Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Daniel 11 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter continues the last section in the book, in which Daniel has a vision and man-like figure appears to him and interprets it. 1. The man finishes his explanation of why he was delayed (1) 2. The man begins to explain the meaning of Daniel’s vision (2–45) 1. Wars between the kings of the north and south (2–20) 2. An evil king of the north will cause great trouble for the Jews (21–35) 3. This king of the north will become powerful but ultimately be destroyed (36–45)

Translation issues in this chapter

The identification of the kings of the north and south

As in chapter 8, the person who interprets Daniel’s vision does specify what some of the figures in it represent. He speaks of Persian kings and their wars against “the kingdom of Javan,” that is, Greece (11:2). He then describes how “a mighty king will stand” (11:3), presumably Alexander the Great of Greece, and how “his kingdom will be broken and divided toward the four winds of the heavens, but not to his posterity,” just as Alexander’s empire was divided among four of his generals after he died. This leads many interpreters to believe that the kings of the north are the kings who ruled the northern part of what had been that empire and that the kings of the south are the ones who ruled the southern part, which was based in Egypt. (In 11:7-8, the man even describes how one king of the south will defeat the king of the north and bring their gods “into captivity to Egypt.”) However, even if the accounts of the kings of the north and south are initially describing the actual struggle for power between two Greek empires that succeeded Alexander’s, it is not clear at what point the vision might shift from historical events subsequent to Daniel but prior to the present day to future events that will take place “at the time of the end” (11:40). So as in the case of the other visions in the book, we recommend that translators not add any identifying information beyond what the book specifically says, either in the text or in footnotes.

Parallel DAN 11:0

Daniel 11 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

Translation issues in this chapter

The identification of the kings of the north and south