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.
7:23 “This is what he told me: 6
‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all the other kingdoms.
It will devour all the earth
and will trample and crush it.
7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 7 a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 8 It had two large rows 9 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.
4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;
on it there was food enough for all.
Under it the wild animals 13 used to seek shade,
and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.
All creatures 14 used to feed themselves from it.
4:14 He called out loudly 15 as follows: 16
‘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!
4:15 But leave its taproot 17 in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze around it 18
surrounded by the grass of the field.
Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,
and let it live with 19 the animals in the grass of the land.
7:5 “Then 21 a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs 22 in its mouth between its teeth. 23 It was told, 24 ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’
7:6 “After these things, 25 as I was watching, another beast 26 like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back. 27 This beast had four heads, 28 and ruling authority was given to it.
7:11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching 29 until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into 30 the flaming fire.
7:19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning 31 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.
1 tn Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”
1 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
2 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
3 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
1 tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
1 tn Aram “thus he said.”
1 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.
2 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.
3 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
1 tn Aram “the sons of man.”
2 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
3 tn Aram “hand.”
1 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
2 tn Aram “all flesh.”
1 tn Aram “in strength.”
2 tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”
1 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.
2 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.
3 tn Aram “its lot be.”
1 tn Aram “until.”
1 tn Aram “and behold.”
2 sn The three ribs held securely in the mouth of the bear, perhaps representing Media-Persia, apparently symbolize military conquest, but the exact identity of the “ribs” is not clear. Possibly it is a reference to the Persian conquest of Lydia, Egypt, and Babylonia.
3 tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”
4 tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”
1 tn Aram “this.” So also in v. 7.
2 tn Aram “and behold, another one.”
3 tn Or “sides.”
4 sn If the third animal is Greece, the most likely identification of these four heads is the four-fold division of the empire of Alexander the Great following his death. See note on Dan 8:8.
1 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.
2 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
1 tn Aram “to make certain.”
1 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.
2 tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
3 tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
4 tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
5 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.
6 tn Aram “until.”
1 tn Aram “heart.”
2 tn Aram “his dwelling.”