Daniel 2:15

2:15 He inquired of Arioch the king’s deputy, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” ¹  Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.

Daniel 6:5

6:5 So these men concluded, ²  “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is ³  in connection with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:8

6:8 Now let the king issue a written interdict ⁴  so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. ⁵ 

Daniel 7:25

7:25 He will speak words against the Most High.

He will harass ⁶  the holy ones of the Most High continually.

His intention ⁷  will be to change times established by law. ⁸ 

They will be delivered into his hand

For a time, times, ⁹  and half a time.

[2:15]  ¹ tn The Aramaic word מְהַחְצְפָה (mÿhakhtsÿfah) may refer to the severity of the king’s decree (i.e., “harsh”; so HALOT 1879 s.v. חצף; BDB 1093 s.v. חֲצַף), although it would seem that in a delicate situation such as this Daniel would avoid this kind of criticism of the king’s actions. The translation above understands the word to refer to the immediacy, not harshness, of the decree. See further, F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 50, §116; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 67.

[6:5]  ² tn Aram “were saying.”

[6:5]  ³ tn Aram “unless we find [it] against him.”

[6:8]  ³ tn Aram “establish a written interdict and inscribe a written decree.”

[6:8]  ⁴ tn Or “removed.”

[7:25]  ⁴ tn Aram “wear out” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB, NLT “wear down.” The word is a hapax legomenon in biblical Aramaic, but in biblical Hebrew it especially refers to wearing out such things as garments. Here it is translated “harass…continually.”

[7:25]  ⁵ tn Aram “he will think.”

[7:25]  ⁶ tn Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.

[7:25]  ⁷ sn Although the word times is vocalized in the MT as a plural, it probably should be regarded as a dual. The Masoretes may have been influenced here by the fact that in late Aramaic (and Syriac) the dual forms fall out of use. The meaning would thus be three and a half “times.”