Many of those: more accurately, “the many.” Compare 11.14, 33, 39.

Who sleep … shall awake: the images of sleep for death and awakening for resurrection are common in the New Testament and possibly have their origin in Daniel. This is, in fact, the only passage where virtually all Old Testament scholars agree that there is a reference to a resurrection from the individual from death to life. If these images are likely taken literally and thereby misunderstood by readers, then their meaning should be translated more clearly. The verb sleep will be rendered “have died,” and awake may legitimately become “will live again,” “will be revived,” or “will return to life.”

In the dust of the earth: literally “in the earth (or land) of dust.” This is an expression used to refer to the world of the dead, the sheol of the ancients (compare Isa 26.19, “land of the shades”; Psa 22.15, “the dust of death”; Psa 30.9, “the Pit … the dust”). The idea of burial is understood in this expression and may be made clear. Bible en français courant renders it “in the bottom of the tomb,” and New Jerusalem Bible translates rather literally “the Land of Dust.” In many languages the most natural way to convey this idea will be to say straightforwardly “who (have died and) have been buried.”

Some … and some …: according to the view described here, the resurrected persons were made up of two distinct groups: (a) the faithful, who were destined to everlasting life in communion with God; and (b) the others, destined for shame and everlasting contempt in the absence of communion with God. According to certain commentators, a second interpretation is possible, namely that the resurrection really concerned only the faithful, who would receive eternal life. The others would not be raised but would remain in a state of shame and rejection forever in the world of the dead. This second interpretation allows the establishment of a good parallel with the previous verse, and this parallel form may be outlined as follows:

verse 1
those living at the time of the end
the faithful will remain alive
(UNSTATED: the others will die);
verse 2
those who lived in previous generations
the faithful will be raised to life
the others will awake to permanent shame.

The choice between the two interpretations is difficult to make, but it is important to try not to be influenced by later theological developments (for example, John 5.28 and Rev 20.4-5). However, the first interpretation is the most commonly held and probably correct.

The Hebrew word rendered contempt is rare and is found elsewhere only in Isa 66.24 (“abhorrence”). The root meaning has the idea “repel,” and so it seems to express the thought that other people will not want to be near anyone to whom this word applies. It follows another word that is better known, shame, and this provides some meaning to this term. If two such words are not easily found, it is acceptable to render them by a single noun in the translation, as in Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .