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.
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 The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
5 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
6 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”