Daniel 4:16

4:16 Let his mind 1  be altered from that of a human being,

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

and let seven periods of time 2  go by for 3  him.

Daniel 8:4

8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal 4  was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. 5  It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. 6 

1 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.

2 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.

3 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

4 tn Or “beast” (NAB).

5 tn Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.

6 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.