OET interlinear DAN 10:20

10:20a

“Do you know why I have come to you?” he said: The BSB places the words he said in the middle of what the man said to Daniel. This is good English style. However, in some languages, it may be necessary to place these words at the beginning of 10:20a, as in the Hebrew text. For example:

So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you?” (NIV)

Place the words he said where they would be most natural in your language.

Do you know why I have come to you?: The speaker asked a question to which he assumed the answer was “no.” In 10:21b he told why he had come, as though Daniel had said “No, I do not know.” So this is a rhetorical question that introduces the speaker’s purpose or reason for coming to Daniel. There are two ways to translate this clause:

• as a rhetorical question. For example:

  Do you know why I have come? (NLT)

  You do not know why I have come, do you?

• as an introductory statement. For example:

  Let me tell you why I have come.

  You do not know why I have come to you, so let me explain.

he said: The angelic figure dressed in linen responded to Daniel with a question. So in some languages it may be natural to say:

He asked me

10:20b

I must return at once to fight against the prince of Persia: This verse begins the explanation of why the angelic figure had come at this time. He would soon have to fight against the spiritual or demonic ruler of Persia. This would continue the fight mentioned in 10:13a–c. Here are some other ways to translate this:

Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. (NET)

Now I have to go back and fight the guardian angel of Persia. (GNT)

Soon I must leave to fight against the prince/ruler of Persia

I am about to go and take up the battle against the Persian prince

10:20c

and when I have gone forth, behold, the prince of Greece will come: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as I have gone often refers to going into battle, that is, attacking and fighting an enemy. In some languages it may be natural to avoid repetition from the previous verse part by saying:

After that the guardian angel of Greece will appear. (GNT)

and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come. (NLT)

In this context it is implied that the attack is successful. The prince of Persia is defeated, and then the prince of Greece comes and attacks. Some English translations make this implication clear:

when I have overcome him, the Prince of Javan will come next (NJB)

Then after I have defeated him, the guardian angel of Greece will attack me. (CEV)

the prince of Greece: The name Greece here does not refer to the modern nation state of Greece, which did not exist until modern times.Greece became an independent nation state in 1830. The Hebrew word is “Javan.” See how you spelled this in 8:21a. Here is another way to translate this:

the Prince of Javan (NJB)

Javan was the fourth son of Noah’s son Japheth, according to Genesis 10:2. According to the Jewish writer Josephus, he was the ancestor of the Greek peoples.Josephus wrote his history of the Jewish people about sixty years after the death of Jesus.