Heb “and you multiplied against me your words.” The Hebrew verb occurs only here and in Prov 27:6 , where it refers to the “excessive” kisses of an enemy. The basic idea of the verb appears to be “to be abundant.” Here it occurs in the causative (Hiphil) stem.


Or “high places.”


Heb “lip of the tongue.”


Heb “I lifted up my hand.”


Heb “they draw near to arrive.”


Heb “I (am) toward you.”


Heb “I will multiply on you human(s).”


Heb “your beginning.”


Heb “cause you to hear.”


The MT reads תַכְשִׁלִי ( takhshiliy ), a metathesis for תַשְׁכִלִי ( tashkhiliy ) from the root שָׁכַל ( shakhal ) which is used in each of the previous verses.


Heb “way.”


Heb “name.”


Or “sanctify,” Heb “make holy.”


Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.


Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27 , the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.


Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.


Heb “ways.”


Heb “Let it be known.”


The Niphal verb may have a tolerative function here, “Again (for) this I will allow myself to be sought by the house of Israel to act for them.” Or it may be reflexive: “I will reveal myself to the house of Israel by doing this also.”


Or “power.” sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God ( 3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1 ).


Heb “caused me to rest.”


Heb “and he made me pass over them, around, around.”


The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and is here translated as “I realized” because it results from Ezekiel’s recognition of the situation around him. In Hebrew, the exclamation is repeated in the following sentence.


Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.”


The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8 , the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17 ; and Jer 48:4 .


Or “a spirit.”


The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.


Heb “came up.”


Or “spirit.”


Or “spirit,” and several times in this verse.


Or “spirit.” This is likely an allusion to and God’s breath which creates life.


Heb “bring near.”


Heb “one to one for you for one stick.”


Heb “the sons of your people.”


Heb “I will place them on it, that is, on the stick of Judah.”


Heb “their dwellings.” The text as it stands does not make sense. Based on the LXX, a slight emendation of two vowels, including a mater , yields the reading “from their turning,” a reference here to their turning from God and deviating from his commandments. See BDB 1000 s.v. מְשׁוּבָה , and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:407.


Heb “walk [in].”


Heb “and my statutes they will guard and they will do them.”


Heb “give them.”


Heb “set your face against.”


Heb “the prince, the chief of Meshech and Tubal.” Some translate “the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal,” but it is more likely that the Hebrew noun in question is a common noun in apposition to “prince,” rather than a proper name. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:434-35. As Block demonstrates, attempts by some popular writers to identify these proper names with later geographical sites in Russia are anachronistic. See as well E. Yamauchi, Foes From the Northern Frontier , 19-27. sn Meshech and Tubal were two nations in Cappadocia of Asia Minor. They were also sons of Japheth ( Gen 10:2 ; 1 Chr 1:5 ).


Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘ h!nn#n' ?l?K> ,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.


D. I. Block prefers to see the Hebrew word as referring here to a western ally of Egypt or as an alternative spelling for Pathros, that is, Upper Egypt. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:439-40.


The words “they are joined by” are added in the translation for purposes of English style.


The second person singular verbal and pronominal forms in the Hebrew text indicate that Gog is addressed here.


Heb “from the sword.”


Heb “it.”


Heb “go up.”


Heb “words will go up upon your heart.”


Heb “go up against.”


Heb “come (to).”


Heb “to turn your hand against.”


The Hebrew term occurs elsewhere only in Judg 9:37 . Perhaps it means “high point, top.”


Heb “young lions.”


The Hebrew text is framed as a rhetorical question: “will you not take notice?”


Heb “come up.”


Or “reveal my holiness.”


Heb “by the hand of my servants.”


The Hebrew text adds “years” here, but this is probably a scribal gloss on the preceding phrase. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:201.


Heb “goes up against.”


Or “shaking.”


Or “tremble.”


The term occurs only here and in Song of Songs 2:14 .


Heb “against.”


Heb “him”; the referent (Gog, cf. v. 18 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT. An apparent cognate in the Ethiopic language means “walk along.” For a discussion of the research on this verb, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:460.


Heb “burn and kindle the weapons.”


Two different types of shields are specified in the Hebrew text.


Heb “they will not carry.”


Heb “loot their looters and plunder their plunderers.”


The name means “horde of Gog.”


Heb “the house of Israel.”


Heb “name.”


Heb “men of perpetuity.”


Heb “and bury the travelers and those who remain on the surface of the ground.” The reference to “travelers” seems odd and is omitted in the LXX. It is probably an accidental duplication (see v. 11 ).


Heb “as the scouts scout.”


That is, the aforementioned bone.


This name appears to be a feminine form of the word “horde,” used in the name Hamon-Gog.


Or “sacrifice” (so also in the rest of this verse).


Heb “chariots.”


Or “my glory.”


Heb “my hand which I have placed.”


Or “in their punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9 . The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.


Heb “cause to return.”


Heb “there,” referring to the foreign nations to which they were exiled. The translation makes the referent clear.


April 19, 573 b.c .


Or “power.” sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God ( 3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1 ).


The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel ( 1:1; 8:3; 40:2 ).


The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2 .


The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.


Heb “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your mind on.”


Heb “in order to show (it) to you.”


Heb “house.”


Heb “a measuring stick of six cubits, [each] a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Therefore the measuring stick in the man’s hand was 10.5 feet (3.15 meters) long. Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.


Heb “building.”


Heb “one rod [or “reed”]” (also a second time in this verse, twice in v. 6 , three times in v. 7 , and once in v. 8 ).


The Hebrew text adds “the one threshold 10½ feet deep.” This is probably an accidental duplication of what precedes. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:517.


Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters) according to the “long” cubit. See the note on the first occurrence of the phrase “10½ feet” in v. 5 .


Heb “eight cubits” (i.e., 4.2 meters).


Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).


Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).


Heb “thirteen cubits” (i.e., 6.825 meters).


Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).


Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).


Heb “twenty-five cubits” (i.e., 13.125 meters).


Heb “made.”


The MT reads “jambs” which does not make sense in context. Supposing a confusion of yod for vav , the text may be emended to read “porch.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:518.


Heb “sixty cubits” (i.e., 31.5 meters).


The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for sense.


Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).


Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).


Heb “as these windows.”


Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).


The LXX reads “porches.”


The MT reads “jambs of the gates” which does not make sense in a context discussing one chamber. The emendation to “porch” is similar to v. 14 . See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:530.


Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).


This reading is supported by the Aramaic Targum. The LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac read “shelves” or some type of projection.


Heb “one handbreadth” (7.5 cm).


“One” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied for clarity in the translation.


This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”


Heb “the house.”


Heb “one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, a square” (i.e., 52.5 meters by 52.5 meters).


The LXX reads “fourteen cubits” (i.e., 7.35 meters). See following note.


The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “the width of the gate was three cubits,” the omission due to haplography. tn Or “sidewalls.”


Heb “three cubits” (i.e., 1.575 meters).


Heb “twenty cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).


Heb “eleven cubits” (i.e., 5.775 meters).


The LXX reads “ten steps.”


Heb “six cubits” (i.e., 3.15 meters).


Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).


Heb “five cubits” (i.e., 2.625 meters).


Heb “forty cubits” (i.e., 21 meters).


Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).


Heb “seven cubits” (i.e., 3.675 meters).


Heb “house” throughout .


Heb “four cubits” (2.1 meters).


The Hebrew is difficult here. The Targum envisions a winding ramp or set of stairs, which entails reading the first word as a noun rather than a verb and reading the second word also not as a verb, supposing that an initial mem has been read as vav and nun . See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:549.


The Hebrew term occurs only here in the OT.


Heb “reed.”


Heb “seventy cubits” (36.75 meters).


Heb “ninety cubits” (i.e., 47.25 meters).


Some Hebrew mss read “and its outer court.”


The LXX does not have the word “by measurements.” The word may be a technical term referring to carpentry technique, the exact meaning of which is unclear.


So the Masoretic text. The LXX reads “base.”


Heb “turning” leaves.


Or “railings.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:218.


Heb “one hundred cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).


Heb “the door of the north.”


Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).


Heb “ten cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).


Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). The LXX and the Syriac read “one hundred cubits” (= 175 feet).


The phrase “upper chambers” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.


The reading is supported by the LXX.


This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”


Heb “reed” (also in the following verses).


Heb “five hundred cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters).


The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.


Heb “shone from.”


Heb “I.” The reading is due to the confusion of yod ( י , indicating a first person pronoun) and vav ( ו , indicating a third person pronoun). A few medieval Hebrew mss , Theodotion’s Greek version, and the Latin Vulgate support a third person pronoun here.


See note on “wind” in 2:2 .


Heb “by their corpses in their death.” But the term normally translated “corpses” is better understood here as a reference to funeral pillars or funerary offerings. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:583-85, and L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:257.


Heb “the measurements of the altar by cubits, the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes. On the altar see Ezek 40:47 .


The Hebrew term normally means “bosom.” Here it refers to a hollow in the ground.


Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).


The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied in the translation for clarity.


Heb “one span.” A span was three handbreadths, or about nine inches (i.e., 22.5 cm).


Heb “bulge, protuberance, mound.” The translation follows the LXX.


Heb “two cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).


Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm; the phrase occurs again later in this verse).


Heb “four cubits” (i.e., 2.1 meters; the phrase also occurs in the next verse).


The precise Hebrew word used here to refer to an “altar hearth” occurs only here in the OT.


Heb “twelve cubits” (i.e., 6.3 meters; the phrase occurs twice in this verse).


Heb “fourteen”; the word “cubits” is not in the Hebrew text but is understood from the context; the phrase occurs again later in this verse. Fourteen cubits is about 7.35 meters.


Heb “half a cubit” (i.e., 26.25 cm).


Heb “fill its hands.”


Heb “and they will complete the days.”


Heb “to eat bread.”


Heb “set your heart” (so also in the latter part of the verse).


Heb “Set your mind, look with your eyes, and with your ears hear.”


The Syriac, Vulgate, and Targum read the plural. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:618.


The LXX reads “house of rebellion.”


Heb “to desecrate.”


The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions read “you.” The Masoretic text reads “they.”


Instead of an energic nun ( ן ), the text may have read a third masculine plural suffix ם ( mem ), “them,” which was confused with ן ( nun ) in the old script. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:621. tn This word is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.


Heb “will bear.”


Heb “a stumbling block of iniquity.” This is a unique phrase of the prophet Ezekiel (cf. also Ezek 7:19; 14:3, 4, 7; 18:30 ).


Heb “I lifted up my hand.”


Heb “from the offspring of the house of Israel.”


Heb “sanctify, set apart.”


Heb “he”; the referent (the priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


One medieval Hebrew ms , the LXX, and the Syriac along with Lev 15:13, 28 read the verb as singular.


Heb has in addition “from your contributions,” a repetition unnecessary in English.


The words “by a wild animal” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation as a clarification of the circumstances. sn For this law, see Lev 7:24; 17:15 .


Heb “a contribution.”


Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). The measuring units here are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard miles (one mile = 5,280 feet), with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.


The LXX reads “twenty thousand cubits.” tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).


Heb “holy it is in all its territory round about.”


Heb “five hundred cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters); the phrase occurs twice in this verse.


Heb “fifty cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).


Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).


Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).


The LXX apparently understood “open land” instead of “sanctuary.”


The translation follows the LXX here. The MT reads “twenty.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:246.


Heb “five thousand cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers).


Heb “ephah,” which was 1/2 bushel.


Heb “bath,” a liquid measure, was 5 1/2 gallons.


Heb “twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels.”


Heb “will be.”


Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.


Heb “ephah.” The words “of grain” are supplied in the translation as a clarification.


Or “as much as he wishes.” Heb “a gift of his hand.”


The phrase “he will offer” is not in the Hebrew text but is warranted from the context.


Heb “with the lambs as his hand can reach.”


Heb “he shall shut the gate after he goes out.”


A few Hebrew mss , the LXX, and the Vulgate read the verb as third person singular (referring to the prince), both here and later in the verse.


Two medieval Hebrew mss , the LXX, the Syriac, and the Vulgate read the verb as third person singular.


The Hebrew text has no preposition; the LXX reads “from” (see v. 17 ).


The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.


The meaning of the Hebrew term is unclear. The LXX and Syriac render “small.”


Heb “forty cubits” (i.e., 21 meters).


Heb “thirty cubits” (i.e., 15.75 meters).


Heb “one thousand cubits” (i.e., 525 meters); this phrase occurs three times in the next two verses.


Heb “the sea,” referring to the Dead Sea. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “to the sea, those which are brought out.” The reading makes no sense. The text is best emended to read “filthy” (i.e., stagnant). See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:273.


Heb “the waters become healed.”


Heb “two rivers,” perhaps under the influence of Zech 14:8 . The translation follows the LXX and other ancient versions in reading the singular, which is demanded by the context (see vv. 5-7, 9 b, 12).


Heb “will be healed.”


This translation follows the reading זֶה ( zeh ) instead of גֵּה ( geh ), a nonexistent word, as supported by the LXX.


Or “territory”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:715.


The grammar is awkward, though the presence of these words is supported by the versions. L. C. Allen ( Ezekiel [WBC], 2:274) suggests that it is an explanatory gloss. sn One portion for Ephraim, the other for Manasseh ( Gen 48:17-20 ).


Heb “will fall to you as an inheritance.”


Or “valley.” The syntax is difficult. Some translate “to the river,” others “from the river”; in either case the preposition is supplied for the sake of English.


Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).


Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).


Heb “strayed off.”


Or “holy.”


Heb “five thousand cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers).


Heb “four thousand five hundred cubits” (i.e., 2.36 kilometers); the phrase occurs three more times in this verse.


Heb “two hundred fifty cubits” (i.e., 131.25 meters); the phrase occurs three more times in this verse.


Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers); the phrase occurs again later in this verse.


Traditionally “the Brook of Egypt,” although a number of recent translations have “the Wadi of Egypt” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The word “Egypt” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.


Heb “four thousand five hundred cubits” (i.e., 2.36 kilometers); the phrase occurs again in vv. 32-34 .


Heb “eighteen thousand cubits” (i.e., 9.45 kilometers).


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


The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


Heb “gave.”


Heb “hand,” which is often used idiomatically for one’s power and authority. See BDB 390 s.v. יָד 2.


Or “utensils”; or “articles.”


Heb “house of God.”


Or “gods” (NCV, NRSV, TEV; also later in this verse). The Hebrew term can be used as a numerical plural for many gods or as a plural of majesty for one particular god. Since Nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist, it is not clear if the reference here is to many gods or one particular deity. The plural of majesty, while normally used for Israel’s God, is occasionally used of foreign gods (cf. BDB 43 s.v. אֱלֹהִים 1, 2). See Judg 11:24 (of the Moabite god Chemosh); 1 Sam 5:7 (of the Philistine god Dagon); 1 Kgs 11:33 (of the Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom); 2 Kgs 19:37 (of the Assyrian god Nisroch). Since gods normally had their own individual temples, Dan 1:2 probably refers to a particular deity, perhaps Marduk, the supreme god of Babylon, or Marduk’s son Nabu, after whom Nebuchadnezzar was named. The name Nebuchadnezzar means “Nabu has protected the son who will inherit” ( HALOT 660 s.v. נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר ). For a discussion of how temples functioned in Babylonian religion see H. Ringgren, Religions of the Ancient Near East , 77-81.


Heb “brought.” Though the Hebrew verb “brought” is repeated in this verse, the translation uses “brought…put” for stylistic variation.


Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”


Heb “bring.”


Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”


Heb “good of appearance.”


Heb “knowers of knowledge.”


Heb “understanders of knowledge.”


Heb “who had strength.”


Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19 .


Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.


Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”


Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”


Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל .


Heb “stand before the king.”


Heb “and it happened that.”


Heb “among them”; the referent (the young men taken captive from Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “the sons of Judah.”


The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.


Heb “placed on his heart.”


Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.” sn Various reasons have been suggested as to why such food would defile Daniel. Perhaps it had to do with violations of Mosaic law with regard to unclean foods, or perhaps it had to do with such food having been offered to idols. Daniel’s practice in this regard is strikingly different from that of Esther, who was able successfully to conceal her Jewish identity.


Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”


Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.


Heb “The overseer of the court officials.” The subject has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.


Heb “assigned.” See v. 5 .


Heb “Why should he see your faces thin from the young men who are according to your age?” The term translated “thin” occurs only here and in Gen 40:6 , where it appears to refer to a dejected facial expression. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “be weak.” See HALOT 277 s.v. II זעף .


The words “if that happened” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.


