Daniel 3:1--4:37
Konteks3:1 1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden 2 statue made. 3 It was ninety feet 4 tall and nine feet 5 wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 3:2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, 6 and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he 7 had erected. 3:3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 8
3:4 Then the herald 9 made a loud 10 proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: 11 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, 12 trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must 13 bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. 3:6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately 14 be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” 3:7 Therefore when they all 15 heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, 16 and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
3:8 Now 17 at that time certain 18 Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against 19 the Jews. 3:9 They said 20 to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 21 3:10 You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. 3:11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 3:12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – and these men 22 have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage 23 demanded that they bring 24 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them 25 before the king. 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 3:15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” 26 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 27 “We do not need to give you a reply 28 concerning this. 3:17 If 29 our God whom we are serving exists, 30 he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed 31 toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders 32 to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong 33 soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, 34 and were thrown into the furnace 35 of blazing fire. 3:22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted 36 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed 37 by the leaping flames. 38 3:23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace 39 of blazing fire while still securely bound. 40
3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw 41 into 42 the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” 3:25 He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” 43 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, 44 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. 45 3:27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically 46 unharmed by the fire. 47 The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!
3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, 48 “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel 49 and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring 50 the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than 51 serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 3:29 I hereby decree 52 that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes 53 the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” 3:30 Then Nebuchadnezzar 54 promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
4:1 (3:31) 55 “King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity! 56 4:2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.
4:3 “How great are his signs!
How mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever, 57
and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”
4:4 (4:1) 58 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home, 59 living luxuriously 60 in my palace. 4:5 I saw a dream that 61 frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me. 4:6 So I issued an order 62 for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought 63 before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 4:7 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. 4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, 64 and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 4:9 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 65 my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 4:10 Here are the visions of my mind 66 while I was on my bed.
While I was watching,
there was a tree in the middle of the land. 67
It was enormously tall. 68
4:11 The tree grew large and strong.
Its top reached far into the sky;
it could be seen 69 from the borders of all the land. 70
4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;
on it there was food enough for all.
Under it the wild animals 71 used to seek shade,
and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.
All creatures 72 used to feed themselves from it.
4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions 73 on my bed,
a holy sentinel 74 came down from heaven.
4:14 He called out loudly 75 as follows: 76
‘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 77 in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze around it 78
surrounded by the grass of the field.
Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,
and let it live with 79 the animals in the grass of the land.
4:16 Let his mind 80 be altered from that of a human being,
and let an animal’s mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of time 81 go by for 82 him.
4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so that 83 those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, 84
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’
4:18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its 85 interpretation, for none of the wise men in 86 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.”
4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; 87 his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, 88 if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries! 4:20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen 89 in all the land, 4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals 90 used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest – 4:22 it is you, 91 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. 4:23 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’ – 4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 4:25 You will be driven 92 from human society, 93 and you will live 94 with the wild animals. You will be fed 95 grass like oxen, 96 and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before 97 you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven 98 rules. 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.” 99
4:28 Now all of this happened 100 to King Nebuchadnezzar. 4:29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements 101 of the royal palace of Babylon. 4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence 102 by my own mighty strength 103 and for my majestic honor?” 4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, 104 a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, 105 King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 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 106 you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”
4:33 Now in that very moment 107 this pronouncement about 108 Nebuchadnezzar came true. 109 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. 110
4:34 But at the end of the appointed time 111 I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up 112 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.
4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. 113
He does as he wishes with the army of heaven
and with those who inhabit the earth.
No one slaps 114 his hand
and says to him, ‘What have you done?’
4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored 115 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 116 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 117 in pride.
[3:1] 1 sn The LXX introduces this chapter with the following chronological note: “in the eighteenth year of.” Such a date would place these events at about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586
[3:1] 2 sn There is no need to think of Nebuchadnezzar’s image as being solid gold. No doubt the sense is that it was overlaid with gold (cf. Isa 40:19; Jer 10:3-4), with the result that it presented a dazzling self-compliment to the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar’s achievements.
[3:1] 3 sn According to a number of patristic authors, the image represented a deification of Nebuchadnezzar himself. This is not clear from the biblical text, however.
[3:1] 4 tn Aram “sixty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 90 feet (27.4 m) high.
[3:1] 5 tn Aram “six cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 9 feet (2.74 m) wide.
[3:1] sn The dimensions of the image (ninety feet high and nine feet wide) imply that it did not possess normal human proportions, unless a base for the image is included in the height dimension. The ancient world knew of other tall statues. For example, the Colossus of Rhodes – the huge statue of Helios which stood (ca. 280-224
[3:2] 6 sn The specific duties of the seven types of officials listed here (cf. vv. 3, 27) are unclear. The Aramaic words that are used are transliterations of Akkadian or Persian technical terms whose exact meanings are uncertain. The translations given here follow suggestions set forth in BDB.
[3:2] 7 tn Aram “Nebuchadnezzar the king.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the relative pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:3] 8 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.”
[3:4] 9 tn According to BDB 1097 s.v. כָּרוֹז the Aramaic word used here is a Greek loanword, but other scholars have argued instead for a Persian derivation (HALOT 1902 s.v. *כָּרוֹז).
[3:4] 10 tn Aram “in strength.”
[3:4] 11 tn Aram “they are saying.”
