Biblical Aramaic texts, annotated
Word-by-word readings of the Aramaic of Genesis, Jeremiah, Ezra and Daniel. Every line has the pointed text (WLC as printed in Sefaria's "Tanach with Nikkud", public domain), a transliteration, a gloss (abbreviations in Aramaic of the Jewish texts — overview and Biblical Aramaic), an English rendering of our own, and notes. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew (Masoretic) versification, which in Daniel 3–4 differs from many English Bibles (Hebrew Dan 3:31–4:34 = English 4:1–37).
1. Genesis 31:47 — the first Aramaic words of the Bible
Aramaic: יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא
Translit.: yəḡar śāhăḏūṯā
Gloss: heap.CST testimony.F.DET
English: the heap of witness
Source: Gen 31:47 (WLC, public domain)
Laban the Aramean names the cairn in Aramaic, Jacob in Hebrew (גַּלְעֵד, the same meaning). Two words, but they show the construct (יְגַר) and the determined state (־ָא). שָׂהֲדוּ "testimony" is spelled with שׂ, later Aramaic סָהֲדוּתָא.
2. Jeremiah 10:11 — a sentence to the nations
Aramaic: כִּדְנָה תֵּאמְרוּן לְהוֹם אֱלָהַיָּא דִּי־שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְקָא לָא עֲבַדוּ
Translit.: kiḏnā tēʾmərūn ləhōm ʾĕlāhayyā dī-šəmayyā wə-ʾarqā lā ʿăḇaḏū
Gloss: thus say.PEAL.IPF.2MPL to-3MPL god.M.PL.DET REL-heaven.DET and-earth.DET NEG make.PEAL.PF.3MPL
English: Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make heaven and earth …"
Source: Jer 10:11a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: יֵאבַדוּ מֵאַרְעָא וּמִן־תְּחוֹת שְׁמַיָּא אֵלֶּה
Translit.: yēʾḇaḏū mē-ʾarʿā ū-min-təḥōṯ šəmayyā ʾēlle
Gloss: perish.PEAL.JUSS.3MPL from-earth.DET and-from-under heaven.DET these
English: "… shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens, these."
Source: Jer 10:11b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: the verse uses both forms of "earth" — the old אַרְקָא (with q < ḍ) and the later אַרְעָא — a textbook example of the sound change (Script and phonology §4). יֵאבַדוּ is a short (jussive) imperfect without ־ן. אֵלֶּה is a Hebrew form of the demonstrative. The suffix ־הוֹם is the older 3 m. pl. form with ם.
3. Ezra — the official correspondence
3.1 Ezra 4:8 — the heading of the letter
Aramaic: רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא כְּתַבוּ אִגְּרָה חֲדָה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מַלְכָּא כְּנֵמָא
Translit.: rəḥūm bəʿēl-ṭəʿēm wə-šimšay sāp̄rā kəṯaḇū ʾiggərā ḥăḏā ʿal-yərūšlem lə-ʾartaḥšaśtəʾ malkā kənēmā
Gloss: Rehum lord.CST-decree and-Shimshai scribe.DET write.PEAL.PF.3MPL letter.F.ABS one.F concerning-Jerusalem to-Artaxerxes king.DET thus
English: Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows
Source: Ezra 4:8 (WLC, public domain)
Notes: בְּעֵל־טְעֵם "master of decree" is a title (Akkadian bēl ṭēmi, Kaufman 1974); אִגְּרָה "letter" is an Akkadian loan; כְּנֵמָא "thus" introduces the text of a document. The verb follows two subjects (S V O order).
