Daniel 2:15-16

2:15 He inquired of Arioch the king’s deputy, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” ¹  Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 2:16 So Daniel went in and ²  requested the king to grant him time, that he might disclose the interpretation to the king.

Daniel 2:46

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.

Daniel 3:20

3:20 He ordered strong ⁴  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 ⁵  prepared a great banquet ⁶  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of ⁷  them all. ⁸ 

Daniel 5:6

5:6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face ⁹  and he became alarmed. ¹⁰  The joints of his hips gave way, ¹¹  and his knees began knocking together.

Daniel 5:20

5:20 And when his mind ¹²  became arrogant ¹³  and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him.

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 9:10

9:10 We have not obeyed ¹⁵  the LORD our God by living according to ¹⁶  his laws ¹⁷  that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

Daniel 11:29

11:29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did.

Daniel 11:32

11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile ¹⁸  those who have rejected ¹⁹  the covenant. But the people who are loyal to ²⁰  their God will act valiantly. ²¹ 

Daniel 11:43-44

11:43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians ²²  will submit to him. ²³  11:44 But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many.

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¹ tn The Aramaic word מְהַחְצְפָה (mÿhakhtsÿfah) may refer to the severity of the king’s decree (i.e., “harsh”; so HALOT 1879 s.v. חצף; BDB 1093 s.v. חֲצַף), although it would seem that in a delicate situation such as this Daniel would avoid this kind of criticism of the king’s actions. The translation above understands the word to refer to the immediacy, not harshness, of the decree. See further, F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 50, §116; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 67.

² tc Theodotion and the Syriac lack the words “went in and.”

³ tn Aram “fell on his face.”

⁴ tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.

⁷ sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.

⁸ tn Aram “the thousand.”

⁹ tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”

¹⁰ tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”

¹¹ tn Aram “his loins went slack.”

¹² tn Aram “heart.”

¹³ sn The point of describing Nebuchadnezzar as arrogant is that he had usurped divine prerogatives, and because of his immense arrogance God had dealt decisively with him.

¹⁴ tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “paid attention to the voice of,” which is an idiomatic expression for obedience (cf. NASB “nor have we obeyed the voice of”).

¹⁶ tn Heb “to walk in.”

¹⁷ tc The LXX and Vulgate have the singular.

¹⁸ tn Or “corrupt.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”

²⁰ tn Heb “know.” The term “know” sometimes means “to recognize.” In relational contexts it can have the connotation “recognize the authority of, be loyal to,” as it does here.

²¹ sn This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century B.C.

²² tn Or “Nubians” (NIV, NCV); Heb “Cushites.”

²³ tn Heb “Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps.”