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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Dan C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12
Dan 11 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45
OET (OET-LV) And_just_as_he_arises his/its_kingdom it_will_be_broken_up and_it_will_be_divided to_the_four the_winds_of the_heavens and_not to_posterity_of_his and_not like_dominion_of_his which he_had_dominion if/because his/its_kingdom it_will_be_plucked_up and_to_others (from)_besides_of these.
OET (OET-RV) But as soon as he’s reached his peak, his kingdom will be uprooted, then broken and divided into the four compass directions. But it won’t be his descendants reigning but those kingdoms will be given to others, and they won’t rule with that same authority.
In this long final vision, Daniel was told of events leading up to the end of the age.
The angelic figure who looked like a human being continued to talk to Daniel. It may be helpful to make this explicit, as the GW has done:
The person who looked like a human continued, “What I am about to tell you is the truth…. (GW)
But as soon as he is established,
But after he has gained power,
But after he becomes king,
But as soon as he is established: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as But as soon as he is established refers to the time when this warrior king will have established himself in his powerful position. Here are some other ways to translate this:
After he has appeared (NIV)
After that king has come (NCV)
But at the height of his power (NLT)
Shortly after his rise to power (NET)
his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.
his kingdom will break apart. It will be divided into four parts/kingdoms, each one in a different place/direction.
his kingdom will break/dissolve into four nations. One will be in the north, one in the south, one in the east and one in the west.
his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven: This verse part indicates that the empire of the warrior king would be divided into four parts. See also 8:8c-d, where this same event is described.
The verbs broken up and parceled out are both passive. The text does not say who would do this action. There are at least two ways to translate this verse part:
using passive verbs. For example:
his kingdom will be broken into pieces and divided in the directions of the four winds of heaven (GW)
His kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. (NLT)
using active verbs and a general subject. For example:
they will break up his kingdom and divide it into north, south, east, and west
toward the four winds of heaven: The phrase the four winds of heaven refers to the four directions, north, south, east, and west. Use the expression that is most natural in your language. For example:
toward the four parts of the world (NCV)
into four quarters
It will not go to his descendants,
But/And these four parts/kingdoms will not be ruled by the king’s descendants.
Men who are not his descendants will rule these four nations.
It will not go to his descendants: This clause indicates that the new rulers of the divided empire would not be the descendants of the warrior king. Four army generals inherited and ruled the four parts of the empire of Alexander the Great. Here are some other ways to translate this:
The empire will not be given to his descendants. (GW)
But these won’t be ruled by his descendants (CEV)
The new rulers of these lands will not be his descendants.
nor will it have the authority with which he ruled,
Nor will these four rulers have the same power as the first king,
These men/rulers will not have the same power as the first king had.
nor will it have the authority with which he ruled: This clause is more literally “and not as the ruling which he ruled.” It indicates that the four generals who succeeded the warrior king would not have the power that he had. Their kingdoms would not be so strong as his empire was. Here are some other ways to translate this:
nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had (NLT)
and it will not have the power that he had (NCV)
or be as powerful as his kingdom (CEV)
because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.
because his kingdom shall be uprooted. It will be given to others/outsiders.
For his kingdom shall come to an end and outsiders will rule in his place.
because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others: This verse part uses a different image to express the same idea as 11:4b. The empire is pictured as a plant that someone pulls out of the ground. There are at least two ways to translate this metaphor:
keeping the figure of speech. For example:
because his kingdom will be pulled up and given to other people (NCV)
explaining the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
his empire will be destroyed and its remnants/remains given to others
As in 11:4b, both the verbs are passive in English. However, in the Hebrew text there is only one verb in this verse part. The BSB has supplied the passive verb given. There are several ways to translate this clause:
using two passive verbs. For example:
for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these (NET)
using one or more active verbs. For example:
for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these (NRSV)
for they will tear out his kingdom and it will pass to other rulers/men
Since 11:4b and 11:4e are similar in meaning, in some languages it may be natural to combine them. For example:
4aBut at the height of his power 4b,ehis empire will break up and be divided into four parts. 4cKings not descended from him will rule in his place, 4dbut they will not have the power that he had. (GNT)
4aBut suddenly 4b,ehis kingdom will be crushed and scattered to the four corners of the earth, where four more kingdoms will rise. 4cBut these won’t be ruled by his descendants 4dor be as powerful as his kingdom. (CEV)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
תִּשָּׁבֵ֣ר מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְתֵחָ֕ץ
broken_up his/its=kingdom and,it_will_be_divided
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “his kingdom will break apart and divide” or “his kingdom will break apart into pieces”
לְאַרְבַּ֖ע רוּח֣וֹת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
to,the_four winds_of the=heavens
See how you translated this in [Daniel 7:2](../07/02.md).
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
וְלֹ֣א לְאַחֲרִית֗וֹ
and=not to,posterity_of,his
The idea of not being divided and shared out is implied here. Alternate translation: “but it will not be divided for his own descendants” or “but it will not be shared by his own descendants”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
תִנָּתֵשׁ֙ מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְלַאֲחֵרִ֖ים מִלְּבַד־אֵֽלֶּה
uprooted his/its=kingdom and,to,others (from),,besides_of these
The kingdom is spoken of as if it were a plant that someone destroyed by uprooting it.
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
תִנָּתֵשׁ֙ מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְלַאֲחֵרִ֖ים מִלְּבַד־אֵֽלֶּה
uprooted his/its=kingdom and,to,others (from),,besides_of these
This idea can be expressed in active form. Alternate translation: “another power will uproot and destroy his kingdom and others who are not his descendants will rule over it”
11:4 Alexander died on June 10, 323 BC, in Babylon at the age of thirty-three. He was at the height of his power and willing to be worshiped as a god.
• Alexander’s descendants were not capable of governing, and his brother Philip was incompetent.
• For his empire will be . . . given to others: Several of Alexander’s generals divided his empire; by 301 BC, their conflicts had resulted in four parts (see 7:4-7; 8:8-12 and corresponding study notes). God orchestrates history, and its end belongs to him.
OET (OET-LV) And_just_as_he_arises his/its_kingdom it_will_be_broken_up and_it_will_be_divided to_the_four the_winds_of the_heavens and_not to_posterity_of_his and_not like_dominion_of_his which he_had_dominion if/because his/its_kingdom it_will_be_plucked_up and_to_others (from)_besides_of these.
OET (OET-RV) But as soon as he’s reached his peak, his kingdom will be uprooted, then broken and divided into the four compass directions. But it won’t be his descendants reigning but those kingdoms will be given to others, and they won’t rule with that same authority.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.
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