3.2 Ezra 4:12 — "be it known to the king"
Aramaic: יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי יְהוּדָיֵא דִּי סְלִקוּ מִן־לְוָתָךְ עֲלֶינָא אֲתוֹ לִירוּשְׁלֶם
Translit.: yəḏīaʿ lehĕwē lə-malkā dī yəhūḏāyē dī səliqū min-ləwāṯāḵ ʿălēnā ʾăṯō lī-rūšlem
Gloss: know.PEAL.PTCP.PASS.MS be.PEAL.IPF.3MS to-king.DET COMP Jew.PL.DET REL go.up.PEAL.PF.3MPL from-beside-2MS to-1PL come.PEAL.PF.3MPL to-Jerusalem
English: Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem
Source: Ezra 4:12a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: קִרְיְתָא מָרָדְתָּא וּבִישְׁתָּא בָּנַיִן וְשׁוּרַיָּא שַׁכְלִילוּ וְאֻשַּׁיָּא יַחִיטוּ
Translit.: qiryəṯā māroḏtā ū-ḇīštā bānayin wə-šūrayyā šaḵlīlū wə-ʾuššayyā yaḥīṭū
Gloss: city.F.DET rebellious.F.DET and-wicked.F.DET build.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MPL and-wall.M.PL.DET complete.SHAPH.PF.3MPL and-foundation.M.PL.DET repair.HAPH.IPF.3MPL
English: they are building the rebellious and wicked city; they have finished the walls and are repairing the foundations
Source: Ezra 4:12b (WLC, public domain; Qere וּבִישְׁתָּא, וְשׁוּרַיָּא, שַׁכְלִילוּ)
Notes: the object קִרְיְתָא stands before the participle בָּנַיִן (OV order, Particles and syntax of Biblical Aramaic §8). Three Ketiv/Qere pairs in one verse. שַׁכְלִילוּ is a shaphel from Akkadian; אֻשַּׁיָּא "foundations" is also Akkadian.
3.3 Ezra 4:13 — the threat to the revenue
Aramaic: מִנְדָּה־בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ לָא יִנְתְּנוּן וְאַפְּתֹם מַלְכִים תְּהַנְזִק
Translit.: minḏā-ḇəlō wa-hălāḵ lā yintənūn wə-ʾappəṯōm malḵīm təhanziq
Gloss: tribute-tax and-toll NEG give.PEAL.IPF.3MPL and-revenue king.M.PL damage.HAPH.IPF.3FS
English: they will not pay tribute, tax or toll, and the royal revenue will suffer
Source: Ezra 4:13b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: three Akkadian tax terms in a row (mandattu, biltu, ilku); אַפְּתֹם "revenue, treasury" is Persian (Hinz 1975); יִנְתְּנוּן shows the imperfect of "give" from נתן with the n written; תְּהַנְזִק shows nasalisation in a haphel; מַלְכִים is a Hebrew plural form.
3.4 Ezra 5:11 — "we are the servants of the God of heaven"
Aramaic: וּכְנֵמָא פִתְגָמָא הֲתִיבוּנָא לְמֵמַר אֲנַחְנָא הִמּוֹ עַבְדוֹהִי דִי־אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא
Translit.: ū-ḵənēmā p̄iṯgāmā hăṯīḇūnā lə-mēmar ʾănaḥnā himmō ʿaḇḏōhī ḏī-ʾĕlāh šəmayyā wə-ʾarʿā
Gloss: and-thus answer.DET return.HAPH.PF.3MPL-1PL to-say.PEAL.INF we COP.3MPL servant.M.PL-3MS REL-god.CST heaven.DET and-earth.DET
English: And thus they returned us an answer, saying: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth"
Source: Ezra 5:11a (WLC, public domain)
Notes: פִתְגָמָא (Persian) is the object, fronted; הֲתִיבוּנָא is the haphel of תוב "return" with the 1 pl. object suffix; לְמֵמַר is the infinitive of אמר with ʾ dropped, "saying" (the same function as Hebrew לֵאמֹר); הִמּוֹ is a pronominal copula.
