Then: some other ways of making the transition to this verse are “After that” or “As a result of this.” New Jerusalem Bible has “Thereupon.”

Promoted: literally, “caused to prosper.” This expression may be understood in two rather different ways: it may be understood as a promotion in rank with respect to their previous situation (2.49), or being reinstated to their previous positions. Translators are advised to give the first interpretation in the text and, if necessary, explain the second in a footnote. A literal rendering, “caused … to prosper” (New American Standard Bible), is not advised, since most versions adopt the idea of promotion. Good News Translation fills out the meaning by adding “to higher positions.” In other languages translators may have to say “gave them more important jobs than before,” “confided in them to a greater extent,” or “entrusted them with greater responsibilities than previously.”

The province of Babylon: see 2.49.

Translators using certain versions will note that there is a difference of numbering following this verse. Those verses numbered 1 through 3 of chapter 4 in most English versions are numbered as verses 31-33 of this chapter in translations following the numbering of the text in Aramaic. Whichever numbering system is followed, it is important to note that the next passage belongs with the narrative that follows, not with the story of 3.1-30.

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 .

You shall be driven: as in verse 25 this passive form reflects an indefinite third person plural form and should be translated to correspond with the earlier reference.

The remainder of this verse is also very close to the wording of verse 25. But it should be noted that there is no mention of the dew in this case.

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 .

TEKEL: as indicated in the Good News Translation rendering, this word means “weigh” or “weight,” depending on whether it is taken as a verb or a noun. Here it is taken as a verb, with God once again as the intended subject.

You have been weighed in the balances: if this passive and the one in the following expression have to be made active, God should certainly be the subject of the verb. It is God who examines Belshazzar and reaches the conclusion that there is something lacking. The idea of balances may be foreign to some cultures, but there is probably some kind of rough equivalent that can be used here. Within the commercial system of most groups, there is a system of measuring weight or quantity that can be employed here.

And found wanting: on the passive formulation, see above. Some possible models are “he (or God) has seen that you are insignificant,” or “he has determined that you are incompetent,” or “he has decided that you are inadequate to rule.” If it is desirable to retain the metaphor in the receptor language, translators may consider “he saw that you weighed too little” or “he found that you were not heavy enough.”

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 .

So: this translates the common, multipurpose conjunction in Aramaic that may be left untranslated as in Good News Translation. But other languages will require some kind of connecting word in this context, since what follows is a kind of conclusion to the story.

This Daniel: see verse 3.

Prospered: the translation of this verb should not focus on physical prosperity. As in 3.30, where the verb is translated “promoted,” the verb used here suggests the idea of Daniel’s political success. Bible en français courant translates “occupied an important position,” and New American Bible reads “fared well.”

During the reign: or “while Darius was ruling,” or “at the time when Darius was king.”

The reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian: the conjunction and in the Book of Daniel and elsewhere in the Old Testament may be used in the sense of “namely,” or “that is to say….” This has led some scholars to suggest that this phrase is really intended to show that Darius and Cyrus are one and the same person, as indicated in the New International Version footnote rendering, “Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus.” The point would then be to explain the identity of this otherwise unknown ruler. However, the repetition of the phrase during the reign of makes this somewhat less likely. In view of the uncertainty of this hypothesis, translators are advised to render the conjunction literally and, if required, a footnote may be added giving this other interpretation. However, many scholars consider the hypothesis too weak to merit a footnote.

Note that the whole verse is restructured by Revised English Bible as follows: “Prosperity attended Daniel during the reigns of Darius and Cyrus the Persian.”

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 .

Westward and northward and southward: that is, in all directions except the east. For the writer, who was located in Judea, Persia was situated to the east. It apparently had no interest in making conquests further east in the direction of India. In those languages where the words for north and south are particularly difficult, the essential meaning may be conveyed by saying something like “on all sides except the direction of the rising sun.”

No beast could stand before him: here the verb stand before is a way of saying “withstand him (or it)” (New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible), “resist his power,” or “hold its own against him” (Moffatt).

No one who could rescue from his power: literally “no one who could save from his hand.” Compare 1.2 on this use of the word “hand.” In some languages it may be necessary to state an object for the verb rescue. Translators may say “rescue any of his victims” or something similar. Revised English Bible rewords this to say “from its power there was no escape.”

