Daniel 2:1

Nebuchadnezzar Has a Disturbing Dream

2:1 In the second year of his ¹  reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. ²  His mind ³  was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. ⁴ 

Daniel 11:5

11:5 “Then the king of the south ⁵  and one of his subordinates ⁶  will grow strong. His subordinate ⁷  will resist ⁸  him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. ⁹ 

Daniel 11:21

11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person ¹⁰  to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit.

Daniel 11:40

11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the south will attack ¹¹  him. Then the king of the north will storm against him ¹²  with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. ¹³  He ¹⁴  will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. ¹⁵ 

Daniel 11:25

11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm ¹⁶  against the king of the south ¹⁷  with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him.

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:1]  ² 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.

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[2:1]  ⁴ 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.

[11:5]  ⁵ sn The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (ca. 323-285 B.C.). The following reference to one of his subordinates apparently has in view Seleucus I Nicator (ca. 311-280 B.C.). Throughout the remainder of chap. 11 the expressions “king of the south” and “king of the north” repeatedly occur. It is clear, however, that these terms are being used generically to describe the Ptolemaic king (i.e., “of the south”) or the Seleucid king (i.e., “of the north”) who happens to be in power at any particular time. The specific identity of these kings can be established more or less successfully by a comparison of this chapter with the available extra-biblical records that discuss the history of the intertestamental period. In the following notes the generally accepted identifications are briefly mentioned.

[11:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “princes.”

[11:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the subordinate prince mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “be strong against.”

[11:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “greater than his kingdom.”

[11:21]  ⁹ sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 B.C.).

[11:40]  ¹³ tn Heb “engage in thrusting.”

[11:40]  ¹⁴ tn The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.

[11:40]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “many ships.”

[11:40]  ¹⁶ tn This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.

[11:40]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”

[11:25]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “heart.”

[11:25]  ¹⁸ sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145 B.C.).