Those among the people who are wise: by the very nature of the phrase, and also in light of the immediate context, this is to be understood as referring to “leaders” who are wise. It is so translated in New English Bible/Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, as well as Good News Translation. New American Bible has “the nation’s wise men.”

Shall make many understand: the idea here is not one of forcing people to understand, but rather of helping others to understand. In some languages the most natural way to say this will be by the use of the causative form of the verb. As in verses 14, 18, and 26, the noun translated many is a term often used in the Qumran writings for the ordinary members of the community as distinct from the leaders. This is added reason to translate “leaders” in the first part of the verse.

They shall fall: the pronoun subject probably refers to the “wise leaders” rather than to the people in general. They would certainly not have been excluded from the persecutions. Verse 35 expresses this more clearly.

Fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder: the four misfortunes that will happen to the wise leaders may be described in a variety of ways according to what is natural in the translator’s language. The verb “to fall” indicates death and goes with the first two nouns, and the word sword, as often in Scripture, is symbolic of warfare in general. So the meaning is that some will die while engaged in war, and others will be burned to death. The other two nouns speak of exile (or imprisonment) and theft as two other ways in which the wise leaders will suffer.

For some days: the word days is not to be taken literally in this context. This whole expression refers to a relatively short period of time, but not necessarily one that is most naturally measured in days. Compare verse 20.

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 .