In Daniel 7, the
seer has a vision of four beasts who arise from the sea to trouble the earth
(we later find out that these beasts stand for four kingdoms or empires that
will arise). He describes each beast, with the remark that they were "each
different from the other" (שָׁנְיָן דָּא מִן־דָּא). The first three beasts
resembled, in order, a lion, a bear, and a leopard. The fourth beast is not given
an animal name, but is said to be "different from all the beasts that
preceded it" (7:7, NRSV; מְשַׁנְּיָה מִן־כָּל־חֵיוָתָא דִּי קָדָמַיהּ). The other translations are
similar to the NRSV, as are the ancient versions (LXX, Peshitta, Vulgate).
However, what is the point of saying that the fourth beast was different from
all the other beasts, when in v. 3 it had already been stated (and shown) that
all the beasts were different from each other?
The answer lies, perhaps, in the different verb stems used. In v. 3, the Pe'al
(G stem) is used statively, in the meaning "be different" (in other
contexts it can denote a change of state, "change, become
different"). In v. 7, the Pa'el (D
stem) passive participle is used. The D
stem's function with this verb is factitive, that is, it brings about the state
denoted by the G stem — in a word, it makes it transitive, "change
something, make something different." The passive participle would mean, at
face value, "changed, made different." So does it mean "the fourth beast was
changed/made different"? Not exactly, but we're getting there.
Many times, when the root שׁני is used, there is a nuance present beyond just "change,"
in that the change is often for the worse.
In Dan 5:9, when the king is troubled, his "countenance changed
upon him" — that is, he turned pale, or his features were twisted by fear,
or the like. In other dialects, some of the translation values it has are fade,
be dislocated, depart, go insane, deteriorate. (See the entry in the ComprehensiveAramaic Lexicon.) In the Qumran Enoch text, the sinful angels are told
"you perverted/corrupted your activity" (שניתן עבדכן).
Now the meaning of
Dan 7:7 comes into focus. The fourth beast is not just "different" or
even "changed"; it is distorted, or perverted, an even more monstrous creature than they
are. The comparative grade should be
used with the translation, in keeping with the use of the particle min
with adjectives or participles of this kind: "it was more monstrous than [or
perhaps: stranger than] the beasts that preceded it": a fitting
description of a creature with iron teeth and ten horns!
