Daniel 1:19-20

1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group ¹  anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. ²  1:20 In every matter of wisdom and ³  insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times ⁴  better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.

Daniel 2:1

Nebuchadnezzar Has a Disturbing Dream

2:1 In the second year of his ⁵  reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. ⁶  His mind ⁷  was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. ⁸ 

Daniel 2:39

2:39 Now after you another kingdom ⁹  will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth.

Daniel 3:19

3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed ¹⁰  toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders ¹¹  to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated.

Daniel 3:23

3:23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace ¹²  of blazing fire while still securely bound. ¹³ 

Daniel 3:28

3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ¹⁴  “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel ¹⁵  and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring ¹⁶  the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than ¹⁷  serve or pay homage to any god other than their God!

Daniel 4:36

4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored ¹⁸  to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated ¹⁹  over my kingdom. I became even greater than before.

Daniel 5:9

5:9 Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. ²⁰  His nobles were completely dumbfounded.

Daniel 6:18

6:18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions ²¹  were brought to him. He was unable to sleep. ²² 

Daniel 7:7

7:7 “After these things, as I was watching in the night visions ²³  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. ²⁴  It had two large rows ²⁵  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.

Daniel 7:23-24

7:23 “This is what he told me: ²⁶ 

‘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 ²⁷  three kings.

Daniel 8:22

8:22 The horn that was broken ²⁸  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.

Daniel 8:25

8:25 By his treachery ²⁹  he will succeed through deceit. ³⁰  He will have an arrogant attitude, ³¹  and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. ³²  He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart – but not by human agency. ³³ 

Daniel 9:12-13

9:12 He has carried out his threats ³⁴  against us and our rulers ³⁵  who were over ³⁶  us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify ³⁷  the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom ³⁸  from your reliable moral standards. ³⁹ 

Daniel 10:19

10:19 He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are valued. ⁴⁰  Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, ⁴¹  for you have given me strength.”

Daniel 11:4

11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, ⁴²  his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky ⁴³  – but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.

Daniel 11:8

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 ⁴⁴  the king of the north.

Daniel 11:24

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. ⁴⁵ 

Daniel 11:36-37

11:36 “Then the king ⁴⁶  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 ⁴⁷  wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. ⁴⁸  11:37 He will not respect ⁴⁹  the gods of his fathers – not even the god loved by women. ⁵⁰  He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all.

Daniel 12:1

12:1 “At that time Michael,

the great prince who watches over your people, ⁵¹ 

will arise. ⁵² 

There will be a time of distress

unlike any other from the nation’s beginning ⁵³ 

up to that time.

But at that time your own people,

all those whose names are ⁵⁴  found written in the book,

will escape.

Daniel 12:6

12:6 One said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, “When will the end of these wondrous events occur?”

Daniel 12:13

12:13 But you should go your way ⁵⁵  until the end. ⁵⁶  You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive ⁵⁷  what you have been allotted.” ⁵⁸ 

[1:19]  ¹ tn Heb “from all of them.”

[1:19]  ² tn Heb “stood before the king.”

[1:20]  ³ 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.

[1:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “hands.”

[2:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[2:1]  ⁸ 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.

[2:39]  ⁹ sn The identity of the first kingdom is clearly Babylon. The identification of the following three kingdoms is disputed. The common view is that they represent Media, Persia, and Greece. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

[3:19]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Aram “he answered and said.”

[3:23]  ¹² tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.

[3:23]  ¹³ 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.

[3:28]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”

[3:28]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “so that they might not.”

[4:36]  ¹⁸ tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.

[4:36]  ¹⁹ tc The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת (hotqÿnet, “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת (hotqÿnat, “it was established”). As it stands, the MT makes no sense here.

[5:9]  ²⁰ tn Aram “his visage altered upon him.” So also in v. 10.

[6:18]  ²¹ tn The meaning of Aramaic דַּחֲוָה (dakhavah) is a crux interpretum. Suggestions include “music,” “dancing girls,” “concubines,” “table,” “food” – all of which are uncertain. The translation employed here, suggested by earlier scholars, is deliberately vague. A number of recent English versions follow a similar approach with “entertainment” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). On this word see further, HALOT 1849-50 s.v.; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 37.

[6:18]  ²² tn Aram “his sleep fled from him.”

[7:7]  ²³ tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13.

[7:7]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.

[7:23]  ²⁶ tn Aram “thus he said.”

[7:24]  ²⁷ tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”

[8:22]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the broken one.” The word “horn” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.

[8:25]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”

[8:25]  ³¹ tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”

[8:25]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”

[9:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”

[9:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:13]  ³⁷ tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”

[9:13]  ³⁸ tn Or “by gaining insight.”

[9:13]  ³⁹ tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.

[10:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “treasured man.”

[10:19]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “my lord may speak.”

[11:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “and when he stands.”

[11:4]  ⁴³ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[11:8]  ⁴⁴ 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”).

[11:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and unto a time.”

[11:36]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.

[11:36]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.

[11:37]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “consider.”

[11:37]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “stands over the sons of your people.”

[12:1]  ⁵² tn Heb “will stand up.”

[12:1]  ⁵³ tn Or “from the beginning of a nation.”

[12:1]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “whose names are” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[12:13]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “your way” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[12:13]  ⁵⁶ tc The LXX lacks “until the end.”

[12:13]  ⁵⁷ tn The word “receive” is added in the translation for clarification.

[12:13]  ⁵⁸ sn The deuterocanonical writings known as the Story of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon appear respectively as chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Daniel in the Greek version of this book. Although these writings are not part of the Hebrew/Aramaic text of Daniel, they were popular among certain early communities who valued traditions about the life of Daniel.