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 4:35

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. ³ 

He does as he wishes with the army of heaven

and with those who inhabit the earth.

No one slaps ⁴  his hand

and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

Daniel 8:24

8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction. ⁵  He will be successful in what he undertakes. ⁶  He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. ⁷ 

Daniel 11:30

11:30 The ships of Kittim ⁸  will come against him, leaving him disheartened. ⁹  He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor ¹⁰  those who forsake the holy covenant.

[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.”

[4:35]  ³ tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS, rather than כְּלָה (kÿlah) of BHS.

[4:35]  ⁴ tn Aram “strikes against.”

[8:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”

[8:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “he will succeed and act.”

[8:24]  ⁷ 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.

[11:30]  ⁸ sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).

[11:30]  ⁹ sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.

[11:30]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “show regard for.”