Reading sample

Book of Daniel:

The Aramaic Part

A closer look into chapters 2-7

By Henry Shpikelman

Blessed be the name of God, forever and eternity, to whom all wisdom and might; He, who changes times and eras, passes kings and establishes kings, who gives wisdom to the wise and science to knowers of intellect; He discovers the deep and the hidden, knew the darkness, and the light with him is found

Preface

The book of Daniel is the 35th book in the Hebrew Bible and may immediately draw your attention when the language is switched to aramaic after the 3rd verse in the second chapter of the book. That is until the end of the seventh chapter, after which the language is switched back to hebrew.

These six chapters are thought to be a significant intellectual and archeological item as they describe several ancient kingdoms, their structures and ways of life, as well as the areas of interest surrounding their times.

The ancient aramaic language is considered to be deprecated, and even though modern branches of the language are widely used by african, arab and jewish people around the world, they are not of much similarity to the one used in the book of Daniel.

Written in cantillated hebrew letters, this part of the book has somewhat of a poetic pace and introduces many insights about the world of dreams and their recognition and importance as perceived in the described eras.

Many translations of the aramaic part were written during modern history, and they were based upon the Hebrew translation and commentary - which are admitted by many to be incomplete, inaccurate and missing the plot of the original story.

The first dream introduced in this part is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that consisted of the image of God, upon which a stone had landed and made it vanish. This may correspond to Genesis verse 10 of chapter 3, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself”. Meaning that as man was created in the image of God, he would find it difficult to distinguish God from the spirits of his counterparts, until it is almost as if God had disappeared.

After being told an interpretation of the dream by Daniel, king Nebuchadnezzar decided to establish a golden statue similar to the one in his dream, to which everyone should bow down and worship, as an attempt to satisfy God and make him recognizable.

Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream, described to great detail in chapter 4, was a vision of a beautiful tree, and an angel who had descended from heaven and instructed to cut it down, leaving its roots in the ground. This was meant to show Nebuchadnezzar an analogy of the emergence of man from God, and it was interpreted with severity by Daniel, causing the banishment of Nebuchadnezzar from his own kingdom.

Daniel’s dream which he wrote in chapter 7 is the most complicated of the three, and it eventually portrays how man’s kingdom could evolve until any possible way of contacting God is maliciously and irreversibly cut off.

דניאל - פרק ב | Daniel - Chapter 2

א וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת שְׁתַּ֗יִם לְמַלְכוּת֙ נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֔ר חָלַ֥ם נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר חֲלֹמ֑וֹת וַתִּתְפָּ֣עֶם רוּח֔וֹ וּשְׁנָת֖וֹ נִֽהְיְתָ֥ה עָלָֽיו׃

1: In the second year to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar had been dreaming dreams and his spirit was amazed, and his sleep overcame him

ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ לִקְרֹ֨א לַֽחַרְטֻמִּ֜ים וְלָֽאַשָּׁפִ֗ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ וְלַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים לְהַגִּ֥יד לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חֲלֹֽמֹתָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

2: The king ordered to convene all the wise men, and all of the masters and sorcerers and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams, and they came and stood before him

ג וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חֲל֣וֹם חָלָ֑מְתִּי וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם רוּחִ֔י לָדַ֖עַת אֶֽת־הַחֲלֽוֹם׃

3: And the king told them: I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit strives to know it to depth

ד וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲרָמִ֑ית מַלְכָּא֙ ׀ לְעָֽלְמִ֣ין חֱיִ֔י אֱמַ֥ר חֶלְמָ֛א לְעַבְדָ֖ךְ וּפִשְׁרָ֥א נְחַוֵּֽא׃

וידברו הכשדים למלך ארמית מלכותית: לעולמים תחיה! את החלום אמור לעבדיך, ואת פשרו נגיד

4: The Chaldeans spoke royal aramaic to the king: Thou shalt live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will decipher it

