Daniel 4:3

4:3 “How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom will last forever, ¹ 

and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”

Daniel 4:5

4:5 I saw a dream that ²  frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me.

Daniel 4:7-8

4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me. 4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, ³  and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well,

Daniel 4:10

4:10 Here are the visions of my mind ⁴  while I was on my bed.

While I was watching,

there was a tree in the middle of the land. ⁵ 

It was enormously tall. ⁶ 

Daniel 4:16

4:16 Let his mind ⁷  be altered from that of a human being,

and let an animal’s mind be given to him,

and let seven periods of time ⁸  go by for ⁹  him.

Daniel 4:22

4:22 it is you, ¹⁰  O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth.

Daniel 4:26

4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven ¹¹  rules.

Daniel 4:30-31

4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence ¹²  by my own mighty strength ¹³  and for my majestic honor?” 4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, ¹⁴  a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, ¹⁵  King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

[4:3]  ¹ tn Aram “his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”

[4:5]  ² tn Aram “and it.”

[4:8]  ³ sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology.

[4:10]  ⁴ tc The LXX lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.

[4:10]  ⁵ tn Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (NRSV); NAB, CEV “of the world”; NLT “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.

[4:10]  ⁶ tn Aram “its height was great.”

[4:16]  ⁷ tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.

[4:16]  ⁸ sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.

[4:16]  ⁹ tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

[4:22]  ¹⁰ sn Much of modern scholarship views this chapter as a distortion of traditions that were originally associated with Nabonidus rather than with Nebuchadnezzar. A Qumran text, the Prayer of Nabonidus, is often cited for parallels to these events.

[4:26]  ¹¹ sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).

[4:30]  ¹² tn Aram “house.”

[4:30]  ¹³ tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”

[4:31]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”

[4:31]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “to you they say.”