THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET DANIE L. ARGUMENT. DANIEL, the author of this book, was of the tribe of Judah, and probably of royal descent. Josephus says he was of the family of Zedekiah, who was the last king of Judah, before the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem. He was carried away captive to Babylon when he was very young, probably not more than eighteen years of age, namely, in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, in the year of the world 3398, before Christ 606. Being possessed of extraordinary endowments, both of body and mind, he was soon noticed and much renowned in Babylon; and on account of his extraordinary wisdom and virtue, and that supernatural illumination God vouchsafed him, which was manifested in his interpreting of dreams, and predicting future events, he was advanced to great authority under Nebuchadnezzar, which he appears to have possessed during all the subsequent period of the Chaldean monarchy. He also held an exalted station, and filled offices of great trust and power, under Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian. His great wisdom and extraordinary piety are celebrated by his fellow-captive Ezekiel, with whom he was cotemporary. For that prophet, when upbraiding the king of Tyre with his self-conceit and pride, asks, Art thou wiser than Daniel? And he mentions Daniel with Noah and Job, as persons who had greater power with God in prayer than any others of the human race: see Ezekiel xxviii. 3, and xiv. 14. Daniel, though probably younger than Ezekiel, yet appears to have begun to prophesy before him. It is likely he first resided in the court at Babylon, and afterward in those of Media and Persia. Some of the later Jews have shown an inclination to exclude Daniel from the number of the prophets; and their rabbis have accordingly placed his book among the Hagiographa, or holy writings, and not among the books of the rophets. But their dislike to him has evidently proceeded only from hence, that his predictions are so clear and so express, respecting the time of the Messiah's appearance, the character he should bear, the offices he should sustain, and the violent death he should suffer; and afford such evidence of the truth of Christianity, that they had no other way to avoid conviction than to deny the divine authority of the book from whence that evidence is drawn. But herein they contradict the sense of the more ancient Jews, and particularly of Josephus, who calls him one of the greatest of the prophets, and says that "he not only foretold future things, which was common to him with other prophets, but also fixed a time for their coming to pass."-Antiq., lib. x. cap. 12. Our Saviour's authority is decisive in this matter, expressly calling Daniel a prophet, Matt. xxiv. 15; in doing which he likewise declared the sense of the Jews of that time; for, as he spoke the words in the hearing of the Jewish doctors, they certainly would have objected to Daniel's authority, if they had not believed and allowed his divine inspiration. And if we consider the important subject of some of his prophecies, especially those respecting the Messiah, and the large extent of others of them, predicting the four great monarchies that should arise in succession, and even giving a prophetical history of the church and of the world to nearly the end of time, he may justly be reckoned among the greatest of prophets. As Daniel and St. John had both of them the honour and happiness of being persons greatly beloved of God, (compare Dan. x. 11 with John xiii. 23,) so the latter, in his Revelation, doth little more (as Mr. Mede has observed) than distinctly unfold those events which the former foretels in general terms. This book is written partly in the Hebrew, and partly in Chaldee; for which singular circumstance we may fairly account, without any imputation on the credit of the book, or the judgment of the author. He had been early taught the language of the Chaldeans, and from his long residence in the country, may be presumed to have been well acquainted with it. And many of the Jews also, during the time of the captivity, doubtless attained a considerable knowledge of that language; and especially those Jews would make it their business to learn it who did not incline to return with DANIEL. their brethren into Judea, but remained in Babylon. And his prophecies were undoubtedly designed for the benefit of all these Jews, and also of the Chaldeans themselves, whose annals might receive confirmation from his work, and be alleged as vouchers of its authenticity. "Now what could be more natural," says Mr. Wintle, " than that an author, thus circumstanced, should contrive his work in a manner" which he judged would be "the most extensively useful; and with this view should compose a part of it in the language of the country wherein he dwelt, and the other part in the original language of the church of God ?" We learn from St. Jerome, that the famous Porphyry, who flourished in the latter end of the third century after Christ, and wrote fifteen books against the Christian religion, endeavoured in one of them to depreciate the prophecies of Daniel, affirming that the book in which they are contained was not composed by Daniel, whose name it bears, but by somebody who lived in Judea about the time of Antiochus Epiphanes; because all the prophecies which respected events to that time contained true history, but all beyond that were manifestly false. This work of Porphyry is wholly lost, excepting a few fragments and quotations that are preserved in St. Jerome and others of the fathers. But it was completely refuted by Eusebius, Appolinarius, and Methodius, in the answers they gave to it. And, as St. Jerome rightly observes, such a method of opposing the prophecies is the strongest testimony of their truth. For it shows they were fulfilled with such exactness, that to infidels the prophet seemed not to have foretold things future, but to have related things