¹ tn Aram “Daniel answered and said.”

² sn As is often the case in the Bible, here the name represents the person.

³ tn Or “blessed.”

⁴ tn The Aramaic verb רְגַשׁ (rÿgash) occurs three times in this chapter (vv. 7, 12, 16). Its meaning is widely disputed by commentators, and the versions vary considerably in how they render the word. The suggestion that it means “to come thronging” (BDB 1112 s.v.; cf. NAB) seems inappropriate, since it is unlikely that subordinates would enter a royal court in such a reckless fashion. The ancient versions struggled with the word and are not in agreement in their understanding of its meaning. In this chapter the word apparently means to act in agreement with other parties in the pursuit of a duplicitous goal, namely the entrapment of Daniel. Cf. NIV, NCV “went as a group”; NRSV “conspired and came to the king.”

⁵ tn Aram “thus they were saying.”

⁶ tn Heb “arms.”

⁷ tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).

⁸ tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.

⁹ tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”