Daniel 2:2-11

2:2 The king issued an order ¹  to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men ²  in order to explain his dreams to him. ³  So they came and awaited the king’s instructions. ⁴ 

2:3 The king told them, “I have had a dream, ⁵  and I ⁶  am anxious to understand the dream.” 2:4 The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic ⁷ ] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its ⁸  interpretation.” 2:5 The king replied ⁹  to the wise men, “My decision is firm. ¹⁰  If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered ¹¹  and your homes reduced to rubble! 2:6 But if you can disclose the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, a reward, and considerable honor. So disclose to me the dream and its interpretation!” 2:7 They again replied, “Let the king inform us ¹²  of the dream; then we will disclose its ¹³  interpretation.” 2:8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm. 2:9 If you don’t inform me of the dream, there is only one thing that is going to happen to you. ¹⁴  For you have agreed among yourselves to report to me something false and deceitful ¹⁵  until such time as things might change. So tell me the dream, and I will have confidence ¹⁶  that you can disclose its interpretation.”

2:10 The wise men replied to the king, “There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king’s secret, ¹⁷  for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man. 2:11 What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!” ¹⁸ 

Daniel 2:21

2:21 He changes times and seasons,

deposing some kings

and establishing others. ¹⁹ 

He gives wisdom to the wise;

he imparts knowledge to those with understanding; ²⁰ 

Daniel 4:7-18

4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me. 4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, ²¹  and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 4:9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider ²²  my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 4:10 Here are the visions of my mind ²³  while I was on my bed.

While I was watching,

there was a tree in the middle of the land. ²⁴ 

It was enormously tall. ²⁵ 

4:11 The tree grew large and strong.

Its top reached far into the sky;

it could be seen ²⁶  from the borders of all the land. ²⁷ 

4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;

on it there was food enough for all.

Under it the wild animals ²⁸  used to seek shade,

and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.

All creatures ²⁹  used to feed themselves from it.

4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions ³⁰  on my bed,

a holy sentinel ³¹  came down from heaven.

4:14 He called out loudly ³²  as follows: ³³ 

‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!

Strip off its foliage

and scatter its fruit!

Let the animals flee from under it

and the birds from its branches!

4:15 But leave its taproot ³⁴  in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it ³⁵ 

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with ³⁶  the animals in the grass of the land.

4:16 Let his mind ³⁷  be altered from that of a human being,

and let an animal’s mind be given to him,

and let seven periods of time ³⁸  go by for ³⁹  him.

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ⁴⁰  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ⁴¹ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

4:18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its ⁴²  interpretation, for none of the wise men in ⁴³  my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel 5:7-8

5:7 The king called out loudly ⁴⁴  to summon ⁴⁵  the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed ⁴⁶  to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple ⁴⁷  and have a golden collar ⁴⁸  placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

5:8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its ⁴⁹  interpretation to the king.

Daniel 5:17

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall

5:17 But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its ⁵⁰  interpretation.

Genesis 41:8

41:8 In the morning he ⁵¹  was troubled, so he called for ⁵²  all the diviner-priests ⁵³  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ⁵⁴  but no one could interpret ⁵⁵  them for him. ⁵⁶ 

Exodus 7:11-12

7:11 Then Pharaoh also summoned wise men and sorcerers, ⁵⁷  and the magicians ⁵⁸  of Egypt by their secret arts ⁵⁹  did the same thing. 7:12 Each man ⁶⁰  threw down his staff, and the staffs became snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 7:22

7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same ⁶¹  by their secret arts, and so ⁶²  Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ⁶³  and he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron ⁶⁴  – just as the Lord had predicted.

Exodus 8:7

8:7 The magicians did the same ⁶⁵  with their secret arts and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt too. ⁶⁶ 

Exodus 8:19

8:19 The magicians said ⁶⁷  to Pharaoh, “It is the finger ⁶⁸  of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ⁶⁹  and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

Isaiah 19:3

19:3 The Egyptians will panic, ⁷⁰ 

and I will confuse their strategy. ⁷¹ 

They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,

from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. ⁷² 

Isaiah 47:12-14

47:12 Persist ⁷³  in trusting ⁷⁴  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ⁷⁵  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ⁷⁶  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ⁷⁷ 

47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. ⁷⁸ 

Let them take their stand –

the ones who see omens in the sky,

who gaze at the stars,

who make monthly predictions –

let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! ⁷⁹ 

47:14 Look, they are like straw,

which the fire burns up;

they cannot rescue themselves

from the heat ⁸⁰  of the flames.

