Kejadian 8:1-22
Konteks8:1 But God remembered 1 Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over 2 the earth and the waters receded. 8:2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed, 3 and the rain stopped falling from the sky. 8:3 The waters kept receding steadily 4 from the earth, so that they 5 had gone down 6 by the end of the 150 days. 8:4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat. 7 8:5 The waters kept on receding 8 until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible. 9
8:6 At the end of forty days, 10 Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 11 8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying 12 back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.
8:8 Then Noah 13 sent out a dove 14 to see if the waters had receded 15 from the surface of the ground. 8:9 The dove could not find a resting place for its feet because water still covered 16 the surface of the entire earth, and so it returned to Noah 17 in the ark. He stretched out his hand, took the dove, 18 and brought it back into the ark. 19 8:10 He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. 8:11 When 20 the dove returned to him in the evening, there was 21 a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 8:12 He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, 22 but it did not return to him this time. 23
8:13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, 24 in the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that 25 the surface of the ground was dry. 8:14 And by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth 26 was dry.
8:15 Then God spoke to Noah and said, 8:16 “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 8:17 Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out 27 every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase 28 and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!” 29
8:18 Noah went out along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. 8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.
8:20 Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 30 8:21 And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma 31 and said 32 to himself, 33 “I will never again curse 34 the ground because of humankind, even though 35 the inclination of their minds 36 is evil from childhood on. 37 I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.
8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, 38
planting time 39 and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
and day and night will not cease.”
Kejadian 12:1-7
Konteks12:1 Now the Lord said 40 to Abram, 41
“Go out 42 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 43
12:2 Then I will make you 44 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 45
and I will make your name great, 46
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 47
12:3 I will bless those who bless you, 48
but the one who treats you lightly 49 I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another 50 by your name.”
12:4 So Abram left, 51 just as the Lord had told him to do, 52 and Lot went with him. (Now 53 Abram was 75 years old 54 when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew 55 Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired 56 in Haran, and they left for 57 the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.
12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree 58 of Moreh 59 at Shechem. 60 (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 61 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants 62 I will give this land.” So Abram 63 built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Kejadian 20:3
Konteks20:3 But God appeared 64 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 65 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 66
Kejadian 37:5-10
Konteks37:5 Joseph 67 had a dream, 68 and when he told his brothers about it, 69 they hated him even more. 70 37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 71 37:7 There we were, 72 binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down 73 to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” 74 They hated him even more 75 because of his dream and because of what he said. 76
37:9 Then he had another dream, 77 and told it to his brothers. “Look,” 78 he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? 79 Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” 80
Kejadian 41:1-7
Konteks41:1 At the end of two full years 81 Pharaoh had a dream. 82 As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, 83 and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, 84 and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. 85 41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing 86 on one stalk, healthy 87 and good. 41:6 Then 88 seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. 89
Kejadian 41:11
Konteks41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. 90
Bilangan 12:6
Konteks12:6 The Lord 91 said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, 92 I the Lord 93 will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.
Yudas 1:13-14
Konteks1:13 wild sea waves, 94 spewing out the foam of 95 their shame; 96 wayward stars 97 for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness 98 have been reserved.
1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, 99 even prophesied of them, 100 saying, “Look! The Lord is coming 101 with thousands and thousands 102 of his holy ones,
Ester 6:1
Konteks6:1 Throughout that night the king was unable to sleep, 103 so he asked for the book containing the historical records 104 to be brought. As the records 105 were being read in the king’s presence,
Ayub 33:15-17
Konteks33:15 In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
33:16 Then he gives a revelation 106 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings, 107
33:17 to turn a person from his sin, 108
and to cover a person’s pride. 109
Daniel 2:1-3
Konteks2:1 In the second year of his 110 reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. 111 His mind 112 was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. 113 2:2 The king issued an order 114 to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men 115 in order to explain his dreams to him. 116 So they came and awaited the king’s instructions. 117
2:3 The king told them, “I have had a dream, 118 and I 119 am anxious to understand the dream.”
Daniel 4:5
Konteks4:5 I saw a dream that 120 frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me.
Daniel 4:9
Konteks4:9 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 121 my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!
Daniel 4:19
Konteks4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; 122 his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, 123 if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!
