Daniel 4:12

4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;

on it there was food enough for all.

Under it the wild animals ¹  used to seek shade,

and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.

All creatures ²  used to feed themselves from it.

Daniel 4:14-15

4:14 He called out loudly ³  as follows: ⁴ 

‘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!

4:15 But leave its taproot ⁵  in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it ⁶ 

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with ⁷  the animals in the grass of the land.

Daniel 4:21

4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals ⁸  used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest –

Daniel 4:27

4:27 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.” ⁹ 

Daniel 4:36-37

4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored ¹⁰  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 ¹¹  over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. 4:37 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 ¹²  in pride.

[4:12]  ¹ tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”

[4:12]  ² tn Aram “all flesh.”

[4:14]  ³ tn Aram “in strength.”

[4:14]  ⁴ tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”

[4:15]  ⁵ tn Aram “the stock of its root.” So also 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.

[4:15]  ⁶ 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.

[4:15]  ⁷ tn Aram “its lot be.”

[4:21]  ⁸ tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

[4:27]  ⁹ tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”

[4:36]  ¹⁰ tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.

[4:36]  ¹¹ tc The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת (hotqÿnet, “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת (hotqÿnat, “it was established”). As it stands, the MT makes no sense here.

[4:37]  ¹² tn Aram “walk.”