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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Dan C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12
Dan 6 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V28
OET (OET-LV) [fn] from before_me a_decree it_is_made that in_all the_dominion_of my_kingdom they_will_be trembling[fn] and_fearing from before god_of_his of Dāniyyʼēl that he the_god (the)_living and_he_is_enduring for_ages and_kingdom_of_his is_one_which not it_will_be_destroyed and_dominion_of_his is_to the_end.
OET (OET-RV) He delivers and rescues, and he does all kinds of miracles in the heavens and on earth. He’s rescued Daniel from the strength and power of the lions.”
The new Persian king, Darius the Mede, chose Daniel to be one of the three officials who administered the kingdom. Daniel did his work so well that the other officials became jealous of him. One day they asked the king to pass a law that forbade praying to anyone but him for a period of thirty days. The king signed the law. Daniel, however, refused to obey it and continued to pray to the one true God, the God of Israel. When the king heard that Daniel had disobeyed the law, he ordered his soldiers to throw Daniel into the pit where he kept hungry lions. But God protected Daniel. The lions did not hurt him. When the king saw this, he punished Daniel’s enemies and honored Daniel and the God of Israel.
Other possible headings for this section include:
Daniel in the Pit of Lions (GNT)
Daniel and the Lions (NCV)
God protected Daniel from lions
Historical Background: The Persian empire under Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539/538 BC, when Daniel was over seventy years old.Daniel was taken captive and brought to Babylon in approximately 605 B.C. If he was 12 years old when he came, he would have been 78 when this story began. The Persian empire became larger than the Babylonian empire had ever been. It extended west to include both Egypt and Libya. It extended east as far as the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. It was the largest empire in the history of the world up to that time.
Some commentators think that Darius the Mede was another name or title for the Persian King Cyrus or for the governor under him, Gubaru.
Text:
The verse numbers in the NJPS and the NJB are different from the verse numbers in the BSB. For example, 6:1 in the NJPS and the NJB is 5:31 in the BSB. The difference is because the NJPS and NJB follow the numbers in the Hebrew Bible. These Notes follow the verse numbers in the BSB.
Special Problems:
1. Lists: The author liked to include lists. In Daniel 6, he listed the different officials who conspired against Daniel (6:1–2; 7). Some languages may not have so many terms for officials. The Notes will suggest some ways to translate these lists.
2. Repetition: The author liked to repeat words and phrases in order to create suspense and emphasis. The Notes will give some suggestions on how to translate words or phrases that are repeated.
3. Verbs of Speech: The author sometimes used more than one verb of speech to introduce a quotation. In some languages, this may not be natural. The Notes will offer some options on how to translate these verbs.
4. Synonyms: The author liked to use synonyms or near synonyms to refer to the same idea. For example: 6:7–9 (ordinance, law, decree); 6:14 (rescue, delivering); 6:26 (kingdom, dominion); 6:27b (signs, wonders). The Notes will suggest different ways to translate these terms.
Daniel 6:25 begins a new scene. This paragraph tells of King Darius’ reaction to Daniel’s rescue. He wrote a letter to the people in his kingdom, honoring Daniel’s God.
He delivers and rescues;
He rescues people and he sets them free.
He delivers people from their enemies. He saves them from harm.
He delivers people from all manner of evil.
He delivers and rescues: See also the Notes at 6:14b.This verb also occurs in 3:15g, 28b. It is a synonym to save someone (3:14b). This verb describes an action that God does regularly or habitually.It is a shaphal participle. Some ways English versions say this are:
delivers (RSV)
saves (NJB)
he rescues people (CEV)
a savior (REB)
and rescues: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as rescues is a synonym to the verb “saves.” The verb form describes something that God does regularly or habitually. Some ways that English versions say this are:
and saves people (NCV)
he sets them free (CEV)
a deliverer (REB)
Some languages may not have synonyms like “rescues” and “saves.” In other languages, it may not be natural to repeat the same idea twice. If either of these are true in your language, it may be necessary to use only one verb, perhaps intensifying it in some way.
He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth,
He performs miraculous signs and amazing things everywhere, on earth and in the sky.
He does mighty miracles everywhere in the universe.
He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as performs means “does, acts.”ʾeḇeḏ “to make”; HALOT, 1942. The form of the Aramaic verb describes something that God does habitually or continually.Peal Participle. Some ways English versions translate this are:
he performs wonders and miracles (GNT)
he does miraculous signs and amazing things (GW)
he accomplishes wonderful signs and miraclesBFrCL88
a worker of signs and wonders (REB)
signs: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as signs refers to things that God does to show his power.ʾeṯ “signs”: HALOT, 1828. The same word occurs in 4:2. Other ways that English versions translate this are:
miraculous signs (GW)
miracles (GNT)
wonders: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as wonders means “miracles.”tammah “miracle”: HALOT, 2007. It is a close synonym to the Aramaic word meaning “signs” above. Both words also occur together in 4:2. Another way to translate this idea is:
amazing things (GW)
miracles (GNT)
In some languages you may not have two different words that mean “signs” and wonders. If that is true in your language, you may have to use one word or phrase that expresses this idea. For example:
by working great miracles (CEV)
he does mighty miracles (NCV)
he shows signs of his great power
in the heavens and on the earth: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as in the heavens and on the earth is an idiom that refers to everywhere, the whole of creation. God’s power is seen in the skies above and on the earth beneath.
the heavens: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as heavens can mean either the place where God lives or the sky. Here the author uses the word to refer to the sky as the opposite of the earth. Together the two words refer to all that God created.
for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
He kept Daniel safe from the lions.”
He even saved Daniel from the claws/jaws of the lions.”
Daniel’s God has kept the lions from harming him.”
for He has rescued Daniel: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as rescued is the same verb as in 6:27a. Here it describes a past action. God saved Daniel from the lions. You can also say:
who has delivered Daniel (REB)
Daniel’s God has rescued him (CEV)
from the power of the lions: The phrase that the BSB translates as the power of the lions is literally “the hand/paw of the lions.”The GeCL97 has: “from the jaws of the lions.” Here is another way to translate this:
from being killed by the lions (GNT)
דִּ֚י שֵׁיזִ֣יב לְדָֽנִיֵּ֔אל מִן־יַ֖ד אַרְיָוָתָֽא
(Some words not found in UHB: from/more_than before,me make decree that/who in=all dominion_of of,my_kingdom are fear and,fearing from/more_than before God_of,his that/who Dāniyyʼēl that/who he/it the=god (the),living and,[he_is]_enduring for=ages and,kingdom_of,his that/who not destroyed and,dominion_of,his until the,end )
Alternate translation: “he has not allowed the strong lions to hurt Daniel”
6:27 He rescues and saves. . . . He has rescued Daniel: This proclamation moves from the general to the specific. Daniel was a specific example of God’s rescuing power. God continues to act on behalf of his people, just as he has always done.
OET (OET-LV) [fn] from before_me a_decree it_is_made that in_all the_dominion_of my_kingdom they_will_be trembling[fn] and_fearing from before god_of_his of Dāniyyʼēl that he the_god (the)_living and_he_is_enduring for_ages and_kingdom_of_his is_one_which not it_will_be_destroyed and_dominion_of_his is_to the_end.
OET (OET-RV) He delivers and rescues, and he does all kinds of miracles in the heavens and on earth. He’s rescued Daniel from the strength and power of the lions.”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.
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