At last: the exact meaning of the corresponding Aramaic expression is uncertain. The main word in the expression is derived from a root meaning “after,” “next,” or “another.” Many versions take it to mean At last (as in Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version) or “Finally” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised English Bible). Others render it “A little later” (Bible en français courant), which is similar to Good News Translation “Then….” New English Bible follows the meaning “yet another.” It is probably best to adopt a rendering that approximates the meaning “finally” or “at last.”
Before me: it will be noted that Good News Translation takes this information as included in “came in.”
He who was named Belteshazzar: see 1.7, where this new name was given. The name and its explanation are rightly taken as parenthetical information in Good News Translation and certain other versions. If parentheses are not used in the language of translation, then some other device should be found to indicate that this explanation of Daniel’s other name is aside from the main story line.
After the name of my god: one of the principal Babylonian deities was called “Bel” (see Isa 46.1), which is another name for Marduk. The relationship between the name of the deity and Daniel’s other name is not strictly one of derivation from the actual words, but of resemblance in spelling. The name actually comes from Balatsu-usur, meaning “may he protect his life.”
And in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: the punctuation of Revised Standard Version indicates that this is a part of the parenthetical thought of the king. Similar punctuation is used in New International Version. But in other versions where parentheses are used (Good News Translation, Moffatt), this phrase is not so marked. In most languages it will probably be better to make this a new sentence outside any parentheses. Some possible ways of wording it are “The spirit of the holy gods is in him,” “He is moved by the spirit of the holy gods,” or “This man is endowed with the spirit of the holy gods.” The plural noun gods may legitimately be translated as a singular as in one ancient version of this book, but in the mouth of the non-Jewish monarch, the plural is probably better.
In some languages it will be considered redundant and unnecessary to use the adjective holy with the word for gods, since it would be unimaginable to think of an unholy god. But unless the use of the adjective is unnatural, it should be retained for emphasis.
The word holy itself presents serious problems for translators. Even if it is omitted for contextual reasons here and in the following verse, it cannot be avoided in other passages. The adjective often refers to something belonging to God or completely separated from the ordinary things of life, and only rarely focuses on moral purity. In this context one possible translation is “the gods who are (or God who is) completely separate from human beings” or “… who are entirely different from us.”
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .