Daniel 1:19

1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group¹ anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.²

Daniel 2:2

2:2 The king issued an order³ to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men⁴ in order to explain his dreams to him.⁵ So they came and awaited the king’s instructions.⁶

Daniel 2:11

2:11 What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!”⁷

Daniel 2:25

2:25 So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king’s presence, saying to him, “I⁸ have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king.”

Daniel 2:49

2:49 And at Daniel’s request, the king⁹ appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel himself served in the king’s court.¹⁰

Daniel 4:31

4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips,¹¹ a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you,¹² King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

Daniel 5:10

5:10 Due to the noise¹³ caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother¹⁴ then entered the banquet room. She¹⁵ said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken!

Daniel 5:17

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall

5:17 But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its¹⁶ interpretation.

Daniel 6:13

6:13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives¹⁷ from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.”¹⁸

Daniel 6:16

6:16 So the king gave the order,¹⁹ and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den²⁰ of lions. The king consoled²¹ Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!”

Daniel 11:11

11:11 “Then the king of the south²² will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand.

¹tn Heb “from all of them.”

²tn Heb “stood before the king.”

³tn Heb “said.” So also in v. 12.

⁴tn Heb “Chaldeans.” The term Chaldeans (Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּים, kasdim) is used in the book of Daniel both in an ethnic sense and, as here, to refer to a caste of Babylonian wise men and astrologers.

⁵tn Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”

⁶tn Heb “stood before the king.”

⁷tn Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

⁸sn Arioch’s claim is self-serving and exaggerated. It is Daniel who came to him, and not the other way around. By claiming to have found one capable of solving the king’s dilemma, Arioch probably hoped to ingratiate himself to the king.

⁹tn Aram “and Daniel sought from the king and he appointed.”

¹⁰tn Aram “was at the gate of the king.”

¹¹tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”

¹²tn Aram “to you they say.”

¹³tn Aram “words of the king.”

¹⁴tn Aram “the queen” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). In the following discourse this woman is able to recall things about Daniel that go back to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, things that Belshazzar does not seem to recollect. It is likely that she was the wife not of Belshazzar but of Nabonidus or perhaps even Nebuchadnezzar. In that case, “queen” here means “queen mother” (cf. NCV “the king’s mother”).

¹⁵tn Aram “The queen.” The translation has used the pronoun “she” instead because repetition of the noun here would be redundant in terms of English style.

¹⁶tn Or “the.”

¹⁷tn Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”

¹⁸tn Aram “prays his prayer.”

¹⁹tn Aram “said.” So also in vv. 24, 25.

²⁰sn The den was perhaps a pit below ground level which could be safely observed from above.

²¹tn Aram “answered and said [to Daniel].”

²²sn This king of the south refers to Ptolemy IV Philopator (ca. 221-204 B.C.).