Daniel 7:1--8:27
Konteks7:1 In the first 124 year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had 125 a dream filled with visions 126 while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion. 127 7:2 Daniel explained: 128 “I was watching in my vision during the night as 129 the four winds of the sky 130 were stirring up the great sea. 131 7:3 Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another.
7:4 “The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind 132 was given to it. 133
7:5 “Then 134 a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs 135 in its mouth between its teeth. 136 It was told, 137 ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’
7:6 “After these things, 138 as I was watching, another beast 139 like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back. 140 This beast had four heads, 141 and ruling authority was given to it.
7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions 142 a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. 143 It had two large rows 144 of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.
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. 145 This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant 146 things.
7:9 “While I was watching,
thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days 147 took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s 148 wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame. 149
7:10 A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. 150
The court convened 151
and the books were opened.
7:11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching 152 until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into 153 the flaming fire. 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living 154 for a time and a season. 7:13 I was watching in the night visions,
“And with 155 the clouds of the sky 156
one like a son of man 157 was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted 158 before him.
7:14 To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving 159 him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away. 160
His kingdom will not be destroyed. 161
7:15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed, 162 and the visions of my mind 163 were alarming me. 7:16 I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him about the meaning 164 of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed 165 to me the interpretation of the vision: 166 7:17 ‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth. 7:18 The holy ones 167 of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.’
7:19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning 168 of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. 7:20 I also wanted to know 169 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 170 and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 171 7:21 While I was watching, that horn began to wage war against the holy ones and was defeating 172 them, 7:22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was rendered 173 in favor of the holy ones of the Most High. Then the time came for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom.
7:23 “This is what he told me: 174
‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all the other kingdoms.
It will devour all the earth
and will trample and crush it.
7:24 The ten horns
mean that ten kings will arise from that kingdom.
Another king will arise after them,
but he will be different from the earlier ones.
He will humiliate 175 three kings.
7:25 He will speak words against the Most High.
He will harass 176 the holy ones of the Most High continually.
His intention 177 will be to change times established by law. 178
They will be delivered into his hand
For a time, times, 179 and half a time.
7:26 But the court will convene, 180 and his ruling authority will be removed –
destroyed and abolished forever!
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 181 of the Most High.
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
all authorities will serve him and obey him.’
7:28 “This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and the color drained from my face. 182 But I kept the matter to myself.” 183
8:1 184 In the third year 185 of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously. 186 8:2 In this 187 vision I saw myself in Susa 188 the citadel, 189 which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal. 190 8:3 I looked up 191 and saw 192 a 193 ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, 194 but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one. 8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal 195 was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. 196 It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. 197
8:5 While I was contemplating all this, 198 a male goat 199 was coming from the west over the surface of all the land 200 without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn 201 between its eyes. 8:6 It came to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed against it with raging strength. 202 8:7 I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram 203 and struck it 204 and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. 205 The goat hurled the ram 206 to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power. 207 8:8 The male goat acted even more arrogantly. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns 208 in its place, 209 extending toward the four winds of the sky. 210
8:9 From one of them came a small horn. 211 But it grew to be very big, toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 212 8:10 It grew so big it reached the army 213 of heaven, and it brought about the fall of some of the army and some of the stars 214 to the ground, where it trampled them. 8:11 It also acted arrogantly against the Prince of the army, 215 from whom 216 the daily sacrifice was removed and whose sanctuary 217 was thrown down. 8:12 The army was given over, 218 along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of his sinful rebellion. 219 It hurled 220 truth 221 to the ground and enjoyed success. 222
8:13 Then I heard a holy one 223 speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “To what period of time does the vision pertain – this vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the destructive act of rebellion and the giving over of both the sanctuary and army to be trampled?” 8:14 He said to me, “To 2,300 evenings and mornings; 224 then the sanctuary will be put right again.” 225
8:15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision, I sought to understand it. Now one who appeared to be a man was standing before me. 8:16 Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out, “Gabriel, 226 enable this person to understand the vision.” 8:17 So he approached the place where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground. 227 Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, 228 that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” 8:18 As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright. 229
8:19 Then he said, “I am going to inform you about what will happen in the latter time of wrath, for the vision 230 pertains to the appointed time of the end. 8:20 The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 8:21 The male goat 231 is the king of Greece, 232 and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 8:22 The horn that was broken 233 and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength. 8:23 Toward the end of their rule, when rebellious acts 234 are complete, a rash 235 and deceitful 236 king will arise. 237 8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction. 238 He will be successful in what he undertakes. 239 He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. 240 8:25 By his treachery 241 he will succeed through deceit. 242 He will have an arrogant attitude, 243 and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. 244 He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart – but not by human agency. 245 8:26 The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct. 246 But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now.”