He did as he pleased: or “he did whatever he wanted to do,” or “he did whatever his heart desired.”

Magnified himself: this expression, which also occurs in 8.8, 11, 25 as well as in 11.36, 37, 39, is more literally “he grew” or “he became great.” But translators and commentators alike are in agreement that this does not mean physical growth. Yet there is not complete agreement as to exactly what kind of growth is indicated. The most widely accepted interpretation is that the reference is to growth in power. New Jerusalem Bible has “became strong,” and New American Bible reads “became very powerful.” Good News Translation, however, indicates that he “grew arrogant.” And An American Translationhas “accomplished great exploits.”

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 .

To the Lord our God: since this is a prayer addressed to God, it will be advisable in most languages not use the third person forms as in the original. If the structure of Revised Standard Version is retained, it will be necessary to say something like “to you, O Lord our God.” Note that Good News Translation shortens this considerably.

Mercy and forgiveness: the first of these two nouns refers concretely to the intestines (often translated “bowels” in King James Version). For the Israelites this was considered the seat of the emotions of goodness, love, and affection. The two terms together speak of compassion that forgives wrongs.

Because: this conjunction in Revised Standard Version gives the wrong impression that the rebellion and sin of the people of Israel were the cause of God’s mercy. But it is rather in spite of their disobedience that God forgave them. It is therefore advisable to use a connecting word like “although” (Good News Translation), “even though” (New International Version), or “since” (New Jerusalem Bible). In other languages translators may prefer to begin a completely new sentence using the words “In spite of that.”

Rebelled: see verse 5.

Against him: this verse and the following one speak of God in the third person singular, but in verses 8 and 11 Daniel addresses him in the second person. Such changes of grammatical person are not unusual in Hebrew, but they do not indicate that the writer is passing from dialogue (here a prayer) to narrative. Since Daniel is praying directly to God, it will be unnatural in most languages to use a third person pronoun here. It is much more natural to say “against you.” Compare verse 4b.

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 .

Note that in Revised Standard Version this is a continuation of the sentence started in verse 13. But it will probably be better to begin a new sentence, as in Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and others.

Came: or “have come” (New Revised Standard Version), or “now I am here” (Moffatt and Knox).

To make you understand: that is, “to help you to comprehend” or “to enable you to know.” There is no thought of forcing Daniel against his will to understand.

In the latter days: this phrase and the one that follows in the next sentence, for days yet to come, both refer to the future. The word translated yet in Revised Standard Version has been revised in New Revised Standard Version to “a further vision.” It is understood as meaning “new” in New Jerusalem Bible: “This is a new vision about those days.” New American Bible has similarly followed this interpretation, applying the word yet to the verb rather than to the noun days. The result is “for there is yet a vision concerning those days.” This interpretation is probably to be preferred.

The rendering of this verse may be compared with Hab 2.3, from which it is thought by some scholars to be borrowed.

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 .

Those who eat his rich food: the focus of this expression is not so much on the fact of eating at the king’s table as on the intimacy that the sharing of food represents. On the word for rich food, see 1.5. Anchor Bible has rendered the expression “members of his court,” which is very similar in meaning to Good News Translation.

Shall be his undoing: the idiomatic English of Revised Standard Version does not reflect the original. The rendering of New American Bible is much more literal: “shall seek to destroy him.”

Shall be swept away: literally “his army shall overflow,” as in King James Version and New American Standard Bible. (The same verb is seen in 9.26 as well as verses 10 and 22 in this chapter.) Such an expression in its active form normally conveys the idea of a victorious army. But this does not fit the literary context here, which speaks of treason and the death of many soldiers, neither does it fit what we know of the historical context. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project/Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament propose that the traditional Hebrew text with the active verb form be retained; but the majority of modern translations and commentators follow the text of the ancient Syriac and Latin versions, which have the verb in the passive form, “will be overflowed.” The passive idea of “being defeated” may be rendered by an impersonal third person plural subject “they” or by some other passive-avoiding construction.

Many shall fall down slain: in this context this can only mean “many soldiers will die.” But an idiomatic way of saying “die” is appropriate here if one can be found.

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 .