Daniel 2:40-43

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.

Daniel 7:7-8

7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions ¹¹  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. ¹²  It had two large rows ¹³  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.

7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. ¹⁴  This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant ¹⁵  things.

[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.

[7:7]  ¹¹ tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.

[7:7]  ¹² 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.

[7:7]  ¹³ tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.

[7:8]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”

[7:8]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.