8:27 I, Daniel, was exhausted 247 and sick for days. Then I got up and again carried out the king’s business. But I was astonished at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.
[8:1] 1 tn The Hebrew word translated “remembered” often carries the sense of acting in accordance with what is remembered, i.e., fulfilling covenant promises (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT], especially p. 34).
[8:1] 2 tn Heb “to pass over.”
[8:2] 3 tn Some (e.g., NIV) translate the preterite verb forms in this verse as past perfects (e.g., “had been closed”), for it seems likely that the sources of the water would have stopped before the waters receded.
[8:3] 4 tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”
[8:3] 5 tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:3] 6 tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.
[8:4] 7 tn Heb “on the mountains of Ararat.” Obviously a boat (even one as large as the ark) cannot rest on multiple mountains. Perhaps (1) the preposition should be translated “among,” or (2) the plural “mountains” should be understood in the sense of “mountain range” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 53). A more probable option (3) is that the plural indicates an indefinite singular, translated “one of the mountains” (see GKC 400 §124.o).
[8:4] sn Ararat is the Hebrew name for Urartu, the name of a mountainous region located north of Mesopotamia in modern day eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 29-32; G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:184-85; C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:443-44.
[8:5] 8 tn Heb “the waters were going and lessening.” The perfect verb form הָיָה (hayah) is used as an auxiliary verb with the infinitive absolute חָסוֹר (khasor, “lessening”), while the infinitive absolute הָלוֹךְ (halokh) indicates continuous action.
[8:5] 9 tn Or “could be seen.”
[8:6] 10 tn The introductory verbal form וַיְהִי (vayÿhi), traditionally rendered “and it came to pass,” serves as a temporal indicator and has not been translated here.
[8:6] 11 tn Heb “opened the window in the ark which he had made.” The perfect tense (“had made”) refers to action preceding the opening of the window, and is therefore rendered as a past perfect. Since in English “had made” could refer to either the ark or the window, the order of the phrases was reversed in the translation to clarify that the window is the referent.
[8:7] 12 tn Heb “and it went out, going out and returning.” The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yatsa’), translated here “flying,” is modified by two infinitives absolute indicating that the raven went back and forth.
[8:8] 13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:8] 14 tn The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
[8:8] 15 tn The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.
[8:9] 16 tn The words “still covered” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:9] 17 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:9] 18 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the dove) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:9] 19 tn Heb “and he brought it to himself to the ark.”
[8:11] 20 tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.
[8:11] 21 tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.
[8:12] 22 tn The word “again” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:12] 23 tn Heb “it did not again return to him still.” For a study of this section of the flood narrative, see W. O. E. Oesterley, “The Dove with the Olive Leaf (Gen VIII 8–11),” ExpTim 18 (1906/07): 377-78.
[8:13] 24 tn Heb In the six hundred and first year.” Since this refers to the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, the word “Noah’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:13] 25 tn Heb “and saw and look.” As in v. 11, the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the dry ground with their own eyes.
[8:14] 26 tn In v. 13 the ground (הָאֲדָמָה, ha’adamah) is dry; now the earth (הָאָרֶץ, ha’arets) is dry.
[8:17] 27 tn The words “bring out” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:17] 28 tn Following the Hiphil imperative, “bring out,” the three perfect verb forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry an imperatival nuance. For a discussion of the Hebrew construction here and the difficulty of translating it into English, see S. R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew, 124-25.
