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Ask a Questionno pleasant bread--"unleavened bread, even the bread of affliction" (De 16:3). anoint--The Persians largely used unguents.
princes--"satraps" of provinces [Gesenius]. captains--rulers, not exclusively military. sheriffs--men learned in the law, like the Arab mufti [Gesenius].
the last end of the indignation--God's displeasure against the Jews for their sins. For their comfort they are told, the calamities about to come are not to be for ever. The "time" is limited (Da...
tree--So the Assyrian is compared to a "cedar" (Eze 31:3; compare Eze 17:24). in the midst of the earth--denoting its conspicuous position as the center whence the imperial authority radiated in...
Between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in the second chapter and that of Daniel in the seventh, four narratives of Daniel's and his friends' personal history are introduced. As the second and seventh...
Our Lord told the disciples the work they were to do. The apostles met together at Jerusalem; Christ having ordered them not to depart thence, but to wait for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit....
shut up...seal the book--John, on the contrary, is told (Re 22:10) not to seal his visions. Daniel's prophecy refers to a distant time, and is therefore obscure for the immediate future, whereas...
assembled together--literally, "assembled hastily and tumultuously." Had they come more deliberately, the king might have refused their grant; but they gave him no time for reflection, representing...
Belshazzar--Rawlinson, from the Assyrian inscriptions, has explained the seeming discrepancy between Daniel and the heathen historians of Babylon, Berosus and Abydenus, who say the last king...
third year of Cyrus--two years after Cyrus' decree for the restoration of the Jews had gone forth, in accordance with Daniel's prayer in Da 9:3-19. This vision gives not merely general outlines, or...
we--Daniel and his three friends.
coats...hosen...hats--Herodotus [1.195] says that the Babylonian costume consisted of three parts: (1) wide, long pantaloons; (2) a woollen shirt; (3) an outer mantle with a girdle round it. So...
all--(Ps 14:3; Ro 3:12). the curse...and...oath...in...law--the curse against Israel, if disobedient, which God ratified by oath (Le 26:14-39; De 27:15-26;28:15-68; 29:1-29).
Job 12:1-14:22. Job's Reply to Zophar the trusty--rather, "those secure in their eloquence"; for example, the speakers in the gate (Isa 3:3) [Beza]. understanding--literally, "taste," that is,...
Is it true--rather, as the Margin [Theodotion], "Is it purposely that?" &c. Compare the Hebrew, Nu 35:20, 22. Notwithstanding his "fury," his past favor for them disposes him to give them the...
nor...an hair--(Lu 12:7; 21:18). fire had no power--fulfilling Isa 43:2; compare Heb 11:34. God alone is a "consuming fire" (Heb 12:29). nor...smell of fire--compare spiritually, 1Th 5:22.
Daniel...would not defile himself with...king's meat--Daniel is specified as being the leader in the "purpose" (the word implies a decided resolution) to abstain from defilement, thus manifesting a...
The words were in such a character as to be illegible to the Chaldees, God reserving this honor to Daniel.
bring--Instead of commanding their immediate execution, as in the case of the Magi (Da 2:12), Providence inclined him to command the recusants to be brought before him, so that their noble...
the most high God--He acknowledges Jehovah to be supreme above other gods (not that he ceased to believe in these); so he returns to his original confession, "your God is a God of gods" (Da 2:47),...
Hew down--(Mt 3:10; Lu 13:7). The holy (Jude 14) one incites his fellow angels to God's appointed work (compare Re 14:15, 18). beasts get away from under it--It shall no longer afford them shelter...
It was in the third year of Cyrus that Daniel's visions (Da10:1-12:13) were given. Daniel "prospered" because of his prophecies (Ezr 1:1, 2).
Assemble--"Hasten" [Maurer]. thither--to the valley of Jehoshaphat. thy mighty ones--the warriors who fancy themselves "mighty ones," but who are on that very spot to be overthrown by Jehovah...
Shesh-bazzar, the prince of Judah--that is, Zerubbabel, son of Salathiel (compare Ezr 3:8; 5:16). He was born in Babylon, and called by his family Zerubbabel, that is, stranger or exile in Babylon....
weighed in the balances--The Egyptians thought that Osiris weighed the actions of the dead in a literal balance. The Babylonians may have had the same notion, which would give a peculiar...
In giving some better traits in Nebuchadnezzar's character, Daniel agrees with Jer 39:11; 42:12. changed the king's word--have made the king's attempt to coerce into obedience vain. Have set aside...
This chapter treats of the same subject as the second chapter. But there the four kingdoms, and Messiah's final kingdom, were regarded according to their external political aspect, but here...
not careful to answer thee--rather, "We have no need to answer thee"; thou art determined on thy side, and our mind is made up not to worship the image: there is therefore no use in our arguing as...
What God did for these his servants, would help to keep the Jews to their religion while in captivity, and to cure them of idolatry. The miracle brought deep convictions on Nebuchadnezzar. But no...
If it be so--Vatablus translates, "Assuredly." English Version agrees better with the original. The sense is, If it be our lot to be cast into the furnace, our God (quoted from De 6:4) is able to...