Daniel 1:1

Daniel Finds Favor in Babylon

1:1 In the third ¹  year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar ²  of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem ³  and laid it under siege. ⁴ 

Daniel 1:15

1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier ⁵  than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies.

Daniel 2:40

2:40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces ⁶  all of these metals, ⁷  so it will break in pieces and crush the others. ⁸ 

Daniel 4:26

4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven ⁹  rules.

Daniel 6:25

6:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: “Peace and prosperity! ¹⁰ 

Daniel 11:12

11:12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. ¹¹  He will be responsible for the death ¹²  of thousands and thousands of people, ¹³  but he will not continue to prevail.

Daniel 11:18

11:18 Then he will turn his attention ¹⁴  to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander ¹⁵  will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, ¹⁶  he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. ¹⁷ 

[1:1]  ¹ sn The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim would be ca. 605 B.C. At this time Daniel would have been a teenager. The reference to Jehoiakim’s third year poses a serious crux interpretum, since elsewhere these events are linked to his fourth year (Jer 25:1; cf. 2 Kgs 24:1; 2 Chr 36:5-8). Apparently Daniel is following an accession year chronology, whereby the first partial year of a king’s reign was reckoned as the accession year rather than as the first year of his reign. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is following a nonaccession year chronology, whereby the accession year is reckoned as the first year of the king’s reign. In that case, the conflict is only superficial. Most modern scholars, however, have concluded that Daniel is historically inaccurate here.

[1:1]  ² sn King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon from ca. 605-562 B.C.

[1:1]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:1]  ⁴ sn This attack culminated in the first of three major deportations of Jews to Babylon. The second one occurred in 597 B.C. and included among many other Jewish captives the prophet Ezekiel. The third deportation occurred in 586 B.C., at which time the temple and the city of Jerusalem were thoroughly destroyed.

[1:15]  ⁵ 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).

[2:40]  ⁶ tc Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”

[2:40]  ⁷ tn The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.

[2:40]  ⁸ tn The words “the others” are supplied from the context.

[4:26]  ⁹ sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).

[6:25]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “May your peace be increased!”

[11:12]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “cause to fall.”

[11:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “of myriads.”

[11:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.

[11:18]  ¹⁵ sn The commander is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio.

[11:18]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”