3.5 Ezra 6:3 — the decree of Cyrus
Aramaic: בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְכוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם
Translit.: bi-šnaṯ ḥăḏā lə-ḵōreš malkā kōreš malkā śām ṭəʿēm
Gloss: in-year.F.CST one.F to-Cyrus king.DET Cyrus king.DET put.PEAL.PF.3MS decree
English: In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree
Source: Ezra 6:3a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: בֵּית־אֱלָהָא בִירוּשְׁלֶם בַּיְתָא יִתְבְּנֵא אֲתַר דִּי־דָבְחִין דִּבְחִין
Translit.: bēṯ-ʾĕlāhā ḇī-rūšlem baytā yiṯbənē ʾăṯar dī-ḏāḇḥīn diḇḥīn
Gloss: house.CST-god.DET in-Jerusalem house.DET build.HITHP.IPF.3MS place REL-sacrifice.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MPL sacrifice.M.PL.ABS
English: concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offer sacrifices
Source: Ezra 6:3b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה "in year one" uses the cardinal for "first", as dating formulas do. בֵּית־אֱלָהָא … בַּיְתָא is a heading followed by the clause (casus pendens). יִתְבְּנֵא is a hithpeel used as a passive. דָבְחִין דִּבְחִין is a cognate object ("sacrificing sacrifices").
3.6 Ezra 6:12 — the curse on whoever alters the decree
Aramaic: וֵאלָהָא דִּי שַׁכִּן שְׁמֵהּ תַּמָּה יְמַגַּר כָּל־מֶלֶךְ וְעַם דִּי יִשְׁלַח יְדֵהּ לְהַשְׁנָיָה
Translit.: wē-ʾlāhā dī šakkin šəmēh tammā yəmaggar kol-meleḵ wə-ʿam dī yišlaḥ yəḏēh lə-hašnāyā
Gloss: and-god.DET REL dwell.PAEL.PF.3MS name-3MS there overthrow.PAEL.JUSS.3MS all-king and-people REL send.PEAL.IPF.3MS hand-3MS to-change.HAPH.INF
English: May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who puts out a hand to alter (this)
Source: Ezra 6:12a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: אֲנָה דָרְיָוֶשׁ שָׂמֶת טְעֵם אָסְפַּרְנָא יִתְעֲבִד
Translit.: ʾănā ḏāryāweš śāmeṯ ṭəʿēm ʾospərnā yiṯʿăḇiḏ
Gloss: I Darius put.PEAL.PF.1SG decree diligently do.HITHP.JUSS.3MS
English: I, Darius, have issued a decree; let it be carried out with all diligence
Source: Ezra 6:12b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: שַׁכִּן is a pael of שׁכן "dwell" = "make dwell" (the Deuteronomic idea of the name dwelling in the place, in Aramaic dress). שָׂמֶת is a performative perfect. אָסְפַּרְנָא is Persian.
3.7 Ezra 7:12 — the opening of Artaxerxes' rescript
Aramaic: אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא מֶלֶךְ מַלְכַיָּא לְעֶזְרָא כָהֲנָא סָפַר דָּתָא דִּי־אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא גְּמִיר וּכְעֶנֶת
Translit.: ʾartaḥšastəʾ meleḵ malḵayyā lə-ʿezrā ḵāhănā sāp̄ar dāṯā dī-ʾĕlāh šəmayyā gəmīr ū-ḵəʿeneṯ
Gloss: Artaxerxes king.CST king.M.PL.DET to-Ezra priest.DET scribe.CST law.F.DET REL-god.CST heaven.DET perfect.PEAL.PTCP.PASS and-now
English: Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect (greetings). And now:
Source: Ezra 7:12 (WLC, public domain)
Notes: the address formula "A to B, greeting. And now …" is the standard opening of an Imperial Aramaic letter, known also from the Elephantine papyri (Folmer 1995). דָּתָא is Persian dāta-. גְּמִיר "complete" is often taken as an abbreviated greeting ("perfect peace").
