7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. 8 This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant 9 things.
11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person 10 to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 11:22 Armies 11 will be suddenly 12 swept away in defeat 13 before him; both they and a covenant leader 14 will be destroyed. 15 11:23 After 16 entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. 17 11:24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. 18 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm 19 against the king of the south 20 with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him.
1 tc The present translation reads הַפְּשָׁעִים (happÿsha’im, “rebellious acts”) for the MT הַפֹּשְׁעִים (happoshÿ’im, “rebels”). While the MT is understandable (cf. NIV, “when rebels have become completely wicked”), the filling up of transgressions is a familiar OT expression (cf. Gen 15:16) and fits this context well. Cf. the LXX, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Syriac.
2 tn Heb “strong of face.”
3 tn Heb “understanding riddles.” Possible meanings include “double-dealing” (BDB 295 s.v. חִידָה; cf. TEV, CEV) and “with a good knowledge of intrigue” (HALOT 309 s.v. חִידָה; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
4 tn Heb “stand” or “stand up.”
5 tn Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”
6 tn Heb “he will succeed and act.”
7 tn See the corresponding Aramaic expression in 7:27. If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. One could translate, “people belonging to (i.e., protected by) the holy ones.” If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” One could translate simply “holy people.” For examples of a plural appositional genitive after “people,” see 11:15, 32. Because either interpretation is possible, the translation has deliberately preserved the ambiguity of the Hebrew grammar here.
8 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
9 tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.
10 sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164
11 tn Heb “arms.”
12 tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).
13 tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.
14 tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”
15 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
16 tn The preposition מִן (min) is probably temporal here (so BDB 583 s.v. 7.c; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), although it could also be understood here as indicating means (so J. Goldingay, Daniel [WBC], 279, n. 23a; cf. TEV, NLT).
17 tn Heb “nation.”
18 tn Heb “and unto a time.”
19 tn Heb “heart.”
20 sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145
21 tn Or “corrupt.”
22 tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”
23 tn Heb “know.” The term “know” sometimes means “to recognize.” In relational contexts it can have the connotation “recognize the authority of, be loyal to,” as it does here.
24 sn This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century
25 tn Heb “the many.”
26 tn Heb “stumble.”
27 tn Or “by burning.”
28 tn Heb “days.”