Notes on
Daniel
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes
Da 1:1
1:1 In the {a} third year of the reign
of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem,
and besieged it.
The Argument - The great providence of
God, and his singular mercy towards his Church are set forth here most
vividly, who never leaves his own destitute, but now in their greatest
miseries and afflictions gives them Prophets, such as Ezekiel and Daniel, whom
he adorned with special graces of his Holy Spirit. And Daniel above all others
had most special revelations of such things as would come to the Church, even
from the time that they were in captivity, to the last end of the world, and
to the general resurrection, as of the four Monarchies and empires of all the
world, that is, of the Babylonians, Persians, Grecians, and Romans. Also of
the certain number of the times even until Christ, when all ceremonies and
sacrifices would cease, because he would be the accomplishment of them:
moreover he shows Christ's office and the reason of his death, which was by
his sacrifice to take away sins, and to bring everlasting life. And as from
the beginning God always exercised his people under the cross, so he teaches
here, that after Christ is offered, he will still leave this exercise to his
Church, until the dead rise again, and Christ gathers his own into his kingdom
in the heavens.
(a) Read 2Ki 24:1, Jer 25:1 .
Da 1:2
1:2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of
Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he
carried into the land of {b} Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought
the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
(b) Which was a plain by Babylon,
where the temple of their great god was, and is here taken for
Babylon.
Da 1:3
1:3 And the king spake unto {c}
Ashpenaz the master of his {d} eunuchs, that he should bring [certain] of the
children of Israel, and of the {e} king's seed, and of the
princes;
(c) Who was as master of the
guards.
(d) He calls them "eunuchs" whom the King nourished and brought
up to be rulers of other countries afterwards.
(e) His purpose was to
keep them as hostages, and so that he might show himself victorious, and
also by their good entreaty and learning of his religion, they might favour
him rather than the Jews, and so to be able to serve him as governors in
their land. Moreover by this means the Jews might be better kept in
subjection, fearing otherwise to bring hurt upon these noble men.
Da 1:4
1:4 Children in whom [was] no blemish,
but well {f} favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge,
and understanding science, and such as [had] ability in them to stand in the
king's palace, and whom they might teach the {g} learning and the tongue of
the Chaldeans.
(f) The King required three things:
that they should be of noble birth, that they should be intelligent and
learned, and that they should be of a strong and handsome nature, so that
they might do him better service. This he did for his own benefit, therefore
it is not to praise his liberality: yet in this he is worthy of praise, that
he esteemed learning, and knew that it was a necessary means to govern
by.
(g) That they might forget their own religion and country fashions to
serve him the better to his purpose: yet it is not to be thought that Daniel
learned any knowledge that was not godly. In all points he refused the abuse
of things and superstition, insomuch that he would not eat the meat which
the King appointed him, but was content to learn the knowledge of natural
things.
Da 1:5
1:5 And the king appointed them a {h}
daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so
nourishing them {i} three years, that at the end thereof they might stand {k}
before the king.
(h) That by their good entertainment
they might learn to forget the mediocrity of their own people.
(i) With
the intent that in this time they might learn both the manners of the
Chaldeans, and also their language.
(k) As well as to serve at the table
as in other offices.
Da 1:7
1:7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs
{l} gave names: for he gave unto Daniel [the name] of Belteshazzar; and to
Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of
Abednego.
(l) That they might altogether
forget their religion: for the Jews gave their children names which might
always put them in remembrance of some point of religion. Therefore this was
a great temptation and a sign of servitude, which they were not able to
resist.
Da 1:8
1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart
that he would not {m} defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor
with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the
eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
(m) Not that he thought any religion
to be in the meat or drink (for afterwards he did eat), but because the king
should not entice him by this sweet poison to forget his religion and
accustomed sobriety, and that in his meat and drink he might daily remember
of what people he was from. And Daniel brings this in to show how God from
the beginning assisted him with his Spirit, and at length called him to be a
Prophet.
Da 1:10
1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said
unto Daniel, {n} I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and
your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children
which [are] of your sort? then shall ye make [me] endanger my head to the
king.
(n) He supposed they did this for
their religion, which was contrary to the Babylonians, and therefore in this
he represents those who are of no religion: for neither would he condemn
theirs, nor maintain his own.
Da 1:12
1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech
thee, {o} ten days; and let them give us {p} pulse to eat, and water to
drink.
