Discovery BoxDaniel 2:40-44 
Context2:40 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 1 all of these metals, 2 so it will break in pieces and crush the others. 3 2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes 4 partly of wet clay 5 and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. Some of the strength of iron will be in it, for you saw iron mixed with wet clay. 6 2:42 In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 2:43 And 7 in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed 8 with one another 9 without adhering to one another, just as 10 iron does not mix with clay. 2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.
1 tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”
2 tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.
3 tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.
4 tc The LXX lacks “and toes.”
5 tn Aram “potter’s clay.”
6 tn Aram “clay of clay” (also in v. 43).
7 tc The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew
8 sn The reference to people being mixed is usually understood to refer to intermarriage.
9 tn Aram “with the seed of men.”
10 tc The present translation reads הֵיךְ דִּי (hekh diy) rather than the MT הֵא־כְדִי (he’-khÿdi). It is a case of wrong word division.
