19<\/strong>. was astonied<\/em> ] better, was stupefied<\/strong> or appalled<\/strong>, viz. as the meaning of the dream flashed across him. The root-idea of the word ( ) seems to have been to be motionless<\/em>, sometimes (cf. on Dan 8:13<\/span>) in the stillness of desolation, sometimes, as here, through amazement (so Dan 8:27<\/span>). It is not the word used in Dan 3:24<\/span>.<\/p>\n about<\/strong> one hour<\/em> ] In view of what was said on Dan 3:6<\/span>, however, it is doubted by many whether sh‘h<\/em> is meant here to denote exactly what we call an ‘hour’; and they render accordingly for a moment<\/em>. Cf. Exo 33:5<\/span>, where nearly the same expression ( ) stands in the Targ. for the Heb. i.e. ‘for a moment.’<\/p>\n his thoughts<\/em> alarmed<\/strong> ( Dan 4:5<\/em><\/span>) him<\/em> ] he dreaded, viz., to foretell to the king his own disasters. The same phrase, Dan 5:6<\/span>; Dan 5:10<\/span>, Dan 7:28<\/span>. The king, however, observing his confusion, and perceiving from it that he has found the interpretation of the dream, proceeds to reassure him.<\/p>\n 19 27<\/strong>. Daniel’s interpretation of the dream.<\/p>\n Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar – <\/B>Dan 4:8<\/B><\/span>. It has been objected that the mention in this edict of both the names by which Daniel was known is an improbable circumstance; that a pagan monarch would only have referred to him by the name by which he was known in Babylon – the name which he had himself conferred on him in honor of the god (Belus) after whom he was called. See the note at Dan 1:7<\/span>. To this it may be replied, that although in ordinary intercourse with him in Babylon, in addressing him as an officer of state under the Chaldean government, he would undoubtedly be mentioned only by that name; yet, in a proclamation like this, both the names by which he was known would be used – the one to identify him among his own countrymen, the other among the Chaldeans. This proclamation was designed for people of all classes, and ranks, and tongues Dan 4:1<\/span>; it was intended to make known the supremacy of the God worshipped by the Hebrews. Nebuchadnezzar had derived the knowledge of the meaning of his dream from one who was a Hebrew, and it was natural, therefore, in order that it might be known by whom the dream had been interpreted, that he should so designate him that it would be understood by all.<\/P> Was astonied – <\/B>Was astonished. The word astonied, now gone out of use, several times occurs in the common version; Ezr 9:3<\/span>; Job 17:8<\/span>; Job 18:20<\/span>; Eze 4:17<\/span>; Dan 3:24<\/span>; Dan 4:19<\/span>; Dan 5:9<\/span>. Daniel was amazed and overwhelmed at what was manifestly the fearful import of the dream.<\/P> For one hour – <\/B>It is not possible to designate the exact time denoted by the word hour – <\/span> shaah<\/I>. According to Gesenius (Lex.), it means moment of time; properly, a look, a glance, a wink of the eye – German, augenblick. In Arabic the word means both a moment and an hour. In Dan 3:6<\/span>, Dan 3:15<\/span>, it evidently means immediately. Here it would seem to mean a short time. That is, Daniel was fixed in thought, and maintained a profound silence until the king addressed him. We are not to suppose that this continued during the space of time which we call an hour, but he was silent until Nebuchadnezzar addressed him. He would not seem to be willing even to speak of so fearful calamities as he saw were coming upon the king.<\/P> And his thoughts troubled him – <\/B>The thoughts which passed through his mind respecting the fearful import of the dream.<\/P> The king spake and said … – <\/B>Perceiving that the dream had, as he had probably apprehended, a fearful significancy, and that Daniel hesitated about explaining its meaning. Perhaps he supposed that he hesitated because he apprehended danger to himself if he should express his thoughts, and the king therefore assured him of safety, and encouraged him to declare the full meaning of the vision, whatever that might be.<\/P> Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee – <\/B>Let such things as are foreboded by the dream happen to your enemies rather than to you. This merely implies that he did not desire that these things should come upon him. It was the language of courtesy and of respect; it showed that he had no desire that any calamity should befall the monarch, and that he had no wish for the success of his enemies. There is not, in this, anything necessarily implying a hatred of the enemies of the king, or any wish that calamity should come upon them; it is the expression of an earnest desire that such an affliction might not come upon him. If it must come on any, such was his respect for the sovereign, and such his desire for his welfare and prosperitry, that he preferred that it should fall upon those who were his enemies, and who hated him. This language, however, should not be rigidly interpreted. It is the language of an Oriental; language uttered at a court, where only the words of respect were heard. Expressions similar to this occur not unfrequently in ancient writings. Thus Horace, b. iii. ode 27:<\/P> Hostium uxores puerique caecos<\/I><\/P> Sentiant motus orientis Austri<\/I>.<\/P> And Virgil, Georg. iii. 513:<\/P> Di meliora piis, erroremque liostibus ilium<\/I>.<\/P> Such rhetorical embellishments are pointed at no individuals, have nothing in them of malice or ill-will, are used as marks of respect to the ruling powers, and may be presumed to be free from any imputation of a want of charity. – Wintle, in loc<\/I>.<\/P><\/p>\n Dan 4:19-26<\/span><\/p>\n Then Daniel . . . was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Symbolical Tree<\/strong><\/p>\n Being troubled by his dream, Nebuchadnezzar summoned the wise men of Babylon into his presence to explain its meaning. They heard it, and were silent. Daniel arriving afterwards, the king recites his dream a second time. That holy man no sooner heard the dream than the meaning of it was unfolded unto him by the Spirit of inspiration. And if Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by the vision, Daniel is not less troubled by a discovery of its meaning. We cannot, however, suppose that Daniels agitation was caused by dread of Nebuchadnezzar. We cannot suppose that he was afraid to deliver the message with which God had entrusted him. His perturbation of mind may be accounted for upon principles more accordant with his high character. In interpreting the vision, he had to denounce a judgment from the Lord against the king; and Divine judgments are such as to strike every pious mind with awe. To utter them, is to bear the burden of the Lord. There can be little doubt that Daniel was attached to Nebuchadnezzar, and that this attachment was the cause of his trouble. This agitation of mind is, therefore, highly honourable to Daniel. He would not violate his conscience at the kings command; but men who are loyal to God will always be found to be most loyal to kings. Let adversity come, and they will then find in what hearts the truest loyalty resides. They will find that men like Daniel, though they may refuse to comply with their sinful commands, will be the first to weep for them. We read not that one of all the princes, the governors, the captains, and the sheriffs, that bent before the idol on the plains of Dura, were in the least affected by Nebuchadnezzars humiliation. Seeing his faithful servant thus agitated, Nebuchadnezzar endeavoured to compose his mind. The king spake and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Thus encouraged, Daniel proceeded to discharge his difficult and solemn duty. The design of this calamity was to teach Nebuchadnezzar that God giveth the kingdoms of men to whomsoever He will. These kingdoms may be acquired by valour, they may be transmitted from a long line of ancestors, yet still they are the gifts of God; and He bestows them in adorable sovereignty. The kings and the princes of the world can give no ultimate reason for the fact that they occupy such exalted stations, except by tracing it to the good pleasure of the Almighty. And God not only appoints the lot of kings; He appoints the lot of all men. We cannot give a rational account of anything about our condition, and especially of what is good about it, apart from the will of God. The fact of this calamity being sent in order to teach Nebuchadnezzar the supremacy of God, reminds us how apt mankind are to forget this truth, and to act as if they were sovereign and independent, Though every object in creation, and every event in providence, speak to us of God, of His power, of His wisdom, of His sovereign majesty, yet how much is He overlooked! How greatly is He forgotten! In the formation of our plans, in the exertion of our influence, in the employment of our faculties, how seldom is He recognised! This arises from the corruption of our nature; from its unbelief of Divine things; its enmity to Divine holiness; <\/strong>its insubordination to Divine authority. In the present disordered state of human nature, two things contribute greatly to make men forget the sovereignty of God. The first of these is the invisibility of the Divine nature, and the consequent invisibility of the Divine agency. A second reason why men so much overlook the Divine supremacy is the manner in which God governs the world. In ruling His intelligent offspring, God deals with them as creatures possessed of reason, will, and conscience. In fixing their lot in the world, He makes use of their own talents, passions, plans, and efforts. We never can, in any instance, separate the controlling influence of God from the free agency of man. Hence, because the affairs of the world appear to be carried on solely by the operation of secondary causes, we are apt altogether to forget His presence and His power. From the fact of this calamity being sent to teach Nebuchadnezzar the supremacy of God, we learn that it is of great importance to keep this truth constantly in remembrance. Notwithstanding that Nebuchadnezzar was elected to the throne of Babylon by God, he had to use means with as much earnestness and diligence as if his kingdom had not been a gift from the Most High. He had to employ vigilance, and skill, and perseverance, to undergo much anxiety, endure many hardships, encounter many dangers, fight many battles, storm many towns. And notwithstanding that there is an ordination to eternal life, he who would obtain it must use means just as if there was no ordination. He must watch, he must strive, he must fight. (W. White.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sad Tidings<\/strong><\/p>\n There was silence in the kings chamber whilst the prophet of God meditated on Gods mysterious message to the king, and considered how he might best impress upon the king the meaning of the Divine sentence. So for that while, during which Daniel sat mutely pondering the matter, we cannot doubt his heart was lift up to the throne of the Heavenly Grace to obtain for himself from the Holy Ghost the power to speak as he ought to speak; and for the king his master a teachable disposition, and such a penitential submission to the Almighty, as might ensure him forgiveness and mercy. The one hour during which Daniel is said to have been astonied is an indefinite note of time. Daniel was astonied and his thoughts troubled him, because in the first place I think (as the LXX expression for his troubled thoughts will suggest), Daniel had to unravel and reason out in his own mind the mysterious intimations of the dream, and make it clear to himself, before he ventured to speak. Then, in the second place, the thought of all the indignities and suffering implied in the terms, which described the impending madness, might well make a tender-hearted man hesitate to announce the details of such a calamity about to fall on one whom he regarded with admiration and gratitude. Daniel grieved to think that one who had promoted him to a share in his glory, and to the honour of governing the chief of his provinces, should be in danger of such a terrible reverse! And then again–as he thought over the humiliating decree of Heaven, this questionwould rise in his mind–how would the king receive the announcement? If Nebuchadnezzar required such a chastisement for his pride, would he be in the temper to listen patiently to the declaration of such a rebuke from the God of the Jews, whom as yet he had not learnt to honour? But Daniel knew (in the conflict of his feelings) how to gain courage and strength; and how to set his face as a flint, and deliver without flinching the word of the Lord. If the Spirit of God was in him, could it be there except he prayed? Now see how God had strengthened him! Not only did Daniel interpret the dream, but (with an earnest concern for the kings welfare) he dared to speak to him of his sins–which were bringing this dreadful punishment upon him! And Daniel could do this with a clear conscience, since he was ruling his province well himself to the benefit of his people, and doing his best to shew mercy to the poor–not living in luxury at their expense, nor exalting himself to their hurt. <\/p>\n Dan 4:19-37<\/span><\/p>\n Moments, of Astonishment<\/strong><\/p>\n Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. There are moments of astonishment in all true ministries. The word hour should be replaced by the word moment: Then Daniel was astonished for one moment. But into one moment how many hours may be condensed! Into one feeling a whole lifetime, with manifold and tragical experience, may enter. We have nothing to do with mere time in calculating spiritual impression, spiritual service, spiritual enjoyment. Daniel was not a man to be easily affrighted; the astonishment which befell him was moral, imaginative, not in the sense of fancying things that did not exist, but in the sense of giving realities their largest scope and meaning. He was astonished that such a fate was awaiting king Nebuchadnezzar. It was like a blow struck upon the very centre of his forehead; when he saw what was going to befall the king he was struck, as it were, with a spear of lightning, his voice faltered, as did the fashion of his countenance. He had a message to deliver, and yet he delivered it with tears that were hidden in the tone of his voice. He was not flippant; he was solemn with an ineffable solemnity. Never was he in such a position before. Only the Divine Spirit could make him equal to the responsibilities of that critical hour. Many words we can utter easily, but to pronounce doom upon life, any life, old mans or little childs, is a task which drives our words back again down the throat. We cannot utter them, yet we must do so; we wait in the hope that some relief will come, but relief does not come from this burden-bearing in the sanctuary of life. The preacher is often as much astonished as the hearer, and as much terrified. In proportion as the preacher is faithful to the hook which he has to read, expound, and enforce, will he sometimes come to passages that he would rather not read. It would be delightful if we could expel the idea of penalty from our human intercommunion. Men have tried to fill up the pit of hell with flowers, and all the flowers have been consumed. It would be delightful to hide by concealment of any kind the horrors that await the wicked man, but to hide those horrors is to aggravate them. It can be no joy to any man to go forth and say, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. No man could utter such words but in obedience to the election and ordination of God. It is easy, if we consult our own flesh and sense and taste alone, to hide the Cross of agony and shame; but he who hides the Cross hides the salvation which it symbolises, and without which it is impossible. It is not easy for any man, Jonah or Daniel, Hosea or Joel, to say unto the wicked, It shall be ill with thee. We would rather live upon the other side of the hill, where the sun smiles all day, where the flowers grow as if they would never cease to unfold some new secret of colour and beauty, and where the birds trill a song from hour to hour, as if growing in capacity as they multiply in service. But the hill of the Lord is many-sided; we should be unfaithful and unjust if we did not recognise its multifold aspects, and show them to those who have come to see the reality and the mystery of the Divine Kingdom amongst men. Daniel looks wondrously well in the moment of his astonishment. The mans best self is now in his face. How quiet he is, and what singular tenderness plays around the sternness which befits the message that he is about to deliver! What a mixture of emotion, what an interplay of colour, what an agony of sensation! yet Daniel is a true man, and he will speak the true word, come of it what may, so far as he himself is concerned; furnace of fire or den of lions, he must speak the word which the Lord has given to him. Why do we not follow his example? Why do we try to take out of the Divine word all things offensive? It would be easy to pander to human taste, and to flatter human vanity, and to assure the half-damned man that the process cannot be completed, but that after all he will be taken to Heaven and made a seraph of. Who can tell lies so thick, so black? Let him eschew the altar and the Cross. (Joseph Parker, D<\/em>.D<\/em>.)<\/p>\n Verse 19. Daniel – was astonied for one hour<\/B><\/I>] He saw the design of the dream, and he felt the great delicacy of interpreting it. He was not puzzled by the difficulties of it. He felt for the king, and for the nation; and with what force and delicacy does he express the general portent; “The dream to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies!”<\/P> <\/p>\n His thoughts troubled him, <\/B>because he foresaw such tragical things coming upon the king, for whom he had such reverence for the high favours and honours he had conferred on him, and he was afraid to declare them; these things coming upon him while he was acted by a Spirit of prophecy, doubled his consternation, and troubled his thoughts, Dan 10:16<\/span>,17<\/span>. <\/P> Let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee; <\/B>speak out freely, let the event be what it will. <\/P> Though this king were a tyrant, and an enemy of God and his people, yet the prophet is grieved for him, and prayed for him that God would avert his judgments from him, and lay them rather upon his enemies, Jer 29:7<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 19. Daniel . . . Belteshazzar<\/B>Theuse of the Hebrew<\/I> as well as the Chaldee<\/I> name, so farfrom being an objection, as some have made it, is an undesigned markof genuineness. In a proclamation to “all<\/I> people,”and one designed to honor the God of the Hebrews, Nebuchadnezzarwould naturally use the Hebrew<\/I> name (derived from El,<\/I>“God,” the name by which the prophet was best known amonghis countrymen), as well as the Gentile name by which he was known inthe Chaldean empire. <\/P> astonied<\/B>overwhelmedwith awe at the terrible import of the dream. <\/P> one hour<\/B>the originalmeans often “a moment,” or “short time,” as inDan 3:6<\/span>; Dan 3:15<\/span>.<\/P> let not the dream . . .trouble thee<\/B>Many despots would have punished a prophet whodared to foretell his overthrow. Nebuchadnezzar assures Daniel he mayfreely speak out. <\/P> the dream be to them thathate thee<\/B>We are to desire the prosperity of those under whoseauthority God’s providence has placed us (Jer29:7<\/span>). The wish here is not so much against others, as for theking: a common formula (2Sa18:32<\/span>). It is not the language of uncharitable hatred.<\/P><\/p>\n Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar) was astonied for one hour<\/strong>,…. Not at the difficulty of interpreting the dream, which was plain and easy to him; but at the sad and shocking things he saw plainly by the dream were coming upon the king: and though he was a wicked prince, and justly deserved such treatment; and thus he continued for the space of an hour like one thunder struck, filled with amazement, quite stupid, dumb, and silent:<\/p>\n and his thoughts troubled him<\/strong>; both about what should befall the king, and how he should make it known to him:<\/p>\n the king spake and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee<\/strong>: he saw by his countenance the confusion he was in, and imagined there was something in the dream which portended evil, and made him backward to relate it; and therefore encouraged him to tell it, be it what it would:<\/p>\n Belteshazzar answered and said, my lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies<\/strong>; which is as if he had said, I could have wished, had it been the will of God, that what is signified by the dream might have befallen not the king, but his enemies; this he said, not merely as a courtier, but as one that heartily wished and prayed for his peace and prosperity; and to show that he had no ill will to the king in the interpretation of the dream, but was his hearty faithful servant and minister; and yet suggests that something very dreadful and distressing was intended for him; and hereby he prepared him the better to receive it.<\/p>\n (4:16-24)<\/p>\n The interpretation of the dream<\/em>.<\/p>\n As Daniel at once understood the interpretation of the dream, he was for a moment so astonished that he could not speak for terror at the thoughts which moved his soul. This amazement seized him because he wished well to the king, and yet he must now announce to him a weighty judgment from God.<\/p>\n Daniel 4:16 (Dan 4:19<\/span>)<\/p>\n <\/strong> The punctuation for is Syriac, as in the Hebr. Dan 8:27<\/span>; cf. Winer’s Chald. Gram<\/em>. 25, 2. means, not about an hour<\/em> (Mich., Hitz., Kran., etc.), but as it were an instant, a moment<\/em>. Regarding , see under Dan 3:6<\/span>. The king perceives the astonishment of Daniel, and remarks that he has found the interpretation. Therefore he asks him, with friendly address, to tell him it without reserve. Daniel then communicates it in words of affectionate interest for the welfare of the king. The words, let the dream be to thine enemies<\/em>, etc., do not mean: it is a dream, a prophecy, such as the enemies of the king might ungraciously wish<\/em> (Klief.), but: may the dream with its interpretation be to thine enemies, may it be fulfilled to them or refer to them<\/em> (Hv., Hitz., etc.). The Kethiv<\/em> is the regular formation from with the suffix, for which the Masoretes have substituted the later Talmudic-Targ. form . With regard to with the a shortened, as also (Dan 3:16<\/span>) and other participial forms, cf. Winer, Chald. Gram<\/em>. 34, III. That Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:16<\/span>) in his account speaks in the third person does not justify the conclusion, either that another spake of him, and that thus the document is not genuine (Hitz.), nor yet the conclusion that this verse includes an historical notice introduced as an interpolation into the document; for similar forms of expression are often found in such documents: cf. Ezr 7:13-15<\/span>; Est 8:7-8<\/span>.<\/p>\n Daniel 4:17 (Dan 4:20<\/span>)<\/p>\n <\/strong> Daniel interprets to the king his dream, repeating only here and there in an abbreviated form the substance of it in the same words, and then declares its reference to the king. With vv. 17 (Dan 4:20<\/span>) and 18 (Dan 4:21<\/span>) cf. vv. 8 (Dan 4:11<\/span>) and 9 (Dan 4:12<\/span>). The fuller description of the tree is subordinated to the relative clause, which thou hast seen<\/em>, so that the subject is connected by (Dan 4:19<\/span>), representing the verb. subst<\/em>., according to rule, with the predicate . The interpretation of the separate statements regarding the tree is also subordinated in the relative clauses to the subject. For the Kethiv<\/em> = , the Keri<\/em> gives the shortened form , with the elision of the third radical, analogous to the shortening of the following for . To the call of the angel to “cut down the tree,” etc. (Dan 4:20<\/span>, cf. Dan 4:10-13<\/span>), Daniel gives the interpretation, Dan 4:24<\/span>, “This is the decree of the Most High which is come upon the king, that he shall be driven from men, and dwell among the beasts,” etc. = Hebr. . The indefinite plur. form stands instead of the passive, as the following and , cf. under Dan 3:4<\/span>. Thus the subject remains altogether indefinite, and one has neither to think on men who will drive him from their society, etc., nor of angels, of whom, perhaps, the expulsion of the king may be predicated, but scarcely the feeding on grass and being wet with dew.<\/p>\n Daniel 4:23 (Dan 4:26<\/span>)<\/p>\n <\/strong> In this verse the emblem and its interpretation are simply placed together, so that we must in thought repeat the from Dan 4:12<\/span> before . , do not in this place mean to stand, to exist, to remain<\/em>, for this does not agree with the following -nim ; for until Nebuchadnezzar comes to the knowledge of the supremacy of God, his dominion shall not continue, but rest, be withdrawn. , to rise up<\/em>, has here an inchoative meaning, again rise up<\/em>. To ( do rule<\/em>) there is to be added from Dan 4:22<\/span> (25) the clause, over the kingdom of men<\/em>. From this passage we have an explanation of the use of , heaven<\/em>, for , the Most High, God of heaven<\/em>, whence afterwards arose the use of for .<\/p>\n Daniel 4:24 (Dan 4:27<\/span>)<\/p>\n <\/strong> Daniel adds to his interpretation of the dream the warning to the king to break off his sins by righteousness and mercy, so that his tranquillity may be lengthened. Daniel knew nothing of a heathen Fatum <\/em>, but he knew that the judgments of God were directed against men according to their conduct, and that punishment threatened could only be averted by repentance; cf. Jer 18:7<\/span>.; Jon 3:5<\/span>.; Isa 38:1<\/span>. This way of turning aside the threatened judgment stood open also for Nebuchadnezzar, particularly as the time of the fulfilment of the dream was not fixed, and thus a space was left for repentance. The counsel of Daniel is interpreted by Berth., Hitz., and others, after Theodotion, the Vulgate, and many Church Fathers and Rabbis, as teaching the doctrine of holiness by works held by the later Jews, for they translate it: redeem thy sins by well-doing<\/em> (Hitz.: buy freedom from thy sins by alms<\/em>), and thy transgressions by showing mercy to the poor<\/em>.<\/p>\n (Note: Theodot. translates: . The Vulg.: et peccata tua eleemosynis redime et iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum <\/em>. Accordingly, the Catholic Church regards this passage as a locus classicus<\/em> for the doctrine of the merit of works, against which the Apologia Conf. August<\/em>. first set forth the right exposition.)<\/p>\n But this translation of the first passage is verbally false; for does not mean to redeem, to ransom<\/em>, and does not mean alms<\/em> or charity<\/em>. means to break off, to break in pieces,<\/em> hence to separate, to disjoin, to put at a distance<\/em>; see under Gen. 21:40. And though in the Targg. is used for , , to loosen, to unbind<\/em>, of redeeming, ransoming of the first-born, an inheritance or any other valuable possession, yet this use of the word by no means accords with sins as the object, because sins are not goods which one redeems or ransoms so as to retain them for his own use. can only mean to throw away sins, to set one’s self free from sins<\/em>. nowhere in the O.T. means well-doing<\/em> or alms<\/em>. This meaning the self-righteous Rabbis first gave to the word in their writings. Daniel recommends the king to practise righteousness as the chief virtue of a ruler in contrast to the unrighteousness of the despots, as Hgstb., Hv., Hofm., and Klief. have justly observed. To this also the second member of the verse corresponds. As the king should practise righteousness toward all his subjects, so should he exercise mercy toward the oppressed, the miserable, the poor. Both of these virtues are frequently named together, e.g., Isa 11:4<\/span>; Psa 72:4<\/span>; Isa 41:2<\/span>, as virtues of the Messiah. is the plur. of , as the parallel shows, and the Keri<\/em> only the later abbreviation or defective suffix-formation, as Dan 2:4<\/span>; Dan 5:10<\/span>.<\/p>\n The last clause of this verse is altogether misunderstood by Theodotion, who translates it , and by the Vulgate, where it is rendered by forsitan ignoscet delictis tuis <\/em>, and by many older interpreters, where they expound in the sense of , patience<\/em>, and derive from , to fail, to go astray<\/em> (cf. Dan 3:29<\/span>). means continuance<\/em>, or length of time<\/em>, as Dan 7:12<\/span>; , rest, safety<\/em>, as the Hebr. , here the peaceful prosperity of life<\/em>; and , neither ecce <\/em> nor forsitan<\/em>, si forte <\/em>, but simply if<\/em>, as always in the book of Daniel.<\/p>\n Daniel places before the king, as the condition of the continuance of prosperity of life, and thereby implicite<\/em> of the averting of the threatened punishment, reformation of life, the giving up of injustice and cruelty towards the poor, and the practice of righteousness and mercy.<\/p>\n Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Interpreted.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 570.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 19 Then Daniel, whose name was<\/I> Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be<\/I> to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 21 Whose leaves were<\/I> fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was<\/I> meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 22 It is<\/I> thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let<\/I> his portion be<\/I> with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; 24 This is<\/I> the interpretation, O king, and this is<\/I> the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. 27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.<\/P> We have here the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream; and when once it is applied to himself, and it is declared that he is the tree in the dream (Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur–Change but the name, the fable speaks of thee<\/I>), when once it is said, Thou art the man,<\/I> there needs little more to be said for the explication of the dream. Out of his own mouth he is judged; so shall his doom be, he himself has decided it.<\/I> The thing was so plain that Daniel, upon hearing the dream, was astonished for one hour,<\/I> v.<\/span> 19<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. He was struck with amazement and terror at so great a judgment coming upon so great a prince. His flesh trembled for fear of God.<\/I> He was likewise struck with confusion when he found himself under a necessity of being the man that must bring to the king these heavy tidings,<\/I> which, having received so many favours from the king, he had rather he should have heard from any one else; so far is he from desiring the woeful day that he dreads it, and the thoughts of it trouble him. Those that come after the ruined sinner are said to be astonished at his day,<\/I> as those that went before,<\/I> and saw it coming (as Daniel here), were affrighted,<\/I> Job xviii. 20<\/I><\/span>.<\/P> I. The preface to the interpretation is a civil compliment which, as a courtier, he passes upon the king. The king observed him to stand as one astonished, and, thinking he was loth to speak out for fear of offending him, he encouraged him to deal plainly and faithfully with him; Let not the dream, nor the interpretation thereof, trouble thee.<\/I> This he speaks either, 1. As one that sincerely desired to know this truth. Note, Those that consult the oracles of God must be ready to receive them as they are, whether they be for them or against them, and must accordingly give their ministers leave to be free with them. Or, 2. As one that despised the truth, and set it at defiance. When we see how regardless he was of this warning afterwards we are tempted to think that this was his meaning; “Let it not trouble thee,<\/I> for I am resolved it shall not trouble me; nor will I lay it to heart.” But, whether he have any concern for himself or no, Daniel is concerned for him, and therefore wishes, “The dream be to those that hate thee.<\/I> Let the ill it bodes light on the head of thy enemies, not on thy head.” Though Nebuchadnezzar was an idolater, a persecutor, and an oppressor of the people of God, yet he was, at present, Daniel’s prince; and therefore, though Daniel foresees, and is now going to foretell, ill concerning him, he dares not wish ill to him.<\/P> II. The interpretation itself is only a repetition of the dream, with application to the king. “As for the tree<\/I> which thou sawest flourishing<\/I> (Dan 4:20<\/span>; Dan 4:21<\/span>), it is thou, O king!<\/I>” v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>. And willing enough would the king be to hear this (as, before, to hear, Thou art the head of gold<\/I>), but for that which follows. He shows the king his present prosperous state in the glass of his own dream; “Thy greatness has grown and reaches<\/I> as near to heaven<\/I> as human greatness can do, and thy dominion is to the end of the earth,<\/I>” Dan 2:37<\/span>; Dan 2:38<\/span>. “As for the doom passed upon the tree (v.<\/I><\/span> 23<\/span>), it is the decree of the Most High, which comes upon my lord the king,<\/I>” v.<\/I><\/span> 24<\/span>. He must not only be deposed from his throne, but driven from men,<\/I> and being deprived of his reason, and having a beast’s heart given him, his dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field,<\/I> and with them he shall be a fellow-commoner: he shall Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I.