2:37 “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
1 tn Aram “the sons of man.”
2 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
3 tn Aram “hand.”
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.
5 tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”
6 tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.
7 tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.