Heb “my head.” Presumably this is an implicit reference to capital punishment (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although this is not entirely clear.


Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”


Heb “the appearance of.”


Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15 .


Heb “your servants.”


Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”


Heb “fat of flesh”; KJV, ASV “fatter in flesh”; NASB, NRSV “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).


Heb “the wine of their drinking.”


The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.


Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”


Heb “from all of them.”


Heb “stood before the king.”


The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.


Heb “hands.”


Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “dreamed dreams.” The plural is used here and in v. 2 , but the singular in v. 3 . The plural “dreams” has been variously explained. Some interpreters take the plural as denoting an indefinite singular (so GKC 400 §124. o ). But it may be that it is describing a stream of related dreams, or a dream state. In the latter case, one might translate: “Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance.” See further, J. A. Montgomery, Daniel (ICC), 142.


Heb “his spirit.”


Heb “his sleep left (?) him.” The use of the verb הָיָה ( hayah , “to be”) here is unusual. The context suggests a meaning such as “to be finished” or “gone.” Cf. Dan 8:27 . Some scholars emend the verb to read נָדְדָה ( nadÿdah , “fled”); cf. Dan 6:19 . See further, DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3; HALOT 244 s.v. היה nif; BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2.


Heb “said.” So also in v. 12 .


Heb “Chaldeans.” The term Chaldeans (Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּים , kasdim ) is used in the book of Daniel both in an ethnic sense and, as here, to refer to a caste of Babylonian wise men and astrologers.


Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”


Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so KJV, ASV).


Heb “my spirit.”


Or “the.”


Aram “answered and said,” a common idiom to indicate a reply, but redundant in contemporary English.


It seems clear from what follows that Nebuchadnezzar clearly recalls the content of the dream, although obviously he does not know what to make of it. By not divulging the dream itself to the would-be interpreters, he intends to find out whether they are simply leading him on. If they can tell him the dream’s content, which he is able to verify, he then can have confidence in their interpretation, which is what eludes him. The translation “the matter is gone from me” (cf. KJV, ASV), suggesting that the king had simply forgotten the dream, is incorrect. The Aramaic word used here ( אַזְדָּא , ’ azda ’) is probably of Persian origin; it occurs in the OT only here and in v. 8 . There are two main possibilities for the meaning of the word: “the matter is promulgated by me” (see KBL 1048 s.v.) and therefore “publicly known” (cf. NRSV; F. Rosenthal, Grammar , 62-63, §189), or “the matter is irrevocable” (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, CEV, NLT; HALOT 1808 s.v. אזד ; cf. also BDB 1079 s.v.). The present translation reflects this latter option. See further E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae , 3.


Aram “made limbs.” Cf. 3:29 .


Aram “his servants.”


Aram “one is your law,” i.e., only one thing is applicable to you.


Aram “a lying and corrupt word.”


Aram “I will know.”


Aram “matter, thing.”


Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”


Aram “was angry and very furious.” The expression is a hendiadys (two words or phrases expressing a single idea).


The Aramaic participle is used here to express the imminent future.


The impersonal active plural (“they sought”) of the Aramaic verb could also be translated as an English passive: “Daniel and his friends were sought” (cf. NAB).


Aram “returned prudence and counsel.” The expression is a hendiadys.


The Aramaic word מְהַחְצְפָה ( mÿhakhtsÿfah ) may refer to the severity of the king’s decree (i.e., “harsh”; so HALOT 1879 s.v. חצף ; BDB 1093 s.v. חֲצַף ), although it would seem that in a delicate situation such as this Daniel would avoid this kind of criticism of the king’s actions. The translation above understands the word to refer to the immediacy, not harshness, of the decree. See further, F. Rosenthal, Grammar , 50, §116; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae , 67.


Theodotion and the Syriac lack the words “went in and.”


Aram “Daniel.” The proper name is redundant here in English, and has not been included in the translation.


Or “blessed.”


Aram “Daniel answered and said.”


Aram “kings.”


Aram “the knowers of understanding.”


Aram “we.” Various explanations have been offered for the plural, but it is probably best understood as the editorial plural; so also with “me” later in this verse.


Aram “the word of the king.”


The MT has עַל עַל (’ al ’ al , “he entered upon”). Several medieval Hebrew MSS lack the verb, although this may be due to haplography.


The LXX and Vulgate, along with one medieval Hebrew MS , lack this verb.


Aram “cause me to enter.” So also in v. 25 .


Aram “the king.”


Aram “a revealer of mysteries.” The phrase serves as a quasi-title for God in Daniel.


Aram “in the latter days.”


Aram “your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed.”


Aram “your thoughts upon your bed went up to what will be after this.”


Aram “not for any wisdom which is in me more than [in] any living man.”


Aram “they might cause the king to know.” The impersonal plural is used here to refer to the role of God’s spirit in revealing the dream and its interpretation to the king. As J. A. Montgomery says, “it appropriately here veils the mysterious agency” ( Daniel [ICC], 164-65).


Aram “heart.”


Aram “an image.”


Aram “until.”


The LXX, Theodotion, and the Vulgate have “from a mountain,” though this is probably a harmonization with v. 45 .


Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar , 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae , 60.


Various suggestions have been made concerning the plural “we.” It is probably the editorial plural and could be translated here as “I.”


Aram “the sons of man.”


Aram “the beasts of the field.”


Aram “hand.”


Theodotion and the Vulgate lack the phrase “and as iron breaks in pieces.”


The Aramaic text does not have this word, but it has been added in the translation for clarity.


The words “the others” are supplied from the context.


The LXX lacks “and toes.”


Aram “potter’s clay.”


Aram “clay of clay” (also in v. 43 ).


The present translation reads the conjunction, with most medieval Hebrew MSS , LXX, Vulgate, and the Qere . The Kethib lacks the conjunction.


Aram “with the seed of men.”


The present translation reads הֵיךְ דִּי ( hekh diy ) rather than the MT הֵא־כְדִי ( he ’ -khÿdi ). It is a case of wrong word division.


Aram “after this.”


Aram “fell on his face.”


Aram “and Daniel sought from the king and he appointed.”


Aram “was at the gate of the king.”


Aram “sixty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 90 feet (27.4 m) high.


Aram “six cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 9 feet (2.74 m) wide. sn The dimensions of the image (ninety feet high and nine feet wide) imply that it did not possess normal human proportions, unless a base for the image is included in the height dimension. The ancient world knew of other tall statues. For example, the Colossus of Rhodes – the huge statue of Helios which stood (ca. 280-224 B.C. ) at the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – was said to be seventy cubits (105 ft or 32 m) in height, which would make it even taller than Nebuchadnezzar’s image.


Aram “Nebuchadnezzar the king.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the relative pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.


The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.”


According to BDB 1097 s.v. כָּרוֹז the Aramaic word used here is a Greek loanword, but other scholars have argued instead for a Persian derivation ( HALOT 1902 s.v. * כָּרוֹז ).


Aram “in strength.”


Aram “they are saying.”


The imperfect Aramaic verbs have here an injunctive nuance.


Aram “in that hour.”


Aram “all the peoples.”


Though not in the Aramaic text of BHS , this word appears in many medieval Hebrew MSS , some LXX MSS , and Vulgate. Cf. vv. 5, 10, 15 .


This expression is absent in Theodotion.


Aram “men.”


Aram “ate the pieces of.” This is a rather vivid idiom for slander.


Aram “answered and said,” a common Aramaic idiom that occurs repeatedly in this chapter.


Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.


The Aramaic infinitive is active.


Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.


Aram “hand.” So also in v. 17 .


In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”


Aram “to return a word to you.”


The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17 .


The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’ itay , “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל ( yakhil , “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen , 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’ itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar , 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15 , which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.


Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”


Aram “he answered and said.”


This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”


Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.


Aram “caused to go up.”


The Aramaic verb is active.


Aram “the flame of the fire” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “the raging flames.”


Aram “we threw…bound.”


Aram “into the midst of.”


Aram “answered and said.”


Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.


Aram “in their bodies.”


Aram “the fire did not have power.”


Aram “they changed” or “violated.”


Aram “so that they might not.”


Aram “from me is placed an edict.”


Aram “speaks negligence.”


Aram “and the king.” The proper name has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Aram “May your peace increase!”


Aram “his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”


Aram “my house.”


Aram “happy.”


Aram “and it.”


