DAN 2:18 Parallel Verse View

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 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 very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) so they might beg for mercy from the god of the heavens concerning the mystery of the dream, so that all of them might not be executed along with the rest of the Babylonian wise men.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT so that they might seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

UST I urged them to ask God, who lives in heaven, to act mercifully toward us by telling us the secret meaning of what the king dreamed, in order that we and the other wise men in Babylon would not be executed.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends would not be destroyed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

LSV and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they do not destroy Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

FBV He told them to pray to the God of heaven, asking for help regarding this mystery, so that he and his friends would not be killed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

T4T I urged them to ask God, who lives/rules in heaven, to have mercy on us by telling us the secret meaning of what the king dreamed, in order that we and the other wise men in Babylon would not be executed.

LEB and told them to seek mercy _⌊from the God of heaven_⌋[fn] concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed.

2:18 Literally “from before the God of the heaven”

BBE So that they might make a request for the mercy of the God of heaven in the question of this secret; so that Daniel and his friends might not come to destruction with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Moff they were to ask the God of heaven to be merciful in the matter of this mystery, that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the other sages of Babylon.

JPS that they might ask mercy of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

ASV that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

DRA To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

YLT and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they destroy not Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Drby that they would desire mercies of the [fn]God of the heavens concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

2.18 Elohim

RV that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

SLT And for seeking companions from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret: that Daniel and his companions shall not be destroyed with the rest of the wise of Babel.

Wbstr That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

KJB-1769 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.[fn][fn]

2.18 of the God: Chaldee, from before God

2.18 that Daniel…: or, that they should not destroy Daniel, etc

KJB-1611 That they would desire mercies [fn]of the God of heauen concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellowes [fn]should not perish with the rest of the Wise men of Babylon.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes)

2:18 Cald. from before God.

2:18 Or, that they should not destroy Daniel, &c.

Bshps That they shoulde beseche the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his felowes, with other such as were wyse in Babylon, perished not.
(That they should beseech/implore the God of heaven for grace in this secret, that Daniel and his fellows, with other such as were wise in Babylon, perished not.)

Gnva That they should beseech the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his fellowes should not perish with the rest of ye wise men of Babel.
(That they should beseech/implore the God of heaven for grace in this secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of ye/you_all wise men of Babel. )

Cvdl yt they shulde beseke the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his felowes with other soch as were wyse in Babilon, perished not.
(it they should beseke the God of heaven for grace in this secret, that Daniel and his fellows with other such as were wise in Babylon, perished not.)

Wycl hise felowis, that thei schulden axe merci of the face of God of heuene on this sacrament; and that Danyel and hise felowis schulden not perische with othere wise men of Babiloyne.
(his fellows, that they should axe mercy of the face of God of heaven on this sacrament; and that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with other wise men of Babylon.)

Luth daß sie GOtt vom Himmel um Gnade bäten solches verborgenen Dings halben, damit Daniel und seine Gesellen nicht samt den andern Weisen zu Babel umkämen.
(that they/she/them God from_the heaven around/by/for grace bäten such hiddenn things half/halfway, with_it/so_that Daniel and his companions not together_with the change ways/manners to/for Babel would_perishn.)

ClVg ut quærerent misericordiam a facie Dei cæli super sacramento isto, et non perirent Daniel et socii ejus cum ceteris sapientibus Babylonis.
(as to_seek/search_fornt mercy from face of_God heavens over sacrament to_this, and not/no to_perishnt Daniel and companions his when/with to_others to_the_wise Babylonis. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–49: Daniel explained the king’s dream

These Notes interpret Daniel 2:1–49 as a complete narrative unit. However, in some languages it may be helpful to divide this chapter into more than one section and to give each section a separate heading. For example:

The BSB has four sections.
1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream (2:1–13)
2. The Dream Revealed to Daniel (2:14–23)
3. Daniel Interprets the Dream (2:24–45)
4. Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel (2:46–49)
The GNT has three sections:

(a) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2:1–13)

(b) God shows Daniel what the dream means (2:14–23)

This section tells how Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. He asked his advisers to tell him what he had dreamed and its meaning. They were unable to do so, and the king threatened them with death. But God revealed the meaning of the dream to Daniel. Daniel then told the king what he had dreamed and what it meant. The king honored Daniel and Daniel’s God.

The climax of this narrative occurs in 2:47. There the king declared that the God whom Daniel worshiped was the greatest of all gods.

Special Translation Problems:

1. Lists: The author of the book of Daniel liked to use lists (2:2, 10). However, the author did not intend for these lists to be complete or exact. The lists usually provide examples of the types of people or things that belong in a certain group or category. The Notes will suggest options on how to translate these lists.

2. Synonyms: The text often uses different terms for similar ideas. For example, there are several verbs that mean “to reveal” or “to make known.” There are three different Aramaic verbs in 2:40 that mean “crush, break to pieces.” In some languages it may be difficult or confusing to use several different words for similar ideas. The Notes will suggest how you might translate these similar words and terms.

3. Poetry: You will need to think carefully about how you will translate the poetic section in this chapter (2:20–23). Authors of Hebrew poetry usually wrote using matching pairs of lines. The relationship between these parallel lines differs. Sometimes the second line repeats the information in the first line using different words. Sometimes the second line contrasts with the first line. Hebrew poetry also has word plays, figurative speech, and alliteration. It may not always be easy to translate these literary features into your language. The Notes will suggest ways of translating the different features of Hebrew poetry. For more information about how to translate Hebrew poetry, see the Bible Translation Handbook of the Psalms. The poetry in 2:20–23 is a song of praise or thanksgiving. If your language has a special poetic form that fits this song, you can use it here.

4. Ambiguity: In the section where Daniel interpreted the last part of the king’s dream, there are a number of ambiguous references. For example, in 2:44a Daniel referred to “those kings” without identifying who those kings were. In 2:44b Daniel spoke of “all these kingdoms.” The ambiguity may be deliberate, since the dream itself is a mystery. It will be important not to over-interpret these passages by assuming a particular historical context. The Notes will suggest several options for how to translate these verses.

5. Repetition: Daniel interpreted the meaning of the first three kingdoms in a very brief way. He used many more words to describe the fourth kingdom (2:36–45). In this section he also repeated much of what was described before. In this way, Daniel emphasized the fourth kingdom as the most important. Some of the repetition in this section emphasizes specific ideas. Sometimes the repetition has another function. You will need to evaluate if this kind of repetition is natural in your language. If not, you will need to find another way to emphasize these ideas.

Paragraph 2:17–18

Daniel asked his friends to pray that God would show him the dream and spare their lives.

2:18a

urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery,

He asked them to pray that the God of heaven would be merciful and help them understand this mystery
He told them to pray for help from the God who rules from heaven. They should ask him to tell them the dream

urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates as urging them to plead for mercy is more literally “for mercy to ask/seek.” The BSB has supplied the words urging them. Daniel told his friends what he wanted them to do: to pray and ask God for mercy. Other translations supply this information in different ways (underlined):

He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven (NIV)

He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven (NET)

He told them to ask the God of heaven to be merciful (GW)

In some languages it may be most natural to use direct speech here. See the General Comment on 2:18. Here is another way to translate this:

Then he said, “Pray that the God who rules from heaven will be merciful…” (CEV)

mercy: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as mercy refers to feelings and actions of compassion, kindness, and pity. Daniel wanted his friends to ask God to be kind to them and help them by revealing to them the king’s dream. This would save their lives. In some languages it may be more natural to translate the noun mercy as a verb. For example:

He urged them to pray that the God of heaven would be merciful to them

the God of heaven: The phrase the God of heaven means “the God who is/lives in heaven.” This is a title for the one true God.This title for God is also found in Genesis 24:7 and the longer form “the God of heaven and earth” in Genesis 24:3. The Babylonian experts believed that people did not have direct contact with gods. See 2:11b. Daniel, however, believed that the one true God did reveal things directly to men on earth.

In some languages a literal translation of the God of heaven may imply or suggest that there is another God who is not in heaven. It is important to translate in a way that avoids this implication. There is only one God, and he dwells and reigns in heaven. It may be possible to avoid the wrong meaning by saying:

God, the one who is in heaven

In some languages it may be necessary to expand the title God of heaven. For example:

the God who rules from heaven (CEV)

heaven: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as heaven here refers to the place where God lives and reigns. See “heaven, sky” in KBT.

concerning this mystery: Daniel and his companions wanted God to help them know what the king had dreamed and what the dream meant. For example:

Pray that the God who rules from heaven will be merciful and explain this mystery (CEV)

He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret (NLT)

mystery: The Bible uses this word only in the book of Daniel. The mystery refers to both the dream and its interpretation.Baldwin (p. 89) believes that the king forgot the dream, so that the mystery includes both the dream and the interpretation. The UBS Handbook interprets the mystery as referring only to the interpretation. In this context the mystery was something that only God could reveal. Be careful not to use a word that is related to local pagan religions. Here is another way to translate this:

secret (NLT)

2:18b

so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

so that the king would not have them put to death with the other advisers/sages of Babylon.
so that they would not die along with the king’s other experts.

so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed: Daniel wanted his friends to pray that God would show him mercy by revealing to him the king’s dream. Then he and his friends would not be executed. This was the result that Daniel desired and hoped for.

so that: The Aramaic conjunction that the BSB translates as so that here introduces the final result that Daniel wanted. If God showed mercy and revealed the dream, then the Hebrew youths would not die.

Daniel and his friends would not be killed: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates as Daniel and his friends would not be killed is more literally “they (indefinite) might not kill Daniel and his companions.” The subject is indefinite. There are several ways to translate this:

Using an active verb and making the subject explicit. For example:
the king might not have him and his friends put to death
the king’s men/soldiers might not execute him and his friends
Making Daniel and his friends the subject of an active verb. For example:
Daniel and his companions might not perish (RSV)
Using a passive verb. For example:
he and his friends would not be killed (NCV)

Use the verb form that is most natural in your language in this context.

with the rest of the wise men of Babylon: It is not clear whether at this point Daniel was trying to save just himself and his three friends or all of the wise men. There are two possibilities:

Daniel was praying that the king would spare him and his friends. For example:
so that Daniel and his friends might be spared the fate of the other Babylonian sages (NJB) (BSB, KJV, NJB, NASB, RSV, ESV, NIV, REB, NJB, NET, NLT, NCV)
Daniel prayed that the king would spare him, his friends, and all the rest of the wise men. For example:
so that we and the others won’t be put to death (CEV) (CEV, NRSV)

It is good to leave this ambiguous if possible. However, if it is necessary to choose between the interpretations, it is recommended that you choose interpretation (1).

wise men: See the Notes at 2:12, where the same word is used. Daniel was referring to the group of divination experts who advised the king. This included all the various groups of experts listed in 2:2a. Other ways to translate this include:

other advisers (GNT)

wise advisers (GW)

sages (NJB)

General Comment on 2:18

In some languages it may be natural to translate what Daniel said to his friends as direct speech. For example:

^18aDaniel said to them, “Pray for us to the God of heaven. Ask him to save us ^18bfrom being executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”

Parallel DAN 2:18

Section 2:1–49: Daniel explained the king’s dream

Paragraph 2:17–18

2:18a

2:18b

General Comment on 2:18