Daniel 4:13-15

4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions ¹  on my bed,

a holy sentinel ²  came down from heaven.

4:14 He called out loudly ³  as follows: ⁴ 

‘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 ⁵  in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it ⁶ 

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with ⁷  the animals in the grass of the land.

[4:13]  ¹ tn Aram “the visions of my head.”

[4:13]  ² tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).

[4:14]  ³ tn Aram “in strength.”

[4:14]  ⁴ tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”

[4:15]  ⁵ 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.

[4:15]  ⁶ 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.

[4:15]  ⁷ tn Aram “its lot be.”