Daniel 1:3

1:3 The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent

Daniel 2:13

2:13 So a decree went out, and the wise men were about to be executed. They also sought Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed.

Daniel 2:46

2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed down with his face to the ground and paid homage to Daniel. He gave orders to offer sacrifice and incense to him.

Daniel 3:20

3:20 He ordered strong soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.

Daniel 5:1

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

5:1 King Belshazzar 10  prepared a great banquet 11  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of 12  them all. 13 

Daniel 5:29

5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, 14  Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel 6:5

6:5 So these men concluded, 15  “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is 16  in connection with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:11

6:11 Then those officials who had gone to the king 17  came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God.

Daniel 6:18

6:18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions 18  were brought to him. He was unable to sleep. 19 

Daniel 8:12

8:12 The army was given over, 20  along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of his sinful rebellion. 21  It hurled 22  truth 23  to the ground and enjoyed success. 24 

Daniel 10:5

10:5 I looked up 25  and saw a 26  man 27  clothed in linen; 28  around his waist was a belt made of gold from Upaz. 29 

Daniel 10:9

10:9 I listened to his voice, 30  and as I did so 31  I fell into a trance-like sleep with my face to the ground.

Daniel 11:9

11:9 Then the king of the north 32  will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land.

Daniel 11:26

11:26 Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; 33  many will be killed in battle.

Daniel 11:31

11:31 His forces 34  will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, 35  stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up 36  the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 11:38

11:38 What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities.

tn Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”

sn It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all, but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), 127, n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.

sn The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see HALOT 769-70 s.v. סָרֹיס.

tn Heb “bring.”

tn Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”

tn The Aramaic participle is used here to express the imminent future.

tn The impersonal active plural (“they sought”) of the Aramaic verb could also be translated as an English passive: “Daniel and his friends were sought” (cf. NAB).

tn Aram “fell on his face.”

tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”

10 sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 B.C.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant.

11 sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.

12 sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.

13 tn Aram “the thousand.”

14 tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”

15 tn Aram “were saying.”

16 tn Aram “unless we find [it] against him.”

17 tn Aram “those men”; the referent (the administrative officials who had earlier approached the king about the edict) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

18 tn The meaning of Aramaic דַּחֲוָה (dakhavah) is a crux interpretum. Suggestions include “music,” “dancing girls,” “concubines,” “table,” “food” – all of which are uncertain. The translation employed here, suggested by earlier scholars, is deliberately vague. A number of recent English versions follow a similar approach with “entertainment” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). On this word see further, HALOT 1849-50 s.v.; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 37.

19 tn Aram “his sleep fled from him.”

20 tc The present translation reads וּצְבָאָהּ נִתַּן (utsÿvaah nittan) for the MT וְצָבָא תִּנָּתֵן (vÿtsavatinnaten). The context suggests a perfect rather than an imperfect verb.

21 tn Heb “in (the course of) rebellion.” The meaning of the phrase is difficult to determine. It could mean “due to rebellion,” referring to the failures of the Jews, but this is not likely since it is not a point made elsewhere in the book. The phrase more probably refers to the rebellion against God and the atrocities against the Jews epitomized by Antiochus.

22 tc Two medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX have a passive verb here: “truth was hurled to the ground” (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV).

23 sn Truth here probably refers to the Torah. According to 1 Macc 1:56, Antiochus initiated destruction of the sacred books of the Jews.

24 tn Heb “it acted and prospered.”

25 tn Heb “I lifted up my eyes.”

26 tn Heb “one.” The Hebrew numerical adjective is used here like an English indefinite article.

27 sn The identity of the messenger is not specifically disclosed. Presumably he is an unnamed angel. Some interpreters identify him as Gabriel, but there is no adequate reason for doing so.

28 tn The Hebrew word בַּדִּים (baddim) is a plural of extension. See GKC 396-97 §124.a, b, c and Joüon 2:500 §136.c.

29 tn The location of this place and even the exact form of the Hebrew name אוּפָז (’ufaz) are uncertain. Apparently it was a source for pure gold. (See Jer 10:9.) The Hebrew word פָז (paz, “refined gold” or “pure gold”) is more common in the OT than אוּפָז, and some scholars emend the text of Dan 10:5 to read this word. Cf. also “Ophir” (1 Kgs 9:28; Isa 13:12; Job 22:24; 28:16).

30 tc Heb “I heard the sound of his words.” These words are absent in the LXX and the Syriac.

31 tn Heb “as I listened to the sound of his words.”

32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

33 tc The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף (yishatef, passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף (yishtof, active).

34 tn Heb “arms.”

35 tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”

36 tn Heb “will give.”