Daniel 2:4
ContextNET © | 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.” |
NIV © | Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." |
NASB © | Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation." |
NLT © | Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means." |
MSG © | The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it." |
BBE © | Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in the Aramaean language, O King, have life for ever: give your servants an account of your dream, and we will make clear to you the sense of it. |
NRSV © | The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic), "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation." |
NKJV © | Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation." |
KJV | |
NASB © | |
HEBREW | |
LXXM | |
NET © [draft] ITL | |
NET © | 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.” |
NET © Notes |
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.” |