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OET (OET-LV) You[fn][fn] Oh/the_king are_the_king_of the_kings whom the_god_of the_heavens the_kingdom the_power and_the_strength and_the_honour he_has_given to/for_you(fs).
OET (OET-RV) You, your majesty, are the king of kings who has been given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the splendour by the god of the heavens.
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.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream (2:1–13)
The Dream Revealed to Daniel (2:14–23)
Daniel Interprets the Dream (2:24–45)
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)
(c) Daniel tells the king the dream and explains it (2:24–49)
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.
In this paragraph Daniel began to interpret the king’s dream.
You, O king, are the king of kings,
Your Majesty, you(sing) are the greatest of kings.
O king, you(sing) are surely the most powerful king in the world.
You, O king, are the king of kings: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates literally as You, O king, are the king of kings uses repetition to emphasize Nebuchadnezzar’s power and high status. It shows great respect and honors him. If would not be natural in your language to repeate the word king, you can indicate this honor in another way. For example:
Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. (GNT)
Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. (CEV)
Your Majesty, you are the greatest king. (GW)
You, O king: Daniel addressed Nebuchadnezzar as king. Use the term of address that is most natural and respectful in your language for addressing a king or other top ruler. See also 2:4b, 2:29a. Here is another way to translate this:
Your majesty (NIV)
the king of kings: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as the king of kings indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was more powerful than any other king. Some ways to say this in English are:
you are the greatest king (GW)
you are the greatest of all the kingsBFCL 88. (similarly GNT, CEV)
you are the most powerful king
to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
The God who rules from heaven has given you(sing) royal authority, power, strength, and majesty.
The true God, who rules from heaven, has made you(sing) a strong/powerful king/emperor. You are great and majestic!
to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory: Daniel asserted that it was God who had given Nebuchadnezzar his powerful position. All of Nebuchadnezzar’s glory and power came from God. The BSB follows the Aramaic text, in which the sentence continues from 2:37a. In many languages it may be natural to begin a new sentence here, as several English versions have done. For example:
The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory (NIV)
The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. (NET)
The God of heaven has given you a kingdom. He has given you power, strength, and honor. (GW)
the God of heaven: The title the God of heaven refers to the one true God. See the Notes on this title at 2:18a. Other ways to say this in English are:
The God who rules in heaven
The true God, who rules from heaven
heaven: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as heaven here refers to the spiritual realm where God lives.
has given sovereignty: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as has given sovereignty here indicates that God had given Nebuchadnezzar his power to rule, his royal authority. God had made him emperor of Babylonia and caused him to reign over it. Other ways to translate this include:
has given you a kingdom (GW)
has made you emperor (GNT)
God has allowed you to rule/reign
power: In this context, the word power has a similar meaning to sovereignty and refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s royal authority. All the people of his realm did whatever he commanded. He had the final control over what happened.
strength: The word strength is a near synonym of power. In this context, it probably refers to military strength. Use a general word that expresses this meaning.
glory: In this context the clause to whom…God…has given…glory indicates that God had given Nebuchadnezzar his royal honor or majesty. Nebuchadnezzar lived and reigned in great splendor and magnificent beauty. People all over the known world were in awe of his wealth and greatness. See the key term “glory” 1(a) in KBT. See how you translated “glory” in this sense in Matthew 4:8 and Revelation 21:24, 26.
In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a verb. For example:
God has highly honored you (CEV)
Daniel 2:37b has four words that are closely related in meaning. In some languages you may not have four words with a similar meaning. If that is true in your language, you may need to combine two or more of the words and emphasize the idea in another way. For example:
God has highly honored you with power. (CEV)
God has given you full authority to rule in splendor.
מֶ֖לֶךְ מַלְכַיָּ֑א
king of,the_kings
Alternate translation: “are the most important king” or “are a king who rules over other kings”
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet
חִסְנָ֛א וְתָקְפָּ֥א
the,power and,the,strength
These words mean basically the same thing.
2:1-49 God gave a dream that encompassed the flow of world history over the centuries, and Daniel interpreted the enigmatic imagery of this revelation. This dream and its interpretation reflect a key theme of the book—the assured final establishment of the Kingdom of God as the ultimate goal of history (2:44-45; 7:9-14, 26-27). This chapter also demonstrates the inability of paganism to discern the activity and plans of Israel’s God.
OET (OET-LV) You[fn][fn] Oh/the_king are_the_king_of the_kings whom the_god_of the_heavens the_kingdom the_power and_the_strength and_the_honour he_has_given to/for_you(fs).
OET (OET-RV) You, your majesty, are the king of kings who has been given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the splendour by the god of the heavens.
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.