Unable to bash: syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error marker - "")

I know there have been many similar questions here, but this is quite important, please read.

I have a bash script that does nothing but compare two numbers, basically like this:

[[ 1408039118 -lt 1401215749 ]]

      

        
        
        
      

    

Now running the script throws the following error:

/usr/bin/pacaur: line 179: 1408039118: syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "")

      

        
        
        
      

    

So my understanding is that something must be wrong, this is my line 179:

[[ "${depsAlastmodified[$i]}" -lt 1401215749 ]] && note "f" $"no AUR metadata for ${colorR}${depsAname[$i]}${reset} package"

      

        
        
        
      

    

Running this through bash -x

shows:

+ [[ 1408039118 -lt 1401215749 ]]
/usr/bin/pacaur: line 179: 1406628774: syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "")

      

        
        
        
      

    

There is nothing wrong. I tried some more debugging using od -c

for this variable:

echo ${depsAlastmodified[$i]} | od -c

      

        
        
        
      

    

Output:

+ echo '1408039118'
+ od -c
0000000   1   4   0   8   0   3   9   1   1   8 033   [   m 033   [   K
0000020  \n
0000021

      

        
        
        
      

    

But now I'm not sure how to read this. I understand that the newline character belongs to the echo command. But what 033 [ m 033 [ K

exactly is it? And does this apply to my problem?

I also tried to run this number via bc

:

echo ${depsAlastmodified[$i]} | bc | od -c

      

        
        
        
      

    

This is the conclusion:

+ echo '1408039118'
+ bc
+ od -c
(standard_in) 1: illegal character: ^[
(standard_in) 1: syntax error
(standard_in) 1: illegal character: ^[
(standard_in) 1: illegal character: K
0000000

      

        
        
        
      

    

There is something wrong with this variable. What else could I try? How to fix it?

For reference, this is the complete release history .