translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DAN

label: NET translator note

text: Aram “the thousand.”


text: Or perhaps, “when he had tasted” (cf. NASB) in the sense of officially initiating the commencement of the banquet. The translation above seems preferable, however, given the clear evidence of inebriation in the context (cf. also CEV “he got drunk and ordered”).


text: Or “ancestor”; or “predecessor” (also in vv. 11, 13, 18 ). The Aramaic word translated “father” can on occasion denote these other relationships.


text: Or “taken.”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


label: NET textual note

text: The present translation reads וְכַסְפָּא ( vÿkhaspa ’, “and the silver”) with Theodotion and the Vulgate. Cf. v. 2 . The form was probably accidentally dropped from the Aramaic text by homoioteleuton.


text: Aram “the temple of the house of God.” The phrase seems rather awkward. The Vulgate lacks “of the house of God,” while Theodotion and the Syriac lack “the house.”


text: Aram “came forth.”


text: While Aramaic פַּס ( pas ) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended.


text: Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”


text: Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”


text: Aram “his loins went slack.”


text: Aram “in strength.”


text: Aram “cause to enter.”


text: Aram “answered and said.”


text: The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).


text: Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ ( ufishreh ) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא ( ufishra ’) of the Kethib .


text: Aram “his visage altered upon him.” So also in v. 10 .


text: Aram “words of the king.”


text: Aram “the queen” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). In the following discourse this woman is able to recall things about Daniel that go back to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, things that Belshazzar does not seem to recollect. It is likely that she was the wife not of Belshazzar but of Nabonidus or perhaps even Nebuchadnezzar. In that case, “queen” here means “queen mother” (cf. NCV “the king’s mother”).


text: Aram “The queen.” The translation has used the pronoun “she” instead because repetition of the noun here would be redundant in terms of English style.


text: Aram “[there were] discovered to be in him.”


text: Aram “wisdom like the wisdom.” This would be redundant in terms of English style.


text: Theodotion lacks the phrase “and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods.”


text: The MT includes a redundant reference to “your father the king” at the end of v. 11 . None of the attempts to explain this phrase as original are very convincing. The present translation deletes the phrase, following Theodotion and the Syriac.


text: The translation reads מִפְשַׁר ( mifshar ) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר ( mÿfashar ) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא ( mishre ’) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא ( mÿshare ’). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause.


text: Aram “to loose knots.”


text: Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”


text: Aram “there has been found in you.”


text: The Aramaic text does not have “and.” The term “astrologers” is either an appositive for “wise men” (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV), or the construction is to be understood as asyndetic (so the translation above).


text: The Aramaic text has also the words “about you.”


text: Or perhaps “one of three rulers,” in the sense of becoming part of a triumvir. So also v. 29 .


text: Or “the.”


text: Or “royal greatness and majestic honor,” if the four terms are understood as a double hendiadys.


text: Aram “were trembling and fearing.” This can be treated as a hendiadys, “were trembling with fear.”


text: Aram “let live.” This Aramaic form is the aphel participle of חַיָה ( khayah , “to live”). Theodotion and the Vulgate mistakenly take the form to be from מְחָא ( mÿkha ’, “to smite”).


text: Aram “heart.”


text: Aram “his dwelling.”


text: Or “descendant”; or “successor.”


text: Aram “your heart.”


text: Aram “which.”


text: Aram “in whose hand [are].”


text: The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the repetition of מְנֵא ( mÿne ’, cf. NAB).


text: The Aramaic word is plural. Theodotion has the singular (cf. NAB “ PERES ”).


text: Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה .


text: 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.”


text: Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”


text: Aram “king of the Chaldeans.”