4. Daniel
4.1 Daniel 2:4 — the switch into Aramaic
Hebrew: וַיְדַבְּרוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲרָמִית
Aramaic: מַלְכָּא לְעָלְמִין חֱיִי אֱמַר חֶלְמָא לְעַבְדָךְ וּפִשְׁרָא נְחַוֵּא
Translit.: malkā lə-ʿālmīn ḥĕyī ʾĕmar ḥelmā lə-ʿaḇḏāḵ ū-p̄išrā nəḥawwē
Gloss: king.DET to-age.M.PL.ABS live.PEAL.IMP.2MS tell.PEAL.IMP.2MS dream.DET to-servant.PL-2MS and-interpretation.DET declare.PAEL.IPF.1PL
English: (Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic:) "O king, live for ever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."
Source: Dan 2:4 (WLC, public domain; Ketiv לעבדיך, Qere לְעַבְדָךְ)
Notes: מַלְכָּא is a vocative in the determined state, the normal Aramaic address. MACULA tags the Hebrew words of this verse H and the Aramaic ones A: a sentence that changes language in mid-verse is a real test for language identification (Aramaic in Mova: what it would need §5).
4.2 Daniel 2:20–22 — Daniel's blessing
Aramaic: לֶהֱוֵא שְׁמֵהּ דִּי־אֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ מִן־עָלְמָא וְעַד־עָלְמָא דִּי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָא דִּי לֵהּ־הִיא
Translit.: lehĕwē šəmēh dī-ʾĕlāhā məḇāraḵ min-ʿālmā wə-ʿaḏ-ʿālmā dī ḥoḵmətā ū-ḡəḇūrtā dī lēh-hī
Gloss: be.PEAL.IPF.3MS name-3MS REL-god.DET bless.PAEL.PTCP.PASS.MS from-age.DET and-until-age.DET for wisdom.DET and-might.DET REL to-3MS-COP.3FS
English: Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and might are his
Source: Dan 2:20 (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וְהוּא מְהַשְׁנֵא עִדָּנַיָּא וְזִמְנַיָּא מְהַעְדֵּה מַלְכִין וּמְהָקֵים מַלְכִין
Translit.: wə-hū məhašnē ʿiddānayyā wə-zimnayyā məhaʿdē malḵīn ū-məhāqēm malḵīn
Gloss: and-he change.HAPH.PTCP.ACT.MS time.M.PL.DET and-season.M.PL.DET remove.HAPH.PTCP.ACT.MS king.M.PL.ABS and-raise.HAPH.PTCP.ACT.MS king.M.PL.ABS
English: He changes times and seasons, removes kings and sets up kings
Source: Dan 2:21a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: הוּא גָּלֵא עַמִּיקָתָא וּמְסַתְּרָתָא יָדַע מָה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא
Translit.: hū gālē ʿammīqāṯā ū-məsattərāṯā yāḏaʿ mā ḇa-ḥăšōḵā ū-nəhōrā ʿimmēh šərē
Gloss: he reveal.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS deep.F.PL.DET and-hidden.PAEL.PTCP.PASS.F.PL.DET know.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS what in-darkness.DET and-light.DET with-3MS dwell.PEAL.PTCP.PASS.MS
English: He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him
Source: Dan 2:22 (WLC, public domain; Ketiv ונהירא, Qere וּנְהוֹרָא)
Notes: the hymn is built from participles used as a timeless present (three haphel participles with the ה kept after the prefix: מְהַשְׁנֵא, מְהַעְדֵּה, מְהָקֵים). The pronoun הוּא opens each line as a topic. The phrase "from age to age" (מִן־עָלְמָא וְעַד־עָלְמָא) passed into the Jewish liturgy.
