Discovery BoxDaniel 9:1
Context9:1 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 3:1-30
Context3:1 5 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden 6 statue made. 7 It was ninety feet 8 tall and nine feet 9 wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 3:2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, 10 and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he 11 had erected. 3:3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 12
3:4 Then the herald 13 made a loud 14 proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: 15 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, 16 trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must 17 bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. 3:6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately 18 be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” 3:7 Therefore when they all 19 heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, 20 and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
3:8 Now 21 at that time certain 22 Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against 23 the Jews. 3:9 They said 24 to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 25 3:10 You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. 3:11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 3:12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – and these men 26 have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage 27 demanded that they bring 28 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them 29 before the king. 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 3:15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” 30 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 31 “We do not need to give you a reply 32 concerning this. 3:17 If 33 our God whom we are serving exists, 34 he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed 35 toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders 36 to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong 37 soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, 38 and were thrown into the furnace 39 of blazing fire. 3:22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted 40 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed 41 by the leaping flames. 42 3:23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace 43 of blazing fire while still securely bound. 44
3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw 45 into 46 the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” 3:25 He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” 47 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, 48 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. 49 3:27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically 50 unharmed by the fire. 51 The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!
3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, 52 “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel 53 and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring 54 the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than 55 serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 3:29 I hereby decree 56 that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes 57 the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” 3:30 Then Nebuchadnezzar 58 promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 11:1-45
Context11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I 59 stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) 11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.
“Three 60 more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth 61 king will be unusually rich, 62 more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against 63 the kingdom of Greece. 11:3 Then a powerful king 64 will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, 65 his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky 66 – but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.
11:5 “Then the king of the south 67 and one of his subordinates 68 will grow strong. His subordinate 69 will resist 70 him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. 71 11:6 After some years have passed, they 72 will form an alliance. Then the daughter 73 of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, 74 nor will he continue 75 in his strength. 76 She, together with the one who brought her, her child, 77 and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time. 78
11:7 “There will arise in his 79 place one from her family line 80 who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. 81 11:8 He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from 82 the king of the north. 11:9 Then the king of the north 83 will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. 11:10 His sons 84 will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy’s 85 fortress. 86
11:11 “Then the king of the south 87 will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. 11:12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. 88 He will be responsible for the death 89 of thousands and thousands of people, 90 but he will not continue to prevail. 11:13 For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.
11:14 “In those times many will oppose 91 the king of the south. 92 Those who are violent 93 among your own people will rise up in confirmation of 94 the vision, but they will falter. 11:15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. 95 The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. 96 They will have no strength to prevail. 11:16 The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power. 97 11:17 His intention 98 will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. 99 He will give the king of the south 100 a daughter 101 in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. 11:18 Then he will turn his attention 102 to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander 103 will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, 104 he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. 105 11:19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 11:20 There will arise after him 106 one 107 who will send out an exactor 108 of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, 109 though not in anger or battle.
11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person 110 to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 11:22 Armies 111 will be suddenly 112 swept away in defeat 113 before him; both they and a covenant leader 114 will be destroyed. 115 11:23 After 116 entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. 117 11:24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. 118 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm 119 against the king of the south 120 with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. 11:26 Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; 121 many will be killed in battle. 11:27 These two kings, their minds 122 filled with evil intentions, will trade 123 lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. 11:28 Then the king of the north 124 will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. 11:29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. 11:30 The ships of Kittim 125 will come against him, leaving him disheartened. 126 He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor 127 those who forsake the holy covenant. 11:31 His forces 128 will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, 129 stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up 130 the abomination that causes desolation. 11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile 131 those who have rejected 132 the covenant. But the people who are loyal to 133 their God will act valiantly. 134 11:33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. 135 However, they will fall 136 by the sword and by the flame, 137 and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. 138 11:34 When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. 11:35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.
11:36 “Then the king 139 will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of 140 wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. 141 11:37 He will not respect 142 the gods of his fathers – not even the god loved by women. 143 He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all. 11:38 What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities. 11:39 He will attack 144 mighty fortresses, aided by 145 a foreign deity. To those who recognize him he will grant considerable honor. He will place them in authority over many people, and he will parcel out land for a price. 146
11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the south will attack 147 him. Then the king of the north will storm against him 148 with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. 149 He 150 will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. 151 11:41 Then he will enter the beautiful land. 152 Many 153 will fall, but these will escape: 154 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonite leadership. 11:42 He will extend his power 155 against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape. 11:43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians 156 will submit to him. 157 11:44 But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many. 11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas 158 toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.
