Daniel

The term that is transliterated as “Daniel” in English means “judge of God (i.e., one who delivers judgment in the name of God,” “my judge is God.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the letter D and for “lion,” referring to the story in Daniel 6. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Daniel” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that refers to Daniel being cast into the lions’ den. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Daniel” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “prayer” that illustrates Daniel’s close relationship with God.


“Daniel” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

The following is a stained glass window depicting Daniel by Endre Odon Hevezi and Gyula Bajo from 1965 for the Debre Libanos Monastery, Oromia, Ethiopia:

Photo by Timothy A. Gonsalves, hosted by Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

See also Daniel.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Daniel .

complete verse (Daniel 5:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 5:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then Daniel answered to king Belteshazzar, ‘Remain with your gifts or give them to someone else. Though it is like that, I will read for you those writings and tell you their meaning.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts, and you may give your rewards to someone else nevertheless, for you Great King, I will read these letters that have been written and tell their meaning.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Daniel answered, ‘You (sing.) may just keep those gifts, Beloved King, or just give to others. But I will- still -read that writing on the wall for you and explain its meaning.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I replied, ‘I do not want your gifts; keep them, or give them to someone else. But I will read for you the writing on the wall, and I will tell you what it means.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (oatae)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, oatae (お与え) or “give” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Daniel 5:17

Let your gifts be for yourself: Daniel’s answer may sound impudent in some languages if translated using the imperative form, as in Good News Translation and several other versions. Probably no such arrogance is intended, and the answer may have to be softened in some languages. Many English versions make the discourse sound less harsh by beginning with “You may keep…” instead of the imperative (New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible). In some cases it may be possible to say “It is good for you to keep….” However, it should be noted that some scholars think that the author intentionally uses strong language here to show that Daniel is a messenger of divine judgment. This is in keeping with the tone of judgment that is found in the rest of the speech.

And give your rewards to another: the use of the conjunction and makes it appear that the gifts and rewards refer to two different sets of objects, one of which Belshazzar would keep and the other which would be given to someone else. This, however, is not the intention of the writer. So the conjunction should be “or.” Daniel is saying that the three rewards (the royal clothing, the royal collar, and royal power mentioned at the end of verse 16) may either be kept by the king or given away to other people. In addition to Good News Translation, those versions using the conjunction “or” are New English Bible, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, and Anchor Bible. Revised English Bible restructures the two phrases and joins them with a semicolon: “I do not look for gifts from you; give your rewards to another.” Another possible model is “I don’t want to receive your gifts. If you want to, give them to someone else.”

Nevertheless: this adverb stresses the fact that, even without any reward, Daniel intends to clear up the mystery of the writing on the wall.

To the king … to him: since Daniel is speaking directly to the king, it will be very unnatural in most languages to use this third person reference. It will be much more natural to say something like “I will read the writing to you, your Majesty, and tell you what it means.” On the use of the third person in place of the second, see 2.10 and comments.

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 .