4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions 1 on my bed,
a holy sentinel 2 came down from heaven.
12:5 I, Daniel, watched as two others stood there, one on each side of the river. 6 12:6 One said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, “When will the end of these wondrous events occur?”
The Lord came from Sinai
and revealed himself 7 to Israel 8 from Seir.
He appeared in splendor 9 from Mount Paran,
and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. 10
With his right hand he gave a fiery law 11 to them.
1:9 Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger 12 who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.” 1:10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk about 13 on the earth.” 1:11 The riders then agreed with the angel of the Lord, 14 who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.” 1:12 The angel of the Lord then asked, “Lord who rules over all, 15 how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem 16 and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?” 17
14:1 A day of the Lord 27 is about to come when your possessions 28 will be divided as plunder in your midst.
3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest 29 standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan 30 standing at his right hand to accuse him.
3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest 31 standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan 32 standing at his right hand to accuse him.
1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, 36 even prophesied of them, 37 saying, “Look! The Lord is coming 38 with thousands and thousands 39 of his holy ones,
1 tn Aram “the visions of my head.”
2 tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).
3 tn Aram “what is certain.”
4 tn Aram “and made known.”
5 tn Aram “matter,” but the matter at hand is of course the vision.
6 tn Heb “one to this edge of the river and one to that edge of the river.”
7 tn Or “rose like the sun” (NCV, TEV).
8 tc Heb “to him.” The LXX reads “to us” (לָנוּ [lanu] for לָמוֹ [lamo]), the reading of the MT is acceptable since it no doubt has in mind Israel as a collective singular.
9 tn Or “he shone forth” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
10 tc With slight alteration (מִמְרִבַת קָדֵשׁ [mimrivat qadesh] for the MT’s מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ [merivvot qodesh]) the translation would be “from Meribah Kadesh” (cf. NAB, NLT; see Deut 32:51). However, the language of holy war in the immediate context favors the reading of the MT, which views the Lord as accompanied by angelic hosts.
11 tc The mispointed Hebrew term אֵשְׁדָּת (’eshdat) should perhaps be construed as אֵשְׁהַת (’eshhat) with Smr.
12 tn Heb “messenger” or “angel” (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).
13 sn The stem used here (Hitpael) with the verb “walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh) suggests the exercise of dominion (cf. Gen 13:17; Job 1:7; 2:2-3; Ezek 28:14; Zech 6:7). The
14 sn The angel of the
15 sn Note that here the angel of the
16 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
17 sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516
18 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.
19 sn An animal’s horn is a common OT metaphor for military power (Pss 18:2; 75:10; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13). The fact that there are four horns here (as well as four blacksmiths, v. 20) shows a correspondence to the four horses of v. 8 which go to four parts of the world, i.e., the whole world.
20 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
21 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
22 sn That is, to Zechariah.
23 tn Heb “Jerusalem will dwell as open regions (פְּרָזוֹת, pÿrazot)”; cf. NAB “in open country”; CEV “won’t have any boundaries.” The population will be so large as to spill beyond the ancient and normal enclosures. The people need not fear, however, for the
24 tc For the MT reading נַסְתֶּם (nastem, “you will escape”) the LXX presupposes נִסְתַּם (nistam, “will be stopped up”; this reading is followed by NAB). This appears to derive from a perceived need to eliminate the unexpected “you” as subject. This not only is unnecessary to Hebrew discourse (see “you” in the next clause), but it contradicts the statement in the previous verse that the mountain will be split open, not stopped up.
25 sn Azal is a place otherwise unknown.
26 sn The earthquake in the days of King Uzziah, also mentioned in Amos 1:1, is apparently the one attested to at Hazor in 760
27 sn The eschatological day of the
28 tn Heb “your plunder.” Cf. NCV “the wealth you have taken.”
29 sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445
30 tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is otherwise thus described in Job 1 and 2 and 1 Chr 21:1. In this last passage the article is dropped and “the satan” becomes “Satan,” a personal name.
31 sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445
32 tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is otherwise thus described in Job 1 and 2 and 1 Chr 21:1. In this last passage the article is dropped and “the satan” becomes “Satan,” a personal name.
33 sn Note that here the angel of the
34 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
35 sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516
36 tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”
37 tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).
38 tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.
39 tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (muria"), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.