Daniel 1:1-21
Context1:1 In the third 159 year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar 160 of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem 161 and laid it under siege. 162 1:2 Now the Lord 163 delivered 164 King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, 165 along with some of the vessels 166 of the temple of God. 167 He brought them to the land of Babylonia 168 to the temple of his god 169 and put 170 the vessels in the treasury of his god.
1:3 The king commanded 171 Ashpenaz, 172 who was in charge of his court officials, 173 to choose 174 some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent 175 – 1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, 176 well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated 177 and having keen insight, 178 and who were capable 179 of entering the king’s royal service 180 – and to teach them the literature and language 181 of the Babylonians. 182 1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration 183 from his royal delicacies 184 and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained 185 for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. 186 1:6 As it turned out, 187 among these young men 188 were some from Judah: 189 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 190 1:7 But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave 191 Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. 192
1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 193 that he would not defile 194 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 195 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. 196 1:10 But he 197 responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided 198 your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? 199 If that happened, 200 you would endanger my life 201 with the king!” 1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden 202 whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance 203 with that of 204 the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; 205 deal with us 206 in light of what you see.” 1:14 So the warden 207 agreed to their proposal 208 and tested them for ten 209 days.
1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier 210 than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine 211 from their diet 212 and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. 1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom – and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 213 the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group 214 anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 215 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and 216 insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times 217 better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first 218 year of Cyrus the king.
[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
[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.”
[3:1] 5 sn The LXX introduces this chapter with the following chronological note: “in the eighteenth year of.” Such a date would place these events at about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586
[3:1] 6 sn There is no need to think of Nebuchadnezzar’s image as being solid gold. No doubt the sense is that it was overlaid with gold (cf. Isa 40:19; Jer 10:3-4), with the result that it presented a dazzling self-compliment to the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar’s achievements.
[3:1] 7 sn According to a number of patristic authors, the image represented a deification of Nebuchadnezzar himself. This is not clear from the biblical text, however.
[3:1] 8 tn Aram “sixty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 90 feet (27.4 m) high.
[3:1] 9 tn Aram “six cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 9 feet (2.74 m) wide.
[3:2] 9 sn The specific duties of the seven types of officials listed here (cf. vv. 3, 27) are unclear. The Aramaic words that are used are transliterations of Akkadian or Persian technical terms whose exact meanings are uncertain. The translations given here follow suggestions set forth in BDB.
[3:2] 10 tn Aram “Nebuchadnezzar the king.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the relative pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:3] 13 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.”
[3:4] 17 tn According to BDB 1097 s.v. כָּרוֹז the Aramaic word used here is a Greek loanword, but other scholars have argued instead for a Persian derivation (HALOT 1902 s.v. *כָּרוֹז).
[3:4] 18 tn Aram “in strength.”
[3:4] 19 tn Aram “they are saying.”
[3:5] 21 sn The word zither (Aramaic קִיתָרוֹס [qitaros]), and the words for harp (Aramaic פְּסַנְתֵּרִין [pÿsanterin]) and pipes (Aramaic סוּמְפֹּנְיָה [sumponÿyah]), are of Greek derivation. Though much has been made of this in terms of suggesting a date in the Hellenistic period for the writing of the book, it is not surprising that a few Greek cultural terms, all of them the names of musical instruments, should appear in this book. As a number of scholars have pointed out, the bigger surprise (if, in fact, the book is to be dated to the Hellenistic period) may be that there are so few Greek loanwords in Daniel.
[3:5] 22 tn The imperfect Aramaic verbs have here an injunctive nuance.
[3:6] 25 tn Aram “in that hour.”
[3:7] 29 tn Aram “all the peoples.”
[3:7] 30 tc Though not in the Aramaic text of BHS, this word appears in many medieval Hebrew
[3:8] 33 tc This expression is absent in Theodotion.
[3:8] 35 tn Aram “ate the pieces of.” This is a rather vivid idiom for slander.
[3:9] 37 tn Aram “answered and said,” a common Aramaic idiom that occurs repeatedly in this chapter.
[3:9] 38 sn O king, live forever! is a comment of typical court courtesy that is not necessarily indicative of the real sentiments of the speaker. Ancient oriental court protocol could sometimes require a certain amount of hypocrisy.
