Daniel 10:1

An Angel Appears to Daniel

10:1 ¹ In the third ²  year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. ³  He understood the message and gained insight by the vision.

Daniel 9:23

9:23 At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God’s sight. ⁴  Therefore consider the message and understand the vision: ⁵ 

Daniel 9:12

9:12 He has carried out his threats ⁶  against us and our rulers ⁷  who were over ⁸  us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven!

Daniel 9:2

9:2 in the first year of his reign ⁹  I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books ¹⁰  that, according to the word of the LORD ¹¹  disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem ¹²  were seventy in number.

Daniel 6:9

6:9 So King Darius issued the written interdict.

Daniel 4:24

4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king.

Daniel 12:9

12:9 He said, “Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end.

Daniel 4:33

4:33 Now in that very moment ¹³  this pronouncement about ¹⁴  Nebuchadnezzar came true. ¹⁵  He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws. ¹⁶ 

Daniel 9:25

9:25 So know and understand:

From the issuing of the command ¹⁷  to restore and rebuild

Jerusalem ¹⁸  until an anointed one, a prince arrives, ¹⁹ 

there will be a period of seven weeks ²⁰  and sixty-two weeks.

It will again be built, ²¹  with plaza and moat,

but in distressful times.

Daniel 4:31

4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, ²²  a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, ²³  King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

Daniel 6:8

6:8 Now let the king issue a written interdict ²⁴  so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. ²⁵ 

Daniel 6:15

6:15 Then those men came by collusion to the king and ²⁶  said to him, ²⁷  “Recall, ²⁸  O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed.”

Daniel 9:1

Daniel Prays for His People

9:1 In the first year of Darius ²⁹  son of Ahasuerus, ³⁰  who was of Median descent and who had been ³¹  appointed king over the Babylonian ³²  empire –

Daniel 9:10

9:10 We have not obeyed ³³  the LORD our God by living according to ³⁴  his laws ³⁵  that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

Daniel 9:14

9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just ³⁶  in all he has done, ³⁷  and we have not obeyed him. ³⁸ 

Daniel 12:4

12:4 “But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, ³⁹  and knowledge will increase.”

Daniel 6:12

6:12 So they approached the king and said to him, ⁴⁰  “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct, ⁴¹  according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.”

Daniel 4:17

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ⁴²  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ⁴³ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

Daniel 6:13

6:13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives ⁴⁴  from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.” ⁴⁵ 

Daniel 9:11

9:11 “All Israel has broken ⁴⁶  your law and turned away by not obeying you. ⁴⁷  Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened ⁴⁸  in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. ⁴⁹ 

Daniel 9:27

9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. ⁵⁰ 

But in the middle of that week

he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt.

On the wing ⁵¹  of abominations will come ⁵²  one who destroys,

until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”

Daniel 10:11

10:11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are of great value. ⁵³  Understand the words that I am about to ⁵⁴  speak to you. So stand up, ⁵⁵  for I have now been sent to you.” When he said this ⁵⁶  to me, I stood up shaking.

Daniel 6:7

6:7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays ⁵⁷  to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions.

Daniel 12:13

12:13 But you should go your way ⁵⁸  until the end. ⁵⁹  You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive ⁶⁰  what you have been allotted.” ⁶¹ 

[10:1]  ¹ sn This chapter begins the final unit in the book of Daniel, consisting of chapters 10-12. The traditional chapter divisions to some extent obscure the relationship of these chapters.

[10:1]  ² tc The LXX has “first.”

[10:1]  sn Cyrus’ third year would have been ca. 536 B.C. Daniel would have been approximately eighty-four years old at this time.

[10:1]  ³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צָבָא (tsava’) is uncertain in this context. The word most often refers to an army or warfare. It may also mean “hard service,” and many commentators take that to be the sense here (i.e., “the service was great”). The present translation assumes the reference to be to the spiritual conflicts described, for example, in 10:16–11:1.

[9:23]  ⁴ tn Or “a precious treasure”; KJV “greatly beloved”; NASB, NIV “highly esteemed.”

[9:23]  ⁵ tn This sentence is perhaps a compound hendiadys (“give serious consideration to the revelatory vision”).

[9:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”

[9:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:2]  ⁹ tc This phrase, repeated from v. 1, is absent in Theodotion.

[9:2]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text has “books”; the word “sacred” has been added in the translation to clarify that it is Scriptures that are referred to.

[9:2]  ¹¹ sn The tetragrammaton (the four Hebrew letters which constitute the divine Name, YHWH) appears eight times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the book of Daniel.

