If integrated into the book of Daniel: 14.18.
Doors is plural here, but singular in verses 11 and 14. See the comments on verse 11.
The king looked at the table: Good News Translation says “the king saw the empty table.” It inserts the word “empty” (also Contemporary English Version); this is quite a permissible addition.
You are great, O Bel may also be rendered “Bel, you are a great god” (Contemporary English Version).
With you there is no deceit, none at all is a literal translation. What the king probably means is that Daniel was wrong in his insinuation that somebody was being deceptive by eating the food set out for the idol. No deceit is going on here, he says. Bel is so great that deceit is unnecessary. The irony is that in the act of uttering these words, the king shows that he himself is being deceived. A possible translation is “you haven’t deceived us at all!” Good News Translation makes no effort to reproduce the words, but tries to make the king give a response appropriate to the situation and consistent with the Greek text. Translators may feel free to follow Good News Translation here.
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.