The Old Testament Library The Old Testament Library DANIEL THE OLD TESTAMENT LIBRARY . provides fresh and authoritative treat- GENESIS, A Commentary. Revised Edition. BY GERHARD VON RAD The Old Testament Library ments of important aspects of Old Testament THE BOOK OF EXODUS, A Critical, Theological Commentary. BY BREVARD S. CHILDS study through commentaries and general LEVITICUS, A Commentary. BY ERHARD S. GERSTENBERGER surveys. The contributors are scholars of NUMBERS, A Commentary. BY MARTIN NOTH DANIEL international standing. The editorial board DEUTERONOMY, A Commentary. BY RICHARD D. NELSON consists of William P. Brown, William DEUTERONOMY, A Commentary. BY GERHARD VON RAD JOSHUA, A Commentary. BY RICHARD D. NELSON Carol A. Newsom Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old JUDGES, A Commentary. BY SUSAN NIDITCH with Brennan W. Breed Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary JUDGES, A Commentary. BY J. ALBERTO SOGGIN in Decatur, Georgia; Carol A. Newsom, RUTH, A Commentary. BY KIRSTEN NIELSEN Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old I & II SAMUEL, A Commentary. BY A. GRAEME AULD “This literate and learned book is the Testament, Candler School of Theology at I & II SAMUEL, A Commentary. BY HANS WILHELM HERTZBERG first major commentary on Daniel of the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia; and I & II KINGS, A Commentary. BY MARVIN A. SWEENEY twenty-first-century. It is distinguished from Brent A. Strawn, Professor of Old Testament, I & II CHRONICLES, A Commentary. BY SARA JAPHET previous commentaries by the extensive EZRA-NEHEMIAH, A Commentary. BY JOSEPH BLENKINSOPP Candler School of Theology at Emory treatment of the history of reception, but ESTHER, A Commentary. BY JON D. LEVENSON University in Atlanta, Georgia. THE BOOK OF JOB, A Commentary. BY NORMAN C. HABEL it also provides an informed and engaging THE PSALMS, A Commentary. BY ARTUR WEISER treatment of the book in its ancient histori- “Carol Newsom’s superb commentary on PROVERBS, A Commentary. BY RICHARD J. CLIFFORD cal context.” Daniel focuses on its central narrative—the ECCLESIASTES, A Commentary. BY JAMES L. CRENSHAW —John J. Collins, Holmes Professor quest to uncover the mysteries of heaven SONG OF SONGS, A Commentary. BY J. CHERYL EXUM of Old Testament Criticism and and understand the true nature of God’s ISAIAH, A Commentary. BY BREVARD S. CHILDS Interpretation, Yale Divinity School relationship with history and humanity. ISAIAH 1–12, A Commentary. Second Edition. BY OTTO KAISER Supplementary sections by Brennan Breed ISAIAH 13–39, A Commentary. BY OTTO KAISER outline the reception history of key themes ISAIAH 40–66, A Commentary. BY CLAUS WESTERMANN “Carol Newsom’s work is a worthy suc- JEREMIAH, A Commentary. BY LESLIE C. ALLEN of each chapter of Daniel from the ancient cessor to Norman Porteous’s volume on LAMENTATIONS, A Commentary. BY ADELE BERLIN world to the present. The result is a brilliant Daniel, one of the great commentaries EZEKIEL, A Commentary. BY WALTHER EICHRODT Daniel in the original Old Testament Library. exposition of the most enigmatic book in DANIEL, A Commentary. BY CAROL A. NEWSOM WITH BRENNAN W. BREED the Hebrew Bible that details its profound DANIEL, A Commentary. BY NORMAN W. PORTEOUS Whereas Porteous wrote against the back- influence on Western culture and sheds new HOSEA, A Commentary. BY JAMES L. MAYS ground of the biblical theology movement, light on its meaning for readers both then JOEL AND OBADIAH, A Commentary. BY JOHN BARTON with CAROL A. NEWSOM A Commentary by Dr. Newsom writes against the background and now.” AMOS, A Commentary. BY JAMES L. MAYS of postcolonial study and interest in recep- BY JÖRG JEREMIAS —Lorenzo DiTommaso, Professor of THE BOOK OF AMOS, A Commentary. BRENNAN W. BREED tion history, and her commentary is aware JONAH, A Commentary. BY JAMES LIMBURG Religion, Concordia University Montréal of those approaches to interpretation. (It MICAH, A Commentary. BY JAMES L. MAYS was an excellent move to get Brennan NAHUM, HABAKKUK, AND ZEPHANIAH, A Commentary. BY J. J. M. ROBERTS Breed to provide substantial studies of each CAROL A. NEWSOM is the Charles Howard HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH 1–8, A Commentary. BY DAVID L. PETERSEN ZECHARIAH 9–14 AND MALACHI, A Commentary. BY DAVID L. PETERSEN chapter’s reception history.) Traditional Candler Professor of Old Testament at Candler critical questions about history and lan- School of Theology, Emory University and was EXILE AND