Deal with the strongest fortresses: taken at its face value, this seems to mean “He will come against the strongest (enemy) fortresses.” But a minor change in the Hebrew vowels makes it mean “He will defend (his own) fortresses,” as in Good News Translation (as well as New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, An American Translation, and Moffatt). This is probably the best solution.

By the help of a foreign god: the text is extremely difficult, and many guesses have been made as to its real meaning. But a change in the vowel of the Hebrew word that Revised Standard Version translates by the help of makes it mean “people.” This gives the text a much better sense and is followed by New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, and others, as well as Good News Translation. It is probably best to adopt this meaning in the translation, even though this is contrary to the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project.

Those who acknowledge him: this can mean either that they acknowledge the “god of fortresses” mentioned in verse 38 (Bible en français courant and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or that they accept this king as the legitimate ruler of the country (Good News Translation). Still other versions take it to mean “those whom he (the king) acknowledges” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “those whom he favours” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible). Many English versions leave it rather vague but seem to suggest the interpretation that is expressed clearly in Good News Translation. It is probably best to follow Good News Translation‘s interpretation and make the meaning clear in the translation.

Make them rulers over many: the word here rendered many refers to common people or the “multitude” and is the same as used in verse 34.

Divide the land for a price: the last word usually referred to a sum of money that served either as payment for a purchase or as a reward to a person for something done. By extension the word came to mean the value of an article or a reward given to a person, even if the transaction did not involve money. In the present context either interpretation is possible. On the one hand it may mean the sale of conquered lands (at a bargain price) to the favorites of the king (New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible). But on the other hand it may refer to the distribution of the conquered territory to them as a reward for their services (An American Translation, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Anchor Bible, as well as Good News Translation). The latter interpretation is probably to be preferred.

This verse seems to be a reference to the installation of the troops of Antiochus IV in Jerusalem, where they set themselves up even in the vicinity of the Temple itself. According to some, this is what was meant by the strongest fortresses.

In view of the numerous problems regarding the text and its interpretation in this verse, it is perhaps wise to summarize the recommended translation:

He will use foreigners who worship a different god, to protect his fortresses. And he will give great honors to those who acknowledge him as the true ruler of the country; he will give them positions of importance in his government, and he will distribute conquered lands to them as a reward for their loyalty to him.

In addition it may be a good idea to add a footnote indicating that the word fortresses may refer particularly to Jerusalem, where the Jews especially resented the presence of non-Jewish troops.

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 .

Chaldeans: compare verse 2. The translation should not give the impression that only one category of specialists mentioned in verse 2 came to speak to the king. Those addressing the king are actually spokesmen for the entire group. In some languages it may be possible, as in Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, to translate this by using the third person plural pronoun.

The words “in Aramaic” (Good News Translation) are found only in a footnote in Revised Standard Version, although they are included in parentheses in the text of New Revised Standard Version. They are also omitted by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and placed in the left margin by New Jerusalem Bible, because they are considered an editorial note added to the text. It is, in fact, at this point that the text of Daniel changes from Hebrew to Aramaic and continues thus to the end of chapter 7. However, it is also possible that these words were a part of the original text, because this is the beginning of a quotation from Aramaic-speaking people. Probably it is better to retain this in the translation, as has been done in New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and many others, as well as in Good News Translation. But in those translations where footnotes are being used, it may be advisable to explain the problem in more detail.

O king, live for ever!: the use of the vocative form O king … was the usual respectful way of addressing royalty in the Semitic languages, but this often sounds quite unnatural in translation. It is used more than twenty times in the next five chapters, and an effort should be made to find a natural equivalent in other languages. In English the most natural equivalent is probably “your majesty,” as in Good News Translation (and in most cases also in New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible). But the receptor language may have a very different form of address to begin talking to a chief, a president, or some other very important person. Naturalness in the language should determine the form here; but it is likely that a literal rendering of “your majesty” will sound awkward.

The words live for ever are used to express the desire that the king will have a long life. While it is unnecessary to give a word-for-word translation, it is probably advisable to maintain the theme of “life” in whatever form is used. In English the most natural wording may be “Long live the king!” as in New English Bible/Revised English Bible. In other languages translators may something like “may the king remain (or continue)!” or “may the chief never die!”

Tell your servants the dream: the specialists are not asking that the king tell his dream to someone else (as his household servants, for example) but to them. Referring to themselves in the third person as servants is a way of showing respect and acknowledging their subordination to the king, as with Daniel and his companions in 1.12. But it is a mistake in most languages to translate this literally. It is usually much more natural to say simply “tell us your dream,” or perhaps retaining something of the form, “we are your servants. So tell us your dream….” In those languages distinguishing between inclusive and exclusive forms of the first person plural pronoun, the exclusive form should be used here.

These experts could not believe that the king was really demanding that they tell him the content of the dream. They understood him to be asking only for the interpretation. But the king’s response makes it clear that he was asking for both the content and the meaning.

Show the interpretation: the verb here translated show occurs at least eight times in this chapter and is used as a sort of technical term for revealing the unknown. New Revised Standard Version actually translates it using the English verb “reveal.” While the object of this verb is most often the word for “interpretation” as in this case, in verse 6 both “the dream and its interpretation” are objects. And in verse 28 the object is the word “mystery.” In some languages it will be more natural to use an expression like “cause to see the meaning….”

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 .