[3:5] 12 sn The word zither (Aramaic קִיתָרוֹס [qitaros]), and the words for harp (Aramaic פְּסַנְתֵּרִין [pÿsanterin]) and pipes (Aramaic סוּמְפֹּנְיָה [sumponÿyah]), are of Greek derivation. Though much has been made of this in terms of suggesting a date in the Hellenistic period for the writing of the book, it is not surprising that a few Greek cultural terms, all of them the names of musical instruments, should appear in this book. As a number of scholars have pointed out, the bigger surprise (if, in fact, the book is to be dated to the Hellenistic period) may be that there are so few Greek loanwords in Daniel.
[3:5] 13 tn The imperfect Aramaic verbs have here an injunctive nuance.
[3:6] 14 tn Aram “in that hour.”
[3:7] 15 tn Aram “all the peoples.”
[3:7] 16 tc Though not in the Aramaic text of BHS, this word appears in many medieval Hebrew
[3:8] 17 tc This expression is absent in Theodotion.
[3:8] 19 tn Aram “ate the pieces of.” This is a rather vivid idiom for slander.
[3:9] 20 tn Aram “answered and said,” a common Aramaic idiom that occurs repeatedly in this chapter.
[3:9] 21 sn O king, live forever! is a comment of typical court courtesy that is not necessarily indicative of the real sentiments of the speaker. Ancient oriental court protocol could sometimes require a certain amount of hypocrisy.
[3:12] 22 sn Daniel’s absence from this scene has sparked the imagination of commentators, some of whom have suggested that perhaps he was unable to attend the dedication due to sickness or due to being away on business. Hippolytus supposed that Daniel may have been watching from a distance.
[3:13] 23 tn Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[3:13] 24 tn The Aramaic infinitive is active.
[3:13] 25 tn Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.
[3:15] 26 tn Aram “hand.” So also in v. 17.
[3:16] 27 tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”
[3:16] 28 tn Aram “to return a word to you.”
[3:17] 29 tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.
[3:17] 30 tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’itay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.
[3:19] 31 tn Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”
[3:19] 32 tn Aram “he answered and said.”
[3:20] 33 tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”
[3:21] 34 sn There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the specific nature of these items of clothing.
[3:21] 35 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:22] 36 tn Aram “caused to go up.”
[3:22] 37 tn The Aramaic verb is active.
[3:22] 38 tn Aram “the flame of the fire” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “the raging flames.”
[3:23] 39 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:23] 40 sn The deuterocanonical writings known as The Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three present at this point a confession and petition for God’s forgiveness and a celebration of God’s grace for the three Jewish youths in the fiery furnace. Though not found in the Hebrew/Aramaic text of Daniel, these compositions do appear in the ancient Greek versions.
[3:24] 41 tn Aram “we threw…bound.”
[3:24] 42 tn Aram “into the midst of.”
[3:25] 43 sn The phrase like that of a god is in Aramaic “like that of a son of the gods.” Many patristic writers understood this phrase in a christological sense (i.e., “the Son of God”). But it should be remembered that these are words spoken by a pagan who is seeking to explain things from his own polytheistic frame of reference; for him the phrase “like a son of the gods” is equivalent to “like a divine being.”
[3:26] 44 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[3:26] 45 tn Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:27] 46 tn Aram “in their bodies.”
[3:27] 47 tn Aram “the fire did not have power.”
[3:28] 48 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[3:28] 49 sn The king identifies the “son of the gods” (v. 25) as an angel. Comparable Hebrew expressions are used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the members of God’s angelic assembly (see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6). An angel later comes to rescue Daniel from the lions (Dan 6:22).
[3:28] 50 tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”
[3:28] 51 tn Aram “so that they might not.”
[3:29] 52 tn Aram “from me is placed an edict.”
[3:29] 53 tn Aram “speaks negligence.”
[3:30] 54 tn Aram “and the king.” The proper name has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[4:1] 55 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.
[4:1] 56 tn Aram “May your peace increase!”
[4:3] 57 tn Aram “his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”
[4:4] 58 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
[4:6] 62 tn Aram “from me there was placed a decree.”
[4:6] 63 tn The Aramaic infinitive here is active.
[4:8] 64 sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology.
[4:9] 65 tc The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי (khazi, “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי (khezvey, “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.
[4:10] 66 tc The LXX lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.
[4:10] 67 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.
[4:10] 68 tn Aram “its height was great.”
[4:11] 69 tn Aram “its sight.” So also v. 17.
[4:11] 70 tn Or “to the end of all the earth” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “from anywhere on earth.”
[4:12] 71 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
[4:12] 72 tn Aram “all flesh.”
[4:13] 73 tn Aram “the visions of my head.”
[4:13] 74 tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).
[4:14] 75 tn Aram “in strength.”
[4:14] 76 tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”
[4:15] 77 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] 78 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] 79 tn Aram “its lot be.”
[4:16] 80 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
[4:16] 81 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
[4:16] 82 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
[4:17] 83 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] 84 tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”
[4:18] 85 tc The present translation reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pishreh, “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[4:19] 87 tn Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.
[4:20] 89 tn Aram “its sight.”
[4:21] 90 tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
[4:22] 91 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.
[4:25] 92 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.
[4:25] 93 tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
[4:25] 94 tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
[4:25] 95 tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
[4:25] 96 sn Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder known as boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.
[4:26] 98 sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).
[4:27] 99 tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”
[4:29] 101 tn The word “battlements” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context. Many English versions supply “roof” here (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); cf. NLT “on the flat roof.”
[4:30] 103 tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”
[4:31] 104 tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”
[4:31] 105 tn Aram “to you they say.”
[4:33] 109 tn Aram “was fulfilled.”
[4:33] 110 tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[4:34] 112 tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”
[4:35] 113 tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew
[4:35] 114 tn Aram “strikes against.”
[4:36] 115 tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.
[4:36] 116 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.