There are no coals to warm them,

no firelight to enjoy. ⁸¹ 

Isaiah 47:2

47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!

Remove your veil,

strip off your skirt,

expose your legs,

cross the streams!

Isaiah 3:8-9

3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,

Judah falls,

for their words and their actions offend the Lord; ⁸² 

they rebel against his royal authority. ⁸³ 

3:9 The look on their faces ⁸⁴  testifies to their guilt; ⁸⁵ 

like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. ⁸⁶ 

Too bad for them! ⁸⁷ 

For they bring disaster on themselves.

[2:2]  ¹ tn Heb “said.” So also in v. 12.

[2:2]  ² tn Heb “Chaldeans.” The term Chaldeans (Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּים, kasdim) is used in the book of Daniel both in an ethnic sense and, as here, to refer to a caste of Babylonian wise men and astrologers.

[2:2]  ³ tn Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “stood before the king.”

[2:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so KJV, ASV).

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “my spirit.”

[2:4]  ⁷ sn Contrary to common belief, the point here is not that the wise men (Chaldeans) replied to the king in the Aramaic language, or that this language was uniquely the language of the Chaldeans. It was this view that led in the past to Aramaic being referred to as “Chaldee.” Aramaic was used as a lingua franca during this period; its origins and usage were not restricted to the Babylonians. Rather, this phrase is better understood as an editorial note (cf. NAB) marking the fact that from 2:4b through 7:28 the language of the book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. In 8:1, and for the remainder of the book, the language returns to Hebrew. Various views have been advanced to account for this change of language, most of which are unconvincing. Most likely the change in language is a reflection of stages in the transmission history of the book of Daniel.

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Or “the.”

[2:5]  ⁹ tn Aram “answered and said,” a common idiom to indicate a reply, but redundant in contemporary English.

[2:5]  ¹⁰ tn It seems clear from what follows that Nebuchadnezzar clearly recalls the content of the dream, although obviously he does not know what to make of it. By not divulging the dream itself to the would-be interpreters, he intends to find out whether they are simply leading him on. If they can tell him the dream’s content, which he is able to verify, he then can have confidence in their interpretation, which is what eludes him. The translation “the matter is gone from me” (cf. KJV, ASV), suggesting that the king had simply forgotten the dream, is incorrect. The Aramaic word used here (אַזְדָּא, ’azda’) is probably of Persian origin; it occurs in the OT only here and in v. 8. There are two main possibilities for the meaning of the word: “the matter is promulgated by me” (see KBL 1048 s.v.) and therefore “publicly known” (cf. NRSV; F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 62-63, §189), or “the matter is irrevocable” (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, CEV, NLT; HALOT 1808 s.v. אזד; cf. also BDB 1079 s.v.). The present translation reflects this latter option. See further E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 3.

[2:5]  ¹¹ tn Aram “made limbs.” Cf. 3:29.

[2:7]  ¹² tn Aram “his servants.”

[2:7]  ¹³ tn Or “the.”

[2:9]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “one is your law,” i.e., only one thing is applicable to you.

[2:9]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “a lying and corrupt word.”

[2:9]  ¹⁶ tn Aram “I will know.”

[2:10]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “matter, thing.”

[2:11]  ¹⁸ tn Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

[2:21]  ¹⁹ tn Aram “kings.”

[2:21]  ²⁰ tn Aram “the knowers of understanding.”

[4:8]  ²¹ sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology.

[4:9]  ²² tc The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי (khazi, “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי (khezvey, “visions”). The MT implies that the king required Daniel to disclose both the dream and its interpretation, as in chapter 2. But in the following verses Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream, while Daniel presents only its interpretation.

[4:10]  ²³ tc The LXX lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.

