7 12 The _second_part of the book, describing the four visions seen by Daniel in the reigns of Belshazzar (ch. 7, 8), Darius the Mede (ch. 9), and Cyrus (ch. 10 12). CHAP. 7. THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS A vision, seen by Daniel in a dream, in the first year of Belshazzar. The vision was of four... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the first year of Belshazzar_ The visions (c. 7 12) are not a continuation of the narratives (c. 1 6), but form a series by themselves: the author accordingly no longer adheres to the chronological order which he has hitherto followed, but goes back to a date anterior to that of ch. 5 (see Danie... [ Continue Reading ]
_Daniel_ ANSWERED _and said, I saw_ properly, _I was seeing_(or _beholding_), as Daniel 4:10; Daniel 4:13: so Daniel 7:4_; Daniel 7:6; Daniel 7:9; Daniel 7:11_(twice), 13, 21. LXX. and Theod. rightly render by ἐθεώρουν. _the four winds of the heaven_ The same expression, Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4;... [ Continue Reading ]
_came up from the sea_ Cf. Revelation 13:1; 2Es 11:1; 2Es 13:3 (R.V.).... [ Continue Reading ]
The first beast. _eagle's wings_ The -eagle" (_nesher_) of the O.T., as Tristram has shewn (_Nat. Hist. of the Bible_, p. 172 ff.), is properly a VULTURE, though not the ordinary carrion vulture, but the GRIFFON-VULTURE, or GREAT VULTURE, a "majestic bird, most abundant, and never out of sight, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
The second beast. _like to a bear_ The bear is a voracious [268] animal, living indeed principally upon roots, bulbs, fruits, and other vegetable products, but, especially when pressed by hunger, ready to attack both the smaller wild and domestic animals, and even man [269]. In the O.T. it is spoken... [ Continue Reading ]
The third beast. A leopard. _upon the back of it_ The Aram. word means both _back_and _side_; and, as the Heb. text (_K'tib_) has the mark of the plural, perhaps we ought to render ON ITS SIDES (so Bevan, Behrmann). _of a fowl_ i.e., as we should now say, _of a_ BIRD. The leopard is a fierce, car... [ Continue Reading ]
_dreadful and terrible_ The same two words occur in combination in the Targ. of Habakkuk 1:7, -terrible and dreadful are they." The rendering of the second word in R.V., _powerful_, follows a slightly different reading (_"emtânî_for _"êmtânî_), found in some editions, but less well attested and less... [ Continue Reading ]
The fourth beast.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I considered the horns, and I_ WAS CONTEMPLATING _the horns_, WHEN, &c. The force of the verb is apparent from its use in the Targ. of Onk., as Exodus 3:6, -he feared to _gaze upon_the glory of Jehovah," and Numbers 21:9, -when he _looked attentively at_(or _contemplated_) the serpent of brass." _a... [ Continue Reading ]
_till_ THRONES WERE PLACED (R.V.)] for the angelic assessors of the Judge, who are not further mentioned, but who are naturally to be distinguished from the hosts which -stand," ministering before Him, in Daniel 7:10. A.V. means, -till the thrones of the Gentile powers were _overthrown_"; but the re... [ Continue Reading ]
The judgement on the Gentile powers. The scene is majestically conceived. Thrones are set for the heavenly powers, the assessors of the Judge: the Almighty Himself appears in the likeness of an aged man, seated on a throne of flame: angels in countless myriads stand in attendance around Him: and the... [ Continue Reading ]
_a_ STREAM OF FIRE … _from before him_ For -from before," cf. Daniel 5:24; and on Daniel 6:10. Comp. also Revelation 1:14, -his eyes were as a flame of fire." _thousand thousands_ Cf. Deuteronomy 33:2, R.V. (if the existing Heb. text of line 4 is correct); also 1 Kings 22:19; Zechariah 14:5 _end_, R... [ Continue Reading ]
The beast representing the fourth empire is slain, and utterly destroyed, on account of the blasphemies of Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 7:8), the idea being that the guilt of the empire culminated in him. The writer thinks of _empires_only, not of individuals; and it is impossible to say what he pict... [ Continue Reading ]
_the rest of the beasts_ Commentators are divided as to whether the three beasts of Daniel 7:4, or the seven horns left after the three had been rooted up (Daniel 7:8), are intended: but the expression used (-beasts") strongly favours the former interpretation. In the abstract, it is true, the latte... [ Continue Reading ]
_and behold_ THERE APPEARED COMING _with the clouds of heaven_ ONE LIKE UNTO A SON _of man_ lit. _there was coming_, &c., the graphic partic. with the finite verb, which is so frequent in Daniel (Theod. LXX. καὶ ἰδοὺ μετὰ [LXX. ἐπὶ] τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος [LXX. ἤρχετο]):... [ Continue Reading ]
The kingdom of the saints.... [ Continue Reading ]
A universal and never-ending dominion is given to him. The expressions in the first half of the verse resemble in part those used in Daniel 5:18-19 of Nebuchadnezzar. _Serve_does not necessarily mean _worship_: like the word which has the same meaning in Heb. (עבד), it may be used of obedience to ei... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR ME _Daniel_, MY SPIRIT was PAINED] or DISTRESSED: in modern English we should not say -grieved" in such a connexion. _in the midst of_ THE SHEATH] or, with a change of punctuation, ITS SHEATH, fig. for the body, as the soul's _sheath_, or receptacle. The word is of Persian origin (_nidâna_,... [ Continue Reading ]
