4:16 Let his mind 2 be altered from that of a human being,
and let an animal’s mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of time 3 go by for 4 him.
4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so that 20 those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, 21
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’
4:33 Now in that very moment 22 this pronouncement about 23 Nebuchadnezzar came true. 24 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. 25
7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. 26 This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant 27 things.
1 tn Aram “until.”
2 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
3 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
4 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
3 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.
4 tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
5 tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
6 tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
7 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.
8 tn Aram “until.”
4 tn Aram “heart.”
5 tn Aram “his dwelling.”
5 tn Aram “the sons of man.”
6 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
7 tn Aram “hand.”
6 tc The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew
7 sn The reference to people being mixed is usually understood to refer to intermarriage.
8 tn Aram “with the seed of men.”
9 tc The present translation reads הֵיךְ דִּי (hekh diy) rather than the MT הֵא־כְדִי (he’-khÿdi). It is a case of wrong word division.
7 tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).
8 tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”
8 tn Aram “hour.”
9 tn Or “on.”
10 tn Aram “was fulfilled.”
11 tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
10 tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.