_In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar_ That is, according to the Babylonian account, or the fourth according to the Jewish; that is, in the second year of his reigning alone, or the fourth from his first reigning jointly with his father. _Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams _ Having subdued a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the king commanded to call the magicians and the astrologers_ Concerning the meaning of these two words, see note on Daniel 1:20. Daniel and his companions were not called among them; perhaps because the Chaldeans despised them as youths and strangers, and would not have them thought equal in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac_ The ancient Chaldee and the Syrian language were the same: see Gen 31:47; 2 Kings 18:26; Ezra 4:7. This language is found in its greatest purity in the books of Daniel and Ezra. The following part of the chapter, from this verse, is written in Chaldee... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king said, The thing is gone from me_ That is, he could not recollect the substance, much less all the particulars of it; some traces of it, however, must have remained in his mind, by which he thought the whole might be brought back to his remembrance, if his wise men could give him any clew t... [ Continue Reading ]
_They answered, Let the king tell his servants the dream_ But this the king could not do; and yet, unless he could do it, they could not proceed one step toward the gratifying of his desires. _The king said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time_ “You only want to protract the time, either t... [ Continue Reading ]
_If ye will not make known the dream, &c., there is but one decree for you_ No alteration will be made as to my declaration; and you have nothing to expect but the execution of the sentence which I have passed upon you. _For ye have prepared lying and corrupt words_ The king's meaning seems to be, t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Chaldeans answered, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter_ Here the wise men are driven to acknowledge their inability, and their excuse is, that they could indeed tell what dreams signified, if the dreams were told them; but as to telling what a person had dreamed,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For this cause the king was angry and very furious_, &c. The king, in his rage and fury, probably did not think of sending for Daniel, which made Daniel try to get admission to the king, Daniel 2:14, to prevent his own destruction, as well as that of the other wise men. _And they sought Daniel and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom_ This seems to be better rendered in the Vulgate, namely, _Tunc Daniel requisivit de lege atque sententia ab Arioch Then Daniel inquired of Arioch concerning the law and decree_, namely, which the king had made for destroying the wise men: that is, he in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why is the decree so hasty from the king?_ So precipitate, or, as Wintle renders it, _so urgent_, to slay the innocent, who were never called, and knew nothing of the matter? The word מהחצפה, here used, signifies both _hasty_ and _pressing._ So the Syriac. The LXX. render it, η αναιδης, _shameful;_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Daniel went to his house_ Which, it seems, was near the palace, that he might there be alone with his God; for from him alone, who is the Father of lights, he expected this important discovery. Nor did he only pray for it himself, but engaged his companions also to unite their supplications to... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then was the secret revealed_ It is generally thought that this secret was revealed to Daniel only, and that in sleep, by a dream, or, as it is here termed, a night vision. _Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven_ He does not stay till he had told what had been revealed to him to the king, and seen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch_ Daniel, having been thus divinely instructed, was desirous to save the lives of the wise men of Babylon, who were unjustly condemned, as well as his own; and, being now prepared, he goes immediately to Arioch, and bespeaks the reversing of the sentence against... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar _ See note on Daniel 1:7; _Art thou able to make known to me the dream?_ &c. The king seems to have questioned whether he could make his promise good. The less likely, however, it appeared to the king that Daniel should do this, the more God was... [ Continue Reading ]
_This secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living_ Namely, to merit such a discovery, or qualify me for receiving it. No praise is due to me on this occasion. Observe, reader, it well becomes those whom God has highly favoured and honoured, to be humble and low in th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image_ “It appears, from ancient coins and medals, that cities and people were often represented by figures of men and women. A great, terrible human figure was therefore a proper emblem of human power and dominion; and the various metals of which it was co... [ Continue Reading ]
_This image's head was of fine gold_ The Babylonian monarchy had arrived to the height of glory under Nebuchadnezzar, (see Daniel 2:37,) who likewise improved and adorned the city of Babylon to such a degree as to make it one of the wonders of the world; so that this empire might justly be compared... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image_, &c. Here the whole image is represented as destroyed by a great stone falling upon its feet and breaking them to pieces, whereby the whole image was overset and broken. In like manner the kingdom of Christ, a kingdom of God... [ Continue Reading ]
_This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation_ Here again Daniel shows his modesty, allowing his friends a share in the honour of interpreting the dream, because the interpretation was obtained by their joint prayers to God. _Thou, O king, art a king of kings_ So Nebuchadnezzar is styled E... [ Continue Reading ]
_After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee_ “It is very well known, that the kingdom which arose after the Babylonian was the Medo-Persian. The two hands and the shoulders signify that the empire of the Babylonians should be destroyed by two kings. The two kings were the kings of the M... [ Continue Reading ]
_The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron_, &c. This description agrees well with the Roman empire, and the event answered the prediction; for the Roman was vastly more strong and extensive than any of the preceding three. As iron breaketh and bruiseth all other metals, so this brake and subdued a... [ Continue Reading ]
_And in the days of these kings_ That is, kingdoms, or during the succession of these four monarchies; and it must be during the time of the last of them, because they are reckoned _four_ in succession, and consequently this must be the fifth kingdom. _Shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom_ This... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel_ He was so astonished at hearing his whole dream declared and interpreted by Daniel with such exactness, and at finding such wonderful events foretold by it, that he was ready to think him more than man, (just as the Lycaonians a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods_ Such a God as there is no other; above all gods in dignity, over all gods in dominion. _And a Lord of kings_ From whom they derive their power, and to whom they are accountable: the supreme Governor of the world, and Ruler of all the kings and kingd... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach_, &c. He used his interest for his friends, as became a good man, and procured places in the government for them, that they might be assisting to him in his office, and sharers in his honour, by whose intercessions, united with his own, so impo... [ Continue Reading ]