Table Of ContentTHE FORMS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE
Genesis; with an Introduction to
Narrative Literature George W. Coats
*IIA Exodus 1-18 George W. Coats
IIB Exodus 19-40; with an
Introduction to Legal Genres Rolf P. Knierim
III Leviticus Rodney R. Hutton
IV Numbers George W. Coats &
Rolf P. Knierim
V Deuteronomy Frederick G. Tiffany
VI Joshua, Judges Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., &
Malcolm M. Clark
VII 1 Samuel Antony F Campbell
VIII 2 Samuel Antony F. Campbell
*IX 1 Kings; with an Introduction to
Historical Literature Burke O. Long
*X 2 Kings Burke O. Long
*XI 1 and 2 Chronicles Simon J. De Vries
ΧΠ Ezra, Nehemiah Kent Richards
*XIII Ruth, Esther, Job, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, Canticles;
with an Introduction to Wisdom
Literature Roland E. Murphy
*XIV Psalms, Part 1; with an
Introduction to Cultic Poetry Erhard S. Gerstenberger
*XV Psalms, Part 2; Lamentations Erhard S. Gerstenberger
*XVI Isaiah 1-39; with an
Introduction to Prophetic
Literature Marvin A. Sweeney
XVII Isaiah 40-66 Roy F. Melugin
XVIII Jeremiah Richard D. Weis
*XIX Ezekiel Ronald M. Hals
*XX Daniel; with an Introduction to
Apocalyptic Literature John J. Collins
XXIA Minor Prophets, Part 1 Ehud Ben Zvi,
Gene M. Tucker, &
J. William Whedbee
*XXIB Micah Ehud Ben Zvi
*XXII Minor Prophets, Part 2 Michael H. Floyd
XXIH Glossary of Genre Terms Rolf P. Knierim &
Gene M. Tucker
XXIV Indices Rolf Ρ Knierim &
Gene M. Tucker
*Now available
DÂN16L
with an
INTRODUCTION TO
Ä p O C Ä L Y p T lC
L1T6RÂTURe
J O HN J. C O L L I NS
The Forms of the Old Testament Literature
V O L U ME XX
Rolf Knierim and Gene M. Tucker, editors
WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
Copyright © 1984 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Ml 49503
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Collins, John Joseph, 1946-
Daniel: with an introduction to apocalyptic literature.
(The Forms of the Old Testament literature; v. 20)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Bible. O.T. Daniel—Commentaries. 2. Apocalyptic
literature—History and criticism. 1. Title. II. Series.
BS1555.3.C64 1984 224'. 507 84-13783
ISBN 0-8028-0020-3 (pbk.)
Reprinted 1999
C0NT6NTS
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
EDITORS' FOREWORD
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION TO APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE 1
DANIEL 25
Chapter 1 The Book as a Whole 27
Chapter 2 The Individual Units: The Tales 40
Chapter 3 The Individual Units: The Visions 74
GLOSSARY 105
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
I. Miscellaneous abbreviations and symbols
Akk. Akkadian
ca. circa (about)
cf. compare
ch(s). chapter(s)
ed. editor(s), edition
eg· for example
esp. especially
et al. et alii (and others)
Fest. Festschrift
i.e. id est (that is)
LXX Septuagint
MS(S) manuscript(s)
OT Old Testament
p(p)· page(s)
repr. reprint
tr. translated by
v(v). verse(s)
vol(s). volume(s)
The arrow indicates a cross reference to another section of the
commentary
§(§) section(s)
II. Publications
AB Anchor Bible
AnBib Analecta biblica
ANET J. B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the
Old Testament (3rd ed.; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969)
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt
AnSt Anatolian Studies
ArOr Archiv 0rientální
AKW Archiv fùr Religionswissenschaft
AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
Bib Biblica
BibS(N) Biblische Studien (Neukirchen, 1951-)
BZ Biblische Zeitschrift
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly—Monograph Series
ConB Coniectanea biblica
ETL Ephemerides theologicae lovanienses
FOTL The Forms of the Old Testament Literature
FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen
Testaments
HAT Handbuch zum Alten Testament
HKAT Handkommentar zum Alten Testament
HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs
HTS Harvard Theological Studies
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
ICC International Critical Commentary
IDBSup Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Supplementary volume
J AOS Journal of the American Oriental Society
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JQR Jewish Quarterly Review
JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and
Roman Period
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
ΚΑΤ Kommentar zum Alten Testament
LD Lectio divina
NTAbh Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen
NTS New Testament Studies
OTL Old Testament Library
OTS Oudtestamentische Studien
RB Revue biblique
RevQ Revue de Qumran
RSV Revised Standard Version
RTL Revue théologique de Louvain
SB Sources bibliques
SBLASP Society of Biblical Literature Abstracts and Seminar Papers
SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
Sem Semitica
ST Studia theologica
TDNT G. Kittel and G. Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament (tr. and ed. G. Bromiley; 10 vols.; Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1964-1976)
ThStKr Theologische Studien und Kritiken
TRu Theologische Rundschau
TUMSR Trinity University Monograph Series in Religion
USQR Union Seminary Quarterly Review
VT Vetus Testamentum
VTSup Vetus Testamentum, Supplements
WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
ZA Zeitschrift für Assyriologie
ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
e 0 1 T 0 R S' f 0 r 6 w 0 rd
THIS BOOK is the fourth in a series of twenty-four volumes planned for publication
throughout the nineteen-eighties. The series eventually will present a form-critical
analysis of every book and each unit of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) ac-
cording to a standard outline and methodology. The aims of the work are fun-
damentally exegetical, attempting to understand the biblical literature from the
viewpoint of a particular set of questions. Each volume in the series will also give
an account of the history of the form-critical discussion of the material in question,
attempt to bring consistency to the terminology for the genres and formulas of
the biblical literature, and expose the exegetical procedure in such a way as to
enable students and pastors to engage in their own analysis and interpretation. It
is hoped, therefore, that the audience will be a broad one, including not only
biblical scholars but also students, pastors, priests, and rabbis who are engaged
in biblical interpretation.
There is a difference between the planned order of appearance of the indi-
vidual volumes and their position in the series. While the series follows basically
the sequence of the books of the Hebrew Bible, the individual volumes will appear
in accordance with the projected working schedules of the individual contributors.
The number of twenty-four volumes has been chosen for merely practical reasons
which make it necessary to combine several biblical books in one volume at times,
and at times to have two authors contribute to the same volume. Volume XIII is
an exception to the arrangement according to the sequence of the Hebrew canon
in that it omits Lamentations. The commentary on Lamentations will be published
with that on the book of Psalms.
The initiation of this series is the result of deliberations and plans which
began some fifteen years ago. At that time the current editors perceived the need
for a comprehensive reference work which would enable scholars and students of
the Hebrew scriptures to gain from the insights that form-critical work had ac-
cumulated throughout seven decades, and at the same time to participate more
effectively in such work themselves. An international and interconfessional team
of scholars was assembled, and has been expanded in recent years.
Several possible approaches and formats for publication presented them-
selves. The work could not be a handbook of the form-critical method with some
examples of its application. Nor would it be satisfactory to present an encyclopedia
of the genres identified in the Old Testament literature. The reference work would
have to demonstrate the method on all of the texts, and identify genres only
through the actual interpretation of the texts themselves. Hence, the work had to
be a commentary following the sequence of the books in the Hebrew Bible (the
