Daniel 2:37-44
Konteks2:37 “You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 2:38 Wherever human beings, 1 wild animals, 2 and birds of the sky live – he has given them into your power. 3 He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold. 2:39 Now after you another kingdom 4 will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth. 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 5 all of these metals, 6 so it will break in pieces and crush the others. 7 2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes 8 partly of wet clay 9 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. 10 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 11 in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed 12 with one another 13 without adhering to one another, just as 14 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.
Daniel 7:9-14
Konteks7:9 “While I was watching,
thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days 15 took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s 16 wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame. 17
7:10 A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. 18
The court convened 19
and the books were opened.
7:11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching 20 until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into 21 the flaming fire. 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living 22 for a time and a season. 7:13 I was watching in the night visions,
“And with 23 the clouds of the sky 24
one like a son of man 25 was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted 26 before him.
7:14 To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving 27 him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away. 28
His kingdom will not be destroyed. 29
[2:38] 1 tn Aram “the sons of man.”
[2:38] 2 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
[2:39] 4 sn The identity of the first kingdom is clearly Babylon. The identification of the following three kingdoms is disputed. The common view is that they represent Media, Persia, and Greece. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
[2:40] 5 tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”
[2:40] 6 tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.
[2:40] 7 tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.
[2:41] 8 tc The LXX lacks “and toes.”
[2:41] 9 tn Aram “potter’s clay.”
[2:41] 10 tn Aram “clay of clay” (also in v. 43).
[2:43] 11 tc The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew
[2:43] 12 sn The reference to people being mixed is usually understood to refer to intermarriage.
[2:43] 13 tn Aram “with the seed of men.”
[2:43] 14 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.
[7:9] 15 tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers. Cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God.”
[7:9] 16 tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (nÿqe’) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqya’ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word see further, M. Sokoloff, “’amar neqe’, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.
[7:9] 17 tn Aram “a flaming fire.”
[7:10] 18 tn Aram “were standing before him.”
[7:10] 19 tn Aram “judgment sat.”
[7:11] 20 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.
[7:11] 21 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
[7:12] 22 tn Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”
[7:13] 23 tc The LXX has ἐπί (epi, “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64). Theodotion has μετά (meta, “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7).
[7:13] 24 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[7:13] 25 sn This text is probably the main OT background for Jesus’ use of the term “son of man.” In both Jewish and Christian circles the reference in the book of Daniel has traditionally been understood to refer to an individual, usually in a messianic sense. Many modern scholars, however, understand the reference to have a corporate identity. In this view, the “son of man” is to be equated with the “holy ones” (vv. 18, 21, 22, 25) or the “people of the holy ones” (v. 27) and understood as a reference to the Jewish people. Others understand Daniel’s reference to be to the angel Michael.
[7:13] 26 tn Aram “they brought him near.”
[7:14] 27 tn Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”
[7:14] 28 tn Aram “is an eternal authority which will not pass away.”
