2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed down with his face to the ground 3 and paid homage to Daniel. He gave orders to offer sacrifice and incense to him.
1 tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.
2 sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
3 tn Aram “fell on his face.”
4 tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”
5 tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”
6 tn Aram “his loins went slack.”