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 ¹  dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. ²  Now summon ³  Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

Daniel 7:5

7:5 “Then ⁴  a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs ⁵  in its mouth between its teeth. ⁶  It was told, ⁷  ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’

[5:12]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Aram “to loose knots.”

[5:12]  ³ tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”

[7:5]  ⁴ tn Aram “and behold.”

[7:5]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”

[7:5]  ⁷ tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”