[3:12] 41 sn Daniel’s absence from this scene has sparked the imagination of commentators, some of whom have suggested that perhaps he was unable to attend the dedication due to sickness or due to being away on business. Hippolytus supposed that Daniel may have been watching from a distance.
[3:13] 45 tn Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[3:13] 46 tn The Aramaic infinitive is active.
[3:13] 47 tn Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.
[3:15] 49 tn Aram “hand.” So also in v. 17.
[3:16] 53 tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”
[3:16] 54 tn Aram “to return a word to you.”
[3:17] 57 tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.
[3:17] 58 tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’itay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.
[3:19] 61 tn Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”
[3:19] 62 tn Aram “he answered and said.”
[3:20] 65 tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”
[3:21] 69 sn There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the specific nature of these items of clothing.
[3:21] 70 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:22] 73 tn Aram “caused to go up.”
[3:22] 74 tn The Aramaic verb is active.
[3:22] 75 tn Aram “the flame of the fire” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “the raging flames.”
[3:23] 77 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:23] 78 sn The deuterocanonical writings known as The Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three present at this point a confession and petition for God’s forgiveness and a celebration of God’s grace for the three Jewish youths in the fiery furnace. Though not found in the Hebrew/Aramaic text of Daniel, these compositions do appear in the ancient Greek versions.
[3:24] 81 tn Aram “we threw…bound.”
[3:24] 82 tn Aram “into the midst of.”
[3:25] 85 sn The phrase like that of a god is in Aramaic “like that of a son of the gods.” Many patristic writers understood this phrase in a christological sense (i.e., “the Son of God”). But it should be remembered that these are words spoken by a pagan who is seeking to explain things from his own polytheistic frame of reference; for him the phrase “like a son of the gods” is equivalent to “like a divine being.”
[3:26] 89 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[3:26] 90 tn Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:27] 93 tn Aram “in their bodies.”
[3:27] 94 tn Aram “the fire did not have power.”
[3:28] 97 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[3:28] 98 sn The king identifies the “son of the gods” (v. 25) as an angel. Comparable Hebrew expressions are used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the members of God’s angelic assembly (see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6). An angel later comes to rescue Daniel from the lions (Dan 6:22).
[3:28] 99 tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”
[3:28] 100 tn Aram “so that they might not.”
[3:29] 101 tn Aram “from me is placed an edict.”
[3:29] 102 tn Aram “speaks negligence.”
[3:30] 105 tn Aram “and the king.” The proper name has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[11:1] 109 sn The antecedent of the pronoun “I” is the angel, not Daniel. The traditional chapter division at this point, and the presence of a chronological note in the verse similar to ones used elsewhere in the book to position Daniel’s activities in relation to imperial affairs, sometimes lead to confusion on this matter.
[11:2] 113 sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522
[11:2] 114 sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465
[11:2] 115 tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
[11:2] 116 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.
[11:3] 117 sn The powerful king mentioned here is Alexander the Great (ca. 336-323
[11:4] 121 tn Heb “and when he stands.”
[11:4] 122 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[11:5] 125 sn The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (ca. 323-285
[11:5] 127 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the subordinate prince mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:5] 128 tn Heb “be strong against.”
[11:5] 129 tn Heb “greater than his kingdom.”
[11:6] 129 sn Here they refers to Ptolemy II Philadelphus (ca. 285-246
[11:6] 130 sn The daughter refers to Berenice, who was given in marriage to Antiochus II Theos.
[11:6] 131 tn Heb “the strength of the arm.”
[11:6] 132 tn Heb “stand.” So also in vv. 7, 8, 11, 13.
[11:6] 133 tn Heb “and his arm.” Some understand this to refer to the descendants of the king of the north.
[11:6] 134 tc The present translation reads יַלְדָּה (yaldah, “her child”) rather than the MT יֹלְדָהּ (yolÿdah, “the one who begot her”). Cf. Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate.
[11:6] 135 sn Antiochus II eventually divorced Berenice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned her husband, had Berenice put to death, and installed her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus (ca. 246-227
[11:7] 133 sn The reference is to the king of Egypt.
[11:7] 134 tn Heb “the stock of her roots.”
[11:7] 135 tn Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”
[11:8] 137 tn The Hebrew preposition מִן (min) is used here with the verb עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”). It probably has a sense of separation (“stand away from”), although it may also be understood in an adversative sense (“stand against”).
[11:9] 141 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:10] 145 sn The sons of Seleucus II Callinicus were Seleucus III Ceraunus (ca. 227-223
[11:10] 146 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the enemy of the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:10] 147 tn Heb “and he will certainly come and overflow and cross over and return and be aroused unto a fortress.” The translation has attempted to simplify the syntax of this difficult sequence.
[11:11] 149 sn This king of the south refers to Ptolemy IV Philopator (ca. 221-204
[11:12] 153 tn Heb “his heart will be lifted up.” The referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:12] 154 tn Heb “cause to fall.”
[11:12] 155 tn Heb “of myriads.”
[11:14] 157 tn Heb “stand against.”
[11:14] 158 sn This was Ptolemy V Epiphanes (ca. 203-181
[11:14] 159 tn Heb “sons of violence.” “Son(s) is sometimes used idiomatically in Hebrew to indicate that someone is characterized by a certain quality. So the expression “sons of violence” means that these individuals will be characterized by violent deeds.
[11:14] 160 tn Heb “to cause to stand.”
[11:15] 161 sn This well-fortified city is apparently Sidon. Its capture from the Ptolemies by Antiochus the Great was a strategic victory for the Seleucid kingdom.
[11:15] 162 tn Or “choice troops” (BDB 104 s.v. מִבְחָר), or “elite troops” (HALOT 542 s.v. מִבְחָר).
[11:17] 169 tn Heb “and he will set his face.” Cf. vv. 18, 19.
[11:17] 170 tc The present translation reads מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim, “alliances”) for the MT וִישָׁרִים (viysharim, “uprightness”).
[11:17] 171 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:17] 172 tn Heb “the daughter of the women.”
[11:18] 173 tn Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.
[11:18] 174 sn The commander is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio.
[11:18] 175 tn The Hebrew here is difficult in that the negative בִּלְתִּי (biltiy, “not”) is used in an unusual way. The sense is not entirely clear.
[11:18] 176 tn Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”
[11:20] 177 tn Heb “on his place.”
[11:20] 178 sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176
[11:20] 179 sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3).
[11:20] 180 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
[11:21] 181 sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164
[11:22] 186 tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).
[11:22] 187 tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.
[11:22] 188 tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”
[11:22] 189 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
[11:23] 189 tn The preposition מִן (min) is probably temporal here (so BDB 583 s.v. 7.c; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), although it could also be understood here as indicating means (so J. Goldingay, Daniel [WBC], 279, n. 23a; cf. TEV, NLT).
[11:24] 193 tn Heb “and unto a time.”
[11:25] 198 sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145
[11:26] 201 tc The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף (yishatef, passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף (yishtof, active).
[11:27] 205 tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28.
[11:28] 209 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:30] 213 sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).
[11:30] 214 sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.
[11:30] 215 tn Heb “show regard for.”
[11:31] 218 tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”
[11:31] 219 tn Heb “will give.”
[11:32] 222 tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”
[11:32] 223 tn Heb “know.” The term “know” sometimes means “to recognize.” In relational contexts it can have the connotation “recognize the authority of, be loyal to,” as it does here.
[11:32] 224 sn This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century
[11:33] 225 tn Heb “the many.”
[11:33] 227 tn Or “by burning.”
[11:36] 229 sn The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.
[11:36] 230 tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.
[11:36] 231 tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.
[11:37] 233 tn Heb “consider.”
[11:37] 234 tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:39] 237 tn Heb “act against.”
[11:39] 239 tn Or perhaps “for a reward.”
[11:40] 241 tn Heb “engage in thrusting.”
[11:40] 242 tn The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.
[11:40] 243 tn Heb “many ships.”
[11:40] 244 tn This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.
[11:40] 245 tn Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”
[11:41] 245 sn The beautiful land is a cryptic reference to the land of Israel.
[11:41] 246 tn This can be understood as “many people” (cf. NRSV) or “many countries” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
[11:41] 247 tn Heb “be delivered from his hand.”
[11:43] 253 tn Or “Nubians” (NIV, NCV); Heb “Cushites.”
[11:43] 254 tn Heb “Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps.”