4.3 Daniel 3:6 — the decree
Aramaic: וּמַן־דִּי־לָא יִפֵּל וְיִסְגֻּד בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָא יִתְרְמֵא לְגוֹא־אַתּוּן נוּרָא יָקִדְתָּא
Translit.: ū-man-dī-lā yippēl wə-yisguḏ bah-šaʿăṯā yiṯrəmē lə-ḡō-ʾattūn nūrā yāqiḏtā
Gloss: and-who-REL-NEG fall.PEAL.IPF.3MS and-worship.PEAL.IPF.3MS in.3FS-hour.DET throw.HITHP.IPF.3MS to-midst.CST-furnace.CST fire.DET burn.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.F.DET
English: and whoever does not fall down and worship shall at that very moment be thrown into the burning fiery furnace
Source: Dan 3:6 (WLC, public domain)
Notes: בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָא "in it, the hour" = "at that very moment" — anticipatory suffix on the preposition (The noun in Biblical Aramaic §5). יָקִדְתָּא "burning" is a feminine determined participle agreeing with אַתּוּן (fem.). אַתּוּן is Akkadian.
4.4 Daniel 3:16–18 — the answer of the three
Aramaic: לָא־חַשְׁחִין אֲנַחְנָה עַל־דְּנָה פִּתְגָם לַהֲתָבוּתָךְ
Translit.: lā-ḥašḥīn ʾănaḥnā ʿal-dənā piṯgām la-hăṯāḇūṯāḵ
Gloss: NEG-need.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MPL we on-this word to-return.HAPH.INF-2MS
English: we have no need to answer you a word about this
Source: Dan 3:16b (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וּמִן־יְדָךְ מַלְכָּא יְשֵׁיזִב
Translit.: ū-min-yəḏāḵ malkā yəšēziḇ
Gloss: and-from-hand-2MS king.DET deliver.SHAPH.IPF.3MS
English: and he will deliver (us) from your hand, O king
Source: Dan 3:17b (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וְהֵן לָא יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא־לָךְ מַלְכָּא דִּי לֵאלָהָךְ לָא אִיתַנָא פָלְחִין וּלְצֶלֶם דַּהֲבָא דִּי הֲקֵימְתָּ לָא נִסְגֻּד
Translit.: wə-hēn lā yəḏīaʿ lehĕwē-lāḵ malkā dī lē-ʾlāhāḵ lā ʾīṯanā p̄ālḥīn ū-lə-ṣelem dahăḇā dī hăqēmtā lā nisguḏ
Gloss: and-if NEG know.PEAL.PTCP.PASS.MS be.PEAL.IPF.3MS-to-2MS king.DET COMP to-god.PL-2MS NEG EXIST-1PL serve.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MPL and-to-image.CST gold.DET REL raise.HAPH.PF.2MS NEG worship.PEAL.IPF.1PL
English: But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden image you have set up
Source: Dan 3:18 (WLC, public domain; Qere לֵאלָהָךְ, אִיתַנָא)
Notes: חַשְׁחִין "need" is Akkadian (ḫašāḫu, BDB-Aram). לַהֲתָבוּתָךְ is a haphel infinitive in ־וּת with a suffix. The objects are marked with ל־ (לֵאלָהָךְ, לְצֶלֶם). The negated existential with suffix (לָא אִיתַנָא) carries the present tense.
