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Daniel 2:4
New English Translation
Daniel 2:4
New English Translation
4 The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic[a]] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its[b] interpretation.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Daniel 2:4 sn Contrary to common belief, the point here is not that the wise men (Chaldeans) replied to the king in the Aramaic language, or that this language was uniquely the language of the Chaldeans. It was this view that led in the past to Aramaic being referred to as “Chaldee.” Aramaic was used as a lingua franca during this period; its origins and usage were not restricted to the Babylonians. Rather, this phrase is better understood as an editorial note (cf. NAB) marking the fact that from 2:4b through 7:28 the language of the book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. In 8:1, and for the remainder of the book, the language returns to Hebrew. Various views have been advanced to account for this change of language, most of which are unconvincing. The change in language likely reflects stages in the transmission history of the book of Daniel or factors in its composition history.
- Daniel 2:4 tn Or “the.”
Daniel 2:4
New International Version
Daniel 2:4
New International Version
4 Then the astrologers answered the king,[a](A) “May the king live forever!(B) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:4 At this point the Hebrew text has in Aramaic, indicating that the text from here through the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic.
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV)
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