_Statue. It was the figure of a man, (Calmet) the dimensions 90 feet high and 9 broad (Worthington) being disproportionate; though a man might be represented on the pillar. Some take it for Nabolpolassar, (Calmet) or for the king himself. (St. Jerome) (Worthington) --- But he never complains of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nobles. Literally, "satraps," or, "the king's domestics." (Septuagint in 1 Esdras viii. 36.) --- Judges, or "governors of provinces." (ib. Theodotion, &c.) --- Captains of the soothsayers. --- Rulers; "tyrants," here denoting treasurers. (Calmet) --- Governors. Literally, "the grandees who were in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Symphony. This and several other terms seem taken from the Greek, though the scythara and sambuca came originally from Chaldea. (Calmet) --- Down. This and offering incense were sometimes considered as marks of idolatry; so being present at the sermons and churches of Protestants was a sign of join... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jews: the three children whom they viewed with a jealous eye. Daniel was too much exalted, or was absent with other Jews._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hand? Proof of this king's inconstancy, as he had witnessed the power of God!_... [ Continue Reading ]
_He. Chaldee: "not" (Calmet) --- By this modest yet resolute answer, they testified their faith in God's power, and their determination rather to suffer death (Worthington) than to go against their conscience. (Haydock) --- They were ignorant whether God would preserve them from the flames or not, ... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strongest. Chaldee: "mighty in strength;" (Haydock) his own guards, the usual executioners._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Coats, or various coloured bandages for the thighs, used by men and women. Aquila and Th. retain the original term, Greek: Sarabarois. Chaldee: saraballa. (Calmet) --- Caps: "tiaras." (Haydock) --- The king alone wore them upright._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Slew. They were working still at the furnace, when it burst out and destroyed them, (Calmet) while the three Jews were praising God below. (Haydock) (ver. 46, 48.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And, &c. "What follows I have not found in the Hebrew volumes." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- Here St. Jerome takes notice, that from this verse to ver. 91 was not in the Hebrew in his time. But as it was in all the Greek Bibles, (which were originally translated from the Hebrew) it is more than proba... [ Continue Reading ]
_True; not fickle, and liable to change. (Calmet) --- Opera mutas non mutas consilium. (St. Augustine, Confessions i. 4.) --- Cappel. argues from this confession, that the piece is not divine, as they would rather have burst out into expressions of admiration, as they do in the canticle below. But t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thee. Pagans take occasion to vilify our religion._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sake. This disinterested motive is often urged. (Joshua vii. 9. and 2 Machabees viii. 15.) (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_One. Moses used the like terms, and pacified God. (Exodus xxxii.) (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thee, in Jerusalem, (Haydock) or Judea. There were chiefs and judges, (Chap. xiii.) as well as prophets, (Ezechiel, &c.) among the captives. Yet the republic was in disorder. (Calmet) --- Sedecias was dead, Joakim in prison, so that no Jewish king ruled over the people; nor was there any prophet in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sacrifice of ourselves. (Haydock) --- They knew not yet whether they would escape. When they beheld the angel they had greater confidence, and broke forth into a hymn of praise. (Houbigant.) --- They now offer all they can, a humble heart!_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Name, by rescuing us, that all may confess thy power. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Brimstone. Literally, naphtha, (Haydock) or bitumen, which was very inflammable. --- Tow, besmeared with pitch. (Calmet) --- Dry (malleolis) "bundles" of sticks, or ropes, covered with pitch. (Haydock) --- Manipuli spart\'9ci pice contecti. (Nonius.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Furnace. These might be other victims, (Haydock) or he recapitulates what had been said ver. 22, (Calmet) which is by no means unusual, though Cappel. would hence reject the piece. (Houbigant.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER III. _ Furnace: so that it destroyed the Chaldeans, while it had no power to hurt God's servants. The operation of the laws nature was thus only restrained. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Temple; heaven, styled the throne, ver. 54. The temple was now in ruins._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Depths, from whom nothing is hidden. --- Cherubims, as on thy chariot._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Spirits: winds. Angels and men are mentioned elsewhere. (Calmet) --- They rejoice that the angels always praise God, and wish that all would strive to imitate them. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heat. Winter and summer. Some copies have, æstas. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Darkness. The privation of light has its use, and invites men to praise. (St. Augustine, de nat. Boni. 16.) (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Souls, in a separate state. Angels are invited before. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ananias, &c. They retain their Hebrew names, despising those imposed by the Chaldeans, with their impious manners. (Chap. i. 7.) The inanimate creation is invited to praise God in its way, (Psalm cxlviii.) as well as those endued with reason. The former never refuse obedience. (Haydock) --- Hell: t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And ever. "Hitherto does not occur in Hebrew; and what we have written, is translated from the edition of Theodotion." (St. Jerome, ver. 24.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then hearing these praises, and seeing people walking in the fire. Grabe's edition after ver. 24, has only, "And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing hymns, and was, " &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
_The son, or rather (Haydock) "a son;" Greek: nio. (Lowth's Gram.) --- He supposed this was some angel or petty god, like Hercules. (Denis the Carthusian) --- It was the same angel who descended (Worthington) with them ver. 49. Some have taken him for Jesus Christ. But St. Augustine observes, that m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Smell, such as is felt when people, (Haydock) or their garments, come too near the fire. Pagans have sometimes walked through fire; but they first anointed their feet with certain preservatives, as Servius (in Virgil, \'c6neid xi.) remarks from Varro. (Calmet) --- Here the fire burnt only the bands... [ Continue Reading ]
_Changed, refusing to comply against their better knowledge. The force of reason extorts this concession from the wicked king. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Destroyed. Chaldee: "torn limb from limb, (Calmet) and their houses be made a dunghill." (Chap. ii. 5.) (Haydock) --- Manner. One would suppose that he was really converted; but his heart was not changed. (Chap. iv.) (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Promoted. He granted them greater power: (Worthington) or Chaldee: "re-established" them in their former dignities. Rom. Gr.: "He elevated them in honour, and judged them worthy to rule over all the Jews in his kingdom." (Theod.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nabuchodonosor, &c. These three last verses are a kind of preface to the following chapter, which is written in the style of an epistle from the king. (Challoner) --- It was probably published in consequence of this miracle. Here the chapter might properly commence, (Calmet) as it does in Hebrew an... [ Continue Reading ]