translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DAN

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “rich with great riches.”


text: The text is difficult. The Hebrew has here אֶת (’ et ), the marker of a definite direct object. As it stands, this would suggest the meaning that “he will arouse everyone, that is, the kingdom of Greece.” The context, however, seems to suggest the idea that this Persian king will arouse in hostility against Greece the constituent elements of his own empire. This requires supplying the word “against,” which is not actually present in the Hebrew text.


text: Heb “and when he stands.”


text: Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם ( shamayim ) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.


text: Heb “princes.”


text: Heb “and he”; the referent (the subordinate prince mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “be strong against.”


text: Heb “greater than his kingdom.”


text: Heb “the strength of the arm.”


text: Heb “stand.” So also in vv. 7, 8, 11, 13 .


text: Heb “and his arm.” Some understand this to refer to the descendants of the king of the north.


label: NET textual note

text: The present translation reads יַלְדָּה ( yaldah , “her child”) rather than the MT יֹלְדָהּ ( yolÿdah , “the one who begot her”). Cf. Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate.


text: Heb “the stock of her roots.” sn The reference to one from her family line is probably to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (ca. 246-221 B.C. ).


text: Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”


text: The Hebrew preposition מִן ( min ) is used here with the verb עָמַד (’ amad , “to stand”). It probably has a sense of separation (“stand away from ”), although it may also be understood in an adversative sense (“stand against ”).


text: Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “his”; the referent (the enemy of the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “and he will certainly come and overflow and cross over and return and be aroused unto a fortress.” The translation has attempted to simplify the syntax of this difficult sequence.


text: Heb “his heart will be lifted up.” The referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “cause to fall.”


text: Heb “of myriads.”


text: Heb “stand against.”


text: Heb “sons of violence.” “Son(s) is sometimes used idiomatically in Hebrew to indicate that someone is characterized by a certain quality. So the expression “sons of violence” means that these individuals will be characterized by violent deeds.


text: Heb “to cause to stand.”


text: Or “choice troops” (BDB 104 s.v. מִבְחָר ), or “elite troops” ( HALOT 542 s.v. מִבְחָר ).


text: Heb “hand.”


text: Heb “and he will set his face.” Cf. vv. 18, 19 .


text: The present translation reads מֵישָׁרִים ( mesharim , “alliances”) for the MT וִישָׁרִים ( viysharim , “uprightness”).


text: Heb “him”; the referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “the daughter of the women.” sn The daughter refers to Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy V.


text: Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.


text: The Hebrew here is difficult in that the negative בִּלְתִּי ( biltiy , “not”) is used in an unusual way. The sense is not entirely clear.


text: Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”


text: Heb “on his place.”


text: Heb “broken” or “shattered.”


text: Heb “arms.”


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


text: The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “a prince of the covenant.”


text: The preposition מִן ( min ) is probably temporal here (so BDB 583 s.v. 7 .c; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), although it could also be understood here as indicating means (so J. Goldingay, Daniel [WBC], 279, n. 23a; cf. TEV, NLT).


text: Heb “nation.”


text: Heb “and unto a time.”


text: Heb “heart.”


text: The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף ( yishatef , passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף ( yishtof , active).


text: Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28 .


text: Heb “speak.”


text: Heb “show regard for.”


text: Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”


text: Heb “will give.”


text: Or “corrupt.”


text: Heb “acted wickedly toward.”


text: 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.


text: Heb “the many.”


text: Heb “stumble.”


text: Or “by burning.”


text: Heb “days.”


text: The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.


text: Heb “consider.”


text: Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “act against.”


text: Heb “with.”


text: Or perhaps “for a reward.”


text: Heb “engage in thrusting.”


text: The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.


text: Heb “many ships.”


text: This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.


text: Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”


text: This can be understood as “many people” (cf. NRSV) or “many countries” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).


text: Heb “be delivered from his hand.”


text: Heb “hand.”


text: Or “Nubians” (NIV, NCV); Heb “Cushites.”


text: Heb “Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps.”