Daniel 2:40-45

2:40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces ¹  all of these metals, ²  so it will break in pieces and crush the others. ³  2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes ⁴  partly of wet clay ⁵  and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. Some of the strength of iron will be in it, for you saw iron mixed with wet clay. ⁶  2:42 In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 2:43 And ⁷  in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed ⁸  with one another ⁹  without adhering to one another, just as ¹⁰  iron does not mix with clay. 2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever. 2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. ¹¹  The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.”

[2:40]  ¹ tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”

[2:40]  ² tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.

[2:40]  ³ tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.

[2:41]  ⁴ tc The LXX lacks “and toes.”

[2:41]  ⁵ tn Aram “potter’s clay.”

[2:41]  ⁶ tn Aram “clay of clay” (also in v. 43).

[2:43]  ⁷ tc The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew MSS, LXX, Vulgate, and the Qere. The Kethib lacks the conjunction.

[2:43]  ⁸ sn The reference to people being mixed is usually understood to refer to intermarriage.

[2:43]  ⁹ tn Aram “with the seed of men.”

[2:43]  ¹⁰ 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.

[2:45]  ¹¹ tn Aram “after this.”