Daniel 9:1

Daniel Prays for His People

9:1 In the first year of Darius ¹  son of Ahasuerus, ²  who was of Median descent and who had been ³  appointed king over the Babylonian ⁴  empire –

Daniel 1:4

1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, ⁵  well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated ⁶  and having keen insight, ⁷  and who were capable ⁸  of entering the king’s royal service ⁹  – and to teach them the literature and language ¹⁰  of the Babylonians. ¹¹ 

[9:1]  ¹ sn The identity of this Darius is a major problem in correlating the biblical material with the extra-biblical records of this period. Most modern scholars treat the reference as a mistaken allusion to Darius Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 B.C.). Others have maintained instead that this name is a reference to the Persian governor Gubaru. Still others understand the reference to be to the Persian king Cyrus (cf. 6:28, where the vav (ו) may be understood as vav explicativum, meaning “even”). Under either of these latter two interpretations, the first year of Darius would have been ca. 538 B.C. Daniel would have been approximately eighty-two years old at this time.

[9:1]  ² tc The LXX reads “Xerxes.” This is the reading used by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV). Most other English versions retain the Hebrew name “Ahasuerus.”

[9:1]  ³ tc The present translation follows the MT in reading a Hophal (i.e., passive). Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate all presuppose the Hiphil (i.e., active). Even though this is the only occurrence of the Hophal of this verb in the Bible, there is no need to emend the vocalization to the Hiphil.

[9:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.”

[1:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “good of appearance.”

[1:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “who had strength.”

[1:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.

[1:4]  ¹⁰ sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.

[1:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.