¹ tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”

² tn Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.

³ tn The Aramaic infinitive is active.

⁴ tn Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.

⁵ tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה.

⁶ tn The Aramaic term מְנֵא (mÿne’) is a noun referring to a measure of weight. The linkage here to the verb “to number” (Aram. מְנָה, mÿnah) is a case of paronomasia rather than strict etymology. So also with תְּקֵל (tÿqel) and פַרְסִין (farsin). In the latter case there is an obvious wordplay with the name “Persian.”

⁷ 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.

⁸ tn Aram “his sleep fled from him.”