“Among the nations it is rumored 4 (and Geshem 5 has substantiated 6 this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors 7 you are going to become their king.
3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he 8 was filled with rage. 3:6 But the thought of striking out against 9 Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed 10 of the identity of Mordecai’s people. 11 So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) 12 who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
3:7 In the first month (that is, the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year 13 of King Ahasuerus’ reign, pur 14 (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman in order to determine a day and a month. 15 It turned out to be the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar). 16
3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people 17 that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants 18 throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them. 19
6:6 So these supervisors and satraps came by collusion 26 to the king and said 27 to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 6:7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays 28 to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions. 6:8 Now let the king issue a written interdict 29 so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. 30 6:9 So King Darius issued the written interdict.
6:10 When Daniel realized 31 that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows 32 in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. 33 Three 34 times daily he was 35 kneeling 36 and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously. 6:11 Then those officials who had gone to the king 37 came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God. 6:12 So they approached the king and said to him, 38 “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct, 39 according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.” 6:13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives 40 from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.” 41
1 tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.
2 sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.
3 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “heard.”
5 tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
6 tn Heb “is saying.”
7 tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
8 tn Heb “Haman.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. Repeating the proper name here is redundant according to contemporary English style, although the name is repeated in NASB and NRSV.
9 tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”
10 tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.
11 tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.
12 tc This parenthetical phrase is not included in the LXX. Some scholars emend the MT reading עַם (’am, “people”) to עִם (’im, “with”), arguing that the phrase is awkwardly placed and syntactically inappropriate. While there is some truth to their complaint, the MT makes sufficient sense to be acceptable here, and is followed by most English versions.
13 sn This year would be ca. 474
14 tn The term פּוּר (pur, “lot”) is an Akkadian loanword; the narrator therefore explains it for his Hebrew readers (“that is, the lot”). It is from the plural form of this word (i.e., Purim) that the festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jews takes its name (cf. 9:24, 26, 28, 31).
15 tc The LXX adds the following words: “in order to destroy in one day the race of Mordecai, and the lot fell on the fourteenth day of the month.” The LXX reading is included by NAB.
16 tn Since v. 7 seems to interrupt the flow of the narrative, many scholars have suggested that it is a late addition to the text. But there is not enough evidence to warrant such a conclusion. Even though its placement is somewhat awkward, the verse supplies to the reader an important piece of chronological information.
17 tn Heb “one people.” Note the subtle absence at this point of a specific mention of the Jewish people by name.
18 tn Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “nations”
19 tn Heb “to cause them to rest”; NASB “to let them remain”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “to tolerate them.”
20 tn Aram “looking to find.”
21 tn Aram “from the side of the kingdom.”
22 tn Aram “pretext and corruption.”
23 tn Aram “no negligence or corruption was found in him.” The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the phrase “and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”
24 tn Aram “were saying.”
25 tn Aram “unless we find [it] against him.”
26 tn The Aramaic verb רְגַשׁ (rÿgash) occurs three times in this chapter (vv. 7, 12, 16). Its meaning is widely disputed by commentators, and the versions vary considerably in how they render the word. The suggestion that it means “to come thronging” (BDB 1112 s.v.; cf. NAB) seems inappropriate, since it is unlikely that subordinates would enter a royal court in such a reckless fashion. The ancient versions struggled with the word and are not in agreement in their understanding of its meaning. In this chapter the word apparently means to act in agreement with other parties in the pursuit of a duplicitous goal, namely the entrapment of Daniel. Cf. NIV, NCV “went as a group”; NRSV “conspired and came to the king.”
27 tn Aram “thus they were saying.”
28 tn Aram “prays a prayer.”
29 tn Aram “establish a written interdict and inscribe a written decree.”
30 tn Or “removed.”
31 tn Aram “knew.”
32 sn In later rabbinic thought this verse was sometimes cited as a proof text for the notion that one should pray only in a house with windows. See b. Berakhot 34b.
33 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
34 sn This is apparently the only specific mention in the OT of prayer being regularly offered three times a day. The practice was probably not unique to Daniel, however.
35 tc Read with several medieval Hebrew
36 tn Aram “kneeling on his knees” (so NASB).
37 tn Aram “those men”; the referent (the administrative officials who had earlier approached the king about the edict) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 tc The MT also has “about the edict of the king,” but this phrase is absent in the LXX and the Syriac. The present translation deletes the expression.
39 tn Aram “the word is true.”
40 tn Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”
41 tn Aram “prays his prayer.”
42 tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).
43 tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).
44 tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.
45 tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).
46 tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.
47 tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
48 tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
49 tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
50 sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.