ה עָנֵ֤ה מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָמַ֣ר לְכַשְׂדָּאֵ֔י מִלְּתָ֖ה מִנִּ֣י אַזְדָּ֑א הֵ֣ן לָ֤א תְהֽוֹדְעוּנַּ֨נִי֙ חֶלְמָ֣א וּפִשְׁרֵ֔הּ הַדָּמִין֙ תִּתְעַבְד֔וּן וּבָֽתֵּיכ֖וֹן נְוָלִ֥י יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן׃

ענה המלך ואמר לכשדים: אני נותן לכם את מילתי, שאם לא תודיעו לי את החלום ופשרו - תוצאו להורג בהמוניכם ובתיכם יהרסו

5: The king answered and said to the Chaldeans: I give you my word, that if you do not inform me of the dream and its meaning - you will be executed in masses and your houses will be destroyed

ו וְהֵ֨ן חֶלְמָ֤א וּפִשְׁרֵהּ֙ תְּֽהַחֲוֺ֔ן מַתְּנָ֤ן וּנְבִזְבָּה֙ וִיקָ֣ר שַׂגִּ֔יא תְּקַבְּל֖וּן מִן־קֳדָמָ֑י לָהֵ֕ן חֶלְמָ֥א וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ הַֽחֲוֺֽנִי׃

ואם את החלום ואת פשרו תגידו, מתנות ותשורות וכבוד רב תקבלו מלפני

6: Yet if you narrate the dream and its meaning, you will receive gifts and rewards and great honour from before me

ז עֲנ֥וֹ תִנְיָנ֖וּת וְאָֽמְרִ֑ין מַלְכָּ֕א חֶלְמָ֛א יֵאמַ֥ר לְעַבְד֖וֹהִי וּפִשְׁרָ֥ה נְהַֽחֲוֵֽה׃

ענו הכשדים בשנית: המלך יאמר את החלום לעבדיו, ואת פשרו נגיד

7: The Chaldeans once again answered: The king will tell the dream to his servants, and we will narrate the meaning for him

ח עָנֵ֤ה מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָמַ֔ר מִן־יַצִּיב֙ יָדַ֣ע אֲנָ֔ה דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א אַנְתּ֣וּן זָֽבְנִ֑ין כָּל־קֳבֵל֙ דִּ֣י חֲזֵית֔וֹן דִּ֥י אַזְדָּ֖א מִנִּ֥י מִלְּתָֽא׃

ענה המלך ואמר: אני יודע היטב שזמן אתם קונים, כל-עומת שרואים אתם כי ודאי הדבר

8: The king answered and said: I know very well that time you buy, as you must realize that my words are certain

ט דִּ֣י הֵן־חֶלְמָא֩ לָ֨א תְהֽוֹדְעֻנַּ֜נִי חֲדָה־הִ֣יא דָֽתְכ֗וֹן וּמִלָּ֨ה כִדְבָ֤ה וּשְׁחִיתָה֙ הִזְדְּמִנְתּוּן֙ לְמֵאמַ֣ר קָֽדָמַ֔י עַ֛ד דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א יִשְׁתַּנֵּ֑א לָהֵ֗ן חֶלְמָא֙ אֱמַ֣רוּ לִ֔י וְֽאִנְדַּ֕ע דִּ֥י פִשְׁרֵ֖הּ תְּהַֽחֲוֻנַּֽנִי׃

שאם את החלום עצמו לא תודיעו לי, אחד יהיה משפטכם; ודברי כזב ומשחת התכוננתם לומר לפני עד שהזמן יחלוף. לכן את החלום אימרו לי, ואדע שאת פשרו הנכון תגידו

9: That if you do not inform me of the dream itself, one will be your sentence; And corrupt words and lies you have prepared to speak before me until time passes. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I will know that it will be interpreted correctly

י עֲנ֨וֹ כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤י קֳדָם־מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָ֣מְרִ֔ין לָֽא־אִיתַ֤י אֱנָשׁ֙ עַל־יַבֶּשְׁתָּ֔א דִּ֚י מִלַּ֣ת מַלְכָּ֔א יוּכַ֖ל לְהַֽחֲוָיָ֑ה כָּל־קֳבֵ֗ל דִּ֚י כָּל־מֶ֨לֶךְ֙ רַ֣ב וְשַׁלִּ֔יט מִלָּ֤ה כִדְנָה֙ לָ֣א שְׁאֵ֔ל לְכָל־חַרְטֹ֖ם וְאָשַׁ֥ף וְכַשְׂדָּֽי׃