Aram “from me there was placed a decree.”


The Aramaic infinitive here is active.


The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי ( khazi , “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי ( khezvey , “visions”). The MT implies that the king required Daniel to disclose both the dream and its interpretation, as in chapter . But in the following verses Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream, while Daniel presents only its interpretation.


The LXX lacks the first two words ( Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.


Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (NRSV); NAB, CEV “of the world”; NLT “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.


Aram “its height was great.”


Aram “its sight.” So also v. 17 .


Or “to the end of all the earth” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “from anywhere on earth.”


Aram “the beasts of the field.”


Aram “all flesh.”


Aram “the visions of my head.”


Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23 . This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος ( angelo" , “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ ir ). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).


Aram “in strength.”


Aram “and thus he was saying.”


Aram “the stock of its root.” So also v. 23 . The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.


Aram “its lot be.”


Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.


Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32 ).


The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’ al-divrat , “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ ad-divrat , “until”).


Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”


The present translation reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ ( pishreh , “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew MSS ; the Kethib is פִּשְׁרָא ( pishra ’, “the interpretation”); so also v. 16 .


Aram “of.”


Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.


Aram “my lord.”


Aram “its sight.”


Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32 ).


The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32 .


Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32 .


Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32 .


Or perhaps “be made to eat.”


Aram “until.”


Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”


Aram “reached.”


The word “battlements” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context. Many English versions supply “roof” here (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); cf. NLT “on the flat roof.”


Aram “house.”


Aram “by the might of my strength.”


Aram “in the mouth of the king.”


Aram “to you they say.”


Aram “hour.”


Or “on.”


Aram “was fulfilled.”


The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.


Aram “days.”


Aram “lifted up my eyes.”


The present translation reads כְּלָא ( kÿla ’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS , rather than כְּלָה ( kÿlah ) of BHS.


Aram “strikes against.”


The translation reads הַדְרֵת ( hadret , “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי ( hadri , “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.


The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת ( hotqÿnet , “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת ( hotqÿnat , “it was established”). As it stands, the MT makes no sense here.


Aram “walk.”


Aram “the thousand.”


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”).


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


Or “taken.”


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


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.


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.”


Aram “came forth.”


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


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


Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”


Aram “his loins went slack.”


Aram “in strength.”


Aram “cause to enter.”


Aram “answered and said.”


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).


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


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


Aram “words of the king.”


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”).


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.


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


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


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


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.


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.


Aram “to loose knots.”


Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”


Aram “there has been found in you.”


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).


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


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


Or “the.”


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


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


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”).


Aram “heart.”


Aram “his dwelling.”


Or “descendant”; or “successor.”


Aram “your heart.”


Aram “which.”


Aram “in whose hand [are].”


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


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


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


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.”


Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”


Aram “king of the Chaldeans.”


Aram “It was pleasing before Darius.”


This is a technical term for an official placed in charge of a region of the empire (cf. KJV, NLT “prince[s]”; NCV, TEV “governors”). These satraps were answerable to a supervisor, who in turn answered to Darius.


Aram “giving an account.”


Aram “looking to find.”


Aram “from the side of the kingdom.”


Aram “pretext and corruption.”


Aram “no negligence or corruption was found in him.” The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the phrase “and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”


Aram “were saying.”


Aram “unless we find [it] against him.”


The Aramaic verb רְגַשׁ ( rÿgash ) occurs three times in this chapter (vv. 7, 12, 16 ). Its meaning is widely disputed by commentators, and the versions vary considerably in how they render the word. The suggestion that it means “to come thronging” (BDB 1112 s.v.; cf. NAB) seems inappropriate, since it is unlikely that subordinates would enter a royal court in such a reckless fashion. The ancient versions struggled with the word and are not in agreement in their understanding of its meaning. In this chapter the word apparently means to act in agreement with other parties in the pursuit of a duplicitous goal, namely the entrapment of Daniel. Cf. NIV, NCV “went as a group”; NRSV “conspired and came to the king.”


Aram “thus they were saying.”


Aram “prays a prayer.”


Aram “establish a written interdict and inscribe a written decree.”


Or “removed.”


Aram “knew.”


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


Read with several medieval Hebrew MSS and printed editions הֲוָה ( havah ) rather than the MT הוּא ( hu ’).


Aram “kneeling on his knees” (so NASB). sn No specific posture for offering prayers is prescribed in the OT. Kneeling, as here, and standing were both practiced.


Aram “those men”; the referent (the administrative officials who had earlier approached the king about the edict) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The MT also has “about the edict of the king,” but this phrase is absent in the LXX and the Syriac. The present translation deletes the expression. tn Aram “before the king.”


Aram “the word is true.”


Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”


Aram “prays his prayer.”


Aram “the word.”


Aram “placed his mind on.”


Aram “the entrances of the sun.”


Theodotion lacks the words “came by collusion to the king and.”


Aram “the king.”


Aram “know”; NAB “Keep in mind”; NASB “Recognize”; NIV, NCV “Remember.”


Aram “said.” So also in vv. 24, 25 .


Aram “answered and said [to Daniel].”


Aram “mouth.”


Aram “the signet rings.”


The meaning of Aramaic דַּחֲוָה ( dakhavah ) is a crux interpretum . Suggestions include “music,” “dancing girls,” “concubines,” “table,” “food” – all of which are uncertain. The translation employed here, suggested by earlier scholars, is deliberately vague. A number of recent English versions follow a similar approach with “entertainment” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). On this word see further, HALOT 1849-50 s.v.; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae , 37.


Aram “his sleep fled from him.”


Aram “The king answered and said to Daniel.” This phrase has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is redundant in English.


Aram “with.”


Aram “said.”


Aram “had eaten the pieces of.” The Aramaic expression is ironic, in that the accusers who had figuratively “eaten the pieces of Daniel” are themselves literally devoured by the lions.


The Aramaic active impersonal verb is often used as a substitute for the passive.


The LXX specifies only the two overseers, together with their families, as those who were cast into the lions’ den.


Aram “May your peace be increased!”


Aram “until the end.”


Aram “hand.”


Or perhaps “in the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus.” The identity of this Darius is disputed. Some take the name to be referring to Cyrus, understanding the following vav ( ו , “and”) in an epexegetical sense (“even”). Others identify Darius with a governor of Babylon known from extra-biblical records as Gubaru, or with Cambyses, son of Cyrus. Many scholars maintain that the reference is historically inaccurate.


Aram “saw.”


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.


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


Aram “answered and said.”


Aram “and behold.”


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


Aram “heart of a man.”


The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”


Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”


Aram “this.” So also in v. 7 .


Aram “and behold, another one.”


Or “sides.”


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


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


Aram “were uprooted from before it.”


Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20 .


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.”


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.


Aram “a flaming fire.”


Aram “were standing before him.”


Aram “judgment sat.”


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.


Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).


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


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 ).


Aram “they brought him near.”


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


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


Aram “is one which will not be destroyed.”


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.”


Aram “head.”


Aram “what is certain.”


Aram “and made known.”


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


Aram “to make certain.”


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


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


Aram “greater than its companions.”


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


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 ]).


Aram “thus he said.”


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


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.”


Aram “he will think.”


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


Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).


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.


Aram “my brightness was changing on me.”


Aram “in my heart.”


Heb “in the beginning.” This refers to the vision described in chapter seven.


Heb “the.”


The Hebrew word בִּירָה ( birah , “castle, palace”) usually refers to a fortified structure within a city, but here it is in apposition to the city name Susa and therefore has a broader reference to the entire city (against this view, however, see BDB 108 s.v. 2 ). Cf. NAB “the fortress of Susa”; TEV “the walled city of Susa.”


The term אוּבַל (’ uval = “stream, river”) is a relatively rare word in biblical Hebrew, found only here and in vv. 3 and 6 . The Ulai was apparently a sizable artificial canal in Susa (cf. NASB, NIV, NCV), and not a river in the ordinary sense of that word.


Heb “lifted my eyes.”


Heb “and behold.”


Heb “one.” The Hebrew numerical adjective occasionally functions like an English indefinite article. See GKC 401 §125. b .


Heb “high” (also “higher” later in this verse).


Or “beast” (NAB).


Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7 .


In the Hiphil the Hebrew verb גָּדַל ( gadal , “to make great; to magnify”) can have either a positive or a negative sense. For the former, used especially of God, see Ps 126:2, 3 ; Joel 2:21 . In this chapter ( 8:4, 8, 11, 25 ) the word has a pejorative sense, describing the self-glorification of this king. The sense seems to be that of vainly assuming one’s own superiority through deliberate hubris.


