Discovery BoxDaniel 2:40-45 
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. 2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. 11 The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.”
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.
11 tn Aram “after this.”
