question is rhetorical, intended to encourage reflection on Daniel’s part.

[11:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “heart.”

[11:25]  ³⁹ sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145 B.C.).

[11:36]  ⁴⁰ sn The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.

[11:36]  ⁴¹ tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.

[11:36]  ⁴² tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.

[12:7]  ⁴³ tn Or “to the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ⁴⁴ tc The present translation reads יַד־נֹפֵץ (yad-nofets, “hand of one who shatters”) rather than the MT נַפֵּץ־יַד (nappets-yad, “to shatter the hand”).