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 7:7

7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions ⁵  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. ⁶  It had two large rows ⁷  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.

Daniel 7:23

7:23 “This is what he told me: ⁸ 

‘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.

Daniel 9:12-13

9:12 He has carried out his threats ⁹  against us and our rulers ¹⁰  who were over ¹¹  us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify ¹²  the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom ¹³  from your reliable moral standards. ¹⁴ 

Daniel 10:19

10:19 He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are valued. ¹⁵  Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, ¹⁶  for you have given me strength.”

Daniel 11:4

11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, ¹⁷  his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky ¹⁸  – but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.

[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.

[7:7]  ⁵ tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.

[7:7]  ⁶ 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.

[7:7]  ⁷ tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.

[7:23]  ⁸ tn Aram “thus he said.”

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

[9:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:13]  ¹² tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”

[9:13]  ¹³ tn Or “by gaining insight.”

[9:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.

[10:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “treasured man.”

[10:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my lord may speak.”

[11:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and when he stands.”

[11:4]  ¹⁸ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.