Daniel 2:9

2:9 If you don’t inform me of the dream, there is only one thing that is going to happen to you. ¹  For you have agreed among yourselves to report to me something false and deceitful ²  until such time as things might change. So tell me the dream, and I will have confidence ³  that you can disclose its interpretation.”

Daniel 2:45

2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. ⁴  The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.”

Daniel 4:9

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 ⁵  my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!

Daniel 4:17

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

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ⁶  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ⁷ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

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

Daniel 7:8-9

7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. ⁸  This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant ⁹  things.

7:9 “While I was watching,

thrones were set up,

and the Ancient of Days ¹⁰  took his seat.

His attire was white like snow;

the hair of his head was like lamb’s ¹¹  wool.

His throne was ablaze with fire

and its wheels were all aflame. ¹² 

Daniel 7:20

7:20 I also wanted to know ¹³  the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes ¹⁴  and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. ¹⁵ 

Daniel 7:25

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

He will harass ¹⁶  the holy ones of the Most High continually.

His intention ¹⁷  will be to change times established by law. ¹⁸ 

They will be delivered into his hand

For a time, times, ¹⁹  and half a time.

Daniel 7:27

7:27 Then the kingdom, authority,

and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven

will be delivered to the people of the holy ones ²⁰  of the Most High.

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;

all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

Daniel 8:5

8:5 While I was contemplating all this, ²¹  a male goat ²²  was coming from the west over the surface of all the land ²³  without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn ²⁴  between its eyes.

Daniel 10:1

An Angel Appears to Daniel

10:1 ²⁵ In the third ²⁶  year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. ²⁷  He understood the message and gained insight by the vision.

Daniel 11:2

11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.

The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel

“Three ²⁸  more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth ²⁹  king will be unusually rich, ³⁰  more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against ³¹  the kingdom of Greece.

[2:9]  ¹ tn Aram “one is your law,” i.e., only one thing is applicable to you.

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

[2:9]  ³ tn Aram “I will know.”

[2:45]  ⁴ tn Aram “after this.”

[4:9]  ⁵ 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.

[4:17]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

[7:8]  ⁸ tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”

[7:8]  ⁹ tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.

[7:9]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers. Cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God.”

[7:9]  ¹¹ tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (nÿqe’) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqya’ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word see further, M. Sokoloff, “’amar neqe’, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.

[7:9]  ¹² tn Aram “a flaming fire.”

[7:20]  ¹³ tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:20]  ¹⁴ tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.

[7:20]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “greater than its companions.”

[7:25]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “he will think.”

[7:25]  ¹⁸ tn Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.

[7:25]  ¹⁹ 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.”

[7:27]  ²⁰ tn If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” See 8:24 for the corresponding Hebrew phrase and the note there.

[8:5]  ²¹ tn The words “all this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[8:5]  ²² tn Heb “and behold, a he-goat of the goats.”

[8:5]  ²³ tn Or “of the whole earth” (NAB, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[8:5]  ²⁴ tn Heb “a horn of vision” [or “conspicuousness”], i.e., “a conspicuous horn,” one easily seen.

[10:1]  ²⁵ sn This chapter begins the final unit in the book of Daniel, consisting of chapters 10-12. The traditional chapter divisions to some extent obscure the relationship of these chapters.

[10:1]  ²⁶ tc The LXX has “first.”

[10:1]  sn Cyrus’ third year would have been ca. 536 B.C. Daniel would have been approximately eighty-four years old at this time.

[10:1]  ²⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צָבָא (tsava’) is uncertain in this context. The word most often refers to an army or warfare. It may also mean “hard service,” and many commentators take that to be the sense here (i.e., “the service was great”). The present translation assumes the reference to be to the spiritual conflicts described, for example, in 10:16–11:1.

[11:2]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Heb “rich with great riches.”

[11:2]  ³¹ 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.