[4:10]  ²⁴ tn Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (NRSV); NAB, CEV “of the world”; NLT “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.

[4:10]  ²⁵ tn Aram “its height was great.”

[4:11]  ²⁶ tn Aram “its sight.” So also v. 17.

[4:11]  ²⁷ tn Or “to the end of all the earth” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “from anywhere on earth.”

[4:12]  ²⁸ tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”

[4:12]  ²⁹ tn Aram “all flesh.”

[4:13]  ³⁰ tn Aram “the visions of my head.”

[4:13]  ³¹ tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).

[4:14]  ³² tn Aram “in strength.”

[4:14]  ³³ tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”

[4:15]  ³⁴ tn Aram “the stock of its root.” So also v. 23. The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.

[4:15]  ³⁵ sn The function of the band of iron and bronze is not entirely clear, but it may have had to do with preventing the splitting or further deterioration of the portion of the tree that was left after being chopped down. By application it would then refer to the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar’s life during the time of his insanity.

[4:15]  ³⁶ tn Aram “its lot be.”

[4:16]  ³⁷ tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.

[4:16]  ³⁸ sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.

[4:16]  ³⁹ tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

[4:17]  ⁴⁰ tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

[4:17]  ⁴¹ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

[4:18]  ⁴² tc The present translation reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pishreh, “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew MSS; the Kethib is פִּשְׁרָא (pishra’, “the interpretation”); so also v. 16.

[4:18]  ⁴³ tn Aram “of.”

[5:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Aram “in strength.”

[5:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Aram “cause to enter.”

[5:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[5:7]  ⁴⁷ sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.

[5:7]  ⁴⁸ tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).

[5:8]  ⁴⁹ tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishra’) of the Kethib.

[5:17]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the.”

[41:8]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[41:8]  ⁵² tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.

[41:8]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.

[41:8]  ⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).

[41:8]  ⁵⁵ tn “there was no interpreter.”

[41:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:11]  ⁵⁷ sn For information on this Egyptian material, see D. B. Redford, A Study of the Biblical Story of Joseph (VTSup), 203-4.

[7:11]  ⁵⁸ tn The חַרְטֻּמִּים (kharttummim) seem to have been the keepers of Egypt’s religious and magical texts, the sacred scribes.

[7:11]  ⁵⁹ tn The term בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם (bÿlahatehem) means “by their secret arts”; it is from לוּט (lut, “to enwrap”). The Greek renders the word “by their magic”; Tg. Onq. uses “murmurings” and “whispers,” and other Jewish sources “dazzling display” or “demons” (see further B. Jacob, Exodus, 253-54). They may have done this by clever tricks, manipulation of the animals, or demonic power. Many have suggested that Aaron and the magicians were familiar with an old trick in which they could temporarily paralyze a serpent and then revive it. But here Aaron’s snake swallows up their snakes.

[7:12]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb is plural, but the subject is singular, “a man – his staff.” This noun can be given a distributive sense: “each man threw down his staff.”

[7:22]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “thus, so.”

[7:22]  ⁶² tn The vav consecutive on the preterite introduces the outcome or result of the matter – Pharaoh was hardened.

[7:22]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh became hard.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.

[7:22]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “to them”; the referents (Moses and Aaron) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:7]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “thus, so.”

[8:7]  ⁶⁶ sn In these first two plagues the fact that the Egyptians could and did duplicate them is ironic. By duplicating the experience, they added to the misery of Egypt. One wonders why they did not use their skills to rid the land of the pests instead, and the implication of course is that they could not.

[8:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and the magicians said.”

[8:19]  ⁶⁸ tn The word “finger” is a bold anthropomorphism (a figure of speech in which God is described using human characteristics).

[8:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh became hard.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.

[19:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”

[19:3]  ⁷¹ tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.

[19:3]  ⁷² tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.

[47:12]  ⁷³ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ⁷⁴ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.

[47:13]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”

[47:13]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”

[47:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.

[47:14]  ⁸¹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.

[3:8]  ⁸² tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”

[3:8]  ⁸³ tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.

[3:9]  ⁸⁴ sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.

[3:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”

[3:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”

[3:9]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “woe to their soul.”