Daniel 2:4

in Syriack in Aramaic, i.e. the language of the Aramaeans, an important branch of the Semitic stock, inhabiting chiefly Mesopotamia, Syria, and part of Arabia. There were numerous -Aramaic" dialects as the Aramaic spoken in Assyria, at Zinjirli (near Aleppo), in Palmyra, in Têma, by the Nabataeans at "el-Öla, that of the books of Daniel and Ezra, that of the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, that of the Babylonian, that of the Palestinian Talmud which, while similar in their general features, differed in details, somewhat in the manner in which the Greek dialects differed from one another: but the language which is now known distinctively as -Syriac," i.e. the language in which the -Peshiṭtâ" version of the Bible (2nd cent. a.d.) was made, and in which an extensive Christian literature exists, differs markedly from the Aramaic of Daniel and Ezra: and hence the rendering -Syriack" suggests an entirely false idea of the language here meant. R.V., -in the Syrian language" (cf. Isaiah 36:11) is some improvement; but the term which ought to be employed is -Aramaic."

The Aramaic part of the book begins with the words O king; and if -(in) Aramaic" forms an integral part of the sentence, the author, it seems, must mean to indicate that in his opinion Aramaic was used at the court for communications of an official nature. That, however, does not explain why the use of Aramaic continues to the end of ch. 7; and it is besides quite certain that Aramaic, such as that of the Book of Daniel, was notspoken in Babylon. Very probably Oppert, Lenormant, Nestle, and others are right in regarding -Aramaic" as originally a marginal note, indicating that that language begins to be used here; in this case the word will in English be naturally enclosed in brackets, -And they spake to the king, [Aramaic O king, &c" The second -(in) Aramaic" in Ezra 4:7 is probably to be explained similarly (-was written in Aramaic, and interpreted. [Aramaic").

O king, live for ever The standing formula, with which, in Dan., the king is addressed (Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6; Daniel 6:21); elsewhere (in the 3rd person) only on somewhat exceptional occasions, 1 Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3.

we will shew declare.