Daniel 2:40

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 all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others.

Daniel 3:29

3:29 I hereby decree that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.”

Daniel 4:8-10

4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 4:9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 4:10 Here are the visions of my mind while I was on my bed.

While I was watching,

there was a tree in the middle of the land.

It was enormously tall. 10 

Daniel 4:21

4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals 11  used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest –

Daniel 5:12

5:12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret 12  dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. 13  Now summon 14  Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

Daniel 7:5

7:5 “Then 15  a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs 16  in its mouth between its teeth. 17  It was told, 18  ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’

Daniel 7:23

7:23 “This is what he told me: 19 

‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth

that will differ from all the other kingdoms.

It will devour all the earth

and will trample and crush it.

Daniel 8:4

8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal 20  was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. 21  It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. 22 

Daniel 8:8

8:8 The male goat acted even more arrogantly. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns 23  in its place, 24  extending toward the four winds of the sky. 25 

Daniel 8:22

8:22 The horn that was broken 26  and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength.

Daniel 8:27

8:27 I, Daniel, was exhausted 27  and sick for days. Then I got up and again carried out the king’s business. But I was astonished at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.

Daniel 10:13

10:13 However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But 28  Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there 29  with the kings of Persia.

Daniel 11:7

11:7 “There will arise in his 30  place one from her family line 31  who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. 32 

Daniel 11:20-21

11:20 There will arise after him 33  one 34  who will send out an exactor 35  of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, 36  though not in anger or battle.

11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person 37  to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit.

Daniel 11:27

11:27 These two kings, their minds 38  filled with evil intentions, will trade 39  lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time.

tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”

tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.

tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.

tn Aram “from me is placed an edict.”

tn Aram “speaks negligence.”

sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology.

tc The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי (khazi, “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי (khezvey, “visions”). The MT implies that the king required Daniel to disclose both the dream and its interpretation, as in chapter 2. But in the following verses Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream, while Daniel presents only its interpretation.

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

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.

10 tn Aram “its height was great.”

11 tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

12 tc The translation reads מִפְשַׁר (mifshar) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר (mÿfashar) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא (mishre’) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא (mÿshare’). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause.

13 tn Aram “to loose knots.”

14 tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”

15 tn Aram “and behold.”

16 sn The three ribs held securely in the mouth of the bear, perhaps representing Media-Persia, apparently symbolize military conquest, but the exact identity of the “ribs” is not clear. Possibly it is a reference to the Persian conquest of Lydia, Egypt, and Babylonia.

17 tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”

18 tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”

19 tn Aram “thus he said.”

20 tn Or “beast” (NAB).

21 tn Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.

22 tn In the Hiphil the Hebrew verb גָּדַל (gadal, “to make great; to magnify”) can have either a positive or a negative sense. For the former, used especially of God, see Ps 126:2, 3; Joel 2:21. In this chapter (8:4, 8, 11, 25) the word has a pejorative sense, describing the self-glorification of this king. The sense seems to be that of vainly assuming one’s own superiority through deliberate hubris.

23 tn The word “horns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

24 sn The four conspicuous horns refer to Alexander’s successors. After his death, Alexander’s empire was divided up among four of his generals: Cassander, who took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus, who took Thrace and parts of Asia Minor; Seleucus, who took Syria and territory to its east; and Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt.

25 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

26 tn Heb “the broken one.” The word “horn” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.

27 tn The Hebrew word here is נִהְיֵיתִי (nihyetiy). Its meaning is not entirely clear. Hebrew הָיָה (hayah) normally has meanings such as “to be” or “become.” Here, however, it describes Daniel’s emotional and physical response to the enigmatic vision that he has seen. It is parallel to the following verb, which refers to illness, and seems to refer to a state of utter exhaustion due to the amazing things that Daniel has just seen. The LXX lacks the word. On the meaning of the word see further, BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2; DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3.

28 tn Heb “and behold.”

29 tc The Greek version of Theodotion reads “I left him [i.e., Michael] there,” and this is followed by a number of English translations (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT).

30 sn The reference is to the king of Egypt.

31 tn Heb “the stock of her roots.”

sn The reference to one from her family line is probably to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (ca. 246-221 B.C.).

32 tn Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”

33 tn Heb “on his place.”

34 sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 B.C.).

35 sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3).

36 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”

37 sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 B.C.).

38 tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28.

39 tn Heb “speak.”