Daniel 3:2

princes satraps, Aram. "achashdarpan, both this and the Gk. ἐξατράπης, σατράπης, being corruptions of the Old Persian kshatra-pâwan, lit. -protector of the realm," but denoting by usage (cf. on Daniel 6:1) the chief ruler of a province. The term, as is well known, is a standing Persian one: in the O.T., it recurs Daniel 3:3; Daniel 3:27, Daniel 6:1-4; Daniel 6:6-7 (A.V. princes); and Ezra 8:36; Esther 3:12; Esther 8:9; Esther 9:3 (A.V. lieutenants); R.V. always satraps. The use of the word here is an anachronism: both the name and the office were Persian, not Babylonian.

governors praefects. The word (segan) explained on Daniel 2:48.

captains governors (R.V.), Aram. pechah, a term also (like segan) of Assyrian origin, often used in Assyrian of the governor of a conquered province. It found its way into Hebrew, and is used in the O.T. both of an Assyrian officer (Isaiah 36:9 = 2 Kings 18:24: A.V., R.V. captain), of Babylonian officers (Jeremiah 51:57; Ezekiel 23:6; Ezekiel 23:12; Ezekiel 23:23: A.V. captains, R.V. governors), and especially, in post-exilic writings, of the governor of a Persian province (Haggai 1:1; Haggai 2:2; Malachi 1:8; Ezra 5:3; Ezra 5:6; Nehemiah 2:7; Nehemiah 2:9, and elsewhere); as well as once or twice more generally (1 Kings 20:24; Jeremiah 51:23; Jeremiah 51:28). In Dan. it recurs Daniel 3:3; Daniel 3:27, Daniel 6:7.

judges So Daniel 3:3. Aram. "adargâzar, in all probability the old Pers. andar-zaghar, later Pers. endarzgar, -counsel-giver," a title which was still in use under the Sassanian kings (Nöldeke, Tabari, p. 462). R.V. marg.-chief soothsayers" implies a very improbable etymology.

treasurers So Daniel 3:3: Aram. gedâbar. An uncertain word. It maybe a textual corruption, or a faulty pronunciation, of gizbâr, -treasurer" (Pehlevi ganzavar, Pers. ganjvar), which is found in Ezra 1:8; Ezra 7:21; it mayhave arisen by dittography from the following dethâbar[217]; it maybe an error for haddâbar(in the plur., גדבריא for הדבריא), the word which occurs in Daniel 3:24; Daniel 3:27, Daniel 4:36; Daniel 6:7 (see on Daniel 3:24).

[217] It is some support to this view that whereas the Aramaic text has in both Daniel 3:2 and Daniel 3:3 eightnames of officials, the Sept. and Theod. have each only seven: see Lagarde's lucid exposition of the facts in Agathangelus, p. 157.

counsellers justices (so Daniel 3:3): Aram. dethâbar, from the Old Pers. dâtabara, Pehlevi dâtôbar, Modern Pers. dâwar, properly -law-bearer," from dât, -law," and bar, an affix meaning -bearer." Cf. the βασιλήϊοι δικασταὶ of Hdt. iii. 14, 31, Daniel 3:25, vii. 194. This word has been found by Hilprecht (frequently) in the commercial inscriptions belonging to the reigns of Artaxerxes I. and Darius II. (b.c. 465 425, 424 405), excavated recently at Nippur by the expedition organized by the American University of Pennsylvania.

sheriffs Aram. tiphtâyê; only found besides in Daniel 3:3, and of very uncertain meaning. Bevan thinks it may be the mutilated form of some Persian title ending in pat, -chief"; and so Behrmann compares the Sanskr. adhipati, which would correspond to an Old Pers. adipati, -over-chief": while Andreas [218] proposes to read דנ for ת, i.e. denpetâyê, -chiefs of religion," i.e. priestly dignitaries. Lawyers(R.V. marg.) depends upon an improbable connexion with the Arab. "aftâ, to notify a decision of the law (whence Mufti, a jurisconsult).

[218] In the glossary in Marti's Gramm. der Bibl.-Aram. Sprache, p. 89.

and all the rulers of the provinces conceived apparently as subordinate to the -satraps," and so as forming the class in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were included (Daniel 2:49). It has often been asked, where was Daniel? Possibly he is to be regarded as not included in the classes of officials enumerated, on account of his exceptional position at the court (Daniel 2:49): but in point of fact the narrative seems to be written without reference to Daniel; so that more probably the question is one which the author did not deem it necessary to answer.