DAN 2:35 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=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=important (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like the small pieces of dry straw at harvest time in the summer. Then the wind carried them away so that no trace of them could be found, but the stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain that then filled the whole world.

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 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away so that no trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

UST Then the rest of the statue collapsed into a big heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces of the statue were as small as bits of chaff on the ground where it is threshed, and the wind blew away all the tiny pieces. There was nothing left. But the rock that smashed the statue became a large mountain that covered the whole earth.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

LSV then broken small together have been the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, and they have been as chaff from the summer threshing-floor, and the wind has carried them away, and no place has been found for them: and the stone that struck the image has become a great mountain, and has filled all the land.

FBV Then the rest of the statue—the bronze, the silver, and the gold—broke into pieces like the iron and clay. The wind blew them all away like chaff from the summer threshing floor, so that no trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

T4T Then the rest of the statue collapsed into a big heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces of the statue were as small as bits of chaff on the ground where it is threshed, and the wind blew away all the tiny pieces. There was nothing left. But the rock that smashed the statue became a large mountain that covered the whole earth.

LEB Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold _⌊all at once_⌋[fn] broke into pieces[fn] and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away and any trace of them could not be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and it filled the whole earth.

2:35 Literally “like one”

2:35 Or “were crushed”

BBE Then the iron and the earth, the brass and the silver and the gold, were smashed together, and became like the dust on the floors where grain is crushed in summer; and the wind took them away so that no sign of them was to be seen: and the stone which gave the image a blow became a great mountain, covering all the earth.

Moff and then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken to bits, and whirled away by the wind, like chaff blown from threshing-floors in summer, till they could not be found. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain, filling all the earth.

JPS Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

ASV Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

DRA Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer’s thrashingfloor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

YLT then broken small together have been the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, and they have been as chaff from the summer threshing-floor, and carried them away hath the wind, and no place hath been found for them: and the stone that smote the image hath become a great mountain, and hath filled all the land.

Drby Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken in pieces together, and they became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

RV Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

SLT At that time were beaten small at once, the iron, the burnt clay, the brass, the silver and the gold, and they were as the chaff of the threshing-floor of summer; and the wind lifted them up and all place was not found for them: and the stone striking against the image was for a great rock, and filled all the earth.

Wbstr Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

KJB-1769 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
(Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. )

KJB-1611 Then was the yron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer, and the golde broken to pieces together, and became like the chaffe of the summer threshing floores, and the wind caried them away, that no place was found for them: & the stone that smote the image became a great mountaine, and filled the whole earth.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Then was the iron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer and gold broken al together, & became like ye chaffe of sommer floores, and the winde caryed them away, that no place was found for them: & the stone that smote the image became a great mountayne, and filled the whole earth.
(Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and gold broken all together, and became like ye/you_all chaff of summer floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.)

Gnva Then was the yron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer and the golde broken all together, and became like the chaffe of the sommer floures, and the winde caryed them away, that no place was founde for them: and the stone that smote the image, became a great mountaine, and filled the whole earth.
(Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken all together, and became like the chaff of the summer floures, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. )

Cvdl then was the yron, the earth, the copper, the syluer and golde broken altogether in peces: and became like the chaffe off corne, that the wynde bloweth awaye from ye somer floores, that they ca nomore be foude. But the stone that smote the ymage, became a greate mountayne, which fulfylleth the whole earth:
(then was the iron, the earth, the copper, the silver and gold broken altogether in pieces: and became like the chaff off corn, that the wind bloweth away from ye/you_all summer floors, that they can no more be foude. But the stone that smote the image, became a great mountain, which fulfylleth the whole earth:)

Wycl Thanne the irun, tijl stoon, ether erthene vessel, bras, siluer, and gold, weren al to-brokun togidere, and dryuun as in to a deed sparcle of a large somer halle, that ben rauyschid of wynd, and no place is foundun to tho; forsothe the stoon, that smoot the ymage, was maad a greet hil, and fillide al erthe.
(Then the iron, tijl stone, either earthen vessel, brass, silver, and gold, were all to-broken together, and driven as in to a deed sparcle of a large summer hall, that been rauyschid of wind, and no place is found to them; for_certain/truly the stone, that smote the image, was made a great hill, and filled all earth.)

Luth Da wurden miteinander zermalmet das Eisen, Ton, Erz, Silber und Gold und wurden wie Spreu auf der Sommertenne; und der Wind verwebte sie, daß man sie nirgends mehr finden konnte. Der Stein aber, der das Bild schlug, ward ein großer Berg, daß er die ganze Welt füllete.
(So became together zermalmet the iron, Ton, ore, silver(n) and Gold and became as/like Spreu on/in/to the/of_the summertenne; and the/of_the wind verwebte they/she/them, that man they/she/them nowheres more find could. The stone but, the/of_the the image/picture hit/beat(v), what/which a large mountain/hill, that he the whole/all world filled.)

ClVg Tunc contrita sunt pariter ferrum, testa, æs, argentum, et aurum, et redacta quasi in favillam æstivæ areæ, quæ rapta sunt vento, nullusque locus inventus est eis: lapis autem, qui percusserat statuam, factus est mons magnus, et implevit universam terram.
(Then contrita are as_well iron, testa, brass, silver, and gold, and reduced as_if in/into/on ashes brasstivæ areæ, which rapta are with_the_wind, noneque place found it_is to_them: stone however, who/which percusserat statuam, became it_is mountain big, and he_fulfilled the_whole the_earth/land. )

SOTN SIL Open Translation 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.

2:35a

Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered

Then the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay collapsed all at once.
Then suddenly the whole statue—iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold—fell and broke into pieces.

