DAN 2:36 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=normal (All still tentative.)

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).

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE “This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET This was the dream. Now we will set forth before the king its interpretation.

LSV This [is] the dream, and its interpretation we tell before the king.

FBV This was the dream, and now we will explain what it means to the king.

T4T That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.

LEB “This was the dream, and now we will tell its interpretation to the king.

BBE This is the dream; and we will make clear to the king the sense of it.

Moff Such was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means.

JPS This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

ASV This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

DRA This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof before thee, O king.

YLT This [is] the dream, and its interpretation we do tell before the king.

Drby This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

RV This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

SLT This the dream, and we will tell its interpretation before the king.

Wbstr This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

KJB-1769 ¶ This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

KJB-1611 ¶ This is the dreame, and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the King.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps This is the dreame: and now will we shew before the king what it meaneth.
(This is the dream: and now will we show before the king what it meaneth.)

Gnva This is the dreame, and we will declare before the King the interpretation thereof.
(This is the dream, and we will declare before the King the interpretation thereof. )

Cvdl This is the dreame. And now will we shewe before the kynge, what it meaneth.
(This is the dream. And now will we show before the king, what it meaneth.)

Wycl This is the dreem. Also, thou kyng, we schulen seie bifor thee the interpretyng therof.
(This is the dream. Also, thou/you king, we should say before thee/you the interpreting thereof.)

Luth Das ist der Traum. Nun wollen wir die Deutung vor dem Könige sagen.
(The is the/of_the dream. Now want we/us the interpretation before/in_front_of to_him king(s) say.)

ClVg Hoc est somnium: interpretationem quoque ejus dicemus coram te, rex.
(This it_is a_dream/sleep: interpretation too his we_will_say before you(sg), king. )

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 2:36–2:38

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

2:36

This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

¶ “That was what happened in your dream. Now we^(excl) will tell you what the dream means.
¶ “I have described what you^(sing) saw in your dream. Now we^(excl) will interpret the dream for you.

This was the dream: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as This refers to the details of the dream that Daniel had just told the king (2:31–35). This phrase concludes the description of the dream and prepares the reader for the interpretation. Other ways to say this in English are:

That was the dream. (NLT)

That is what happened in your dream.

I have just described what happened in your dream.

now: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as now here indicates that Daniel was about to talk about a new topic. He was about to interpret the meaning of the king’s dream.

we will tell the king its interpretation: Scholars interpret the plural pronoun we in two ways here:

It refers to Daniel and his three friends. Daniel was speaking as the representative of the four Hebrew youths. For example:
we will interpret it to the king (NIV) (BSB, KJV, NASB, RSV/NRSV, REB, NCV, NIV, NJPS, ESV, NET, GW)
It refers only to Daniel. Daniel used the plural in order to show humility by not focusing attention on himself. However, the king would have understood he was referring just to himself. For example:
I will tell Your Majesty what it means. (GNT) (NLT, GNT, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as it is supported by the use of “us” in 2:23d. As in that reference, this use of the first-person plural is exclusive. It refers to Daniel and his friends but not the king, who was listening to Daniel.

the king: In Babylonian culture, a person spoke to the king in the third person to show respect. See 2:4, 2:7, 2:10–11, and throughout this chapter. This way of speaking may not be natural in your language. If so, you may use the second person. For example:

and now we will interpret the dream for you

and now I’ll tell you what it means (CEV)

its: The pronoun its here refers to the king’s dream.

Parallel DAN 2:36

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

Paragraph 2:36–2:38

2:36