complete verse (Daniel 2:42)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 2:42:

  • Kupsabiny: “Just as the toes are partly iron and partly clay, it shows that that kingdom shall have some little strength and be partly weak.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Just as those toes were part iron and part clay, that empire will be partly strong and partly weak.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The clay and iron toes of the feet symbolizes/represents that a part of this kingdom will-be-strong and a part will-be-brittle.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Some parts of that kingdom will be as strong as iron, but some parts will not remain together, just as iron and clay do not stick together.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 2:42

The toes of the feet: depending on the kind of word used for toes, the reference to feet may be omitted as redundant. But in some languages the same word is used for “toes” and “fingers,” and in such cases, the words of the feet may be important.

The kingdom: in some cases it may be clearer to say “this kingdom” or “the fourth kingdom,” since other kingdoms have been mentioned in this context.

Brittle: the word used here clearly stands in opposition to strong. In English the word brittle is usually reserved for physical objects and rarely applied to abstract ideas such as kingdom. But this context calls for a word that can be used for both abstract ideas and physical objects. In some languages the best alternative here may be simply the negation of the previous word, “not strong.” Some other possible models are “fragile” (New American Bible) and “weak” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .