THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET DANIEL _Chronological Notes relative to the commencement of_ _Daniel's prophesying_ -Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3397. -Year of the Jewish era of the world, 3154. -Year from the Deluge, 1741. -Second year of the _forty-third_ Olympiad. -Year f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:2. _PART OF THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD_] He took the richest and finest of them for the service of his god _Bel_, and left what were necessary for carrying on the public worship of _Jehovah_, (for he did not attempt to alter the civil or religious constitution of Judea;) for leav... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:3. _MASTER OF HIS EUNUCHS_] This word _eunuchs_ signifies officers about or in the palace, whether literally eunuchs or not.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:4. _CHILDREN_] ילדים _yeladim, youths, young men_; and so the word should be rendered throughout this book. _SKILLED IN ALL WISDOM_] Rather, persons capable of every kind of literary accomplishment, that they might be put under proper instruction. And as _children of the blood_ and o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:5. _A DAILY PROVISION_] _Athenaeus_, lib. iv., c. 10, says: The kings of Persia, (who succeeded the kings of Babylon, on whose empire they had seized,) were accustomed to order the food left at their own tables to be delivered to their courtiers. _SO NOURISHING THEM THREE YEARS_] Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:6. _NOW AMONG THESE_] There were no doubt several noble youths from other provinces: but the four mentioned here were Jews, and are supposed to have all been of royal extraction.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:7. _UNTO WHOM THE PRINCE OF THE EUNUCHS GAVE NAMES_] This change of names, _Calmet_ properly remarks, was a mark of dominion and authority. It was customary for masters to impose new names upon their slaves; and rulers often, on their ascending the throne, assumed a name different fro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:8. _BUT DANIEL - WOULD NOT DEFILE HIMSELF_] I have spoken of this resolution in the introduction. The chief reasons why Daniel would not eat meat from the royal table were probably these three: - 1. Because they ate unclean beasts, which were forbidden by the Jewish law. 2. Because... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:11. _THEN SAID DANIEL TO MELZAR_] Melzar was an officer under Ashpenaz, whose office it was to attend to the food, clothing, c., of these royal captives. Others think מלצר _meltsar_, master of the inn or hotel, the name of an _office_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:12. _GIVE US PULSE TO EAT_] הזרעים _hazzeraim_, seeds or grain, such as barley, wheat, rye, and peas, c. Though a vegetable diet might have produced that healthiness of the system in general, and of the countenance particularly, as mentioned here yet we are to understand that there wa... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _AS FOR THESE FOUR CHILDREN_] _Young men_ or _youths_. Our translation gives a false idea. _IN ALL VISIONS AND DREAMS._] That is, such as are _Divine_; for as to dreams in general, they have as much signification as they have connexion, being the effects of the state of the _body_, of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _NOW AT THE END OF THE DAYS_] That is, at the end of three years, Daniel 1:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 19. _AND AMONG THEM ALL_] All the young noble captives from different nations. _THEREFORE STOOD THEY BEFORE THE KING._] It appears that only _four_ were wanting.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:20. _MAGICIANS AND ASTROLOGERS_] Probably the same as _philosophers_ and _astronomers_ among us.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Daniel 1:21. _THE FIRST YEAR OF KING CYRUS._] That is, to the _end of_ _the Chaldean empire_. And we find Daniel alive in the third year of Cyrus, see Daniel 10:1.... [ Continue Reading ]