(o) Meaning that within this space
he might have the test, and that no man would be able to know about it: and
thus he spoke, being moved by the Spirit of God.
(p) Not that it was a
thing abominable to eat dainty meats, and to drink wine, as both before and
after they did, but if they would have by this been won to the King, and had
refused their own religion, that meat and drink would have been
accursed.
Da 1:15
1:15 And at the end of ten days their
{q} countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children
which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
(q) This bare feeding and that also
of Moses, when he fled from the court of Egypt, declares that we must live
in such sobriety as God calls us to, seeing that he will make it more
profitable to us than all dainties: for his blessing alone suffices.
Da 1:17
1:17 As for these four children, God
gave them knowledge and skill in all learning {r} and wisdom: and Daniel had
understanding in all {s} visions and dreams.
(r) Meaning in the liberal sciences,
and natural knowledge, and not in the magical areas which are forbidden; De
18:11 .
(s) So that he alone was a Prophet, and none of the others: for
by dreams and visions God appeared to his Prophets; Nu 12:6
Da 1:18
1:18 Now at the {t} end of the days
that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs
brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
(t) Of the three years mentioned
above as in Dan 1:5 .
Da 1:21
1:21 And Daniel continued [even] unto
{u} the first year of king Cyrus.
(u) That is, he was esteemed in
Babylon as a Prophet as long as that commonwealth stood.
Da 2:1
2:1 And in the {a} second year of the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed {b} dreams, wherewith his
spirit was {c} troubled, and {d} his sleep brake from
him.
(a) The father and the son were both
called by this name, so that this is meant of the son, when he reigned
alone: for he also reigned in a way with his father.
(b) Not that he had
many dreams, but because many matters were contained in this dream.
(c)
Because it was so rare and strange a dream, that he had had nothing
similar.
(d) Or, "his sleep was upon him", that is, that he was so heavy
with sleep, that he began to sleep again.
Da 2:2
2:2 Then the king commanded to call the
magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the {e} Chaldeans, for
to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the
king.
(e) For all these astrologers and
sorcerers called themselves by this name of honour, as though all the wisdom
and knowledge of the country depended upon them, and that all other
countries were void of such wisdom and knowledge.
Da 2:4
2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the
king in {f} Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and
we will shew the interpretation.
(f) That is, in the Syrian language,
which differed not much from the Chaldeans, except it seemed to be more
eloquent, and therefore the learned used to speak it, as the Jewish writers
do to this day.
Da 2:5
2:5 The king answered and said to the
Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the
dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye {g} shall be cut in pieces, and
your houses shall be made a dunghill.
(g) This is a just reward of their
arrogance (who boasted of themselves that they had knowledge of all things),
that they should be proved fools, and that to their perpetual shame and
confusion.
Da 2:7
2:7 They answered again and said, Let
the king tell {h} his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation
of it.
(h) In this appears their ignorance,
that despite their braggings, yet they were not able to tell the dream,
unless he told them of it. And if he did tell them, they would pretend
knowledge where there was but mere ignorance, and so as deluders of the
people they were worthy to die.
Da 2:13
2:13 And the decree went forth that the
wise [men] should be slain; and they {i} sought Daniel and his fellows to be
slain.
(i) Which declares that God would
not have his servant united in the company of these sorcerers and
astrologers, whose arts were wicked, and therefore justly ought to die, even
though the king did it upon a rage and not from zeal.
Da 2:22
2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret
things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the {k} light dwelleth with
him.
(k) He shows that man has neither
wisdom nor knowledge, but very dark blindness and ignorance of himself: for
it comes only from God that man understands anything.
Da 2:23
2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O
thou God of my {l} fathers, who hast given me wisdom and {m} might, and hast
made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known
unto us the king's matter.
(l) To whom you made your promise,
and who lived in fear of you: by which he excludes all other gods.
(m)
Meaning power to interpret it.
Da 2:24
2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto
Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise [men] of Babylon: he
went and said thus unto him; Destroy not {n} the wise [men] of Babylon: bring
me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the
interpretation.
(n) By which appears that many were
slain, as in verse thirteen, and the rest at Daniel's offer were preserved
on condition. Not that Daniel favoured their wicked profession, but that he
had respect to fairness, because the King proceeded according to his wicked
affection, and not considering if their profession was morally correct or
not.
