DAN 4:8 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Finally, Daniel came in—he’d been named Belteshatstsar (Belteshazzar) after my god’s name. The spirit of the holy gods is in him, and I told him the dream:

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 But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told him the dream.

UST Finally, Daniel came to me, and I decided to tell him what I had dreamed. One of my officials had given him a new name, Belteshazzar, to honor my own god. I knew that the spirit of the holy gods was in him.

BSB But at last, into my presence came Daniel ( whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods ). And I told him the dream:

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE But at last, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well,

LSV And at last Daniel has come up before me, whose name [is] Belteshazzar—according to the name of my god—and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told:

FBV In the end Daniel came before me and I told him the dream. (He is also called Belteshazzar after my god, and he has the spirit of the holy gods[fn] in him.)

4:8 “Spirit of the holy gods”: or, “spirit of the holy God.” Nebuchadnezzar clearly vacillated in his “god concepts”—one moment identifying the true God as the only one, while at other times referring to a pagan god as “his god.” Also verses 9 and 18; and 5:11 and 5:14.

T4T Finally, Daniel came to me, and I decided to tell him what I had dreamed. One of my officials had given him a new name, Belteshazzar, to honor my own god. I knew that the spirit of the holy gods was in him.

LEB Then _⌊at last_⌋[fn] Daniel came before me _⌊whose name was_⌋[fn] Belteshazzar, _⌊according to_⌋[fn] the name of my god, and _⌊in whom was the spirit of the holy gods_⌋,[fn] _⌊and I related the dream to him_⌋.[fn]

4:8 Literally “until another”

4:8 Literally “who name his”

4:8 Literally “like”

4:8 Literally “and who the spirit of gods holy in him”

4:8 Literally “and the dream before him I told”

BBE But at last Daniel came in before me, he whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I put the dream before him, saying,

Moff until at last another came in, Daniel whose name is Belteshazzar (after the name of my own god), a man in whom there is the spirit of the gods divine. I told him the dream, saying,

JPS (4-5) But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told the dream before him:

ASV But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,

DRA The tree was great, and strong: and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.

YLT And at last come up before me hath Daniel, whose name [is] Belteshazzar — according to the name of my god — and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told:

Drby But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my [fn]god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy [fn]gods; and before him I told the dream:

4.8 Elohim

RV But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,

SLT And even at last Daniel came up before me, whose name Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods in him: and before him I told the dream:

Wbstr But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying ,

KJB-1769 ¶ But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

KJB-1611 ¶ But at the last Daniel came in before me, (whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy Gods) & before him I told the dreame, saying,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Till at the last Daniel came before me (whose name was Baltassar, according to the name of my God) which hath the spirite of the holy gods in hym, & before him I tolde the dreame, saying:
(Till at the last Daniel came before me (whose name was Baltassar, according to the name of my God) which hath/has the spirit of the holy gods in him, and before him I told the dream, saying:)

Gnva A great tree and strong, and the height thereof reached vnto heauen, and the sight thereof to the endes of all the earth.
(A great tree and strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the ends of all the earth. )

Cvdl till at the last, there came one Daniel (otherwyse called Balthasar, acordinge to the name of my God) which hath the sprete of the holy goddes in him: to whom I tolde the dreame, sayenge:
(till at the last, there came one Daniel (otherwyse called Balthasar, according to the name of my God) which hath/has the spirit of the holy gods in him: to whom I told the dream, saying:)

Wycl And the tree was greet and strong, and the heiythe therof touchide heuene, and the biholdynge therof was `til to the endis of al erthe.
(And the tree was great and strong, and the height thereof touched heaven, and the beholding thereof was till to the ends of all earth.)

Luth groß und dick; seine Höhe reichte bis in Himmel und breitete sich aus bis ans Ende des ganzen Landes.
(large and thick; his Höhe sufficese until in heaven and spread itself/yourself/themselves out_of until at/to end(n) the entire lands.)

ClVg Magna arbor, et fortis, et proceritas ejus contingens cælum: aspectus illius erat usque ad terminos universæ terræ.
(Magna arbor, and strong/powerful, and proceritas his contingens the_sky: appearance of_that was until to boundaries of_the_universe of_the_earth/land. )

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 4:8–9

Daniel went before the king in order to tell him the meaning of his dream.

4:8a

But at last, into my presence came Daniel

¶ Finally, Daniel came to me.
¶ Last of all, Daniel came to speak to me.

But at last: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as But at last here refers to the end of a period of time. Here is another way to translate this:

Finally (NIV)

into my presence came Daniel: Daniel entered the king’s court, where he could talk to the king. See the Notes at 4:7a. The Aramaic expression that the BSB translates as into my presence is literally “before me.” It implies that Daniel had come to speak to someone who had a higher status.

4:8b–c

The BSB has placed 4:8b–c in parentheses to indicate that this is parenthetical information. It is not part of the main storyline. Nebuchadnezzar was telling his people some information about Daniel that he wanted them to know. Indicate that this parenthetical information in a way that is natural in your language. The NRSV, for example, uses dashes.

4:8b

(whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god,

(I had given Daniel the name Belteshazzar after the name of my god,
(Daniel's Babylonian name was Belteshazzar. I had named him after Bel, the god I worship,

whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god: Nebuchadnezzar explained that Daniel’s Babylonian name was Belteshazzar. The king had given him this name in honor of a god he himself worshiped, Bel. See the notes on 1:7b.

whose name is Belteshazzar: This is a passive clause. There are several ways to translate it:

Using a passive verb. For example:
he who was named Belteshazzar (NRSV)
Using an active verb. For example:
whom I named Belteshazzar
Using a form of the verb “to be”: For example:
His Babylonian/new name is Belteshazzar.

after the name of my god: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as after the name of my god is more literally “like the name of my god.” The main god whom Nebuchadnezzar worshiped was called Bel, which means “lord.” This was another name for the Babylonian false god Marduk. You may want to put this information in a footnote. Other ways to translate this include:

after my god (NLT)

after my god Bel (GW)

In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:

I called him Belteshazzar to honor my god (NCV)

my god: Nebuchadnezzar worshiped a false god whom he called Bel, that is, “lord.” It may be natural to make this relationship clear by translating the phrase my god as:

Bel , the god/idol that I worship

4:8c

and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods).

and the spirit of the holy gods lives in him.)
because the sacred gods/deities have given him their spirit.)

and: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as and here introduces more parenthetical information about Daniel.

in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: This clause probably refers to Daniel’s special wisdom. The king was praising Daniel. He realized that Daniel’s ability to understand dreams and visions was supernatural. Daniel understood things that only divine beings can know.

Since we do not know exactly what Nebuchadnezzar was thinking, it is best to translate this literally. Remember that the king thought that there were many gods.

the holy gods: The word holy is a key term in the Old Testament. In this context, it describes the gods as separate, distinct from human beings. They are set apart as sacred and belong to the supernatural realm. You may be able to translate this as:

the gods, who are far/separate from us

the gods, who live above

the gods on high

gods: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as gods is in the plural. King Nebuchadnezzar believed that there were many different gods.

4:8d

And I told him the dream:

And I told him my dream.
I told him what I had dreamed about.

And I told him the dream: The king told Daniel what he had seen in his dream. Other ways to translate this include:

I told my dream to him (NCV)

I told him what I had dreamed (GNT)

I recounted the dream for him as well (NET)