DAN 4:6 Parallel Verse View

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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).

ULT So I gave a decree to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

UST So I summoned all the wise men in Babylon, in order that they would come and tell me what it meant.

BSB So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET So I issued an order for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

LSV And by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know.

FBV So I ordered all the wise men of Babylon brought before me to explain the dream to me.

T4T So I summoned all the wise men in Babylon, in order that they would come and tell me what it meant.

LEB And a decree was _⌊sent out_⌋,[fn] ordering that all the wise men of Babylon were to be brought in before me so that they may make known to me the explanation of the dream.

4:6 Literally “put/placed”

BBE And I gave orders for all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make clear to me the sense of my dream.

Moff So I issued an edict for all the sages of Babylon to be brought before me, that they might tell me the meaning of the dream.

JPS (4-3) Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

ASV Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

DRA Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them.

YLT And by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know.

Drby And I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

RV Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

SLT And an edict being set from me to bring up before me to all the wise of Babel, that they shall make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Wbstr Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

KJB-1769 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

KJB-1611 Therefore made I a decree, to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before mee, that they might make knowen vnto me the interpretation of the dreame.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Therfore made I a decree, that they shoulde bring all the wyse men of Babylon before me, that they might declare vnto me the interpretatio of the dreame.
(Therefore made I a decree, that they should bring all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might declare unto me the interpretatio of the dream.)

Gnva O Belteshazzar, chiefe of the enchanters, because I know, that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell mee the visions of my dreame, that I haue seene and the interpretation thereof.
(Oh Belteshazzar, chief of the enchanters, because I know, that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee/you, and no secret troubleth thee/you, tell me the visions of my dream, that I have seen and the interpretation thereof. )

Cvdl Then sent I out a commission, that all they which were of wi?dome at Babilo shulde be brought before me, to tell me the interpretacion of the dreame.
(Then sent I out a commission, that all they which were of wi?dome at Babilo should be brought before me, to tell me the interpretation of the dream.)

Wycl Balthasar, prince of dyuynouris, whom Y knowe, that thou hast in thee the spirit of hooli goddis, and ech sacrament, ether preuytee, is not vnpossible to thee, telle thou to me the visiouns of my dreemes, whiche Y siy, and the soilyng of tho.
(Balthasar, prince of divineris, whom I know, that thou/you hast in thee/you the spirit of holy gods, and each sacrament, either preuytee, is not unpossible to thee/you, tell thou/you to me the visions of my dreemes, which I see, and the soiling of those.)

Luth Beltsazar, du Oberster unter den Sternsehern, welchen ich weiß, daß du den Geist der heiligen Götter hast und dir nichts verborgen ist, sage das Gesicht meines Traums, den ich gesehen habe, und was er bedeutet.
(Beltsazar, you(sg) supreme under the Sternsehern, which_(ones) I white, that you(sg) the spirit the/of_the holy gods have and you/to_you(sg) nothing hidden/concealed is, said the vision/face my dreams, the I seen have, and what/which he bedeutet.)

ClVg Baltassar, princeps ariolorum, quoniam ego scio quod spiritum sanctorum deorum habeas in te, et omne sacramentum non est impossibile tibi: visiones somniorum meorum, quas vidi, et solutionem earum narra.
(Baltassar, prince ariolorum, since/because I I_know that spirit holy_place of_the_gods habeas in/into/on you(sg), and everything sacrament not/no it_is impossible to_you: visions somniorum of_mine, which I_saw, and solutionem of_them narra. )

SOTN 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 4:4–7

Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream and summoned the wise men of Babylon. They were unable to explain the meaning of his dream. Before you translate this paragraph, read Genesis 40 and Genesis 41:1–2, where there are descriptions of similar events that took place in ancient Egypt.

4:6a

So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me

Therefore I ordered all the wise advisers of Babylon to appear/come before me
Therefore I told my servants to bring all the experts/scholars of Babylon to me

So: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as So here introduces a result clause. This clause tells what the king did as a result of seeing the dream and becoming afraid. Introduce this result in a way that is natural in your language. Here is another way to translate this:

Therefore (RSV)

I issued a decree: The king issued an order, a royal command or decree.Here the Aramaic is literally “from me a decree was issued.” Other ways to translate this include:

I ordered (GW. GNT)

I decreed (NJB)

I commanded (NIV)

that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me: This is the content of the king’s order or decree. The king’s servants were to bring all the wise men of Babylon into his presence. In some languages it may be more natural to use direct speech. See the General Comment on 4:6a–c for a suggestion of how to do this.

all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me: This is a passive clause. If it is more natural to use an active verb you may be able to:

use an indefinite subject. For example:
they (indefinite) should bring to me all the wise men of Babylon
use an intransitive form. For example:
all the wise men of Babylon must come to me
supply a subject. For example:
my servants should bring all the wise men of Babylon to me

the wise men: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as the wise men refers to a class of men with certain responsibilities. They were professional advisers to the king and experts in various occult practices. See the Notes at 2:12b, 2:27. In this context, this expression may be a general term for all of the king’s religious experts and advisers. Here is another way to translate this:

the royal advisers (GNT)

Babylon: Here this term probably refers to the whole kingdom, and not only the capital city with that same name. Here is another way to translate this:

Babylonia (CEV)

4:6b

to interpret the dream for me.

in order that they might interpret/explain my dream for/to me.
so that they could tell me what my dream meant.

to interpret the dream for me: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as to here introduces the purpose of bringing the wise men to the king. The king wanted them to explain to him the meaning of his dream. See Genesis 41:8, where there is a similar situation. This is a purpose clause. Other ways to translate it include:

to tell me the dream’s meaning (GW)

so they could tell me what my dream meant (NLT)

so that one of them might tell me what the dream meantSee the Translator’s Handbook on Daniel.

interpret the dream: See the Notes at 2:5b. The verb that the BSB translates as interpret means “inform, tell.” The king wanted the wise men to tell or explain to him the meaning of his dream. He thought it must have some connection to real life, but he did not know what it was. Here is another way to translate this:

make known…the interpretation of the dream (NRSV)

General Comment on 4:6a–c

In some languages it may be natural to translate the king’s command as direct speech. For example:

^6aSo I gave/issued this decree/order: ^6b“All the wise men of Babylon are to be brought before me ^6cso that they can tell me what the dream means.”

^6aSo I commanded, ^6b“Bring all the Babylonian wise men into my presence. ^6cI want them to interpret my dream for me.”

Parallel DAN 4:6

Section 4:1–37: God judged King Nebuchadnezzar

Paragraph 4:4–7

4:6a

4:6b

General Comment on 4:6a–c