Daniel (image)

Hand colored stencil print on washi by Sadao Watanabe (1965).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

Daniel

The term that is transliterated as “Daniel” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter D and for “lion,” referring to the story in Daniel 6. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Daniel” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “prayer” that illustrates Daniel’s close relationship with God.


“Daniel” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Daniel from the 18th century (found in the Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).

 
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

Translation commentary on Daniel 8:27

I, Daniel: the use of this formula once again serves as a discourse marker showing boundaries in the story. In this case it seems to mark the beginning of the conclusion to this section. Compare verses 1 and 15.

Was overcome: the translation of the Hebrew word here is much disputed, but the context seems to require something like “weak” (New American Bible), “faint” (An American Translation), “exhausted” (New International Version), “my strength failed” (Revised English Bible). New Jerusalem Bible “lost consciousness” goes back to verse 18, where a different word is used.

Rose: since the context clearly shows that recovery from an illness was involved, some languages may find it more natural to say something like “then I got well” or “my health improved.” The meaning is not that Daniel got up while he was still sick.

Went about the king’s business: since Daniel had obviously taken some time off from work when he received the vision, Good News Translation includes the idea that he “went back to work.” It also makes clear that Daniel did not actually replace the king in performing his duties, but simply returned to carrying out the job assigned to him by the king. These refinements may also be helpful in other languages.

Appalled: this seems to be a poor choice of words in English, although it is followed by New International Version, New American Bible, and Moffatt. The meaning is rather something like “disquieted” (An American Translation), “dismayed” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “perplexed” (New English Bible).

Did not understand it: literally “and there was no one understanding.” The two corresponding Hebrew words may be interpreted in three different ways: (1) “I (Daniel) did not understand it (the vision)” (Moffatt and the majority of English versions); (2) “No one could explain it (the vision)”; this is the solution followed by New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, and also by New International Version when it says “it was beyond understanding”; (3) “No one could understand (why the vision was to be kept secret or why I was so upset)”; this solution is apparently adopted by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, which uses the masculine pronoun—such a pronoun in French cannot refer to the word “vision,” which is feminine. The first of these three possibilities is the most commonly accepted and the most likely to be the correct understanding of the text. It is unlikely that the text would focus on the inability of others to understand the vision or why it was to be kept secret, since at this point no one else knew about it.

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 .