Daniel 10:21

10:21 However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. ¹  (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, ²  except Michael your ³  prince.

Daniel 11:2

11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.

The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel

“Three ⁴  more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth ⁵  king will be unusually rich, ⁶  more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against ⁷  the kingdom of Greece.

[10:21]  ¹ tn Heb “a book of truth.” Several English versions treat this as a title of some sort (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although the NAB’s rendering “the truthful book” regards “truth” as an attributive adjective, as does the present translation.

[10:21]  ² tn The word “princes” is supplied for clarity.

[10:21]  ³ tn The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, suggesting that Michael is the angelic prince of Daniel and his people.

[11:2]  ⁴ sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522 B.C.), Pseudo-Smerdis (ca. 522 B.C.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 B.C.).

[11:2]  ⁵ sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.). The following reference to one of his chiefs apparently has in view Seleucus Nicator.

[11:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “rich with great riches.”

[11:2]  ⁷ 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.