past. That Daniel's prophecies were not written after the times of Antiochus Epiphanes, appears clearly from hence, that they were translated into Greek a hundred years before his times; and that the translation was in the hands of the Egyptians, who were neither friendly to the Jews nor their religion. Nay, the prophecies of Daniel, foretelling the great successes of Alexander, chap viii. 5, and xi. 3, were shown to Alexander himself by the Jews, who thereupon obtained several privileges from him, as Josephus informs us, Antiq., lib. ii. cap. 8. "Indeed it may be proved, it hath been proved, to a demonstration," says Bishop Newton, as much as any thing of this nature can be proved to a demonstration, by all the characters and testimonies, both internal and external, that the prophecies of Daniel were written at the time that the Scripture says they were written." Add to this, that this book of Daniel was one of the Jewish canon, and continually read in their synagogues; and indeed if it had not been in their canon, and received by them as one of their sacred books, it is impossible Josephus could have made so solemn an appeal to its authenticity as he has done. They who wish for further proof of the genuineness and divine inspiration of Daniel's prophecies, may receive full satisfaction in Bishop Chandler's Vindication of his Defence of Christianity, in which he has very largely and learnedly confuted every objection to them, and established upon the firmest foundation their truth and divine authority. The book of Daniel, says Mr. Locke, is divided into two parts; the former, containing the first six chapters, is historical, the latter is prophetical. His style, unlike that of the succeeding prophets, is plain and narrative; on which account, says Bishop Lowth, he is not to be numbered among the poetical writers of Scripture. Among the old prophets he is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood; and therefore in those things which relate to the last times, he is a key to the rest. All his prophecies refer to each other, as if they were several parts or members of the same body. The first is the easiest to be understood; and every successive prophecy adds something new to that which precedes. He writes in Hebrew, where what he delivers is a bare narrative; but he relates in Chaldee the conversations which he had in this language with the wise men and the kings; and in the same language he reports Nebuchadnezzar's edict, published by him after Daniel had interpreted his dream concerning the great golden image. This shows the great accuracy of our prophet, who relates the very words of those persons whom he introduces as speaking. It is believed that Daniel died in Chaldea, and that he did not take the advantage of the permission granted by Cyrus to the Jews, of returning to their country: the great employments which he had possessed in the Persian empire probably detained him there. St. Epiphanius says he died at Babylon, and herein he is followed by the generality of historians. See Calmet's Preface, Bishop Chandler's Vindication, and Bishop Lowth's twentieth Prelection. CHAPTER I. In this chapter we learn, (1,) That Daniel, and some other descendants of David, were carried captive to Babylon in the third year of Jehoiakim; and that he and some other young men were chosen by Nebuchadnezzar's orders to be educated in the learning of the Chaldeans, and that victuals were appointed them from Nebuchadnezzar's table, 1-7. (2,) That Daniel and his three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, piously refused the royal dainties, and determined to live on pulse and water, which the steward, to whose care they were committed, allowed them to do, 8-16. (3,) The wonderful improvement which they made above all their fellows in knowledge and wisdom, 17–21. subsequent characters in the verse, it should seem that the young men were to be as complete in every respect as was possible, perfect in their mental as well as corporal powers. The greatest care seems to have been required as to the accomplishments of their Verses 1, 2. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim came Nebuchadnezzar, &c.-See notes on 2 Kings xxiv. 1-4. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hand-He took Jehoiakim prisoner, and put him in chains, with a design to carry him to Baby-minds, and on this account three several expressions lon; but he having humbled himself, and submitted to become tributary, he was restored to his kingdom. "At this time," says Lowth, "Jehoiakim having become tributary to the king of Babylon, consequently the seventy years of the Jewish captivity and vassalage to Babylon began." With part of the vessels of the house of God-Some of the vessels were still left,|| which Nebuchadnezzar seized when he carried Jeconiah captive: see the margin; which he carried into the land of Shinar-That is, he carried the vessels, and not, as some would understand it, the captives also; for Jehoiakim only is mentioned, who died, as we have seen, in the land of Judah. Shinar was the original name of the country about Babylon, (Gen. xi. 2,) and it was still sometimes called by this name by some of the prophets: see the margin. And he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god-Of his idol Bel, (see note on Jer. 1. 