[11:45] 257 sn Presumably seas refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
[1:1] 261 sn The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim would be ca. 605
[1:1] 262 sn King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon from ca. 605-562
[1:1] 263 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:1] 264 sn This attack culminated in the first of three major deportations of Jews to Babylon. The second one occurred in 597
[1:2] 265 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[1:2] 267 tn Heb “hand,” which is often used idiomatically for one’s power and authority. See BDB 390 s.v. יָד 2.
[1:2] 268 tn Or “utensils”; or “articles.”
[1:2] 269 tn Heb “house of God.”
[1:2] 270 sn The land of Babylonia (Heb “the land of Shinar”) is another name for Sumer and Akkad, where Babylon was located (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Josh 7:21; Isa 11:11; Zech 5:11).
[1:2] 271 tn Or “gods” (NCV, NRSV, TEV; also later in this verse). The Hebrew term can be used as a numerical plural for many gods or as a plural of majesty for one particular god. Since Nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist, it is not clear if the reference here is to many gods or one particular deity. The plural of majesty, while normally used for Israel’s God, is occasionally used of foreign gods (cf. BDB 43 s.v. אֱלֹהִים 1, 2). See Judg 11:24 (of the Moabite god Chemosh); 1 Sam 5:7 (of the Philistine god Dagon); 1 Kgs 11:33 (of the Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom); 2 Kgs 19:37 (of the Assyrian god Nisroch). Since gods normally had their own individual temples, Dan 1:2 probably refers to a particular deity, perhaps Marduk, the supreme god of Babylon, or Marduk’s son Nabu, after whom Nebuchadnezzar was named. The name Nebuchadnezzar means “Nabu has protected the son who will inherit” (HALOT 660 s.v. נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר). For a discussion of how temples functioned in Babylonian religion see H. Ringgren, Religions of the Ancient Near East, 77-81.
[1:2] 272 tn Heb “brought.” Though the Hebrew verb “brought” is repeated in this verse, the translation uses “brought…put” for stylistic variation.
[1:3] 269 tn Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”
[1:3] 270 sn It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all, but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), 127, n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.
[1:3] 271 sn The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see HALOT 769-70 s.v. סָרֹיס.
[1:3] 273 tn Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”
[1:4] 273 tn Heb “good of appearance.”
[1:4] 274 tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”
[1:4] 275 tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”
[1:4] 276 tn Heb “who had strength.”
[1:4] 277 tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.
[1:4] 278 sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.
[1:4] 279 tn Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.
[1:5] 277 tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”
[1:5] 278 tn Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”
[1:5] 279 tn Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל.
[1:5] 280 tn Heb “stand before the king.”
[1:6] 281 tn Heb “and it happened that.”
[1:6] 282 tn Heb “among them”; the referent (the young men taken captive from Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:6] 283 tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”
[1:6] 284 sn The names reflect a Jewish heritage. In Hebrew Daniel means “God is my judge”; Hananiah means “the Lord is gracious”; Mishael means “who is what God is?”; Azariah means “the Lord has helped.”
[1:7] 285 tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.
[1:7] 286 sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
[1:8] 289 tn Heb “placed on his heart.”
[1:8] 290 tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”
[1:8] 291 tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”
[1:9] 293 tn Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.
[1:10] 297 tn Heb “The overseer of the court officials.” The subject has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[1:10] 298 tn Heb “assigned.” See v. 5.
[1:10] 299 tn Heb “Why should he see your faces thin from the young men who are according to your age?” The term translated “thin” occurs only here and in Gen 40:6, where it appears to refer to a dejected facial expression. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “be weak.” See HALOT 277 s.v. II זעף.
[1:10] 300 tn The words “if that happened” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[1:10] 301 tn Heb “my head.” Presumably this is an implicit reference to capital punishment (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although this is not entirely clear.
[1:11] 301 sn Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.
[1:13] 305 tn Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”
[1:13] 306 tn Heb “the appearance of.”
[1:13] 307 tn Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.
[1:13] 308 tn Heb “your servants.”
[1:14] 309 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 310 tn Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”
[1:14] 311 sn The number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number of completeness. Cf. v. 20; Zech 8:23; Rev 2:10.
[1:15] 313 tn Heb “fat of flesh”; KJV, ASV “fatter in flesh”; NASB, NRSV “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).
[1:16] 317 tn Heb “the wine of their drinking.”
[1:16] 318 tn The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[1:18] 321 tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
[1:19] 325 tn Heb “from all of them.”
[1:19] 326 tn Heb “stood before the king.”
[1:20] 329 tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.
[1:21] 333 sn The Persian king Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon was 539
