Daniel 4:27

Daniel closes with a piece of practical advice addressed to the king.

break off R.V. marg.-Or, redeem"; LXX., Theod., λύτρωσαι. The word (p-raḳ,) meaning properly to tear away, is common in Aram. (both Targums and Syriac) in the derived sense of tearing awayfrom servitude, death, or danger, i.e. of redeeming(e.g. Leviticus 25:25; 2 Samuel 4:9); and occurs twice in that sense in Heb. (Lamentations 5:8; Psalms 136:24); but though sins might of course be -atoned for," or -expiated," it is doubtful whether they could be spoken of as -redeemed": and hence no doubt the word is used here in its more original sense of break off(cf. in Heb. Genesis 27:40 of a yoke, Exodus 32:23-24), i.e. make a complete end of, cast absolutely away.

by righteousness i.e. by righteous conduct: cf. Proverbs 5:2, -righteousness delivereth from death"; Proverbs 16:6, -by kindness and truth iniquity is cancelled." -Righteousness" (צדקה) acquired, however, in late (post-Bibl.) Hebrew, as also in Aramaic (Targums, Talmud, Syriac), the special sense of almsor almsgiving: for instance Abhoth, Daniel 4:13 (Taylor 19), -those who give ẓedâḳâh(i.e. alms)"; Jerus. Taanith, ii. 65 b, -three things neutralize an evil fate, prayer, righteousness (almsgiving), and repentance." Cf. Matthew 6:1, where -righteousness" (R.V.) is the true reading, and -alms" (A.V.) the (correct) explanation, which has found its way into the textus receptus. In accordance with this usage, LXX. and Theod. (ἐλεημοσύναις), Pesh., Vulg., express the same sense here; but, in view of the context, the limitation of -righteousness" to such a special virtue cannot be said to be probable [245]. On the contrary, -righteousness" in its widest sense, especially towards subjects and dependents, is in the O.T. one of the primary virtues of a ruler (2 Samuel 8:15; Jeremiah 22:15, &c.), which Nebuchadnezzar, as the ideal despot, is naturally pictured as deficient in.

[245] LXX also render ṣedäḳâhby -alms" in Deuteronomy 6:25; Deuteronomy 24:13; Psalms 24:5; Psalms 33:5; Psalms 103:6; Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 28:17; Isaiah 59:16; Daniel 9:16; and -alms delivereth from death" in Tob 4:10; Tob 12:9, seems based upon Proverbs 10:2, similarly interpreted.

by shewing mercy to the poor cf. Proverbs 14:21, where the same two words occur in their Hebrew form.

if haply there may be lengthening(Daniel 7:12 Aram.) of thy prosperity] the last word being the subst. corresponding to the adj. rendered at caseor prosperousin Daniel 4:4. A.V. marg., and R.V. marg., -an healing of thy error" (so Ewald), implies changes of punctuation in the two substantives: "arûkhâh, -healing," Isaiah 58:8 al.(lit. fresh fleshover a wound), for "arkhâh, and shâlûthâkh, -thy error" (Daniel 3:29; Daniel 6:4) for shelçwethâkh. Theod. (ἴσως ἔσται μακρόθυμος τοῖς παραπτώμασίν σου ὁ θεός), Vulg., Pesh., also, presuppose the same reading of the last word (though their renderings of the first word are inadmissible).