2,) from whence they were taken by Cyrus, and delivered to Zerubbabel, Ezra i. 7, 8. To this agrees the testimony of Berosus, who tells us that Nebuchadnezzar || adorned the temple of Bel with the spoils of war which he had taken in that expedition: see Joseph. Antiq., lib. x. cap. 11. are made use of, the particular force of each of which it may not be easy to ascertain. "Perhaps," says Mr. Wintle, "the first relates to the best and most excellent natural abilities; the second, to the acquisition of the greatest improvements from cultivation; and the third, to the communication of their perceptions in the happiest manner to others." He translates the clause as follows: Ready of understanding in all wisdom, and of skill in science, and expert in prudence. Or, more generally, the expressions may only signify that they were to be such as had been instructed, and had made proficiency, in every thing that was taught in the land of Judea. And such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace-Not only being of a strong constitution to endure the fatigue of long waitings, in or near the royal presence, during which they were not permitted to sit down; "but qualified for every business in which they might be employed, and to do credit to the situation in which they were to stand." And whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans—As Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, so we are not to wonder that Daniel was taught the learning of the Chaldeans; and that he so far excelled in it, as to be placed at the head of the magi: see chap. iv. 9. It must be observed that the word D, rendered children in the beginning of this verse, does not signify persons in a state of childhood, but refers to those of more advanced years. The expression is applied to Rehoboam's counsellors, 1 Kings xii. 8, who cannot be thought to have been mere children. Nor can we suppose Daniel and his companions to have been less than eighteen or twenty years of age at this time, as may be concluded from Daniel's being put into considerable posts in the government soon after. Verses 3, 4. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, master of the eunuchs—One of the chief officers of his palace; the officers that attended about the persons of the eastern kings being commonly eunuchs, (a custom still practised in the Ottoman court,) such being employed as guardians over the women which || the kings kept for their pleasure. That he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and, or rather, even, of the king's seed-The conjunction copulative being often used by way of explication. And thus Isaiah's prophecy was punctually fulfilled, chap. xxxix. 7. Children in whom was no blemish-He was directed to make choice of such as were comely, and had no defect or deformity of body, to which Verse 5. The king appointed them a daily prothe Hebrew word, here used, is chiefly ap- || vision of the king's meat-Such as he had at his own plied, answerable to the Greek μwμoç. But by the table; wherein his humanity and bounty appeared || History of Daniel and B. C. 606. DANIEL. A. M. 3398. vision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. g 6 Now, among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah : 7 h Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. 2 Heb. the wine of his drink.- - Ver. 19; Gen. xli. 46; 1 Kings x. 8. Gen. xli. 45; 2 Kings xxiv. 17.- Chap. iv. 8; v. 12. toward them the more conspicuous, they being captives. So nourishing them, &c.—The Vulgate renders it, Ut enutriti, &c.; that, being nourished three years, they might afterward stand in the presence of the king. It seems from what is here said, that the Chaldeans entertained a notion that a diet of the best sort contributed both to the beauty of the body and the improvement of the mind. his three countrymen, B. C. 606. 8 ¶ But Daniel purposed in his heart A. M. 3399. that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath ap pointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces 3 worse liking than * Deut. xxxii. 38; Ezek. iv. 13; Hos. ix. 3; Acts xv. 20. Gen. xxxix. 21; Psa. cvi. 46; Prov. xvi. 7.-3 Heb. sadder. in their names: see 1 Cor. viii. 10, 20. With the portion of the king's meat—It was the custom of most nations, before their meals, to make an oblation of some part of what they ate and drank to their gods, as a thankful acknowledgment that every thing which they enjoyed was their gift; so that every entertainment had something in it of the nature of a sacrifice. This practice, generally prevailing, might make Daniel and his friends look upon the provisions coming from the king's table as no better than meats offered to idols, and therefore to be accounted unclean, or polluted: see the margin. Nor with the wine which he drank-Though wine was not prohibited in the Levitical law, yet Daniel might wish to abstain from it, chiefly from motives of temperance; or because it came from an entertainment wherein a libation was made of it to idols, he might think himself obliged to abstain from motives of conscience: see Wintle and Lowth. Verse 9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love, &c.—Hebrew, 'n, compassionate regard, or, bowels of compassion, which is also the sense of the same word, chap. ii. 18. It is a very strong expression, and denotes a kind of parental compassion, like that of St. Paul in his epistle to Philemon, verse 12, Receive him that is mine own bowels. We see a like instance of God's care over Verses 6, 7. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, &c.-All their names had some affinity with the name of Jehovah, the God whom they worshipped. Daniel signifies, God is my judge, or the judgment of God; Hananiah, God has been gracious to me, or, one favoured of Jehovah; Mishael, the powerful one of God; Azariah, the help of Jehovah, or, Jehovah is my succour. In like manner, the prince of the eunuchs, in changing their names, as a mark of dominion and authority over them, gave them such as had an affinity with the names of the gods of the Chaldees; Belteshazzar, the name given to Daniel, being derived from Bel, or Baal, the chief idol of Babylon, and signifying the treasurer of Baal, or, the depositary of the secrets, or treasure, of Baal. Shadrach, according to some, means the inspiration of the sun; being derived from shada, to pour out, and rach, a king, a name given to the sun by the Babylonians. Meshach, derived from a Babylonian deity called Shach, or from a goddess called She-Joseph, (Gen. xxxix. 