[9:2]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:33]  ¹³ tn Aram “hour.”

[4:33]  ¹⁴ tn Or “on.”

[4:33]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “was fulfilled.”

[4:33]  ¹⁶ tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[9:25]  ¹⁷ tn Or “decree” (NASB, NIV); or “word” (NAB, NRSV).

[9:25]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:25]  ¹⁹ tn The word “arrives” is added in the translation for clarification.

[9:25]  ²⁰ tn Heb “sevens” (also later in this line and in v. 26).

[9:25]  sn The accents in the MT indicate disjunction at this point, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to identify the “anointed one/prince” of this verse as messianic. The reference in v. 26 to the sixty-two weeks as a unit favors the MT accentuation, not the traditional translation. If one follows the MT accentuation, one may translate “From the going forth of the message to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks. During a period of sixty-two weeks it will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.” The present translation follows a traditional reading of the passage that deviates from the MT accentuation.

[9:25]  ²¹ tn Heb “it will return and be built.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.

[4:31]  ²² tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”

[4:31]  ²³ tn Aram “to you they say.”

[6:8]  ²⁴ tn Aram “establish a written interdict and inscribe a written decree.”

[6:8]  ²⁵ tn Or “removed.”

[6:15]  ²⁶ tc Theodotion lacks the words “came by collusion to the king and.”

[6:15]  ²⁷ tn Aram “the king.”

[6:15]  ²⁸ tn Aram “know”; NAB “Keep in mind”; NASB “Recognize”; NIV, NCV “Remember.”

[9:1]  ²⁹ sn The identity of this Darius is a major problem in correlating the biblical material with the extra-biblical records of this period. Most modern scholars treat the reference as a mistaken allusion to Darius Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 B.C.). Others have maintained instead that this name is a reference to the Persian governor Gubaru. Still others understand the reference to be to the Persian king Cyrus (cf. 6:28, where the vav (ו) may be understood as vav explicativum, meaning “even”). Under either of these latter two interpretations, the first year of Darius would have been ca. 538 B.C. Daniel would have been approximately eighty-two years old at this time.

[9:1]  ³⁰ tc The LXX reads “Xerxes.” This is the reading used by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV). Most other English versions retain the Hebrew name “Ahasuerus.”

[9:1]  ³¹ tc The present translation follows the MT in reading a Hophal (i.e., passive). Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate all presuppose the Hiphil (i.e., active). Even though this is the only occurrence of the Hophal of this verb in the Bible, there is no need to emend the vocalization to the Hiphil.

[9:1]  ³² tn Heb “was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.”

[9:10]  ³³ tn Heb “paid attention to the voice of,” which is an idiomatic expression for obedience (cf. NASB “nor have we obeyed the voice of”).

[9:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “to walk in.”

[9:10]  ³⁵ tc The LXX and Vulgate have the singular.

[9:14]  ³⁶ tn Or “righteous.”

[9:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “in all his deeds which he has done.”

[9:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “we have not listened to his voice.”

[12:4]  ³⁹ tn Or “will run back and forth”; KJV “shall run to and fro”; NIV “will go here and there”; CEV “will go everywhere.”

[12:4]  sn Many will dash about is probably an allusion to Amos 8:12.

[6:12]  ⁴⁰ tc The MT also has “about the edict of the king,” but this phrase is absent in the LXX and the Syriac. The present translation deletes the expression.

[6:12]  tn Aram “before the king.”

[6:12]  ⁴¹ tn Aram “the word is true.”

[4:17]  ⁴² tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

[4:17]  ⁴³ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

[6:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”

[6:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Aram “prays his prayer.”

[9:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.

[9:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”

[9:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see Deut 28) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21; Neh 10:29) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.

[9:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “him.”

[9:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “one seven” (also later in this line).

[9:27]  ⁵¹ tn The referent of the Hebrew word כְּנַף (kÿnaf, “wing”) is unclear here. The LXX and Theodotion have “the temple.” Some English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV) take this to mean “a wing of the temple,” but this is not clear.

[9:27]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew text does not have this verb, but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[10:11]  ⁵³ tn Or “a treasured person”; KJV “a man greatly beloved”; NASB “man of high esteem.”

[10:11]  ⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew participle is often used, as here, to refer to the imminent future.

[10:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “stand upon your standing.”

[10:11]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “spoke this word.”

[6:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Aram “prays a prayer.”

[12:13]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “your way” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[12:13]  ⁵⁹ tc The LXX lacks “until the end.”

[12:13]  ⁶⁰ tn The word “receive” is added in the translation for clarification.

[12:13]  ⁶¹ 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.