[8:17] 29 tn Heb “and let them swarm in the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”
[8:20] 30 sn Offered burnt offerings on the altar. F. D. Maurice includes a chapter on the sacrifice of Noah in The Doctrine of Sacrifice. The whole burnt offering, according to Leviticus 1, represented the worshiper’s complete surrender and dedication to the
[8:21] 31 tn The
[8:21] 32 tn Heb “and the
[8:21] 33 tn Heb “in his heart.”
[8:21] 34 tn Here the Hebrew word translated “curse” is קָלָל (qalal), used in the Piel verbal stem.
[8:21] 35 tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) can be used in a concessive sense (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי), which makes good sense in this context. Its normal causal sense (“for”) does not fit the context here very well.
[8:21] 36 tn Heb “the inclination of the heart of humankind.”
[8:21] 37 tn Heb “from his youth.”
[8:22] 38 tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”
[8:22] 39 tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.
[12:1] 40 sn The
[12:1] 41 tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.
[12:1] sn It would be hard to overestimate the value of this call and this divine plan for the theology of the Bible. Here begins God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. The promises to Abram will be turned into a covenant in Gen 15 and 22 (here it is a call with conditional promises) and will then lead through the Bible to the work of the Messiah.
[12:1] 42 tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”
[12:1] 43 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[12:2] 44 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
[12:2] 45 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
[12:2] 46 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
[12:2] 47 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
[12:3] 48 tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the
[12:3] 49 tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic
[12:3] 50 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[12:4] 51 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
[12:4] 52 tn Heb “just as the
[12:4] 53 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
[12:4] 54 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
[12:4] sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.
[12:5] 55 tn Heb “the son of his brother.”
[12:5] 56 tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.
[12:5] 57 tn Heb “went out to go.”
[12:6] 59 sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.
[12:6] 60 tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”
[12:6] 61 tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.
[12:7] 62 tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[12:7] 63 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[20:3] 65 tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.
[20:3] 66 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[37:5] 67 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:5] 68 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[37:5] 69 sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.
[37:5] 70 tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.
[37:6] 71 tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”
[37:7] 72 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
[37:7] 73 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
[37:8] 74 tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”
[37:8] 75 tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.
[37:8] 76 sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.
[37:9] 77 tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”
[37:9] 78 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.
[37:10] 79 sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.
[37:10] 80 tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”
[41:1] 81 tn Heb “two years, days.”
[41:1] 82 tn Heb “was dreaming.”
[41:2] 83 tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.
[41:3] 84 tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”
[41:3] 85 tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:7] 89 tn Heb “And look, a dream.”
[41:7] sn Pharaoh’s two dreams, as explained in the following verses, pertained to the economy of Egypt. Because of the Nile River, the land of Egypt weathered all kinds of famines – there was usually grain in Egypt, and if there was grain and water the livestock would flourish. These two dreams, however, indicated that poverty would overtake plenty and that the blessing of the herd and the field would cease.
[41:11] 90 tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”
[12:6] 92 tn The form of this construction is rare: נְבִיאֲכֶם (nÿvi’akhem) would normally be rendered “your prophet.” The singular noun is suffixed with a plural pronominal suffix. Some commentators think the MT has condensed “a prophet” with “to you.”
[12:6] 93 tn The Hebrew syntax is difficult here. “The Lord” is separated from the verb by two intervening prepositional phrases. Some scholars conclude that this word belongs with the verb at the beginning of v. 6 (“And the Lord spoke”).
[1:13] 94 tn Grk “wild waves of the sea.”
[1:13] 95 tn Grk “foaming, causing to foam.” The verb form is intensive and causative. BDAG 360 s.v. ἐπαφρίζω suggests the meaning “to cause to splash up like froth, cause to foam,” or, in this context, “waves casting up their own shameless deeds like (dirty) foam.”
[1:13] 96 tn Grk “shames, shameful things.” It is uncertain whether shameful deeds or shameful words are in view. Either way, the picture has taken a decided turn: Though waterless clouds and fruitless trees may promise good things, but deliver nothing, wild sea-waves are portents of filth spewed forth from the belly of the sea.
[1:13] 97 sn The imagery of a star seems to fit the nautical theme that Jude is developing. Stars were of course the guides to sailors at night, just as teachers are responsible to lead the flock through a benighted world. But false teachers, as wayward stars, are not fixed and hence offer unreliable, even disastrous guidance. They are thus both the dangerous reefs on which the ships could be destroyed and the false guides, leading them into these rocks. There is a special irony that these lights will be snuffed out, reserved for the darkest depths of eternal darkness.
