Discovery BoxDaniel 2:4 
Context2:4 The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic 1 ] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its 2 interpretation.”
Daniel 4:26
Context4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven 3 rules.
Daniel 5:26
Context5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: 4 As for mene 5 – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end.
Daniel 9:5
Context9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards.
Daniel 10:14
Context10:14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days.”
Daniel 10:21
Context10:21 However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. 6 (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, 7 except Michael your 8 prince.
1 sn Contrary to common belief, the point here is not that the wise men (Chaldeans) replied to the king in the Aramaic language, or that this language was uniquely the language of the Chaldeans. It was this view that led in the past to Aramaic being referred to as “Chaldee.” Aramaic was used as a lingua franca during this period; its origins and usage were not restricted to the Babylonians. Rather, this phrase is better understood as an editorial note (cf. NAB) marking the fact that from 2:4b through 7:28 the language of the book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. In 8:1, and for the remainder of the book, the language returns to Hebrew. Various views have been advanced to account for this change of language, most of which are unconvincing. Most likely the change in language is a reflection of stages in the transmission history of the book of Daniel.
2 tn Or “the.”
3 sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).
4 tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה.
5 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.”
6 tn Heb “a book of truth.” Several English versions treat this as a title of some sort (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although the NAB’s rendering “the truthful book” regards “truth” as an attributive adjective, as does the present translation.
7 tn The word “princes” is supplied for clarity.
8 tn The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, suggesting that Michael is the angelic prince of Daniel and his people.