21,) when he was a poor capshach, is thought to signify, He who belongs to Shach, or Sheshach. Abed-nego imports the servant of the shining light, or, as Calmet thinks, of the sun, or the morning star, unless the word should be written Abed-nebo, referring to the idol so called, which gave name to several distinguished personages among the Babylonians: see Isa. xlvi. 2. It is certain from Herodotus, lib. i., that the Chaldeans worshipped Jupiter Belus, Venus, and other idols, or the same under other names; and from these it is probable that the names were given, according to Chaldee usage, to these young men. Verse 8. But Daniel purposed that he would not defile himself--The defilement here alluded to might arise either from the food being such as was prohibited in the law of Moses, or else what was offered to the idols of the Chaldees, or entreated to be blessed tive, a prisoner, and destitute of all friends to support or comfort him: see Psa. cvi. 46, where, as here, the favour of men toward God's people is attributed to his overruling and gracious providence over them. And, considering what important consequences frequently follow upon it, we may, with great reason, acknowledge the hand of God in it, whenever it takes place. Verse 10. The prince of the eunuchs said, I fear my lord the king-He objects that he should incur the king's displeasure, and bring his life into danger, if he complied with Daniel's request; the king having appointed what sort of meat and drink Daniel and his young friends should use, and having given no one authority to change it for any other, especially for a kind less calculated to preserve their health, and increase the strength and vigour of their constitu 14 So he consented to them in this matter, fore Nebuchadnezzar. and proved them ten days. *Or, term, or, continuance.- - Or, the steward. Heb. of pulse. m 1 Kings iii. 12; James i. 5, 17. tions, and beauty of their appearance. For why should he see your faces worse liking-Hebrew, O'Dyi, || σкvρwжα, as the LXX. render it, more sad and de- || jected, or meager and lean; than the children which || are of your sort-Or, which are of your age, as the Hebrew word a signifies in the Arabic, and as the LXX. understand it. Probably, however, the word may include the condition also. Verses 11, 12. Then said Daniel, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee-To satisfy him that there would be no danger of any ill consequence, Daniel desires the matter might be put to a trial for ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat-The word Dy, here used, seems to signify fruits or vegetables; or rather, according to the Greek interpreter, seeds in general. At the 16th verse the word is D', seeds, and some MSS. read it so in this verse. The sense is doubtless the same in both places, and perhaps may be well enough expressed by that kind of nourishing seed called pulse. The LXX. render it, aло тwν σжεрμarov, of seeds. "Pliny, in his Natural History, p. 380, mentions a kind of pulse, that is said to affect the temper of those that feed upon it, and to produce equanimity and gentleness. Various sorts of grain were dried and prepared for food by the people of the East, as wheat, barley, rice, and pulse. Of some of these was the parched corn, mentioned in Scripture, and the chief food of the labourers and poorer sort of people; and perhaps something of this kind of preparation might have been the choice of Daniel."-Wintle. Verse 15. At the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer, &c.-The poor pulse, seeds, and roots, nourished and strengthened Daniel and his companions more than the rich food which the others ate from the king's table nourished them. Although this might, in part, be the natural effect of their temperance, yet it must chiefly be ascribed to the special blessing of God, which will make a little go a great way, and a dinner of herbs more nutritive and strengthening than a stalled ox. 19 And the king communed with them: and n Acts vii. 22. - Or, he made Daniel understand.- Lo Num. xii. 6; 2 Chron. xxvi. 5; Chap. v. 11, 12, 14; x. 1. Verse 17. As for these four children-The Hebrew is literally, As to these children, or young men, each of them four: to them God gave knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom-That is, in all sorts of learning and knowledge. They became particularly skilful in those parts of the Chaldean learning which were really useful, and which might recommend them to the favour of the kings both of Babylon and || Persia, and qualify them for places of trust under them; as Moses's education in the Egyptian learning fitted him to be a ruler of God's people. And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams -Daniel excelled the others in the gift of prophecy, and in his extraordinary skill in interpreting all sorts of visions and dreams, namely, such as were sent of God, and foreshowed future events, under the cover of certain images and representations, which required an interpretation in order to the understanding of their true signification. But we must not suppose that Daniel attained this skill by any study or rules of art. It was God's supernatural gift unto him, as was the same kind of knowledge which Joseph possessed and manifested when he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh, and those of the chief butler and baker. Verses 18-20. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in--At the end of three years, see verse 5, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in—According to the king's command. And the king communed with them-To try their proficiency. This shows the king's ability and judgment, without which he could not have discerned their fitness for his service, and their excellence above others. He examined all candidates that applied, and preferred those that outstripped the rest. Therefore stood they before the king-They were in continual attendance in the king's court. The same expression is used of Elijah and Jeremiah, as God's servants and messengers, 1 Kings xvii. 1; Jer. xv. 19. And the Levites are said to stand before the congregation to minister to them, Num. xvi. 9. And in all matters of wisdom and under |