OET interlinear DAN 12:4

12:4a

But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end: The Hebrew text that the BSB translates as shut up these words and seal the book is more literally “shut/stop up the words and seal up the scroll.” This is a figure of speech using the image of a sealed scroll. In Daniel’s time, people generally wrote on long scrolls that were rolled up, rather than in books with many pages that could be shut. The writer would put a wax seal on the edge of the rolled scroll so that it could not be easily opened by those for whom it was not intended. He did this to keep his message secret, and this is the point of comparison here. See also the note on 8:26b.

There are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

• keeping the metaphor in both verbs. For example:

  But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end. (RSV)

  And now, Daniel, close the book and put a seal on it until the end of the world. (GNT)

• keeping the metaphor in one verb and explaining its meaning in the other verb. For example:

  But you, Daniel, must keep these words secret and keep the book sealed until the time of the End. (NJB)

• combining the verbs and explaining the meaning of the metaphor. For example:

  Daniel, I now command you to keep the message of this book secret until the end of time. (CEV)

Translate this figure of speech in a way that makes the meaning clear in your language and culture.

But you, Daniel: The Hebrew conjunction that the BSB translates as But here introduces a specific command to Daniel himself. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this command in a different way. For example:

And now, Daniel (GNT)

Daniel, I now command you (CEV)

the book: In Daniel’s day scrolls were mostly made of parchment (from the papyrus reed). Sheets of papyrus were glued together and wound around a stick about a foot long. See how you translated the word book in Luke 4:17, 20.

12:4b

Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase: This verse part describes what would happen while the scroll remained sealed. People would travel seeking knowledge.

Many will roam to and fro: The Hebrew clause that the BSB translates as Many will roam to and fro indicates that people will travel to various distant places. Here are some other ways to translate this:

Many will dash about (NET)

Many will travel everywhere (GW)

Many will rush to and fro (REB)

and knowledge will increase: There is a textual problem here:

1. The Hebrew text says that knowledge will increase. For example:

   trying to gain such knowledge (REB) (BSB, NIV, GNT, KJV, NASB, RSV/NRSV, ESV, NET, GW, NLT, CEV, NCV)

2. Some scholars suggest that the Hebrew text originally said that evil will increase. For example:

   and wickedness will continue to increase (NJB, NABRE)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with the MT and the majority of English versions.

knowledge will increase: In some languages it may be natural or necessary to translate the noun knowledge as a verb. For example:

trying to understand what is happening (GNT)