[1:13] 98 tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness for eternity.” See note on the word “utter” in v. 6.
[1:14] 99 tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”
[1:14] sn The genealogical count is inclusive, counting Adam as the first, for Enoch is really the sixth in descent from Adam (Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch). In this way, the picture of perfection/completion was retained (for the number seven is often used for perfection or completion in the Bible) starting with Adam and concluding with Enoch.
[1:14] 100 tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).
[1:14] 101 tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.
[1:14] 102 tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (muria"), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.
[6:1] 103 tn Heb “and the sleep of the king fled.” In place of the rather innocuous comment of the Hebrew text, the LXX reads here, “And the Lord removed the sleep from the king.” The Greek text thus understands the statement in a more overtly theological way than does the Hebrew text, although even in the Hebrew text there may be a hint of God’s providence at work in this matter. After all, this event is crucial to the later reversal of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jewish people, and a sympathetic reader is likely to look beyond the apparent coincidence.
[6:1] 104 tn Heb “the book of the remembrances of the accounts of the days”; NAB “the chronicle of notable events.”
[6:1] 105 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the records) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:16] 106 tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).
[33:16] 107 tc Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the KJV used. But the LXX, Aquila, and the Syriac have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yÿkhittem). The LXX has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.
[33:17] 108 tc The MT simply has מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh, “deed”). The LXX has “from his iniquity” which would have been מֵעַוְלָה (me’avlah). The two letters may have dropped out by haplography. The MT is workable, but would have to mean “[evil] deeds.”
[33:17] 109 tc Here too the sense of the MT is difficult to recover. Some translations took it to mean that God hides pride from man. Many commentators changed יְכַסֶּה (yÿkhasseh, “covers”) to יְכַסֵּחַ (yÿkhasseakh, “he cuts away”), or יְכַלֶּה (yÿkhalleh, “he puts an end to”). The various emendations are not all that convincing.
[2:1] 110 tn Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:1] 111 tn Heb “dreamed dreams.” The plural is used here and in v. 2, but the singular in v. 3. The plural “dreams” has been variously explained. Some interpreters take the plural as denoting an indefinite singular (so GKC 400 §124.o). But it may be that it is describing a stream of related dreams, or a dream state. In the latter case, one might translate: “Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance.” See further, J. A. Montgomery, Daniel (ICC), 142.
[2:1] 112 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[2:1] 113 tn Heb “his sleep left (?) him.” The use of the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) here is unusual. The context suggests a meaning such as “to be finished” or “gone.” Cf. Dan 8:27. Some scholars emend the verb to read נָדְדָה (nadÿdah, “fled”); cf. Dan 6:19. See further, DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3; HALOT 244 s.v. היה nif; BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2.
[2:2] 114 tn Heb “said.” So also in v. 12.
[2:2] 115 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] 116 tn Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”
[2:2] 117 tn Heb “stood before the king.”
[2:3] 118 tn Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so KJV, ASV).
[4:9] 121 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.
[4:19] 122 tn Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.
[7:1] 124 sn The first year of Belshazzar’s reign would have been ca. 553
[7:1] 126 tn Aram “and visions of his head.” The Aramaic is difficult here. Some scholars add a verb thought to be missing (e.g., “the visions of his head [were alarming him]”), but there is no external evidence to support such a decision and the awkwardness of the text at this point may be original.
[7:1] 127 tn Aram “head of words.” The phrase is absent in Theodotion. Cf. NIV “the substance of his dream.”
[7:2] 128 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[7:2] 129 tn Aram “and behold.”
[7:2] 130 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[7:2] 131 sn The referent of the great sea is unclear. The common view that the expression refers to the Mediterranean Sea is conjectural.
[7:4] 132 tn Aram “heart of a man.”
[7:4] 133 sn The identity of the first animal, derived from v. 17 and the parallels in chap. 2, is Babylon. The reference to the plucking of its wings is probably a reference to the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity (cf. chap. 4). The latter part of v. 4 then describes the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar. The other animals have traditionally been understood to represent respectively Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, although most of modern scholarship identifies them as Media, Persia, and Greece. For a biblical parallel to the mention of lion, bear, and leopard together, see Hos 13:7-8.
