DAN 4:10 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–37: God judged King Nebuchadnezzar

The author of Daniel 4 wrote in the Aramaic language. These Notes are based on the BSB, which is based on the Aramaic text called the MT (Masoretic Text). However, the early Greek translation known as the Septuagint is different from the Aramaic text in many places in Daniel 4. Scholars are uncertain why the two are so different. It may be that the Greek translators worked from an Aramaic text that was different from that of the MT. The Notes will discuss the differences between the two texts for certain important passages.

The verse numbers of the BSB and most English versions are different from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text. The NJPS and NJB are two exceptions. They follow the verse numbers in the Aramaic text.Baldwin (p. 107) notes that the chapter divisions in the present Aramaic text were not necessarily those of the original text. The difference in numbering can cause confusion when citing verses in different translations. For example, Daniel 4:1 in the BSB is 3:31 in the NJPS and NJB. Daniel 4:4 is 4:1 in the NJB and NJPS, and so on. When these Notes cite verses in the NJPS and the NJB, they will give both the verse numbers in those versions and the corresponding BSB verse numbers.

Versions give different headings to Daniel 4. For example:

Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (NRSV)

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a tree (NLT)

A letter from Nebuchadnezzar about his insanity (GW)

In some languages it may be more natural that the heading be a full sentence. For example:

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a second dream

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a tree

Nebuchadnezzar wrote a letter about how he became insane

Special Problems:

1. Change of Speaker: In Daniel 4, the person who tells the story varies between the king and the narrator. For example:

A. In 4:1–18 the king told what happened to him in the first person.

B. In 4:19–27 the narrator told the story of how Daniel interpreted the king’s dream.

C. In 4:28–33 the narrator told what happened to Nebuchadnezzar.

D. In 4:34–37 the king again spoke directly in the first person.

The Notes will inform you when there is a change of speaker and suggest how to translate these passages.

2. Repetition: When Daniel interpreted the king’s dream (4:19–27), he repeated parts of what the king had previously told him (in 4:10–16). Later, when the narrator told what happened to the king (4:28–33), he repeated what Daniel had said would happen (in 4:25). This kind of repetition creates suspense in the story. Repetition also helps to emphasize the main theme of the account. For example, at the end of the account, the king repeated information from the beginning (4:3, 34). This information is the theme of the chapter: God is sovereign over human rulers.

3. Synonyms: The author liked to use synonyms, different words with the same or similar meaning. In some cases, he used synonyms to emphasize an idea. For example, in 4:37 the king used three synonyms in the same sentence to emphasize the idea of praise. In some languages this may not be natural. The Notes will suggest other ways you can translate synonyms.

4. Commands: In the dream, the angel made a number of commands. The text does not usually say to whom the angel was giving these commands. Sometimes the angel commanded non-living objects to do something. In all these cases, the angel was speaking a message from God. And when God commands that something happen, it will certainly happen. In some languages it may not be natural to use commands in this way. If that is true in your language, you may be able to translate these commands as authoritative declarations. The Notes will give examples of how you may do this.

5. Poetic Parallelism: The author of Daniel 4 liked to use poetic form to communicate ideas. In Aramaic poetry, authors often used pairs of clauses to say the same thing in two different ways. This type of poetry has many different functions. Sometimes the author used poetry to emphasize themes. Other times he used poetry to mark the climax of a section. This kind of poetry may not be natural in your language. The Notes will describe the function of the poetic speech in Daniel. They will also suggest some options on how you might translate this type of poetry in your own language.

6. Form: The author wrote Daniel 4 in the form of a royal proclamation. This proclamation form gives authority to the account. The style of the proclamation is similar to that of a letter, and the beginning of the chapter is similar to other Aramaic letters. The king first identifies himself. Second, he indicates to whom he is writing, that is, those he intends to read his letter. Third, he greets his readers. In your language, people may have a different way of identifying the author or addressee of a letter. The Notes will suggest some options on how to translate this letter style.

7. Key Terms: Two key terms in Daniel 4 are “earth” and “heaven.” Both words have more than one meaning. The Aramaic word that the BSB generally translates as “earth” can mean either “ground,” “land,” or “world.” The Aramaic word that the BSB generally translates as “heaven” can mean either “sky” or “where God lives.” In 4:26 the author used the word “Heaven” to refer to God himself. The author plays on these two words and their meanings to highlight the main theme of the chapter: “God in heaven rules over the affairs of men on earth.” The Notes will explain the meaning of these two key terms in each context.

Paragraph 4:10–12

Nebuchadnezzar described the tree he had seen in his dream.

4:10a

In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed,

¶ This is what I dreamed while I was asleep in my bed:
¶ In my dream,

In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates as In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed is more literally “the visions of my head on my bed.” This phrase introduces Nebuchadnezzar’s account of his dream. The BSB has supplied the words In these, as is natural in English. Other ways to translate this include:

Here are the visions of my mind while I was on my bed. (NET)

While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. (NLT)

While I was asleep, I had a vision of… (GNT)

The expression points ahead to the retelling of the dream that begins in 4:10b. Translate it in a way that is natural for introducing such an account.

as I was lying in bed: In some languages it may be natural to indicate that the king was asleep. You may wish to leave implied the information that he was in bed. For example:

while I was asleep (GW)

4:10b

I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land,

I dreamed that there was a tree, standing/growing in the middle of the earth.
I saw a tree. It was in the very center of the world,

I saw this come to pass: The Aramaic expression that the BSB translates as I saw this come to pass here introduces a retelling of a dream. See the Notes at 2:31, where the same expression is used. If your language has a special way to introduce a dream, you may be able to use it here. The following are some ways English versions translate this:

I was looking and I saw (GW)

I looked, and there in front of me (NCV)

this come to pass: See the Notes at 2:31. The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as come to pass often introduces something new or unexpected. It directs the reader to give attention to what the speaker is about to say. If you have an equivalent word in your language, you can use it here. Here is another way to translate this:

there before me (NIV)

There was a tree in the midst of the land: In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a tree. It was upright. That is, it was growing, planted in the ground. And it was in a central or prominent position. In some languages it may be natural to say:

in the middle of the land a tree was growing

in the very center of the land there was a tree

a tree: A tree was a common symbol in the Old Testament. In this context the tree is a symbol of the king, who protects and provides for his people.See Isaiah 11:1; 53:2; Ezekiel 31 (The pharaoh is compared to a tree of Lebanon); Ezekiel 17:1–10 (David’s dynasty is compared to a cedar of Lebanon). The text does not say what kind of tree the king saw. In some languages it may be necessary to be specific. If this is so in your language, you should indicate that it was a type of fruit-bearing deciduous tree.

in the midst of the land: The Aramaic expression that the BSB translates as in the midst of the land indicates that the tree was in a central or prominent location. It was growing in a place where everyone could see it.

the land: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as land can mean ground, country, earth, or world, depending on the context. Here the context suggests that it refers to everywhere that was under Nebuchadnezzar’s power. This included most of the world known at that time. Use the expression that is natural in your language here. For example:

the earth (GNT)

the world (CEV)

4:10c

and its height was great.

It was very tall.
and it was huge.

its height was great: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as height refers to the distance from the bottom of an object to the top. The height of the tree was very great. That is, the tree was very tall. See the Notes on 2:31 referring to the tall statue of the king. Other ways to translate this include:

Its height was enormous (NIV)

It was very tall (NCV)

a huge tree (GNT)

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

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.