_Beginning. This vision was to explain what he had seen Chap. vii. respecting the four monarchies. The conflict of the Persians with Alexander, after two hundred years and twenty years, is here described. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Castle; some read "city." Here the kings had a palace; and Hystaspes, &c. generally resided in it. Nabuchodonosor seems to have subdued Elam. Cyrus had it for his share; but Darius, the Mede, appears from Eschylus to have plundered Susa again. Daniel probably spent the latter part of his life in th... [ Continue Reading ]
_A ram. The empire of the Medes and Persians. (Challoner) (Worthington) --- Cyrus, the founder, was allied to both. --- Higher, denoting the Persians; or Hystaspes, and his posterity, the second branch of the royal family, which reigned to the end: whereas Cambyses was the only one of the race of Cy... [ Continue Reading ]
_South. Codomannus reigned in peace for two years, when he was invaded. But his predecessors had made war chiefly in Greece, Scythia, and Egypt. The stupendous preparations of Xerxes against Greece only accelerated the fall of his own kingdom, by irritating the two nations. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
A he-goat. The empire of the Greeks, or Macedonians. --- He touched not the ground. He conquered all before him with so much rapidity, that he seemed rather to fly than to walk upon the earth. --- A notable horn. Alexander the great. (Challoner) --- He succeeded his father when only twenty years old... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hand. He routed all the forces of his enemy (Haydock) at the Granicus, at Issus; and at Gaugamela, (Calmet) or Arbela, Darius escaped, but was slain by his own servants. (Haydock) --- The clemency of the conqueror towards the fallen royal family is not here specified. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Broken, by death. Usher, in the year 3681 [319 B.C.] --- Four. Seleucus, Antigonus, Philip, and Ptolemeus, the successors of Alexander, who divided his empire among them. (Challoner) --- Other generals held out for some time. Philip was only a nominal king; Antipater governed Macedon and Greece. Sy... [ Continue Reading ]
_A little horn. Antiochus Epiphanes, a descendant of Seleucus. He grew against the south and the east, by his victories over the kings of Egypt and Armenia; and against the strength, that is, against Jerusalem and the people of God. (Challoner) --- He persecuted God's people, and set up the idol of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Even unto, or against the strength of heaven. So are here called the army of the Jews, the people of God, (Challoner) and particularly the teachers. Many priests gave way to idolatry. (1 Machabees i. 48. and 2 Machabees iv. 14.) (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strength; the God of armies, (Haydock) over whom Epiphanes seemed to triumph._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strength. Hebrew: "the army was delivered up to him, for the," &c. While several contended for the high priesthood, and imitated the manners of the Greeks, the sacrifices were neglected, and then Antiochus prevailed. (2 Machabees iv. 7.) --- Ground. The ambitious pontiffs, as well as the king and h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Another. We do not inquire how the angels explained themselves, or whether they instruct each other. This conversation was for the prophet's information. (Calmet) --- One angel asked the other a question about futurity. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Days. That is, six years and almost four months; which was the whole time from the beginning of the persecution of Antiochus till his death. (Challoner) --- He began A. [in the year] 143, and died A. [in the year] 149, according to the era of Seleucus. (Haydock) --- The temple was purified in the m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Man. So Ezechiel is usually styled, to shew that the human nature is different from that of angels, and would be greatly honoured by Jesus Christ, who takes this appellation. (Worthington) --- Of the end, or determined. This shall take place, (Calmet) but the period is distinct. (Grotius ver. 26.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Malediction. Hebrew: "wrath" against the people of God, and their enemies. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is. Hebrew: " are the kings," (Haydock) including all. (ver. 3.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nation, yet not his children. (ver. 8.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shameless. Hebrew: "hard," cruel, and impudent, as Epiphanes was. (1 Machabees i. 2.) Marcellinus styles him "wrathful and savage." --- Sentences, making use of artifice to seize the estates of his nephew Philometor, and to oppress the Jews. (2 Machabees v. 24.) (Calmet) --- The history speaks of A... [ Continue Reading ]
_By. Hebrew: "not to his (Alexander's) strength." (ver. 22.) Epiphanes conquered Egypt and the Jews: but the former had an infant king, and the latter were unprovided. He shewed more cunning than prowess._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Prince: God. --- Hand of man. He confessed that he was justly punished. (1 Machabees vi. 10.) Greek: "He shall raise himself by the ruin of many, (Theod. and some manuscripts add, and shall rise up against the prince of princes) and he shall break them like eggs with his hand."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Morning of this day, or of what shall happen in certain full days. (ver. 14.) --- Seal. When the predictions were to take place, soon they were dated and published. (Calmet) --- This will remain obscure till after the event. (St. Jerome) --- What regarded the temple, happened in 300 years' time. Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Business, at Susa. Nabuchodonosor had given him the province of Babylon. --- It. All prophecies have a degree of obscurity before they be accomplished. Hebrew may intimate that none could tell the cause of his anxiety. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER VIII... [ Continue Reading ]