While this verse is a continuation of the sentence started in the previous verse, it is probably better to begin a new sentence here, as in Good News Translation.

Hand: as seen in 1.2, this word carries the idea of power or authority. According to Daniel, God had made Nebuchadnezzar the ruler of the known world. A literal translation of hand will therefore be unlikely to convey the meaning in many languages. Moffatt translates “into your power.”

Wherever they dwell: this expression emphasizes the all-inclusive scope of the king’s rule. Such a statement may fit more naturally at the end of the list that follows, rather than here at the beginning.

The sons of men: this Semitic expression refers to all of humanity, since the words “sons of…” merely indicate membership in a group (see 1.6). It is not limited either to the younger generation or to the male sex, as the word “sons” may suggest.

Beasts of the field: this refers to all the animals living on the earth, especially those wild animals that are not yet submissive to human domination as the domestic animals are. In certain languages the choice of the noun for beasts will make the words of the field unnecessary. Revised English Bible translates simply “wild animals.”

Birds of the air: this includes all birds. The words of the air will probably be unnecessary in most languages, since this is a Semiticism. The Greek version adds “and the fish of the sea,” which often follows “the birds of the air” in Scripture. But no version consulted adopts this reading.

The above list is intended to express the idea of the universal domination of the king over all creation and not merely over certain categories of beings. Translators are advised to avoid giving the impression of any restriction and should probably retain the three categories (human beings, animals, and birds).

Making you rule over them all: this should not suggest that the king is forced to rule against his will. In some languages it will be better to say “allowing you to rule over them all” or “giving you the right to rule….”

You are the head of gold: this corresponds to the first part of the dream in verse 32. To be clearly understood, it may be wise to reword this in some languages, saying “you are like the head of gold in the dream” or “that head of gold represents (or symbolizes, or stands for) you.”

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 .

Strict: the same word is translated “severe” in 2.15. In this context it indicates that the king’s order was firm and uncompromising. Many versions (New International Version, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, and New Jerusalem Bible) translate the word “urgent.” In some languages it may be necessary to say “the king’s command was strong.” Another possibility is “the king was very angry when he have his command” (New Century Version).

The flame of the fire: such an expression as this will be seen as redundant in some languages and should be translated simply as “flames” or “fire,” but not both.

Slew: in some cases a more general word such as “kill” will be preferred, but in others the context will require “burned up” or some other expression related to death by fire.

Since this verse begins with a kind of explanation of why the guards were burned up in the fire, it may be more natural to change the order of clauses in some languages. Another way of wording this may be something like “The guards who took the young men to the furnace were burned to death because the king had given very strict orders that the furnace be made extremely hot.” Or it may be advisable to divide the verse into two sentences, as follows: “Following the strict orders of the king, the furnace had been made as hot as possible. Therefore even the soldiers who had been ordered to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire were burned up.”

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 .

Since this is again a kind of summary or conclusion, a paragraph break is made in Good News Translation and a number of other English versions. Such a break is also recommended to translators.

O king: see verse 22.

A decree: see verse 17.

The Most High: see comments on this term in verse 17.

My lord the king: as in 1.10, it may be more natural to translate this whole expression by a simple pronoun, as is done in Good News Translation.

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 .

He gave him: in some cases it may be important to translate the pronoun he by the noun “God” to avoid possible confusion in the mind of the reader.

Peoples, nations, and languages: see 3.4, 7; 4.1.

Trembled and feared: these two terms are very similar in meaning and may have to be translated by a single verb in some languages.

Whom he would he slew: the New Revised Standard Version gives the same information in more common English word order and vocabulary: “He killed those he wanted to kill.”

Whom he would he kept alive: both the Revised Standard Version and the Good News Translation rendering “if he wanted to keep someone alive, he did” sounds as if the king may have been a great physician with exceptional healing powers, but this is not the meaning of the text. So this meaning should be avoided. It will be much better to say “allow to live” instead of “keep alive.” Another possibility is “spared whom he pleased” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Raised up … put down: the translation of these terms should not give the impression of physical lifting up and its opposite. Very often in Scripture these words are used in a figurative sense to speak of promotion and demotion, or of distinction and dishonor. This meaning is conveyed here by Good News Translation, “honored or disgraced.” New English Bible has “promoted … and … degraded,” and New American Bible reads “exalted or humbled.”

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 .

The name Daniel occurs three different times in the first half of this verse. Such repetition may be awkward in many languages and can be reduced as in Good News Translation.

Cried out … and said: the use of both of these verbs may be redundant in certain languages, and the verbs can be reduced so that the first one is used exclusively: “shouted” or “called out.”

In a tone of anguish: some ancient translations have “in a loud voice.” But most follow the idea of anguish or sorrow: “anxiously” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible and New Revised Standard Version as well as Good News Translation), “in a sorrowful voice” (An American Translation), “in a mournful voice” (New Jerusalem Bible). One Aramaic lexicon says that the word means “sad.” It is clear in any case that the king was very distressed over the situation of Daniel.

The living God: this expression is used frequently in the New Testament (Matt 26.63; John 6.69; Heb 9.14, for example) and elsewhere in the Old Testament (Deut 5.26; Josh 3.10; 1 Sam 17.26). But in some languages this poses serious problems, since the descriptive term living is considered unnecessarily redundant.

Serve continually …: see verse 16, where the same terms are used, except for from the lions.

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 .