[7:5] 134 tn Aram “and behold.”
[7:5] 135 sn The three ribs held securely in the mouth of the bear, perhaps representing Media-Persia, apparently symbolize military conquest, but the exact identity of the “ribs” is not clear. Possibly it is a reference to the Persian conquest of Lydia, Egypt, and Babylonia.
[7:5] 136 tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”
[7:5] 137 tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”
[7:6] 138 tn Aram “this.” So also in v. 7.
[7:6] 139 tn Aram “and behold, another one.”
[7:6] 141 sn If the third animal is Greece, the most likely identification of these four heads is the four-fold division of the empire of Alexander the Great following his death. See note on Dan 8:8.
[7:7] 142 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.
[7:7] 143 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.
[7:7] 144 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
[7:8] 145 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
[7:8] 146 tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.
[7:9] 147 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] 148 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] 149 tn Aram “a flaming fire.”
[7:10] 150 tn Aram “were standing before him.”
[7:10] 151 tn Aram “judgment sat.”
[7:11] 152 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.
[7:11] 153 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
[7:12] 154 tn Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”
[7:13] 155 tc The LXX has ἐπί (epi, “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64). Theodotion has μετά (meta, “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7).
[7:13] 156 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[7:13] 157 sn This text is probably the main OT background for Jesus’ use of the term “son of man.” In both Jewish and Christian circles the reference in the book of Daniel has traditionally been understood to refer to an individual, usually in a messianic sense. Many modern scholars, however, understand the reference to have a corporate identity. In this view, the “son of man” is to be equated with the “holy ones” (vv. 18, 21, 22, 25) or the “people of the holy ones” (v. 27) and understood as a reference to the Jewish people. Others understand Daniel’s reference to be to the angel Michael.
[7:13] 158 tn Aram “they brought him near.”
[7:14] 159 tn Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”
[7:14] 160 tn Aram “is an eternal authority which will not pass away.”
[7:14] 161 tn Aram “is one which will not be destroyed.”
[7:15] 162 tn The Aramaic text includes the phrase “in its sheath,” apparently viewing the body as a container or receptacle for the spirit somewhat like a sheath or scabbard is for a knife or a sword (cf. NAB “within its sheath of flesh”). For this phrase the LXX and Vulgate have “in these things.”
[7:16] 164 tn Aram “what is certain.”
[7:16] 165 tn Aram “and made known.”
[7:16] 166 tn Aram “matter,” but the matter at hand is of course the vision.
[7:18] 167 sn The expression holy ones is either a reference to angels or to human beings devoted to God.
[7:19] 168 tn Aram “to make certain.”
[7:20] 169 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:20] 170 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
[7:20] 171 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”
[7:21] 172 tn Aram “prevailing against” (KJV and ASV both similar); NASB “overpowering them”; TEV “conquered them.”
[7:22] 173 tc In the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate the verb is active, understanding “judgment” to be the object rather than the subject of the verb (i.e., “the Ancient of Days rendered judgment”). This presupposes a different vocalization of the verb ( יְהַב [yÿhav] rather than the MT יְהִב [yÿhiv]).
[7:23] 174 tn Aram “thus he said.”
[7:24] 175 tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”
[7:25] 176 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] 177 tn Aram “he will think.”
[7:25] 178 tn Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.
[7:25] 179 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.”
[7:26] 180 tn Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).
[7:27] 181 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.
[7:28] 182 tn Aram “my brightness was changing on me.”
[7:28] 183 tn Aram “in my heart.”
[8:1] 184 sn Dan 8:1 marks the switch from Aramaic (= 2:4b-7:28) back to Hebrew as the language in which the book is written in its present form. The remainder of the book from this point on (8:1-12:13) is in Hebrew. The bilingual nature of the book has been variously explained, but it most likely has to do with the book’s transmission history.
[8:1] 185 sn The third year of King Belshazzar’s reign would have been ca. 551
[8:1] 186 tn Heb “in the beginning.” This refers to the vision described in chapter seven.
[8:2] 188 sn Susa (Heb. שׁוּשַׁן, shushan), located some 230 miles (380 km) east of Babylon, was a winter residence for Persian kings during the Achaemenid period. The language of v. 2 seems to suggest that Daniel may not have been physically present at Susa, but only saw himself there in the vision. However, the Hebrew is difficult, and some have concluded that the first four words of v. 2 in the MT are a later addition (cf. Theodotion).
[8:2] 189 tn The Hebrew word בִּירָה (birah, “castle, palace”) usually refers to a fortified structure within a city, but here it is in apposition to the city name Susa and therefore has a broader reference to the entire city (against this view, however, see BDB 108 s.v. 2). Cf. NAB “the fortress of Susa”; TEV “the walled city of Susa.”
[8:2] 190 tn The term אוּבַל (’uval = “stream, river”) is a relatively rare word in biblical Hebrew, found only here and in vv. 3 and 6. The Ulai was apparently a sizable artificial canal in Susa (cf. NASB, NIV, NCV), and not a river in the ordinary sense of that word.
[8:3] 191 tn Heb “lifted my eyes.”
[8:3] 192 tn Heb “and behold.”
[8:3] 193 tn Heb “one.” The Hebrew numerical adjective occasionally functions like an English indefinite article. See GKC 401 §125.b.
[8:3] 194 tn Heb “high” (also “higher” later in this verse).
[8:4] 195 tn Or “beast” (NAB).
[8:4] 196 tn Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.
[8:4] 197 tn In the Hiphil the Hebrew verb גָּדַל (gadal, “to make great; to magnify”) can have either a positive or a negative sense. For the former, used especially of God, see Ps 126:2, 3; Joel 2:21. In this chapter (8:4, 8, 11, 25) the word has a pejorative sense, describing the self-glorification of this king. The sense seems to be that of vainly assuming one’s own superiority through deliberate hubris.
[8:5] 198 tn The words “all this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[8:5] 199 tn Heb “and behold, a he-goat of the goats.”
[8:5] 200 tn Or “of the whole earth” (NAB, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[8:5] 201 tn Heb “a horn of vision” [or “conspicuousness”], i.e., “a conspicuous horn,” one easily seen.
[8:6] 202 tn Heb “the wrath of its strength.”
[8:7] 205 tn Heb “stand before him.”
[8:7] 206 tn Heb “he hurled him.” The referents of both pronouns (the male goat and the ram) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:7] 207 sn The goat of Daniel’s vision represents Greece; the large horn represents Alexander the Great. The ram stands for Media-Persia. Alexander’s rapid conquest of the Persians involved three battles of major significance which he won against overwhelming odds: Granicus (334
[8:8] 208 tn The word “horns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[8:8] 209 sn The four conspicuous horns refer to Alexander’s successors. After his death, Alexander’s empire was divided up among four of his generals: Cassander, who took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus, who took Thrace and parts of Asia Minor; Seleucus, who took Syria and territory to its east; and Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt.
[8:8] 210 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[8:9] 211 sn This small horn is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who controlled the Seleucid kingdom from ca. 175-164
[8:9] 212 sn The expression the beautiful land (Heb. הַצֶּבִי [hatsÿvi] = “the beauty”) is a cryptic reference to the land of Israel. Cf. 11:16, 41, where it is preceded by the word אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”).
[8:10] 213 tn Traditionally, “host.” The term refers to God’s heavenly angelic assembly, which he sometimes leads into battle as an army.
[8:10] 214 sn In prescientific Israelite thinking the stars were associated with the angelic members of God’s heavenly assembly. See Judg 5:20; Job 38:7; Isa 40:26. In west Semitic mythology the stars were members of the high god’s divine assembly (see Isa 14:13).
[8:11] 215 sn The prince of the army may refer to God (cf. “whose sanctuary” later in the verse) or to the angel Michael (cf. 12:1).
[8:11] 216 tn Or perhaps “and by him,” referring to Antiochus rather than to God.
[8:11] 217 sn Here the sanctuary is a reference to the temple of God in Jerusalem.
[8:12] 218 tc The present translation reads וּצְבָאָהּ נִתַּן (utsÿva’ah nittan) for the MT וְצָבָא תִּנָּתֵן (vÿtsava’ tinnaten). The context suggests a perfect rather than an imperfect verb.
