Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Anthony:

What you run into here is a contrast between the first and second
campaigns. The Hebrew doubles the prefixed K- to tie the two events
together, where we in English would use only one "as". The writer does
not refer to a third event in this verse.

Karl W. Randolph.

On 12/20/06, Anthony Becker <ABecker AT nerdshack.com> wrote:
> Greetings everyone,
>
> I just joined the list and already have a question. I merely dabble in
> Hebrew so please be patient with me. I am looking at Daniel 11:29. There it
> says, "WL) THYH KR)SNH WK)XRNH." The RSV/ESV translates as "but it shall not
> be this time as it was before." The JPS translates as "but the second time
> will not be like the first." Translations such as these see a contrast being
> made between two items: the first / former and the last / later. These two
> items are no doubt understood to be the 2 campaigns of Antiochus IV against
> Egypt given Daniel 11:25-28, 11:29-35. Thus, in effect the meaning of these
> translations is "but this campaign will not be successful like the first one
> was." My questions is, is it possible that the text should be read as
> implying a middle campaign, and translated as "but it shall not be as the
> first or as the last"? The reason I ask is that Daniel 11 continues later on
> and envisions another campaign against Egypt (among others) which is to be
> successful (Daniel 11:40-43). Thus we would have Daniel 11:25-28
> (successful, first), 11:29-35 (unsuccessful), 11:40-43 (successful, last).
> The statement at 11:29 would then say in effect, "unlike the first and last
> campaigns, this one will not be successful." I just want to know if the text
> supports such an understanding or if I am overreaching and reading things
> into the text.
>
> Anthony