The words “all this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.


Heb “and behold, a he-goat of the goats.”


Or “of the whole earth” (NAB, ASV, NASB, NRSV).


Heb “a horn of vision” [or “conspicuousness”], i.e., “a conspicuous horn,” one easily seen.


Heb “the wrath of its strength.”


Heb “him.”


Heb “the ram.”


Heb “stand before him.”


Heb “he hurled him.” The referents of both pronouns (the male goat and the ram) have been specified in the translation for clarity.


The word “horns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.


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


Traditionally, “host.” The term refers to God’s heavenly angelic assembly, which he sometimes leads into battle as an army.


Or perhaps “and by him,” referring to Antiochus rather than to God.


The present translation reads וּצְבָאָהּ נִתַּן ( utsÿva ’ ah nittan ) for the MT וְצָבָא תִּנָּתֵן ( vÿtsava ’ tinnaten ). The context suggests a perfect rather than an imperfect verb.


Heb “in (the course of) rebellion.” The meaning of the phrase is difficult to determine. It could mean “due to rebellion,” referring to the failures of the Jews, but this is not likely since it is not a point made elsewhere in the book. The phrase more probably refers to the rebellion against God and the atrocities against the Jews epitomized by Antiochus.


Two medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX have a passive verb here: “truth was hurled to the ground” (cf. NIV, NCV, TEV).


Heb “it acted and prospered.”


Heb “will be vindicated” or “will be justified.” This is the only occurrence of this verb in the Niphal in the OT. English versions interpret it as “cleansed” (KJV, ASV), “restored” (NASB, TEV, NLT), or “reconsecrated” (NIV).


Heb “on my face.”


Or “human one.”


Heb “on my standing.”


The Hebrew text does not actually state the referent (the vision Daniel saw in vv. 8-12 ; cf. also v. 13 ), which has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some Greek witnesses add “the vision” here.


Heb “the he-goat, the buck.” The expression is odd, and the second word may be an explanatory gloss.


Heb “Javan.”


Heb “the broken one.” The word “horn” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.


The present translation reads הַפְּשָׁעִים ( happÿsha ’ im , “rebellious acts”) for the MT הַפֹּשְׁעִים ( happoshÿ ’ im , “rebels”). While the MT is understandable (cf. NIV, “when rebels have become completely wicked”), the filling up of transgressions is a familiar OT expression (cf. Gen 15:16 ) and fits this context well. Cf. the LXX, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Syriac.


Heb “strong of face.”


Heb “understanding riddles.” Possible meanings include “double-dealing” (BDB 295 s.v. חִידָה ; cf. TEV, CEV) and “with a good knowledge of intrigue” ( HALOT 309 s.v. חִידָה ; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).


Heb “stand” or “stand up.”


Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”


Heb “he will succeed and act.”


See the corresponding Aramaic expression in 7:27 . If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. One could translate, “people belonging to (i.e., protected by) the holy ones.” If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” One could translate simply “holy people.” For examples of a plural appositional genitive after “people,” see 11:15, 32 . Because either interpretation is possible, the translation has deliberately preserved the ambiguity of the Hebrew grammar here.


The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל , שֶׂכֶל .


Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”


Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”


Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה .


Heb “with nothingness of hand.”


Heb “truth.”


The Hebrew word here is נִהְיֵיתִי ( nihyetiy ). Its meaning is not entirely clear. Hebrew הָיָה ( hayah ) normally has meanings such as “to be” or “become.” Here, however, it describes Daniel’s emotional and physical response to the enigmatic vision that he has seen. It is parallel to the following verb, which refers to illness, and seems to refer to a state of utter exhaustion due to the amazing things that Daniel has just seen. The LXX lacks the word. On the meaning of the word see further, BDB 227-28 s.v. הָיָה Niph.2; DCH 2:540 s.v. היה I Ni.3.


The LXX reads “Xerxes.” This is the reading used by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV). Most other English versions retain the Hebrew name “Ahasuerus.”


The present translation follows the MT in reading a Hophal (i.e., passive). Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate all presuppose the Hiphil (i.e., active). Even though this is the only occurrence of the Hophal of this verb in the Bible, there is no need to emend the vocalization to the Hiphil.


Heb “was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.”


This phrase, repeated from v. 1 , is absent in Theodotion.


The Hebrew text has “books”; the word “sacred” has been added in the translation to clarify that it is Scriptures that are referred to.


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


Heb “face.”


The Hebrew phrase translated “Lord God” here is אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים (’ adonay ha ’ elohim ).


The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 7, 9, 15, 16, and 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


Heb “who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.


Heb “in your name.” Another option is to translate, “as your representatives.”


Heb “our fathers” (also in vv. 8, 16 ). The Hebrew term translated “father” can refer to more distant relationships such as grandfathers or ancestors.


Heb “people.”


Heb “to you (belongs) righteousness.”


Heb “and to us (belongs) shame of face like this day.”


Heb “men.”


Heb “to us (belongs) shame of face.”


Heb “to the Lord our God (belong) compassion and forgiveness.”


Heb “paid attention to the voice of,” which is an idiomatic expression for obedience (cf. NASB “nor have we obeyed the voice of”).


Heb “to walk in.”


The LXX and Vulgate have the singular.


Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.


Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”


Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see ) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21 ; Neh 10:29 ) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.


Heb “him.”


Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”


Heb “our judges.”


Heb “who judged.”


Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”


Or “by gaining insight.”


Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11 .


Or “righteous.”


Heb “in all his deeds which he has done.”


Heb “we have not listened to his voice.”


Heb “with a powerful hand.”


Or “righteousness.”


Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).


Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.


Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19 .


Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19 .


Heb “turn your ear.”


Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.


Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19 . This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28 ; Isa 4:1 ; Amos 9:12 .


Heb “praying our supplications before you.”


Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18 .


Heb “the holy mountain of my God.”


Heb “speaking in prayer.”


Heb “in the beginning.”


The Hebrew expression בִּיעָף מֻעָף ( mu ’ af bi ’ af ) is very difficult. The issue is whether the verb derives from עוּף (’ uf , “to fly”) or from יָעַף ( ya ’ af , “to be weary”). Many ancient versions and modern commentators take the first of these possibilities and understand the reference to be to the swift flight of the angel Gabriel in his coming to Daniel. The words more likely refer to the extreme weariness, not of the angel, but of Daniel. Cf. 7:28; 8:27; 10:8-9, 16-17 ; also NASB.


Heb “he instructed and spoke with me.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.


Or “a precious treasure”; KJV “greatly beloved”; NASB, NIV “highly esteemed.”


This sentence is perhaps a compound hendiadys (“give serious consideration to the revelatory vision”).


Heb “sevens.” Elsewhere the term is used of a literal week (a period of seven days), cf. Gen 29:27-28 ; Exod 34:22 ; Lev 12:5 ; Num 28:26 ; Deut 16:9-10 ; 2 Chr 8:13 ; Jer 5:24 ; Dan 10:2-3 . Gabriel unfolds the future as if it were a calendar of successive weeks. Most understand the reference here as periods of seventy “sevens” of years, or a total of 490 years.


Or “to finish.” The present translation reads the Qere (from the root תָּמַם , tamam ) with many witnesses. The Kethib has “to seal up” (from the root הָתַם , hatam ), a confusion with a reference later in the verse to sealing up the vision.


The present translation reads the Qere (singular), rather than the Kethib (plural).


The Hebrew phrase לְכַלֵּא ( lÿkhalle ’) is apparently an alternative (metaplastic) spelling of the root כָּלָה ( kalah , “to complete, finish”), rather than a form of כָּלָא ( kala ’, “to shut up, restrain”), as has sometimes been supposed.


Or “everlasting.”


Heb “vision and prophecy.” The expression is a hendiadys.


Or “the most holy place” (NASB, NLT); or “a most holy one”; or “the most holy one,” though the expression is used of places or objects elsewhere, not people.


Or “decree” (NASB, NIV); or “word” (NAB, NRSV).


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


The word “arrives” is added in the translation for clarification.


Heb “sevens” (also later in this line and in v. 26 ). sn The accents in the MT indicate disjunction at this point, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to identify the “anointed one/prince” of this verse as messianic. The reference in v. 26 to the sixty-two weeks as a unit favors the MT accentuation, not the traditional translation. If one follows the MT accentuation, one may translate “From the going forth of the message to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks. During a period of sixty-two weeks it will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.” The present translation follows a traditional reading of the passage that deviates from the MT accentuation.


Heb “it will return and be built.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.


Some witnesses (e.g., the Syriac) understand a passive verb and the preposition עִם (’ im , “with) rather than the noun עַם (’ am , “people”), thus reading “the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed with the coming prince.”


The words “will come speedily” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.


Heb “one seven” (also later in this line).


The referent of the Hebrew word כְּנַף ( kÿnaf , “wing”) is unclear here. The LXX and Theodotion have “the temple.” Some English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV) take this to mean “a wing of the temple,” but this is not clear.


The Hebrew text does not have this verb, but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.


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.


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 .


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.”


Heb “mouth.”


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.


Heb “I lifted up my eyes.”


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


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


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 ).


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.”


Heb “torches of fire.”


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


Heb “the vision.”


Heb “great trembling fell on them.”


Heb “did not remain in.”


Heb “was changed upon me for ruin.”


Heb “strength.”


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


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


Heb “Behold.”


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


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


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


Heb “stand upon your standing.”


Heb “spoke this word.”


Heb “gave your heart.”


Heb “and behold.”


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).


Heb “speaking to me according to these words.”


Heb “I placed my face toward.”


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


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


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


Heb “does not stand.”


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


Heb “treasured man.”


Heb “my lord may speak.”


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.


The word “princes” is supplied for clarity.


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


Heb “rich with great riches.”


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.


Heb “and when he stands.”


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


Heb “princes.”


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


Heb “be strong against.”


Heb “greater than his kingdom.”


Heb “the strength of the arm.”


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


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


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.


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. ).


Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”


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 ”).


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


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


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.


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


Heb “cause to fall.”


Heb “of myriads.”


Heb “stand against.”


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.


Heb “to cause to stand.”


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


Heb “hand.”


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


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


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


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


Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.


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


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


Heb “on his place.”


Heb “broken” or “shattered.”


Heb “arms.”


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


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


Heb “a prince of the covenant.”


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).


Heb “nation.”


Heb “and unto a time.”


Heb “heart.”


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


Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28 .


Heb “speak.”


Heb “show regard for.”


Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”


Heb “will give.”


Or “corrupt.”


Heb “acted wickedly toward.”


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.


Heb “the many.”


Heb “stumble.”


Or “by burning.”


Heb “days.”


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


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


Heb “consider.”


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


Heb “act against.”


Heb “with.”


Or perhaps “for a reward.”


Heb “engage in thrusting.”


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.


Heb “many ships.”


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.


Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”


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


Heb “be delivered from his hand.”


Heb “hand.”


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


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


Heb “stands over the sons of your people.”


Heb “will stand up.”


Or “from the beginning of a nation.”


The words “whose names are” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.


Or “will run back and forth”; KJV “shall run to and fro”; NIV “will go here and there”; CEV “will go everywhere.” sn Many will dash about is probably an allusion to Amos 8:12 .


Heb “one to this edge of the river and one to that edge of the river.”


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


The present translation reads יַד־נֹפֵץ ( yad-nofets , “hand of one who shatters”) rather than the MT נַפֵּץ־יַד ( nappets-yad , “to shatter the hand”).


Heb “my lord,” a title of polite address.


Heb “to give.”


The words “your way” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.


The LXX lacks “until the end.”


The word “receive” is added in the translation for clarification.


) contain numerous textual variants that differ from the MT; unfortunately, these texts are quite fragmentary (frequently in the very place that an important textual problem appears). The textual tradition and translation quality of the LXX and the early Greek recensions (Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion) is mixed; in some places they are inferior to the MT but in other places they preserve a better reading. The textual apparatus of BHK and BHS contains many proposed emendations based on the ancient versions (Greek, Syriac, Latin, Aramaic) that often appear to be superior readings than what is preserved in the MT. In numerous cases, the MT readings are so difficult morphologically, syntactically, and contextually that conservative conjectural emendations are necessary to make sense of the text. Most major English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV, RSV, NEB, NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV, NKJV, NJPS, NJB, NRSV, REB, NCV, CEV, NLT) adopt (either occasionally or frequently) textual variants reflected in the versions and occasionally adopt conservative conjectural emendations proposed in BHK and/or BHS . However, many of the textual problems in Hosea are so difficult that the English versions frequently are split among themselves. With this in mind, the present translation of Hosea must necessarily be viewed as only preliminary. Further work on the text and translation of Hosea is needed, not only in terms of the NET Bible but in Hosea studies in general. The text of Hosea should be better clarified when the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project completes work on the book of Hosea. For further study of textual problems in Hosea, see D. Barthélemy, ed. , Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project , 5:228-71.


Heb “The word of the Lord which was to Hosea.” The words “This is” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “in the days of” (again later in this verse). Cf. NASB “during the days of”; NIV “during the reigns of”; NLT “during the years when.”


The construct noun תְּחִלַּת ( tékhillat , “beginning of”) displays a wider use of the construct state here, preceding a perfect verb דִּבֶּר ( dibber , “he spoke”; Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular) rather than a genitive noun. This is an unusual temporal construction (GKC 422 §130. d ). It may be rendered, “When he (= the Lord ) began to speak” (cf. ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, and most other modern English versions, all of which are similar). This time-determinative was not correctly understood by the LXX or by the KJV: “The beginning of the word of the Lord .”


The preposition בְּ ( bet ) on בְּהוֹשֵׁעַ ( bÿhoshea ’) is an instrumental use of the preposition (BDB 89 s.v. בְּ III.2.b): “by, with, through Hosea” rather than a directional “to Hosea.” This focuses on the entire prophetic revelation through Hosea to Israel.


Heb “the Lord. ” This is redundant in English, so the pronoun has been used in the translation (cf. TEV, NLT).


Heb “to Hosea.” The proper name is replaced by the pronoun here to avoid redundancy in English (cf. NIV, NCV, NLT).


Heb “Go, take for yourself” (so NRSV; NASB, NIV “to yourself”). In conjunction with the following phrase this means “marry.”


Heb “a wife of harlotries.” The noun זְנוּנִים ( zÿnunim ) means “prostitute; harlot” ( HALOT 275-76 s.v. זְנוּנִים ). The term does not refer to mere adultery (cf. NIV; also NCV, TEV, CEV “unfaithful”) which is expressed by the root נַאַף ( na ’ af , “adultery”; HALOT 658 s.v. נאף ). The plural noun זְנוּנִים ( zénunim , literally, “harlotries”) is an example of the plural of character or plural of repeated behavior. The phrase “wife of harlotries” ( אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים , ’ eshet zénunim ) probably refers to a prostitute, possibly a temple prostitute serving at a Baal temple.


Heb “and children of harlotries.” However, TEV takes the phrase to mean the children will behave like their mother (“your children will be just like her”).


Heb “the land.” The term “the land” is frequently used as a synecdoche of container (the land of Israel) for the contained (the people of Israel).


Heb “prostitution.” The adjective “spiritual” is supplied in the translation to clarify that apostasy is meant here. The construction זָנֹה תִזְנֶה ( zanoh tizneh , infinitive absolute + imperfect of the same root) repeats the root זָנַה ( zanah , “harlotry”) for rhetorical emphasis. Israel was guilty of gross spiritual prostitution by apostatizing from Yahweh. The verb זָנַה is used in a concrete sense to refer to a spouse being unfaithful in a marriage relationship ( HALOT 275 s.v. זנה 1), and figuratively meaning “to be unfaithful” in a relationship with God by prostituting oneself with other gods and worshiping idols ( Exod 34:15 ; Lev 17:7; 20:5, 6 ; Deut 31:16 ; Judg 8:27, 33; 21:17 ; 1 Chr 5:25 ; Ezek 6:9; 20:30; 23:30 ; Hos 4:15 ; Ps 106:39 ; see HALOT 275 s.v. 2 ).


Heb “from after.”


Heb “so he went and took” ( וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּקַּח , vayyelekh vayyiqqakh ; so NAB, NRSV).