[8:12] 219 tn Heb “in (the course of) rebellion.” The meaning of the phrase is difficult to determine. It could mean “due to rebellion,” referring to the failures of the Jews, but this is not likely since it is not a point made elsewhere in the book. The phrase more probably refers to the rebellion against God and the atrocities against the Jews epitomized by Antiochus.
[8:12] 220 tc Two medieval Hebrew
[8:12] 221 sn Truth here probably refers to the Torah. According to 1 Macc 1:56, Antiochus initiated destruction of the sacred books of the Jews.
[8:12] 222 tn Heb “it acted and prospered.”
[8:13] 223 sn The holy one referred to here is presumably an angel. Cf. 4:13[10], 23 [20].
[8:14] 224 sn The language of evenings and mornings is reminiscent of the creation account in Genesis 1. Since “evening and morning” is the equivalent of a day, the reference here would be to 2,300 days. However, some interpreters understand the reference to be to the evening sacrifice and the morning sacrifice, in which case the reference would be to only 1,150 days. Either way, the event that marked the commencement of this period is unclear. The event that marked the conclusion of the period is the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem following the atrocious and sacrilegious acts that Antiochus implemented. This took place on December 25, 165
[8:14] 225 tn Heb “will be vindicated” or “will be justified.” This is the only occurrence of this verb in the Niphal in the OT. English versions interpret it as “cleansed” (KJV, ASV), “restored” (NASB, TEV, NLT), or “reconsecrated” (NIV).
[8:16] 226 sn The only angels whose names are given in the OT are Gabriel (Dan 8:16; 9:21; cf. Luke 1:19, 26) and Michael (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; cf. Jude 9; Rev 12:7). The name Gabriel means in Hebrew “man of God,” and Michael means “who is like God?”
[8:17] 227 tn Heb “on my face.”
[8:18] 229 tn Heb “on my standing.”
[8:19] 230 tn The Hebrew text does not actually state the referent (the vision Daniel saw in vv. 8-12; cf. also v. 13), which has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some Greek witnesses add “the vision” here.
[8:21] 231 tn Heb “the he-goat, the buck.” The expression is odd, and the second word may be an explanatory gloss.
[8:22] 233 tn Heb “the broken one.” The word “horn” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
[8:23] 234 tc The present translation reads הַפְּשָׁעִים (happÿsha’im, “rebellious acts”) for the MT הַפֹּשְׁעִים (happoshÿ’im, “rebels”). While the MT is understandable (cf. NIV, “when rebels have become completely wicked”), the filling up of transgressions is a familiar OT expression (cf. Gen 15:16) and fits this context well. Cf. the LXX, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Syriac.
[8:23] 235 tn Heb “strong of face.”
[8:23] 236 tn Heb “understanding riddles.” Possible meanings include “double-dealing” (BDB 295 s.v. חִידָה; cf. TEV, CEV) and “with a good knowledge of intrigue” (HALOT 309 s.v. חִידָה; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[8:23] 237 tn Heb “stand” or “stand up.”
[8:24] 238 tn Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”
[8:24] 239 tn Heb “he will succeed and act.”
[8:24] 240 tn See the corresponding Aramaic expression in 7:27. If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. One could translate, “people belonging to (i.e., protected by) the holy ones.” If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” One could translate simply “holy people.” For examples of a plural appositional genitive after “people,” see 11:15, 32. Because either interpretation is possible, the translation has deliberately preserved the ambiguity of the Hebrew grammar here.
[8:25] 241 tn The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל, שֶׂכֶל.
[8:25] 242 tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”
[8:25] 243 tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”
[8:25] 244 tn Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה.
[8:25] 245 tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”
[8:27] 247 tn The Hebrew word here is נִהְיֵיתִי (nihyetiy). Its meaning is not entirely clear. Hebrew הָיָה (hayah) normally has meanings such as “to be” or “become.” Here, however, it describes Daniel’s emotional and physical response to the enigmatic vision that he has seen. It is parallel to the following verb, which refers to illness, and seems to refer to a state of utter exhaustion due to the amazing things that Daniel has just seen. The LXX lacks the word. On the meaning of the word see further, BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2; DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3.
