Some of those who are wise: referring to a part of the group of “wise leaders” introduced in verse 33.

Fall: taken by Good News Translation as in the two previous verses to refer to death. Note, however, that New Jerusalem Bible and New International Version seem to take it in another sense, translating “stumble.” Similarly Anchor Bible takes it to mean “will be tested.” Given the immediate context, probably the idea of being killed is intended.

To refine and to cleanse them and to make them white: the structure of the Hebrew indicates that the result of the death of the wise leaders is described by these verbal infinitives. The three terms have almost the same meaning and convey the idea of the purification of metals and the cleaning of articles of clothing. The function of the object pronoun them (repeated in Revised Standard Version, but occurring only once in Hebrew) is unclear. But the pronoun should almost certainly be taken to refer to “the people (of God),” that is, those who were left. The people as a whole seem to be referred to. The three verbs in Hebrew may be reduced to one or two in many languages.

For it is yet for the time appointed: this is yet another reference to the fact that, in the mind of the writer, God has a definite foreordained plan into which all historical events must fit. Here it is specifically the end that is seen as being a set time.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .