Daniel 1:20

1:20 In every matter of wisdom and ¹  insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times ²  better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.

Daniel 3:12

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 ³  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.”

Daniel 5:12

5:12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret ⁴  dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. ⁵  Now summon ⁶  Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

Daniel 8:4

8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal ⁷  was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. ⁸  It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. ⁹ 

Daniel 11:20

11:20 There will arise after him ¹⁰  one ¹¹  who will send out an exactor ¹²  of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, ¹³  though not in anger or battle.

Daniel 11:27

11:27 These two kings, their minds ¹⁴  filled with evil intentions, will trade ¹⁵  lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time.

Daniel 11:35-36

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 ¹⁶  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 ¹⁷  wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. ¹⁸ 

[1:20]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “hands.”

[3:12]  ³ 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.

[5:12]  ⁴ tc The translation reads מִפְשַׁר (mifshar) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר (mÿfashar) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא (mishre’) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא (mÿshare’). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause.

[5:12]  ⁵ tn Aram “to loose knots.”

[5:12]  ⁶ tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”

[8:4]  ⁷ tn Or “beast” (NAB).

[8:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.

[8:4]  ⁹ 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.

[11:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “on his place.”

[11:20]  ¹¹ sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 B.C.).

[11:20]  ¹² sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3).

[11:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”

[11:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28.

[11:27]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “speak.”

[11:36]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.

[11:36]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.