DAN 2:29 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Oh king, as you lay there your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future, and the one who reveals mysteries showed you what is going to happen.

2:29 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:29 OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS. In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT As for you, O king, your thoughts on your bed turned to what would happen after this, and he who reveals mysteries has made known to you what is going to happen.

UST O King, while you were sleeping, you dreamed about events that will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has shown you what is going to happen.

BSB As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE “As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “As for you, O king, while you were in your bed your thoughts turned to future things. The revealer of mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

LSV You, O king, your thoughts on your bed have come up [concerning] that which [is] to be after this, and the Revealer of secrets has caused you to know that which [is] to be.

FBV As Your Majesty lay there, your thoughts turned to the future, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what would take place.

T4T O King, while you were sleeping, you dreamed about events that will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has shown you what is going to happen.

LEB “As for you, king,[fn] your thoughts on your bed _⌊turned to_⌋[fn] what it was that would be _⌊in the future_⌋,[fn] and the revealer of mysteries has made known to you what that would be.

2:29 Aramaic “the king”

2:29 Literally “they went up”

2:29 Literally “after this”

BBE As for you, O King, the thoughts which came to you on your bed were of what will come about after this: and the unveiler of secrets has made clear to you what is to come.

Moff As you lay in bed, O king, you were thinking of the future, and he who reveals mysteries has disclosed to you what is to happen.

JPS as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and He that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.

ASV as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.

DRA Thou, O king, didst begin to think in thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth mysteries shewed thee what shall come to pass.

YLT Thou, O king, thy thoughts on thy bed have come up [concerning] that which [is] to be after this, and the Revealer of secrets hath caused thee to know that which [is] to be.

Drby — as for thee, O king, thy thoughts arose upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.

RV as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.
(as for thee/you, Oh king, thy/your thoughts came into thy/your mind upon thy/your bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth/reveals secrets hath/has made known to thee/you what shall come to pass. )

SLT Thou, O king, thy thoughts upon thy bed went up what to be after this: and he revealing secrets made known to thee what to be.

Wbstr As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

KJB-1769 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.[fn]
(As for thee/you, Oh king, thy/your thoughts came into thy/your mind upon thy/your bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth/reveals secrets maketh/makes known to thee/you what shall come to pass. )

2.29 came: Chaldee, came up

KJB-1611 [fn]As for thee, O King, thy thoughts came into thy minde vpon thy bed, what should come to passe hereafter: and he that reuealeth secrets, maketh knowen to thee, what shall come to passe.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes))

2:29 Cald. came vp.

Bshps O king, when thou wast in thy bed, thoughtes came into thy mynde what should come hereafter: so he that is the opener of misteries, telleth thee what is for to come.
(Oh king, when thou/you wast in thy/your bed, thoughts came into thy/your mind what should come hereafter: so he that is the opener of misteries, telleth/tells thee/you what is for to come.)

Gnva O King, when thou wast in thy bedde, thoughts came into thy mind, what should come to passe hereafter, and he that reueyleth secretes, telleth thee, what shall come.
(Oh King, when thou/you wast in thy/your bed, thoughts came into thy/your mind, what should come to pass hereafter, and he that reveyleth secrets, telleth/tells thee/you, what shall come. )

Cvdl O kynge, thou didest cast in thy mynde, what shulde come herafter: So he that is the opener off mysteries, telleth the, what is for to come.
(Oh king, thou/you didest cast in thy/your mind, what should come hereafter: So he that is the opener off mysteries, telleth/tells them, what is for to come.)

Wycl Thou, kyng, bigunnest to thenke in thi bed, what was to comynge aftir these thingis; and he that schewith priuetees, schewide to thee what thingis schulen come.
(Thou, king, begunst to think in thy/your bed, what was to coming after these things; and he that schewith priuetees, showed to thee/you what things should come.)

Luth Dein Traum und dein Gesicht, da du schliefest, kam daher: Du, König, dachtest auf deinem Bette, wie es doch hernach gehen würde; und der, so verborgene Dinge offenbaret, hat dir angezeiget, wie es gehen werde.
(Your dream and your(s) vision/face, there you(sg) sleptest, came therefore: Du, king, thought on/in/to your bed, as/like it though/but afterwards go would; and the/of_the_(one), so hidden things revealed, has you/to_you(sg) angezeiget, as/like it go become.)

