_In the third year of King Belshazzar_ Daniel's former vision of the four great beasts, representing the four great empires of the world, took place in the first year of Belshazzar; now, in the third year of that king's reign, he had another vision, which chiefly respected two of those empires. Thus... [ Continue Reading ]
_I saw in a vision_ When I was awake, and had my bodily senses: see Daniel 8:3, and compare Daniel 10:4. This was accounted a more perfect degree of revelation than the having a representation of things imprinted on the imagination during sleep. _When I saw, I was at Shushan in the palace_ This circ... [ Continue Reading ]
_I saw, and behold, a ram with two horns_ In the former vision there appeared _four_ beasts, because there _four_ empires were represented; but in this _two_ only, because here we have a representation of what was transacted chiefly within _two_ empires. The _first_ of the four empires, that is, the... [ Continue Reading ]
_I saw the ram pushing westward_, &c. Under Cyrus himself the Persians pushed their conquests _westward_, as far as the Ægean sea, subduing Babylonia, Syria, and Asia Minor; and extended them to part of Greece under his successors, Darius the son of Hystaspes, and Xerxes: _northward_ they subdued th... [ Continue Reading ]
_As I was considering, behold, a he-goat_, &c. This is interpreted, Daniel 8:21, to be the _king_, or _kingdom, of Grecia._ “A _goat_ is very properly made the type of the Grecian or Macedonian empire; because the Macedonians at first, about two hundred years before Daniel, were denominated Ægeadæ,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he came to the ram that had two horns_, &c. “The ram had before _pushed westward_, and the Persians, in the reign of Darius Hystaspes and Xerxes, had poured down with great armies into Greece; but now the Grecians, in return, carried their arms into Asia, and the _he- goat_ invaded the _ram_ th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore the he-goat waxed very great_ See note on chap. Daniel 2:39. The empire of the goat was in its full strength when Alexander died. He was succeeded by his natural brother Philip Aridæus, and by his own two sons before mentioned; but in the space of about fifteen years they were all murdere... [ Continue Reading ]
_And out of one of them_ Namely, out of one of the four notable horns, mentioned in the preceding verse, _came forth a little horn_ The reader will be pleased particularly to observe this, as being a key to the right interpretation of the subsequent prophecy. The _little horn_ proceeded from one of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven_ By the _host of heaven_, seems to be here meant the Jewish priesthood, so called from their continual attendance on God's service in the temple, as the angels do in heaven. The word צבא, here rendered _host_, is applied to the attendants in the sanctu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression_ Antiochus prospered so far in his attempts against the Jews and their religion, that he built a citadel in the city of David, and placed a garrison of soldiers there, to disturb those that should come to worship God at... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then I heard one saint speaking_ The word _saint_ here is equivalent to _angel:_ see Daniel 4:13. What this saint or angel said, is not expressed; no more than the words spoken by that illustrious person who appeared to Daniel 10:5, are recorded. _And another saint said to that certain saint which... [ Continue Reading ]
_When I had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning_ Here we are informed of Daniel's earnest desire to have the vision explained to him. For those that rightly know the things of God, cannot but desire to be led still further into the mystery of them. And those who desire to know the meaning of... [ Continue Reading ]
_So he came near where I stood_ That he might speak more familiarly with him. _And when he came, I was afraid_ This fear was probably occasioned by the effulgent brightness of the heavenly messenger, which quite amazed Daniel upon his drawing near to him. _And I fell upon my face_ Not to worship the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now as he was speaking, I was in a deep sleep_ I was as one that faints away, and falls into a swoon through fear and astonishment. _But he touched me, and set me upright_ By only a touch of him my strength revived, and I came to myself. _And he said, Behold, I will make thee know_ I will inform th... [ Continue Reading ]
_The ram, &c., having two horns, are the kings_, or _kingdoms_ rather, _of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king_, or _kingdom, of Grecia. And the great horn, &c., is the first king_ Namely, Alexander the Great, the first Grecian king that reigned over Asia. _Now that being broken_ That i... [ Continue Reading ]
_And in the latter end of their kingdom_ When their power was diminishing, and the Roman empire beginning to be established in Greece, from whence the Grecian kingdoms in Asia had their origin: for the bringing of Greece into subjection to the Roman power was a manifest indication of the declension... [ Continue Reading ]
_And his power shall be mighty_ His power shall increase more and more, namely, in Judea; _but not by his own power_ This shall not be owing so much to himself, as to the wickedness and factions among the Jews. “Antiochus,” says Mr. Wintle, “was certainly much favoured in his designs by a factious p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper_ His craft and cunning shall succeed. _And he shall magnify himself in his heart _ Elated by his successes, he will always be aiming at more and more, and making further attempts; _and by peace shall destroy many_ Without making war, and witho... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the vision of the evening and the morning, &c., is true_ The vision of the 2300 evenings and mornings, mentioned Daniel 8:13, is certain. The angel here tells him, that these calamities would certainly last during the time expressed by that number of days, and then would have an end. _Wherefore... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I Daniel fainted_ Rather, _languished_, or _pined_, being overwhelmed with grief at the calamities which I learned by the vision were to come upon my countrymen, and also for the profanation of the temple in those days. _And I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it_ The meaning of... [ Continue Reading ]