7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 6 a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 7 It had two large rows 8 of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.
7:19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning 9 of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. 7:20 I also wanted to know 10 the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes 11 and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 12
1 tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”
2 tn Aram “looking to find.”
3 tn Aram “from the side of the kingdom.”
4 tn Aram “pretext and corruption.”
5 tn Aram “no negligence or corruption was found in him.” The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the phrase “and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”
3 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.
4 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.
5 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
4 tn Aram “to make certain.”
5 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
7 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”
6 tn Or “righteousness.”
7 tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).
7 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
8 tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.
9 tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.
10 tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”
8 sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).
9 sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.
10 tn Heb “show regard for.”