translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DAN

label: NET textual note

text: The LXX has “first.” sn Cyrus’ third year would have been ca. 536 B.C . Daniel would have been approximately eighty-four years old at this time.


label: NET translator note

text: The meaning of the Hebrew word צָבָא ( tsava ’) is uncertain in this context. The word most often refers to an army or warfare. It may also mean “hard service,” and many commentators take that to be the sense here (i.e., “the service was great”). The present translation assumes the reference to be to the spiritual conflicts described, for example, in 10:16 – 11:1 .


text: Heb “three weeks of days.” The inclusion of “days” here and in v. 3 is perhaps intended to call attention to the fact that these weeks are very different in nature from those of chap. , which are “weeks of years.”


text: Heb “mouth.”


text: The Hebrew text has חִדָּקֶל ( hiddaqel ). “Tigris” appears here in the LXX, since it is the Greek name for this river. Elsewhere in the OT “the great river” refers to the Euphrates (e.g., Gen 15:18 ; Josh 1:4 ), leading some interpreters to think that a mistake is involved in using the expression to refer to the Tigris. But it is doubtful that the expression had such a fixed and limited usage. The Syriac, however, does render the word here by “Euphrates” (Syr. perat ) in keeping with biblical usage elsewhere.


text: Heb “I lifted up my eyes.”


text: Heb “one.” The Hebrew numerical adjective is used here like an English indefinite article.


text: The Hebrew word בַּדִּים ( baddim ) is a plural of extension. See GKC 396-97 §124. a , b , c and Joüon 2:500 §136.c.


text: The location of this place and even the exact form of the Hebrew name אוּפָז (’ ufaz ) are uncertain. Apparently it was a source for pure gold. (See Jer 10:9 .) The Hebrew word פָז ( paz , “refined gold” or “pure gold”) is more common in the OT than אוּפָז , and some scholars emend the text of Dan 10:5 to read this word. Cf. also “Ophir” ( 1 Kgs 9:28 ; Isa 13:12 ; Job 22:24; 28:16 ).


text: The Hebrew word translated “yellow jasper” is תַּרשִׁישׁ ( tarshish ); it appears to be a semiprecious stone, but its exact identity is somewhat uncertain. It may be the yellow jasper, although this is conjectural. Cf. NAB, NIV “chrysolite”; NASB, NRSV “beryl.”


text: Heb “torches of fire.”


text: Heb “The sound of his words” (cf. v. 9 ).


text: Heb “the vision.”


text: Heb “great trembling fell on them.”


text: Heb “did not remain in.”


text: Heb “was changed upon me for ruin.”


text: Heb “strength.”


text: Heb “I heard the sound of his words.” These words are absent in the LXX and the Syriac.


text: Heb “as I listened to the sound of his words.”


text: Heb “Behold.”


text: Theodotion lacks “and the palms of my hands.” tn Heb “on my knees and the palms of my hands.”


text: Or “a treasured person”; KJV “a man greatly beloved”; NASB “man of high esteem.”


text: The Hebrew participle is often used, as here, to refer to the imminent future.


text: Heb “stand upon your standing.”


text: Heb “spoke this word.”


text: Heb “gave your heart.”


text: Heb “and behold.”


text: The Greek version of Theodotion reads “I left him [i.e., Michael] there,” and this is followed by a number of English translations (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT).


text: Heb “speaking to me according to these words.”


text: Heb “I placed my face toward.”


text: So most Hebrew MSS ; one Hebrew MS along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX read “something that looked like a man’s hand.”


text: Heb “my lord,” here a title of polite address. Cf. v. 19 .


text: Heb “How is the servant of this my lord able to speak with this my lord?”


text: Heb “does not stand.”


text: Heb “He added and touched me.” The construction is a verbal hendiadys.


text: Heb “treasured man.”


text: Heb “my lord may speak.”


text: 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.


text: The word “princes” is supplied for clarity.


text: The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, suggesting that Michael is the angelic prince of Daniel and his people.