The Two Languages Of Daniel

Q

Thanks again for a great website. It is truly a blessing. Was the book of Daniel originally written in two languages? If so, do they correspond to God’s dealings with the Jews, and the Gentile world?

A

Yes. The Book of Daniel was originally written in two languages. From the beginning of the book through Daniel 2:3 it was originally written in Hebrew. In Daniel 2:4 the prophet switched to Aramaic, the language of the Babylonians, and used that language through the end of chapter 7. This corresponds with the portion of the book dealing primarily with Gentile Dominion. Beginning in chapter 8, the rest of the book is in Hebrew again, since the focus of the last 5 chapters is primarily on Israel.