ענו הכשדים ואמרו לפני המלך: אין אדם על היבשה אשר יוכל לעשות זאת, כפי שאין כל מלך רב ושליט אשר יבקש דברים אלו מכל מכשף, קוסם או כשדי

10: Then, the Chaldeans replied to the king: There is no man upon the land who can do this, as there is no king and ruler who will ask these things from any sorcerer, magician or Chaldean

יא וּמִלְּתָ֨א דִֽי־מַלְכָּ֤ה שָׁאֵל֙ יַקִּירָ֔ה וְאָֽחֳרָן֙ לָ֣א אִיתַ֔י דִּ֥י יְחַוִּנַּ֖הּ קֳדָ֣ם מַלְכָּ֑א לָהֵ֣ן אֱלָהִ֔ין דִּ֚י מְדָ֣רְה֔וֹן עִם־בִּשְׂרָ֖א לָ֥א אִיתֽוֹהִי׃

והדבר אשר מבקש המלך נכבד הוא, ואין אחרים אותם יוכל לשאול, אלא אלהים אשר אין מדורם עם בשר

11: And the king’s request is significant, and there is no other whom he can ask, but gods who do not dwell with flesh

יב כָּל־קֳבֵ֣ל דְּנָ֔ה מַלְכָּ֕א בְּנַ֖ס וּקְצַ֣ף שַׂגִּ֑יא וַֽאֲמַר֙ לְה֣וֹבָדָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל חַכִּימֵ֥י בָבֶֽל׃

לאחר ששמע זאת, התאנף המלך וקצף מאוד, וקרא להרוג את כל חכמי בבל

12: After hearing this, the king sighed and angered very badly, and ordered to slay all the sages of Babylon

יג וְדָתָ֣א נֶפְקַ֔ת וְחַכִּֽימַיָּ֖א מִֽתְקַטְּלִ֑ין וּבְע֛וֹ דָּֽנִיֵּ֥אל וְחַבְר֖וֹהִי לְהִתְקְטָלָֽה׃

והחוק יצא, וחכמי בבל נהרגים, ועמדו דניאל וחבריו להיהרג

13: The law went forth, and the wise men of Babylon were being slain, and Daniel and his fellows were about to be slain

יד בֵּאדַ֣יִן דָּֽנִיֵּ֗אל הֲתִיב֙ עֵטָ֣א וּטְעֵ֔ם לְאַרְי֕וֹךְ רַב־טַבָּֽחַיָּ֖א דִּ֣י מַלְכָּ֑א דִּ֚י נְפַ֣ק לְקַטָּלָ֔ה לְחַכִּימֵ֖י בָּבֶֽל׃

דניאל, בעודו משיב עצה לאריוך קצין המשמר של המלך, אשר יצא להרוג את חכמי בבל

14: Daniel, while answering advice to Arioch, captain of the king’s guard, who was set out to execute the sages of Babylon

טו עָנֵ֣ה וְאָמַ֗ר לְאַרְיוֹךְ֙ שַׁלִּיטָ֣א דִֽי־מַלְכָּ֔א עַל־מָ֥ה דָתָ֛א מְהַחְצְפָ֖ה מִן־קֳדָ֣ם מַלְכָּ֑א אֱדַ֣יִן מִלְּתָ֔א הוֹדַ֥ע אַרְי֖וֹךְ לְדָֽנִיֵּֽאל׃

שאל את אריוך, קצין המלך, אודות החוק האכזרי אשר המלך הכניס לתוקף; אזי הודיע אריוך לדניאל את הדבר

15: Asked Arioch, the king’s captain, regarding the merciless ordinance that went forth from the king; Then Arioch informed Daniel

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: Henry Shpikelman
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.11.2020
ISBN: 978-3-7487-6443-4

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