ClVg Tu, rex, cogitare cœpisti in strato tuo, quid esset futurum post hæc: et qui revelat mysteria, ostendit tibi quæ ventura sunt.
(You(sg), king, to_think you_began in/into/on strato your, what was future after these_things: and who/which revelat mysteries, he_showed to_you which to_come are. )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Four World Empires

Two panoramic visions in Daniel present God’s sovereignty over history. Nebuchadnezzar had the first vision (ch 2), and Daniel had another like it (ch 7). In each of these visions, four of the kingdoms of the world are presented.

There have always been questions about the identities of the four empires, but historically there has also been considerable consensus. Hippolytus (AD 170–236), one of the early church fathers, identified the four kingdoms as Babylonia, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The church father and historian Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260–340) initially identified the first kingdom as Assyria (which once also controlled Babylon), but he later agreed with Hippolytus, as did most of the church fathers. Later, Jerome and Augustine accepted this same understanding, and conservative interpreters largely still agree.

In antiquity and in our era, some interpreters have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, treating Media and Persia as separate kingdoms. This interpretation is due in part to denying the possibility of prediction, assuming the book was written before the Roman Empire had arisen. But Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire, and the Median kingdom had been mostly assimilated by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 BC.

Rome is then seen as the fourth kingdom, but the bestial, demonic, and inhumane characteristics of the vision extend beyond the historical Rome. The visions also represent a panorama of the whole world and its governments; all will be destroyed and replaced by the Kingdom of God, the “rock . . . cut from a mountain” (2:34). The metals of the statue become progressively less valuable in chapter 2, while the animal imagery of chapter 7 becomes more menacingly fierce, violent, and inhumane. These features represent a deterioration of human civilization across the centuries, even as the Kingdom of God grows in power and stature (2:35).

Passages for Further Study

Dan 2:1-49; 7:1-28

SOTN 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 2:29–2:30

Daniel 2:29–30 repeats much of the information that was in 2:27–28. The repetition emphasizes one of the main themes of this narrative: Only God can reveal the events that will happen in the future.

2:29a

As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future,

¶ “Your Majesty, when you^(sing) were lying on your^(sing) bed, you thought about what would happen in the future.
¶ “While you^(sing) were asleep, you dreamed about the future.

As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future: This verse repeats information that was in 2:28c. While Nebuchadnezzar was sleeping, he dreamed about the future.

As you lay on your bed, O king: The king was sleeping in his bed at night, as mentioned in 2:1. Other ways to translate this include:

as you lay in bed (NRSV)

While Your Majesty was sleeping (GNT)

O king: Daniel continued to address the king respectfully, using his title and the third person. Cultures have different ways to show respect when people are speaking to an important person like a king or chief. As in 2:27 and 2:28b, you should use a term of respect that is natural in your language. For example:

Your Majesty (NIV)

your thoughts turned to the future: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as your thoughts turned to the future is more literally “your thoughts went up to what will be after this.” This probably means that the king began to dream about future events. Other ways to translate this include:

thoughts about what would happen in the future came to you (GW)

your thoughts turned to future things (NET)

you dreamed about coming events (NLT)

the future: This is a different phrase than the one in 2:28b but the meaning is the same.

2:29b

and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

Then God, who reveals mysteries, showed to you^(sing) what will happen.
Then God revealed to you^(sing) the events that will happen in the future. He alone is able to reveal mysteries.

and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as and here connects the event in 2:29a with more information about the same event. While the king slept, in his dream God revealed what would happen in the future.

the Revealer of Mysteries: This title refers to God. He is the one who reveals mysteries to people. In some languages, it may be necessary to make the reference clear. For example:

God, who reveals mysteries (GNT)

Revealer: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as Revealer is from the same verb as in 2:22a. It means to tell or uncover something that was previously a secret, to explain something that was before mysterious.

Mysteries: See the Notes at 2:18a.

made known to you: See the Notes at 2:5b. God gave or sent the dream to the king so that he could understand what would happen in the future.

what will happen: This expression refers to what will happen in the future. Other ways to translate this clause are:

what will be (RSV)

what will happen in the future (CEV)

Parallel DAN 2:29

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

Paragraph 2:29–2:30

2:29a

2:29b