7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 1 a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 2 It had two large rows 3 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. 4 This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant 5 things.
7:19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning 6 of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. 7:20 I also wanted to know 7 the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes 8 and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 9
7:23 “This is what he told me: 10
‘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.
7:24 The ten horns
mean that ten kings will arise from that kingdom.
Another king will arise after them,
but he will be different from the earlier ones.
He will humiliate 11 three kings.
1 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.
2 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.
3 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
4 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
5 tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.
6 tn Aram “to make certain.”
7 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
9 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”
10 tn Aram “thus he said.”
11 tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”