Daniel 2:11

2:11 What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!” ¹ 

Daniel 4:15

4:15 But leave its taproot ²  in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it ³ 

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with ⁴  the animals in the grass of the land.

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 ⁵  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

Daniel 4:34

4:34 But at the end of the appointed time ⁶  I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up ⁷  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.

Daniel 4:23

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’ –

Daniel 4:25

4:25 You will be driven ⁸  from human society, ⁹  and you will live ¹⁰  with the wild animals. You will be fed ¹¹  grass like oxen, ¹²  and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before ¹³  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.

¹ tn Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

² 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.

³ 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 tn Aram “its lot be.”

³ tn Aram “until.”

⁴ tn Aram “days.”

⁵ tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”

⁵ tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.

⁶ tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.

⁷ tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.

⁸ tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ tn Aram “until.”