DAN 2:33 Interlinear View

2:33 OSHB variant note: מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’מִנְּ/הֵין֙’: lemma_4481 n_0.1.0 morph_AR/Sp3fp id_27FsE מִנְּ/הֵין֙

2:33 OSHB variant note: ו/מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין’: lemma_c/4481 n_0.0 morph_AC/R/Sp3fp id_27Pw8 וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–49: Daniel explained the king’s dream

These Notes interpret Daniel 2:1–49 as a complete narrative unit. However, in some languages it may be helpful to divide this chapter into more than one section and to give each section a separate heading. For example:

The BSB has four sections.
1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream (2:1–13)
2. The Dream Revealed to Daniel (2:14–23)
3. Daniel Interprets the Dream (2:24–45)
4. Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel (2:46–49)
The GNT has three sections:

(a) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2:1–13)

(b) God shows Daniel what the dream means (2:14–23)

This section tells how Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. He asked his advisers to tell him what he had dreamed and its meaning. They were unable to do so, and the king threatened them with death. But God revealed the meaning of the dream to Daniel. Daniel then told the king what he had dreamed and what it meant. The king honored Daniel and Daniel’s God.

The climax of this narrative occurs in 2:47. There the king declared that the God whom Daniel worshiped was the greatest of all gods.

Special Translation Problems:

1. Lists: The author of the book of Daniel liked to use lists (2:2, 10). However, the author did not intend for these lists to be complete or exact. The lists usually provide examples of the types of people or things that belong in a certain group or category. The Notes will suggest options on how to translate these lists.

2. Synonyms: The text often uses different terms for similar ideas. For example, there are several verbs that mean “to reveal” or “to make known.” There are three different Aramaic verbs in 2:40 that mean “crush, break to pieces.” In some languages it may be difficult or confusing to use several different words for similar ideas. The Notes will suggest how you might translate these similar words and terms.

3. Poetry: You will need to think carefully about how you will translate the poetic section in this chapter (2:20–23). Authors of Hebrew poetry usually wrote using matching pairs of lines. The relationship between these parallel lines differs. Sometimes the second line repeats the information in the first line using different words. Sometimes the second line contrasts with the first line. Hebrew poetry also has word plays, figurative speech, and alliteration. It may not always be easy to translate these literary features into your language. The Notes will suggest ways of translating the different features of Hebrew poetry. For more information about how to translate Hebrew poetry, see the Bible Translation Handbook of the Psalms. The poetry in 2:20–23 is a song of praise or thanksgiving. If your language has a special poetic form that fits this song, you can use it here.

4. Ambiguity: In the section where Daniel interpreted the last part of the king’s dream, there are a number of ambiguous references. For example, in 2:44a Daniel referred to “those kings” without identifying who those kings were. In 2:44b Daniel spoke of “all these kingdoms.” The ambiguity may be deliberate, since the dream itself is a mystery. It will be important not to over-interpret these passages by assuming a particular historical context. The Notes will suggest several options for how to translate these verses.

5. Repetition: Daniel interpreted the meaning of the first three kingdoms in a very brief way. He used many more words to describe the fourth kingdom (2:36–45). In this section he also repeated much of what was described before. In this way, Daniel emphasized the fourth kingdom as the most important. Some of the repetition in this section emphasizes specific ideas. Sometimes the repetition has another function. You will need to evaluate if this kind of repetition is natural in your language. If not, you will need to find another way to emphasize these ideas.

Paragraph 2:31–2:35

Daniel told the king what he had seen in his dream.

2:33a

its legs were iron,

and the legs were made of iron.
and the legs were iron.

its legs were iron: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as legs refers to the lower leg, from the knees to the ankle. Other ways to say this include:

the lower part of the legs were made of iron (NCV)

From there to its ankles it was iron (CEV)

iron: This was the most common and useful of all metals. In trade, iron was worth less than gold, silver, or bronze. However, people did value iron for its superior strength. People used it to make tools and weapons. The metal iron was often a symbol of power. If you do not have a word for iron in your language, other possibilities for translation are:

Borrow a national language term.
Use a general expression such as “a very strong metal.”

2:33b

and its feet were part iron and part clay.

The feet of the statue were made partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
The feet of the statue were/consisted of part iron and part baked clay.

its feet were part iron and part clay: The feet of the statue were a mixture of iron and clay. This was the weakest part of the statue. Other ways to translate this include:

Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay (GW)

its feet were a mixture of iron and clay (CEV)

iron: See the Notes at 2:33a.

clay: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as clay refers to a material that was baked to make pottery. The mixture of iron and clay would cause this part of the statue to be weak.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

2:33 OSHB variant note: מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’מִנְּ/הֵין֙’: lemma_4481 n_0.1.0 morph_AR/Sp3fp id_27FsE מִנְּ/הֵין֙

2:33 OSHB variant note: ו/מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין’: lemma_c/4481 n_0.0 morph_AC/R/Sp3fp id_27Pw8 וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין

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.

OET interlinear DAN 2:33

Hebrew word order

Section 2:1–49: Daniel explained the king’s dream

Paragraph 2:31–2:35

2:33a

2:33b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)