Daniel 3:14

3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected?

Daniel 4:26

4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven ¹  rules.

Daniel 8:12

8:12 The army was given over, ²  along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of his sinful rebellion. ³  It hurled ⁴  truth ⁵  to the ground and enjoyed success. ⁶ 

Daniel 10:19

10:19 He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are valued. ⁷  Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, ⁸  for you have given me strength.”

Daniel 11:28

11:28 Then the king of the north ⁹  will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land.

Daniel 11:31

11:31 His forces ¹⁰  will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, ¹¹  stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up ¹²  the abomination that causes desolation.

¹ sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).

¹ tc The present translation reads וּצְבָאָהּ נִתַּן (utsÿva’ah nittan) for the MT וְצָבָא תִּנָּתֵן (vÿtsava’ tinnaten). The context suggests a perfect rather than an imperfect verb.

² tn Heb “in (the course of) rebellion.” The meaning of the phrase is difficult to determine. It could mean “due to rebellion,” referring to the failures of the Jews, but this is not likely since it is not a point made elsewhere in the book. The phrase more probably refers to the rebellion against God and the atrocities against the Jews epitomized by Antiochus.

³ tc Two medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX have a passive verb here: “truth was hurled to the ground” (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV).

⁴ sn Truth here probably refers to the Torah. According to 1 Macc 1:56, Antiochus initiated destruction of the sacred books of the Jews.

⁵ tn Heb “it acted and prospered.”

¹ tn Heb “treasured man.”

² tn Heb “my lord may speak.”

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹ tn Heb “arms.”

² tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”

³ tn Heb “will give.”