Heb “to him.” The referent (Hosea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “I will visit.” The verb פָּקַד ( paqad , “to visit”) has a very broad range of meanings: (1) “to pay attention to; to look at” (a) favorably: to look after; to provide for; to care for; (b) unfavorably: to seek vengeance for; to punish for; (2) militarily: (a) “to muster; to enroll”; (b) “to inspect; to review”; (3) leadership: (a) “to rule over; to oversee”; (b) Hiphil: “to appoint an overseer” (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד ; HALOT 955-58 s.v. פקד ). In this context, the nuance “to punish” or “to take vengeance” (see b above) is most appropriate. Cf. KJV, ASV “I will avenge”; NAB, NASB, NRSV “I will punish.”


Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV “family”; CEV “descendants.”


The plural form of דָּם ( dam , “blood”) refers to “bloodshed” (BDB 196 s.v. דָּם 2.f). This is an example of a plural of abnormal condition (GKC 400 §124. n ). The plural is used to represent natural objects which are found in an unnatural or abnormal condition. The plural is used because the natural object is normally found as a whole or in one unit, but in the abnormal condition the object is found in many parts. Normally, blood is contained as a whole within the body. However, when a brutal murder occurs, blood is shed and literally spilled all over the place. Cf. NIV “the massacre”; TEV, CEV, NLT “the murders.”


Heb “I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.”


Heb “the kingdom of the house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “In that day” (so NIV; NAB, NRSV “On that day”).


Heb “I will break the bow” (so NAB, NRSV). The phrase “break the bow” ( וְשַׁבָרְתִּי אֶת־קֶשֶׁת , véshavarti ’ et-qeshet ) is figurative. The term קֶשֶׁת ( qeshet , “bow”) frequently refers to the warrior’s weapon ( 2 Sam 22:35 ; Ps 18:35 ; Job 20:24 ; Hos 2:20 ; Zech 9:10; 10:4 ). The reference to the warrior’s bow is a synecdoche of specific (bow) for general (military weaponry or power; see HALOT 1155 s.v. קֶשֶׁת 3). The noun קֶשֶׁת is used figuratively for “power” several times (e.g., Gen 49:24 ; 1 Sam 2:4 ; Jer 49:35 ; Job 29:20 ; Ps 37:15 ; BDB 906 s.v. 1 .e).


Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord ) does not appear in Hebrew, but has been specified in the translation for clarity. Many English versions specify the speaker here (KJV “God”; ASV “Jehovah”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “the Lord”).


Heb “house”; cf. TEV, NLT “the people of Israel.”


The particle כִּי ( ki ) probably denotes cause (so NCV, TEV, CEV) or result here (GKC 505 §166. b ; BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 3.c).


The verb נָשָׂא ( nasa ’, “to take away”) frequently denotes “to forgive” meaning to take away sin (BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c). The construction נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא ( naso ’ ’ esa ’, “I will certainly take away,” infinitive absolute + imperfect of the same root) repeats the root נָשָׂא for rhetorical emphasis, stressing the divine resolution not to forgive Israel.


The phrase “their guilt” does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The ellipsis of the accusative direct object of נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא ( naso ’ ’ esa ’, “I will certainly take away”) is an example of brachyology. The accusative “guilt” must be supplied frequently with נָשַׂא (see BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c; e.g., Num 14:19 ; Isa 2:9 ; Ps 99:8 ). Many recent English versions simplify this to “forgive them” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).


Heb “house”; cf. NCV, TEV, NLT “the people of Judah.”


The word order in this line is rhetorical, emphasizing the divine decision to withhold pity from Israel but to bestow it on Judah. The accusative direct object, which is introduced by a disjunctive vav (to denote contrast), appears before the verb: וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֲרַחֵם ( vé ’ et-bet yéhudah ’ arakhem , “but upon the house of Judah I will show pity”).


Heb “by war” (so NAB, NRSV, TEV); KJV, NASB, NIV “battle.”


The preterite וַתִּגְמֹל ( vatigmol , literally, “and she weaned”) functions in a synchronic sense with the following preterite וַתַּהַר ( vattahar , literally, “and she conceived”) and may be treated in translation as a dependent temporal clause: “When she had weaned…she conceived” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV). Other English versions render this as sequential with “After” (NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT).


Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. As in v. 6 , many English versions specify the speaker here.


The independent personal pronoun אַתֶּם (’ attem , “you”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole. To make this clear TEV translates this as third person: “the people of Israel are not my people” (cf. CEV, NLT).


The pronominal suffix on the preposition לָכֶם ( lakhem , “your”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole.


The MT reads לֹא־אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם ( lo ’ - ’ ehyeh lakhem , “I will not be yours”). The editors of BHS suggest emending the text to לֹא־אֱלֹהֵיכֶם ( lo ’ - ’ elohekhem , “I will not be your God”). The emendation creates a tighter parallel with the preceding אַתֶּם לֹא עַמִּי (’ attem lo ’ ’ ammi , “you are not my people”). Because of a lack of external evidence, however, the reading of the MT should be retained. tn Heb “I am not yours.” The divine name “God” is supplied in the translation for clarity even though the reading of the MT is followed (see previous tc note). Almost all English versions (including KJV, ASV, NASB) supply “God” here. sn This is an allusion to Yahweh’s promise to Moses אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ (’ ehyeh ’ immakh , “I will be with you”; Exod 3:12, 14 ). In effect, it is a negation of Exod 3:12, 14 and a cancellation of Israel’s status as vassal of Yahweh in the conditional Mosaic covenant.


The vav prefixed to וְהָיָה ( véhaya ) functions in an adversative sense: “however” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax , 71, §432).


Heb “sons” (so NASB); KJV, ASV “the children”; NAB, NIV “the Israelites.”


Heb “in the place” ( בִּמְקוֹם , bimqom ). BDB 880 s.v. מָקוֹם 7.b suggests that בִּמְקוֹם (preposition בְּ , bet , + noun מָקוֹם , maqom ) is an idiom carrying a concessive sense: “instead of” (e.g., Isa 33:21 ; Hos 2:1 ). However, HALOT suggests that it functions in a locative sense: “in the same place” ( HALOT 626 s.v. מָקוֹם 2b; e.g., 1 Kgs 21:19 ; Isa 33:21 ; Hos 2:1 ).


The predicate nominative, “You are…,” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “sons” (so KJV, NASB, NIV).


Heb “sons” (twice in this verse, so NASB); KJV, ASV “children”; NIV, NRSV, TEV “people.”


Heb “head” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).


Alternatively, “gain possession of the land” (cf. NRSV) or “rise up from the land” (cf. NIV). This clause may be understood in two ways: (1) Israel will gain ascendancy over the land or conquer the land (e.g., Exod 1:10 ; cf. NAB “come up from other lands”) or (2) Israel will be “planted” in the land (Hos 2:24-25; cf. NLT “will…plant his people”).


Or “For” (so NASB); NCV “because”; TEV “Yes.”


Heb “Say to….” The imperative אִמְרוּ (’ imru , Qal imperative masculine plural) functions rhetorically, as an example of erotesis of one verbal form (imperative) for another (indicative). The imperative is used as a rhetorical device to emphasize the certainty of a future action.


Heb “Plead with your mother, plead!” The imperative רִיבוּ ( rivu , “plead!”) is repeated twice in this line for emphasis. This rhetorical expression is handled in a woodenly literal sense by most English translations: NASB “Contend…contend”; NAB “Protest…protest!”; NIV “Rebuke…rebuke”; NRSV “Plead…plead”; CEV “Accuse! Accuse your mother!”


The particle כִּי ( ki ) introduces a parenthetical explanatory clause (however, cf. NCV “because”). sn The reason that Hosea (representing the Lord ) calls upon his children (representing the children of Israel) to plead with Gomer (representing the nation as a whole), rather than pleading directly with her himself, is because Hosea (the Lord ) has turned his back on his unfaithful wife (Israel). He no longer has a relationship with her (“for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband”) because she abandoned him for her lovers.


The dependent volitive sequence of imperative followed by vav + jussive ( רִיבוּ , rivu followed by וְתָסֵר , vétaser ) creates a purpose clause: “so that she might turn away from” (= “put an end to”); cf. NRSV “that she put away”; KJV “let her therefore put away.” Many English translations begin a new sentence here, presumably to improve the English style (so NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT), but this obscures the connection with the preceding clause.


Heb “put away her adulteries from her face.” The plural noun זְנוּנֶיהָ ( zénuneha , “adulteries”) is an example of the plural of repeated (or habitual) action: she has had multiple adulterous affairs.


Heb “[put away] her immoral behavior from between her breasts.” Cf. KJV “her adulteries”; NIV “the unfaithfulness.”


Heb “and kill her with thirst.” The vav prefixed to the verb ( וַהֲמִתִּיהָ , vahamittiha ) introduces a purpose/result clause: “in order to make her die of thirst” (purpose) or “and thus make her die of thirst” (result).


Heb “her sons.” English versions have long translated this as “children,” however; cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT. sn The word order is rhetorical: the accusative וְאֶת־בָּנֶיהָ ( vé ’ et - baneha , “her sons”) is moved forward for emphasis.


Heb “sons of adulteries”; KJV “children of whoredoms.” sn The word order is rhetorical: the construct clause בְנֵי זְנוּנִים ( vÿne zÿnunim , “sons of adulteries”), which functions as the predicate nominative, is moved forward, before the independent personal pronoun הֵמָּה ( hemma , “they”) which functions as the subject, to focus on the immoral character of her children.


Heb “I will go after” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “my drinks.” Many English versions use the singular “drink” here, but cf. NCV, TEV, CEV “wine.”


The deictic particle הִנְנִי ( hinni , “Behold!”) introduces a future-time reference participle that refers to imminent future action: “I am about to” (TEV “I am going to”).


Heb “I will hedge up her way”; NIV “block her path.”


Heb “I will wall in her wall.” The cognate accusative construction וְגָדַרְתִּי אֶת־גְּדֵרָהּ ( vÿgadarti ’ et-gÿderah , “I will wall in her wall”) is an emphatic literary device. The 3rd person feminine singular suffix on the noun functions as a dative of disadvantage: “as a wall against her” (A. B. Davidson, Hebrew Syntax , 3, remark 2). The expression means “I will build a wall to bar her way.” Cf. KJV “I will make a wall”; TEV “I will build a wall”; RSV, NASB, NRSV “I will build a wall against her”; NLT “I will fence her in.”


The disjunctive clause (object followed by negated verb) introduces a clause which can be understood as either purpose or result.


Heb “her paths” (so NAB, NRSV).


Heb “overtake” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NLT “be able to catch up with.”


In the Hebrew text the accusative direct object pronoun אֹתָם (’ otam , “them”) is omitted/elided for balanced poetic parallelism. The LXX supplies αὐτους ( autous , “them”); but it is not necessary to emend the MT because this is a poetic literary convention rather than a textual problem.


Heb “I will go and return” (so NRSV). The two verbs joined with vav form a verbal hendiadys. Normally, the first verb functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal sense (GKC 386-87 §120. d , h ). The Hebrew phrase אֵלְכָה וְאָשׁוּבָה (’ elkhah vÿ ’ ashuvah , “I will go and I will return”) connotes, “I will return again.” As cohortatives, both verbs emphasize the resolution of the speaker.


Heb “to my man, the first.” Many English translations (e.g., KJV, NAB, NRSV, TEV) take this as “my first husband,” although this implies that there was more than one husband involved. The text refers to multiple lovers, but these were not necessarily husbands.


Or “because it was better for me then than now” (cf. NCV).


Or “For” (so KJV, NASB); or “But” (so NCV).


The phrase “until now” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.


Heb “she does not know” (so NASB, NCV); or “she does not acknowledge.”


The 1st person common singular independent personal pronoun אָנֹכִי (’ anokhi , “I”) is emphatic, since the subject of this verbal clause is already explicit in the verb נָתַתִּי ( natatti , Qal perfect 1st person common singular: “I gave”).


The phrase “that it was I who” does not appear in the Hebrew text here, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.


Heb “for Baal” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); cf. TEV “in the worship of Baal.”


Heb “I will return and I will take.” The two verbs joined with vav conjunction form a verbal hendiadys in which the first verb functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal sense (GKC 386-87 §120. d , h ): אָשׁוּב וְלָקַחְתִּי (’ ashuv vÿlaqakhti ) means “I will take back.”


Heb “in its time” (so NAB, NRSV).


Heb “in its season” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).


The words “which I had provided” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NIV “intended to cover.”


Heb “to cover her nakedness” (so KJV and many other English versions); TEV “for clothing.” sn This announcement of judgment is extremely ironic and forcefully communicates poetic justice: The punishment will fit the crime. The Israelites were literally uncovering their nakedness in temple prostitution in the Baal fertility cult rituals. Yahweh will, in effect, give them what they wanted (nakedness) but not in the way they wanted it: Yahweh will withhold the agricultural fertility they sought from Baal which would lead to nakedness caused by impoverishment.


The particle עַתָּה (’ attah ) often refers to the imminent or the impending future: “very soon” (BDB 774 s.v. עַתָּה 1.b). In Hosea it normally introduces imminent judgment ( Hos 2:12; 4:16; 5:7; 8:8, 13; 10:2 ).


Heb “her lewdness” (so KJV, NIV); NAB, NRSV “her shame.”


Heb “out of my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); TEV “save her from my power.”


Heb “my wages.” The words “for prostitution” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for clarity; cf. CEV “gave…as payment for sex.”


Heb “I will turn them”; the referents (vines and fig trees) have been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “the beasts of the field” (so KJV, NASB); the same expression also occurs in v. 18 ).


Heb “the days of the Baals, to whom she burned incense.” The word “festival” is supplied to clarify the referent of “days,” and the word “idols” is supplied in light of the plural “Baals” (cf. NLT “her images of Baal”).


The vav prefixed to a nonverb ( וְאֹתִי , vé ’ oti ) introduces a disjunctive contrastive clause, which is rhetorically powerful.


The accusative direct object pronoun וְאֹתִי ( vé ’ oti , “me”) is emphatic in the word order of this clause (cf. NIV “but me she forgot”), emphasizing the heinous inappropriateness of Israel’s departure from the Lord .


The participle מְפַתֶּיהָ ( méfatteha , Piel participle masculine singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix from פָּתָה , patah , “to allure”) following the deictic particle הִנֵּה ( hinneh , “Now!”) describes an event that will occur in the immediate or near future.


Following the future-time referent participle ( מְפַתֶּיהָ , méfatteha ) there is a string of perfects introduced by vav consecutive that refer to future events.


Heb “Valley of Achor,” so named because of the unfortunate incident recorded in Josh 7:1-26 (the name is explained in v. 26; the Hebrew term Achor means “disaster” or “trouble”). Cf. TEV, CEV “Trouble Valley.”


Heb “door” or “doorway”; cf. NLT “gateway.” Unlike the days of Joshua, when Achan’s sin jeopardized Israel’s mission and cast a dark shadow over the nation, Israel’s future return to the land will be marked by renewed hope.


Heb “as in the days of her youth” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “as in the day when” (so KJV, NASB).


Heb “And in that day”; NLT “In that coming day.”


The MT reads תִּקְרְאִי ( tiqrÿ ’ i , “you will call”; Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular). The versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all reflect an alternate Vorlage of תִּקְרָא לִי ( tiqra ’ li , “she will call me”; Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ , lamed , + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). This textual variant undoubtedly arose under the influence of לִי תִּקְרְאִי ( tiqrÿ ’ i li ) which follows. Most English versions follow the reading of the MT (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, CEV), but some follow the ancient versions and read the 3rd person (“she”, so NAB, NCV, TEV).


There are wordplays on the terms אִישׁ (’ ish ) and בַּעַל ( ba ’ al ) here. The term אִישִׁי (’ ishi , “my man, husband”) is a title of affection ( Gen 2:23; 3:6, 16 ) as the counterpart to אִשָּׁה (’ ishah , “woman, wife”). The term בַּעְלִי ( ba ’ li , “my lord”) emphasizes the husband’s legal position ( Exod 21:3 ; Deut 22:22; 24:4 ). The relationship will no longer be conditioned on the outward legal commitment but on a new inward bond of mutual affection and love.


The MT reads תִקְרְאִי לִי ( tiqrÿ ’ i li , “you will call me”; Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ , lamed , + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). The versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all reflect an alternate Vorlage of תִקְרְא לִי ( tiqrÿ ’ li , “she will call me”; Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). This textual variant is related to the preceding textual issue (see preceding tc note).


The vav consecutive prefixed to וַהֲסִרֹתִי ( vahasiroti ) “I will remove” ( vav consecutive + Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular) introduces an explanatory clause.