Discovery BoxDaniel 2:31-38 
Context2:31 “You, O king, were watching as a great statue – one 1 of impressive size and extraordinary brightness – was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. 2:32 As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze. 2:33 Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. 2 2:34 You were watching as 3 a stone was cut out, 4 but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. 2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction 5 and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth. 2:36 This was the dream. Now we 6 will set forth before the king its interpretation.
2:37 “You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 2:38 Wherever human beings, 7 wild animals, 8 and birds of the sky live – he has given them into your power. 9 He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold.
1 tn Aram “an image.”
2 sn Clay refers to baked clay, which – though hard – was also fragile. Cf. the reference in v. 41 to “wet clay.”
3 tn Aram “until.”
4 tc The LXX, Theodotion, and the Vulgate have “from a mountain,” though this is probably a harmonization with v. 45.
5 tn Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 60.
6 tn Various suggestions have been made concerning the plural “we.” It is probably the editorial plural and could be translated here as “I.”
7 tn Aram “the sons of man.”
8 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
9 tn Aram “hand.”