4.5 Daniel 3:25 — the fourth man in the fire
Aramaic: הָא־אֲנָה חָזֵה גֻּבְרִין אַרְבְּעָה שְׁרַיִן מַהְלְכִין בְּגוֹא־נוּרָא
Translit.: hā-ʾănā ḥāzē guḇrīn ʾarbəʿā šərayin mahləḵīn bə-ḡō-nūrā
Gloss: behold-I see.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS man.M.PL.ABS four loose.PEAL.PTCP.PASS.MPL walk.APH.PTCP.ACT.MPL in-midst.CST-fire.DET
English: Look! I see four men, unbound, walking in the middle of the fire
Source: Dan 3:25a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וְרֵוֵהּ דִּי רְבִיעָאָה דָּמֵה לְבַר־אֱלָהִין
Translit.: wə-rēwēh dī rəḇīʿāʾā dāmē lə-ḇar-ʾĕlāhīn
Gloss: and-appearance-3MS REL fourth.DET resemble.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS to-son.CST-god.M.PL.ABS
English: and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods
Source: Dan 3:25b (WLC, public domain; Qere רְבִיעָאָה)
4.6 Daniel 5:25–28 — the writing on the wall
Aramaic: וּדְנָה כְתָבָא דִּי רְשִׁים מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין
Translit.: ū-ḏənā ḵəṯāḇā dī rəšīm mənē mənē təqēl ū-p̄arsīn
Gloss: and-this writing.DET REL inscribe.PEIL.3MS mina mina shekel and-half.mina.PL
English: And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
Source: Dan 5:25 (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: מְנֵא מְנָה־אֱלָהָא מַלְכוּתָךְ וְהַשְׁלְמַהּ
Translit.: mənē mənā-ʾĕlāhā malḵūṯāḵ wə-hašləmah
Gloss: mene count.PEAL.PF.3MS-god.DET kingdom-2MS and-complete.HAPH.PF.3MS-3FS
English: MENE: God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end
Source: Dan 5:26 (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: תְּקֵל תְּקִילְתָּה בְמֹאזַנְיָא וְהִשְׁתְּכַחַתְּ חַסִּיר
Translit.: təqēl təqīltā ḇə-mōʾzanyā wə-hištəḵaḥat ḥassīr
Gloss: tekel weigh.PEIL.PF.2MS in-scale.DU.DET and-find.HITHP.PF.2MS lacking
English: TEKEL: you have been weighed in the scales and found wanting
Source: Dan 5:27 (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: פְּרֵס פְּרִיסַת מַלְכוּתָךְ וִיהִיבַת לְמָדַי וּפָרָס
Translit.: pərēs pərīsaṯ malḵūṯāḵ wi-hīḇaṯ lə-māḏay ū-p̄ārās
Gloss: peres divide.PEIL.PF.3FS kingdom-2MS and-give.PEIL.PF.3FS to-Media and-Persia
English: PERES: your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians
Source: Dan 5:28 (WLC, public domain)
Notes: the riddle plays on weight units (mina, shekel, half-mina; Akkadian manû, šiqlu, parsu) and on verbs from the same roots (מנה "count", תקל "weigh", פרס "divide"), and on פָּרָס "Persia". The answers use three peil forms (internal passive) and one hithpeel: the richest cluster of old passives in the Bible's Aramaic (The verb in Biblical Aramaic §3.3).
4.7 Daniel 6:11 — Daniel at his window
Aramaic: וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי־רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ
Translit.: wə-ḏāniyyēl kəḏī yəḏaʿ dī-rəšīm kəṯāḇā ʿal lə-ḇaytēh
Gloss: and-Daniel when know.PEAL.PF.3MS COMP-sign.PEIL.3MS document.DET enter.PEAL.PF.3MS to-house-3MS
English: When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went into his house
Source: Dan 6:11a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל־בִּרְכוֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ
Translit.: wə-zimnīn təlāṯā ḇə-yōmā hū bārēḵ ʿal-birḵōhī ū-məṣallē ū-mōḏē qŏḏām ʾĕlāhēh
Gloss: and-time.M.PL.ABS three(M) in-day.DET he kneel.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS on-knee.PL-3MS and-pray.PAEL.PTCP.ACT.MS and-praise.HAPH.PTCP.ACT.MS before god-3MS
English: and three times a day he knelt on his knees, prayed and gave thanks before his God
Source: Dan 6:11b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: the participles describe a habit; the verse ends כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי־הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן־קַדְמַת דְּנָה "just as he had been doing before", with the periphrastic הֲוָה + participle for the past habitual. מוֹדֵא is a haphel participle of ידי "thank" (with וֹ from aw). Prayer "before" (קֳדָם) God.
4.8 Daniel 7:9 — the Ancient of Days
Aramaic: חָזֵה הֲוֵית עַד דִּי כָרְסָוָן רְמִיו וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִב
Translit.: ḥāzē hăwēṯ ʿaḏ dī ḵorsāwān rəmīw wə-ʿattīq yōmīn yəṯiḇ
Gloss: see.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS be.PEAL.PF.1SG until REL throne.M.PL.ABS throw.PEIL.PF.3MPL and-ancient.CST day.M.PL.ABS sit.PEAL.PF.3MS
English: I kept looking until thrones were set in place, and an Ancient of Days took his seat
Source: Dan 7:9a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: לְבוּשֵׁהּ כִּתְלַג חִוָּר וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא
Translit.: ləḇūšēh kiṯlaḡ ḥiwwār ū-śəʿar rēšēh ka-ʿămar nəqē
Gloss: garment-3MS like-snow white and-hair.CST head-3MS like-wool clean
English: his garment white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool
Source: Dan 7:9b (WLC, public domain)
Notes: חָזֵה הֲוֵית is the visionary's refrain ("I was seeing"). רְמִיו is a peil "were thrown, placed". תְּלַג "snow" (Hebrew שֶׁלֶג: ṯ > t) and עֲמַר "wool" (Hebrew צֶמֶר: ḍ > ʿ) are textbook cognates. The verse is the source of the Zohar's names עַתִּיקָא, עַתִּיק יוֹמִין (The lexicon of the Zohar).
4.9 Daniel 7:13–14 — one like a son of man
Aramaic: וַאֲרוּ עִם־עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ אָתֵה הֲוָה
Translit.: wa-ʾărū ʿim-ʿănānē šəmayyā kə-ḇar ʾĕnāš ʾāṯē hăwā
Gloss: and-behold with-cloud.M.PL.CST heaven.DET like-son.CST man come.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS be.PEAL.PF.3MS
English: and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming
Source: Dan 7:13a (WLC, public domain)
Aramaic: וְלֵהּ יְהִיב שָׁלְטָן וִיקָר וּמַלְכוּ וְכֹל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא לֵהּ יִפְלְחוּן
Translit.: wə-lēh yəhīḇ šolṭān wīqār ū-malḵū wə-ḵōl ʿaməmayyā ʾummayyā wə-liššānayyā lēh yip̄ləḥūn
Gloss: and-to-3MS give.PEIL.PF.3MS dominion and-glory and-kingdom and-all people.M.PL.DET nation.F.PL.DET and-tongue.M.PL.DET to-3MS serve.PEAL.IPF.3MPL
English: To him were given dominion, glory and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages shall serve him
Source: Dan 7:14a (WLC, public domain)
Notes: בַּר אֱנָשׁ "son of man" is the ordinary Aramaic for "a human being" (the Hebrew is בֶּן אָדָם). The prepositional phrase לֵהּ is fronted twice (focus). "Peoples, nations and languages" (עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא) is the stock imperial formula of Daniel 3–7.
5. A short reading exercise
Read without the gloss, then check:
Aramaic: עָנֵה מַלְכָּא לְדָנִיֵּאל וְאָמַר מִן־קְשֹׁט דִּי אֱלָהֲכוֹן הוּא אֱלָהּ אֱלָהִין וּמָרֵא מַלְכִין וְגָלֵה רָזִין
Translit.: ʿānē malkā lə-ḏāniyyēl wə-ʾāmar min-qəšōṭ dī ʾĕlāhăḵōn hū ʾĕlāh ʾĕlāhīn ū-mārē malḵīn wə-ḡālē rāzīn
Gloss: answer.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS king.DET to-Daniel and-say.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS from-truth COMP god-2MPL COP.3MS god.CST god.M.PL.ABS and-lord.CST king.M.PL.ABS and-reveal.PEAL.PTCP.ACT.MS mystery.M.PL.ABS
English: The king answered Daniel and said: "Truly your God is God of gods, Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries"
Source: Dan 2:47a (WLC, public domain)
Points: the participle formula of speech; מִן־קְשֹׁט "in truth" (from + truth); the pronominal copula הוּא; construct chains with absolute plurals (אֱלָהּ אֱלָהִין, מָרֵא מַלְכִין); רָזִין, a Persian loan.
The Elamur team
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