RESTORATION: A Study of Hebrew Thought of the Sixth Century B.C. guage also get thorough and judicious con- the 2011 President of the Society of Biblical BY PETER R. ACKROYD A HISTORY OF ISRAELITE RELIGION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD, sideration. Serious students of Daniel in Literature. She is the author and editor of Volumes I and II. BY RAINER ALBERTZ our twenty-first-century context will profit many books and coeditor of the Women’s Bible INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT. Third Edition. BY J. ALBERTO SOGGIN hugely from this commentary.” Commentary, third edition. JEWISH WISDOM IN THE HELLENISTIC AGE. BY JOHN J. COLLINS OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY, Volumes I and II. BY HORST DIETRICH PREUSS — John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard BRENNAN W. BREED is Assistant Professor of Old OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY, Volumes I and II. BY GERHARD VON RAD Professor of Old Testament, THEOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, Volumes I and II. Fuller Theological Seminary Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. BY WALTHER EICHRODT ISBN-13: 978-0-664-22080-8 A Commentary by CAROL A. NEWSOM ËxHSKGQEy220808zv*:+:!:+:! with BRENNAN W. BREED www.wjkbooks.com “This literate and learned book is the first major commentary on Daniel of the twenty-first century. It is distinguished from previous commentaries by the extensive treatment of the history of reception, but it also provides an informed and engaging treatment of the book in its ancient historical context.” —John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale Divinity School “Carol Newsom’s work is a worthy successor to Norman Porteous’s volume on Daniel, one of the great commentaries in the original Old Testament Library. Whereas Porteous wrote against the background of the biblical theology move- ment, Dr. Newsom writes against the background of postcolonial study and interest in reception history, and her commentary is aware of those approaches to interpretation. (It was an excellent move to get Brennan Breed to provide sub- stantial studies of each chapter’s reception history.) Traditional critical ques- tions about history and language also get thorough and judicious consideration. Serious students of Daniel in our twenty-first-century context will profit hugely from this commentary.” —John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary “Carol Newsom’s superb commentary on Daniel focuses on its central nar- rative—the quest to uncover the mysteries of heaven and understand the true nature of God’s relationship with history and humanity. Supplementary sections by Brennan Breed outline the reception history of key themes of each chapter of Daniel from the ancient world to the present. The result is a brilliant exposi- tion of the most enigmatic book in the Hebrew Bible that details its profound influence on Western culture and sheds new light on its meaning for readers both then and now.” —Lorenzo DiTommaso, Professor of Religion, Concordia University Montréal Newsom-Daniel.indb 1 9/17/14 12:08 PM DANIeL Newsom-Daniel.indb 1 9/17/14 12:08 PM THe OLD TeSTAMeNT LIBRARY editorial Advisory Board WILLIAM P. BROWN CAROL A. NEWSOM BRENT A. STRAWN Newsom-Daniel.indb 2 9/17/14 12:08 PM Carol A. Newsom with Brennan W. Breed A Commentary Newsom-Daniel.indb 3 9/17/14 12:08 PM © 2014 Carol A. Newsom First edition Published by Westminster John Knox Press Louisville, Kentucky 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations outside the book of Daniel, with slight adaptation, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. Other versions occasionally cited are listed with the Abbreviations. Daniel is translated by the author. See pp. xv–xvi, “Acknowledgments and Credits,” for other permission information. Book design by Jennifer K. Cox Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Newsom, Carol A. (Carol Ann), 1950– Daniel : a commentary / Carol A. Newsom, with Brennan W. Breed.—First edition. pages cm.—(The Old Testament library) Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 978-0-664-22080-8 (hbk : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-664-26016-3 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Bible. Daniel—Commentaries. I. Breed, Brennan W. II. Title. BS1555.53.N49 2014 224'.507—dc23 2014016541 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. Most Westminster John Knox Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk