4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions 1 on my bed,
a holy sentinel 2 came down from heaven.
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!
1 tn Aram “the visions of my head.”
2 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).
3 tn Aram “in strength.”
4 tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”