<\/strong> IN HIS ANXIETY TO HELP HIS ROYAL MASTER<\/strong>, DANIEL PRESENTS A CONSPICUOUS EXAMPLE OF THE VALUE AND POWER OF SYMPATHY<\/strong>. During that one hour, as he sat astonied, mutely contemplating the abstruse subject, on which the king not only demanded an explanation, but asked for it with such evident desire for relief from a pressing anxiety and trouble–Daniel felt for the king; and with all his heart he laboured to find words which would meet the case, and which should not merely solve the mystery, but should at the same time touch the kings conscience and heart. He studied the case with the penetrating interest of a good physician. As he contemplated the pitiful sight of the grand monarch become a grovelling maniac, driven from the dwellings of men, and left to the full sway of his mental aberration–Daniel could not but feel as Elisha felt when he settled his countenance steadfastly upon Hazael till he wept at the thought of all the misery which God had showed him the murderer of Benhadad and the usurper of his throne would cause. Daniel yearned to impress the king with the same vivid apprehension of impending danger as he himself had, that it might lead him to an effectual repentance. Sympathy is one great element of success in winning souls to God; without sympathy religious influence is scarcely possible. In the present state of society, when at the same time that class-distinctions are becoming less rigidly marked class feelings are often being deeply stirred, and when the lowest grades are gladly accepting the newly invented ministrations of men and women from amongst themselves–it is of paramount consequence to the church that it should be plainly seen her ministers have a real love and concern for all, however far removed in the social scale. How is this sympathy to be cultivated? Few are intensely sympathetic by nature; others must supply the default of nature by much stirring up of the gift that is in them through the laying on of hands. True Christian sympathy proceeds from love of souls; it is the result of having mastered the fact that every soul is of value to Christ, who gave Him blood to redeem it. The sympathy of Jesus Christ can only be reflected in our ministry for Him, when we are willing to study each particular souls need; and that upon our knees in prayer. If the message we have to deliver is to be regarded by those who listen to us, they must perceive that we believe it ourselves; and, in the next place, that our thoughts trouble us with sorrow for those whom our words condemn. Daniel (as he pondered over the future of Nebuchadnezzar) evidently perceived further terrors than the insanity which was to reduce the king to such a vile estate; he feared his waking from the dust of the earth, in the latter day, to shame and everlasting contempt. Hence his earnestness. But it might seem as if Daniels sympathy was wasted, since we are told of no immediate results. Not so however; though the king may have remained unaffected by it till his reason was restored to him, after the seven times had passed over him, still it is clear he then submitted to be taught by the man of God, whose word had not failed, whose heart he knew he might trust. <\/p>\n
II.<\/strong> In the second place, DANIEL MAY BE LOOKED UPON AS THE THOUGHTFUL AND REVERENT STUDENT OF <\/strong>GOD<\/strong>S WORD<\/strong>. The Bible is full of mysteries, which it is our bounden duty to look into; and full of difficulties which must be faced. Thoughtful and educated men in every congregation are demanding of the clergy not only more heart, but more intelligence and more culture. They have grown tired of sermons that shirk the difficulties which perplex their own minds. Knowledge is power, but there is no power like the power of the Holy Ghost. The mere cultivated intellect is no adequate weapon wherewith to fight against sin. <\/p>\n
III.<\/strong> Again, we cannot fail to see in Daniel (to whom God had given such insight into Divine mysteries) THE TYPE OF ONE WHO IS PURE IN HEART AND PURE IN LIFE<\/strong>. At the period of his life which we are considering, Daniel allowed himself (it would appear from what he says in the tenth chapter) a moderate use of pleasant bread with flesh and wine for his usual diet; when, however, he was the recipient of Divine communications, he fasted, and (as a strict observer of the law) he would not fail to east often. But we remember, when he was only a boy of 14, with a wonderfully precocious faith, he had denied himself all the dainties of the kings table lest he should be defiled by what had been offered to idols. He knew that man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and Gods word, heard in his own heart, was abstain. We learn from the first chapter that God gave him for his reward (above and beyond the skill in all learning and wisdom which his three companions were blessed with) understanding in all visions and dreams. How good for the Church of England it would be if those who are to be her future ministers would make that noble venture of faith; Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Happy those who, when called in the exercise of their office to rebuke sin in others, have no rebuke of conscience to make the words falter on their lips! Daniels thoughts troubled him; but no regrets for his own misconduct made him dumb, nor mingled with his sad forebodings as to the fate of one whom he saw pursuing with headstrong course the road to ruin. (W<\/em>. Morrison<\/em>.)<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n