2:1 In the second year of his 5 reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. 6 His mind 7 was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. 8
1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. 1:25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship 9 from God – given to me for you – in order to complete 10 the word of God,
19:18 to eat 11 your fill 12 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 13
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 14
and small and great!”
19:19 Then 15 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 19:20 Now 16 the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf 17 – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. 18 19:21 The 19 others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged 20 themselves with their flesh.
20:1 Then 21 I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding 22 in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. 20:2 He 23 seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years. 20:3 The angel 24 then 25 threw him into the abyss and locked 26 and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)
20:4 Then 27 I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. 28 I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These 29 had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They 30 came to life 31 and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
1 tn Aram “until.”
2 tc The LXX, Theodotion, and the Vulgate have “from a mountain,” though this is probably a harmonization with v. 45.
3 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.
4 tn Aram “after this.”
5 tn Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 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.
7 tn Heb “his spirit.”
8 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.
9 tn BDAG 697 s.v. οἰκονομία 1.b renders the term here as “divine office.”
10 tn See BDAG 828 s.v. πληρόω 3. The idea here seems to be that the apostle wants to “complete the word of God” in that he wants to preach it to every person in the known world (cf. Rom 15:19). See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 82.
11 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.
12 tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (cortazw) in v. 21.
13 tn Grk “chiliarchs”; normally a chiliarch was a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
14 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.
17 tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”
18 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”
21 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
22 tn The word “holding” is implied. The two clauses “having the key of the abyss” and “a huge chain in his hand” can be construed in two ways: (1) both are controlled by the participle ἔχοντα (econta) and both are modified by the phrase “in his hand” – “having in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.” (2) The participle ἔχοντα refers only to the key, and the phrase “in his hand” refers only to the chain – “having the key of the abyss and holding a huge chain in his hand.” Because of the stylistic tendency in Rev to use the verb ἔχω (ecw) to mean “hold (something)” and the phrase “in his hand” forming a “bracket” along with the verb ἔχω around both the phrases in question, the first option is preferred.
23 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
24 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
26 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
28 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
29 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
30 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
31 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”