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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 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28
OET (OET-LV) [fn] then the_overseers and_the_satraps they_were seeking an_occasion to_find to/for_Dāniyyʼēl from_the_side_of the_kingdom and_all occasion and_being_deceitfull not they_were_able to_find as_to because that was_trustworthy he and_all negligence and_being_deceitfull not it_was_found concerning_him.
6:5 Note: KJB: Dān.6.4
OET (OET-RV) Then these men concluded, “We won’t find any grounds for making an accusation against this Daniel unless we find something against him to do with the laws of his god.”
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.
The other government officials became jealous of Daniel and began to plot against him.
Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel,
Then the officials said to each other: “We will never discover any reason to accuse Daniel,
The men discussed this together and said, “We will never be able to accuse Daniel of doing something wrong.
The men concluded that they would never be able to bring charges against Daniel for the way he did his work.
Finally: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as Finally here introduces the next event in the narrative. See the Notes at 6:3a, where the same word occurs. Here is another way to translate this:
Then (RSV)
these men said: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as these men said here introduces what the officials said to each other. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit:
They said to each other (GNT)
they said to one another (CEV)
We will never find any charge against this Daniel: The officials realized that they would not be able to find any fault with Daniel’s work. See the Notes at 6:4c-d. Here are some other ways to translate this:
We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel (CEV)
We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel (NCV)
We shall never find a way of discrediting Daniel (NJB)
We: If your language distinguishes between the inclusive “we” and the exclusive “we,” use the inclusive form. The men were talking to one another.
any charge: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as charge here refers to a reason for making a complaint. Translate this as you did in 6:4a, b. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
pretext (NET)
fault (NJPS)
ground of complaint (RSV)
this Daniel: See the Notes at 6:3a. Here, however, the use of the pronoun this may have a negative or derogatory implication.
unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
unless we find a reason that has to do with the law of his God.”
The only way we can accuse him is to find something connected/related to the law of the God he worships.”
Only in connection with the law of his God might they bring such a charge.
unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as unless here introduces an exception to the previous clause.HALOT, 1908. It also occurs in 2:11; 3:28; 6:8–13. The officials agreed that they might be able to accuse Daniel of something related to the laws of his God. Your languages may have a different way to translate exceptions like this. For example:
only if it is something to do with the laws of his God
except a complaint in connection with the laws of his God
In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:
It will only be possible to find such a ground for complaint in connection with the law of his God
something against him concerning the law of his God: Other ways to say this include:
in connection with the law of his God (NRSV)
it is connected with his religion (REB)
it is about the law of his God (NCV)
it is in relation to the law of his God
the law of his God: The phrase the law of his God refers in general to the collection of laws that Daniel’s God had given to his people. The officials knew that Daniel always obeyed this law. The word is singular, although the plural “laws” is also acceptable in this context. For example:
the rules of his religion (NLT)
law: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as law usually refers to a royal command (2:13–15) or to laws made by the government (2:16; 6:8,12, 15).daṯ. HALOT, 1856. Here, however, it refers to religious law.HALOT, 1856.
In some languages it may be more natural to translate this verse in a positive way. For example:
The only way we can accuse him is in connection with his religious duties/obligations.
The only point that we can catch him is in his loyalty to the law of his God.GeCL97.
Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion. (NLT)
לְדָנִיֵּ֥אל דְּנָ֖ה כָּל־עִלָּ֑א
(Some words not found in UHB: then the,overseers and,the,satraps kept trying grounds_for_complaint to,find to/for=Dāniyyʼēl from,the_side_of of,the_kingdom and=all grounds_for_complaint and=being_deceitfull not be_able(mp) to,find as=to corresponding that/who faithful he/it and=all negligence and=being_deceitfull not found concerning,him )
Alternate translation: “any reason to complain about Daniel”
6:5 rules of his religion: Literally law [or requirements] of his God (cp. 6:8, 12, 15; Ezra 7:12, 14, 25).
OET (OET-LV) [fn] then the_overseers and_the_satraps they_were seeking an_occasion to_find to/for_Dāniyyʼēl from_the_side_of the_kingdom and_all occasion and_being_deceitfull not they_were_able to_find as_to because that was_trustworthy he and_all negligence and_being_deceitfull not it_was_found concerning_him.
6:5 Note: KJB: Dān.6.4
OET (OET-RV) Then these men concluded, “We won’t find any grounds for making an accusation against this Daniel unless we find something against him to do with the laws of his god.”
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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