Then: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates Then here introduces the next event in the narrative.

the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered: This is a passive clause that uses a different form of the same verb as in 2:34c. There are several ways to translate this clause;

Use an active verb with the rock as the subject. For example:
that rock broke into pieces the whole statue—the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold
Use an active verb with the statue or its metals as the subject. For example:
the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled (GNT)
iron and clay, bronze, silver and gold, all broke into pieces (NJB)
the statue and all its metals fell to pieces
Use a passive verb. For example:
the iron, clay. bronze, silver, and gold were smashed (GW)
the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all shattered into fragments (REB)
the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed (CEV)

Translate this idea in the way that is most natural in your language.

the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold: See the Notes on these different metals at 2:32–33.

2:35b

and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer.

The pieces of the statue became like the chaff/dust lying on the threshing floor during the summer
It broke into pieces as small as the pieces of straw left when a person threshes wheat during the harvest season.
The pieces that were left were like fine powder, so small that

and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer: This is a figure of speech called a simile. Daniel compared the broken pieces of the statue to chaff. The point of this comparison is that the pieces of the statue that were left were extremely small, almost as small as dust. They were as small and insignificant as chaff. Be sure that this idea is clear in your translation. In some languages it may be necessary to make the point of the comparison explicit. For example:

as tiny as the bits of straw when a person threshes wheat during the summer

as small as chaff on a threshing floor (NLT)

chaff: The word chaff refers to the part of the wheat that people did not eat, the husks. These husks had no value and were very light. Refer to this chaff in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

husks of wheat (CEV)

If your readers are not familiar with chaff, you may have to substitute a word with a similar meaning that refers to something small and of little value. For example:

dust (GNT)

on the threshing floor: Farmers put their harvested wheat on a hard, level surface called a threshing floor. Then they beat it with sticks or made their cattle walk over it. This caused the grain to separate from the husks, and it all lay on the threshing floor together. Afterwards the workers tossed the pieces into the air. The wind blew away the lighter chaff, and the good grain fell back to the floor. This floor was outdoors near their fields. Avoid using an expression that suggests an indoor location. It may be natural to use a more general expression. For example:

on a threshing place (GNT)

If people in your culture are unfamiliar with this type of action, it may be natural to include a footnote about how people threshed their wheat at this time.

Use the option that is most appropriate for your language.

in summer: There were two main seasons in the land of Israel, summer and winter. People plowed and planted in winter. The summer was the hot, dry season when people harvested their crops. Languages have different ways of describing the seasons of the year. Use the term that refers to the harvest season. Possibilities for translation include:

General Comment on 2:35b

Translate the name of the harvest season. For example:
in summer (NJB)
Use the word meaning “harvest.” For example:
during the harvestSee La Bible du Semeur.
Omit the name of the season, if this information is implied by the context. For example:
like chaff on a threshing floor (NLT)

This clause introduces a lot of information that may be new to people in your culture. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate some of this information in a general way. Keep the focus on the fact that the remaining pieces of the statue were very small. For example:

until nothing remained but pieces as fine/small as dust

In some cultures it will be good to add a footnote explaining threshing. For example:

Farmers in Israel separated the good grain from the useless parts by beating it or treading on it and then tossing it into the air. The wind blew away the smaller, lighter, useless parts. Daniel compared the remains of the statue to the small, useless parts of wheat, the chaff.

2:35c

The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found.

The wind blew all the pieces away and there was nothing left of the statue there.
They were carried away by the wind and nothing was left behind.
the wind blew them away. And nothing remained of the statue.

The Aramaic text connects this verse part with the previous verse part using a common conjunction that many versions translate as “and.” In this context it introduces the next event in a series. The BSB and many other versions leave it untranslated. Introduce what happened next in a way that is natural in your language.

The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as carried…away means to take or sweep something away, that is, to remove it. The wind scattered all the remaining pieces of the statue. Nothing was left to show that anything had been there. Use the expression that is natural in your language to describe what wind does to small objects. For example:

the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found (NRSV)

The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. (NJB)

not a trace of them could be found: This phrase indicates the result of the wind’s action. There was nothing left of the statue after the pieces had blown away. Some ways to express this in English are:

No one could see any sign of it.

there was nothing left (NCV)

leaving nothing behind

2:35d

But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

But the stone that struck the statue grew into a huge mountain. It became so big that it covered the entire world.
However, the stone that hit the statue grew bigger and became as large as a tall mountain. It was so big that it spread over all the earth.

But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain: In the king’s dream, the statue had gone, but the rock remained. It grew and became as large as a mountain.

But: The connector that the BSB translates as But here introduces a contrast between the statue and the rock. Nothing remained of the statue, but the stone became a huge mountain. Express this contrast in a natural way in your language.

the stone: See the Note at 2:34a.

that had struck the statue: The same phrase occurs in 2:34b. Translate this idea in a way that is natural in your language. Here is another way to translate this:

the rock that knocked the statue down (NLT)

became a great mountain: In the king’s dream, the stone grew bigger in size until it became as big as a mountain. Other ways to translate this include:

became a huge mountain (NIV)

grew and became a huge mountain (REB)

grew to be a mountain (GNT)

and filled the whole earth: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates literally as filled the whole earth here indicates that the mountain became so big that it was everywhere on the earth. Other ways to translate this include:

that filled the entire earth (NET)

that covered the whole earth (NLT)

that became present all over the world

General Comment on 2:35

In the Aramaic text, 2:35 forms one long sentence. Most English versions break this up into two or more sentences. Use sentence lengths that are natural in your language. For example:

Then all at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were smashed. They became like husks on a threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain which filled the whole world. (GW)

Parallel DAN 2:35