10:1 4 In the third 5 year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. 6 He understood the message and gained insight by the vision.
10:7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. 7 On the contrary, they were overcome with fright 8 and ran away to hide. 10:8 I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from 9 me, and my vigor disappeared; 10 I was without energy. 11
“Three 12 more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth 13 king will be unusually rich, 14 more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against 15 the kingdom of Greece.
12:1 “At that time Michael,
the great prince who watches over your people, 16
will arise. 17
There will be a time of distress
unlike any other from the nation’s beginning 18
up to that time.
But at that time your own people,
all those whose names are 19 found written in the book,
will escape.
1 tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”
2 tn Heb “our judges.”
3 tn Heb “who judged.”
4 sn This chapter begins the final unit in the book of Daniel, consisting of chapters 10-12. The traditional chapter divisions to some extent obscure the relationship of these chapters.
5 tc The LXX has “first.”
6 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צָבָא (tsava’) is uncertain in this context. The word most often refers to an army or warfare. It may also mean “hard service,” and many commentators take that to be the sense here (i.e., “the service was great”). The present translation assumes the reference to be to the spiritual conflicts described, for example, in 10:16–11:1.
7 tn Heb “the vision.”
8 tn Heb “great trembling fell on them.”
10 tn Heb “did not remain in.”
11 tn Heb “was changed upon me for ruin.”
12 tn Heb “strength.”
13 sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522
14 sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465
15 tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
16 tn The text is difficult. The Hebrew has here אֶת (’et), the marker of a definite direct object. As it stands, this would suggest the meaning that “he will arouse everyone, that is, the kingdom of Greece.” The context, however, seems to suggest the idea that this Persian king will arouse in hostility against Greece the constituent elements of his own empire. This requires supplying the word “against,” which is not actually present in the Hebrew text.
16 tn Heb “stands over the sons of your people.”
17 tn Heb “will stand up.”
18 tn Or “from the beginning of a nation.”
19 tn The words “whose names are” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.