complete verse (Daniel 11:43)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 11:43:

  • Kupsabiny: “He will be ruling/in charge of the wealth of Egypt including gold, silver and all valuable/expensive things. He will defeat the people of Libya and those of Cush so that they respect/submit to him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He will-become the owner of the gold, silver, and all of the wealth of Egipto. He will- also -put-under-(his)-jurisdiction Libya and Etiopia.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The army of Syria will take away from Egypt gold, silver, and other valuable items. The people of Libya and Ethiopia will allow the King of Syria to rule over them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 11:43

Become ruler of: literally “He will dominate.” Compare “will gain control of (or over)” (New English Bible, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible) and “treasure … will lie in his power” (New Jerusalem Bible). In other languages translators may say “… will be under his power” or “he will conquer.”

All the precious things of Egypt: in this context, following the mention of gold and silver, it will be appropriate in many languages to add the word “other” and say something like “all the other valuable things of Egypt.” Or the whole thing may be restructured to say something like “he will seize all the treasures of Egypt, including its silver and gold.”

The Ethiopians: literally “the Cushites.” The term “Cush” refers to the region situated to the south of Egypt and identified with the ancient Nubia (New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or with “Sudan” in earlier editions of Good News Translation. Since the term “Cush” undoubtedly referred to an area much larger than the present day state of Sudan, the use of “Sudan” is not recommended. The ancient Greek version rendered the term “Cush” as “Ethiopia,” and this has been followed by a great many modern English versions (including Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, An American Translation, Moffatt). Others simply transliterate the Hebrew here, using “Cushites” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). In those languages where all the geographic terms are equally unknown, the latter solution is preferable.

Shall follow in his train: literally “(are) at his steps.” This expression indicates submission to a higher authority. Some versions have translated it by “follow in his footsteps” (Segond and Bible de la Pléiade in French), but this is unfortunate, since that expression carries with it the idea of “following the example of,” which is not found in the Hebrew. New Jerusalem Bible has “follow at his heel,” and New Jerusalem Bible renders the same expression “will be at his feet,” both of which give the idea of submissive adherents. Libya (to the west) and Cush (to the south) were a part of the kingdom of the Ptolemies. So the conquest of the “king of the north” is not limited to Egypt as such but extends throughout the “kingdom of the south.”

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 .