The explanation of the vision.... [ Continue Reading ]
_one of them that_ WERE STANDING (there)] One of the angels that -stood" before the Almighty (Daniel 7:10), who happened to be nearer than the others to Daniel himself. For the part of interpreter taken by an angel in a vision, cf. Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:8 _passim_; and the Apocalypses of Enoc... [ Continue Reading ]
The four beasts represent four kings, or (Daniel 7:23) four kingdoms, the -king" in each case being not an individual king, but a typical king, embodying the characteristics of the empire ruled by him. The angel does not however dwell more fully on the -beasts," or interpret their symbolism; but has... [ Continue Reading ]
The four kingdoms of the Gentiles will pass away; and be succeeded by the kingdom of the saints of the Most High, which will endure for ever. The saints of the Most High seem here, as also in Daniel 7:22_; Daniel 7:27_, to take the place of the -one like unto a son of man" in Daniel 7:13, and to rec... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then I_ DESIRED TO _know the truth_ CONCERNING, &c. (R.V.)] -Would" in Old English has often the sense of -willed," -desired"; but in modern English it is not strong enough in a passage like the present. Cf. _will_in W. A. Wright's _Bible Word-Book_, who points out that in the A.V. it is sometimes... [ Continue Reading ]
Daniel asks for further information respecting the fourth beast, and the means by which its power was broken.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_ CONCERNING _the ten horns that were_ ON _his head_, AND THE _other which came up, and before_ WHICH, &c. See Daniel 7:8. _even of that horn_, &c. AND AS REGARDS _that horn_, IT _had eyes_, &c. _very great things_ GREAT THINGS: the expression is exactly the same as in Daniel 7:8. _whose look_... [ Continue Reading ]
_made war with the saints_ Alluding to the violent efforts made by Antiochus Epiphanes to denationalize the Jews and to suppress their religion: cf. Daniel 7:25; Daniel 8:10-14; Daniel 8:24-25. _and prevailed against them_ The war was a desperate one; and the -little horn" would have conquered, had... [ Continue Reading ]
A recapitulation of the substance of Daniel 7:9, and of Daniel 7:13, the latter in the phraseology of Daniel 7:18, with a mention of the fact not noticed before, that a war with the -little horn" had preceded the triumph of the saints.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Ancient of days_ Daniel 7:9_; Daniel 7:13_. _judgement_was _given_ FOR, &c. (R.V. _marg._)] i.e. was pronounced in their favour. Bevan and Kamph. agree, however, that Ewald was perhaps right in conjecturing that the words יתב ושלטנא have dropped out by _homœoteleuton_before יהב : the verse woul... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall be_ A _fourth kingdom_, &c. The fourth beast represents a kingdom different in character from ALL THE KINGDOMS, i.e. from any of the previous kingdoms, and far more terrible in its operation. _the whole earth_ To be understood with the same limitations as when it is said (Daniel 2:39; cf. al... [ Continue Reading ]
The answer of the angel.... [ Continue Reading ]
The ten horns are ten kings. _and_ HE (emph.) _shall be diverse from the_ FORMER ONES] The king represented by the -little horn" will differ from the others, viz. by being aggressive and presumptuous. _and he shall subdue three kings_ PUT DOWN (R.V.), as the same word is rendered in the A.V. of Dan... [ Continue Reading ]
Expansion of the -great things" of Daniel 7:8 _end_. He will blaspheme the Most High (cf. Daniel 11:36 -will speak marvellous things against the God of gods"), and seek to ruin His saints. _wear_ AWAY] LXX, κατατρίψει. An expressive figure for continuous persecution and vexation. The idea of the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_the judgement shall sit_, &c. Daniel 7:10 b, Daniel 7:11 b. _they shall take away his dominion_ or, _his dominion_ SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY (cf. Daniel 7:12). _to_ DESTROY _and_ CAUSE IT TO PERISH EVEN UNTO _the end_ i.e. finally, for ever. -Even unto the end," as Daniel 6:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
At the end of 3½ years his power will be taken away from him; and the persecuted saints will receive the kingdom of the entire world.... [ Continue Reading ]
_of the kingdom_s _under the whole heaven_ not merely the kingdom ruled by the -little horn," but all the kingdoms of the earth, will be given then to the saints of the Most High. -Under the whole heaven," as Deuteronomy 2:25; Deuteronomy 4:19; cf. Job 28:24; Job 37:3; Job 41:11. ITS _kingdom is_, &... [ Continue Reading ]
Concluding remark on the vision. _Hitherto To this point_: we should say HERE (R.V.). Cf. Daniel 12:6, lit. - _Until when_shall be the end of the wonders?" _the end of the matter_ i.e. of the entire revelation, including both the vision and the interpretation. _my_ THOUGHTS _much_ ALARMED _me_ Th... [ Continue Reading ]