translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DAN

label: NET translator note

text: Aram “saw.”


text: Aram “and visions of his head.” The Aramaic is difficult here. Some scholars add a verb thought to be missing (e.g., “the visions of his head [were alarming him]”), but there is no external evidence to support such a decision and the awkwardness of the text at this point may be original.


text: Aram “head of words.” The phrase is absent in Theodotion. Cf. NIV “the substance of his dream.”


text: Aram “answered and said.”


text: Aram “and behold.”


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


text: Aram “heart of a man.”


label: NET textual note

text: The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”


text: Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”


text: Aram “this.” So also in v. 7 .


text: Aram “and behold, another one.”


text: Or “sides.”


text: The Aramaic text has also “and behold.” So also in vv. 8, 13 .


text: The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.


text: Aram “were uprooted from before it.”


text: Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20 .


text: Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers. Cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God.”


text: Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא ( nÿqe ’) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqya ’ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word see further, M. Sokoloff, “’ amar neqe ’, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ ( Dan 7:9 ),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.


text: Aram “a flaming fire.”


text: Aram “were standing before him.”


text: Aram “judgment sat.”


text: The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.


text: Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).


text: Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”


text: The LXX has ἐπί ( epi , “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64 ). Theodotion has μετά ( meta , “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62 ; Rev 1:7 ).


text: Aram “they brought him near.”


text: Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”


text: Aram “is an eternal authority which will not pass away.”


text: Aram “is one which will not be destroyed.”


text: The Aramaic text includes the phrase “in its sheath,” apparently viewing the body as a container or receptacle for the spirit somewhat like a sheath or scabbard is for a knife or a sword (cf. NAB “within its sheath of flesh”). For this phrase the LXX and Vulgate have “in these things.”


text: Aram “head.”


text: Aram “what is certain.”


text: Aram “and made known.”


text: Aram “matter,” but the matter at hand is of course the vision.


text: Aram “to make certain.”


text: The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.


text: Aram “greater than its companions.”


text: Aram “prevailing against” (KJV and ASV both similar); NASB “overpowering them”; TEV “conquered them.”


text: In the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate the verb is active, understanding “judgment” to be the object rather than the subject of the verb (i.e., “the Ancient of Days rendered judgment”). This presupposes a different vocalization of the verb ( יְהַב [ yÿhav ] rather than the MT יְהִב [ yÿhiv ]).


text: Aram “thus he said.”


text: Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”


text: Aram “wear out” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB, NLT “wear down.” The word is a hapax legomenon in biblical Aramaic, but in biblical Hebrew it especially refers to wearing out such things as garments. Here it is translated “harass…continually.”


text: Aram “he will think.”


text: Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.


text: Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).


text: If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” See 8:24 for the corresponding Hebrew phrase and the note there.


text: Aram “my brightness was changing on me.”


text: Aram “in my heart.”