DAN 4:21 Interlinear View

4:21 Note: KJB: Dān.4.24

4:21 OSHB variant note: עלי/א: (x-qere) ’עִלָּאָ/ה֙’: lemma_5943 n_0.1.0 morph_AAamsd/Td id_272Xh עִלָּאָ/ה֙

4:21 OSHB variant note: מרא/י: (x-qere) ’מָרִ֥/י’: lemma_4756 morph_ANcmsc/Sp1cs id_27u2m מָרִ֥/י

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 4:19–23

In this paragraph Daniel began to interpret the king’s dream.

4:21a

whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant,

Its leaves were beautiful and it had lots of fruit,
It had lots of leaves/foliage and bore/produced much fruit,

whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant: The tree showed it was healthy by growing healthy foliage and producing lots of fruit. See the Notes at 4:12a-b. Other ways to translate this include:

whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful (NET)

It had beautiful leaves and plenty of fruit. (GW)

4:21b

providing food for all,

enough to feed everyone.
plenty for everyone.

providing food for all: The fruit was so “abundant” (4:21a) that there was enough for everyone to eat. See the Notes at 4:12b. Other ways to translate this include:

and from which there was food available for all (NET)

enough to feed everyone (GW)

a tree which yielded food for all (REB)

In some languages it may be natural to translate this as an independent clause or sentence. For example:

and it had enough fruit on it to feed the whole world (GNT)

There was enough fruit to feed everyone.

4:21c

under which the beasts of the field lived,

The wild animals stayed in the shade of the tree.
The tree provided shade for the wild animals,

under which the beasts of the field lived: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as under which the beasts of the field lived is literally “under it lived the wild animals.” The verb is different from that in 4:12c, where there is a similar idea. Other ways to translate this include:

beneath which the wild beasts dwelt (REB)

The wild animals rested/sheltered underneath the tree.

the beasts of the field: This is the same Aramaic phrase as the phrase the BSB also translates “the beasts of the field” in 4:12c. See the Notes there.

4:21d

and in whose branches the birds of the air nested—

Birds made their homes in its branches.
and birds built their nests on its branches.

and in whose branches the birds of the air nested: The Aramaic text says literally “in its branches lived the birds of the heavens.” The verb is not the same as in 4:12d, but the meaning is the same. Other ways to translate this include:

birds made their homes in its branches (GW)

The birds nested in its branches. (CEV)

in whose branches the birds of the air had nests (NRSV)

the birds of the air: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as the birds of the air is more literally “the birds of the heavens.” This refers to wild birds, birds that normally fly around freely. See how you translated this in 4:12d.

General Comment on 4:20–21

In the BSB 4:20–21 forms one long sentence. However, in the Aramaic a new sentence begins at 4:21a. In some languages it may be natural to follow the Aramaic or to translate these verses as several shorter sentences. For example:

^20aYou saw a tree in your dream ^20bthat grew large and strong. Its top touched the sky, ^20cand it could be seen from all over the earth. ^21aIts leaves were beautiful, ^21band it had plenty of fruit for everyone to eat. ^21cIt was a home for the wild animals, ^21dand its branches were nesting places for the birds. (NCV)

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

4:21 Note: KJB: Dān.4.24

4:21 OSHB variant note: עלי/א: (x-qere) ’עִלָּאָ/ה֙’: lemma_5943 n_0.1.0 morph_AAamsd/Td id_272Xh עִלָּאָ/ה֙

4:21 OSHB variant note: מרא/י: (x-qere) ’מָרִ֥/י’: lemma_4756 morph_ANcmsc/Sp1cs id_27u2m מָרִ֥/י

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 4:21

Hebrew word order