Da 2:28
2:28 But there is a God in {o} heaven
that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall
be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed,
are these;
(o) He affirms that man by reason
and craft is not able to attain to the cause of God's secrets, but the
understanding only of them must come from God: by which he smites the king
with a certain fear and reverence of God, that he might be the more able to
receive the high mysteries that would be revealed.
Da 2:30
2:30 But as {p} for me, this secret is
not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but for
[their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that
thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
(p) Because he had said that God
alone must reveal the signification of this dream, the King might have asked
why Daniel undertook to interpret it: and therefore he shows that he was but
God's minister, and had no gifts but those which God had given him to set
forth his glory.
Da 2:32
2:32 This image's head [was] of fine
{q} gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of
brass,
(q) By gold, silver, brass, and iron
are meant the Chaldean, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman kingdoms, which would
successively rule all the world until Christ (who is here called the stone)
himself comes, and destroys the last. And this was to assure the Jews that
their affliction would not end with the empire of the Chaldeans, but that
they should patiently await the coming of the Messiah, who would be at the
end of this fourth monarchy.
Da 2:38
2:38 And wheresoever the children of
men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given
into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] {r} this
head of gold.
(r) Daniel leaves out the kingdom of
the Assyrians, which was before the Babylonian, both because it was not a
monarchy and general empire, and also because he would declare the things
that were to come, until the coming of Christ, for the comfort of the elect
among these wonderful alterations. And he calls the Babylonian kingdom the
golden head, because in respect of the other three, it was the best, and yet
it was of itself wicked and cruel.
Da 2:39
2:39 And after thee shall arise another
kingdom {s} inferior to thee, and another {t} third kingdom of brass, which
shall bear rule over all the earth.
(s) Meaning, the Persians who were
not inferior in dignity, power, or riches, but were worse with regard to
ambition, cruelty, and every type of vice, showing that the world would grow
worse and worse, until it was restored by Christ.
(t) That is, those of
the Macedonians will be of brass, not alluding to the hardness of it, but to
the vileness with regard to silver.
Da 2:40
2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be
strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all
[things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in {u} pieces
and bruise.
(u) That is, the Roman empire will
subdue all these others, which after Alexander were divided into the
Macedonians, Grecians, Syrians, and Egyptians.
Da 2:41
2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet
and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be {x}
divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as
thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
(x) They will have civil wars, and
continual discords among themselves.
Da 2:43
2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with {y} the seed of men: but
they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with
clay.
(y) They will be marriages and
affinities think to make themselves strong: yet they will never by united in
heart.
Da 2:44
2:44 And in the days of these kings
shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which {z} shall never be destroyed:
and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for
ever.
(z) His purpose is to show that all
the kingdoms of the world are transitory, and that the kingdom of Christ
alone will remain forever.
Da 2:45
2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the
{a} stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God
hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream
[is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
(a) Meaning Christ, who was sent by
God, and not set up by man, whose kingdom at the beginning would be small
and without beauty to man's judgment, but would at length grow and fill the
whole earth, which he calls a great mountain, as in Dan 2:35 . And this
kingdom, which is not only referred to the person of Christ, but also to the
whole body of his Church, and to every member of it, will be eternal: for
the Spirit that is in them is eternal life; Ro 8:10 .
Da 2:46
2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell
upon his face, and {b} worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer
an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
(b) Though this humbling of the king
seemed to deserve commendation, yet because he united God's honour with the
Prophets, it is to be reproved, and Daniel would have erred, if he allowed
it: but it is to his credit that Daniel admonished him of his fault, and did
not allow it.
Da 2:47
2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and
said, Of a truth [it is], that your {c} God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of
kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this
secret.
(c) This confession was but a sudden
motion, as it was also in Pharaoh, Ex 9:28 , but his heart was not touched,
as appeared soon afterwards.
Da 2:48
2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great
man, and gave him many great {d} gifts, and made him ruler over the whole
province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of
Babylon.
(d) Not that the Prophet was
desirous of gifts or honour, but because by this means he might relieve his
poor brethren, who were grievously oppressed in this their captivity, and he
also received them, lest he should offend this cruel king, who willingly
gave them.
Da 2:49
2:49 Then Daniel {e} requested of the
king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the
province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the {f} gate of the
king.
(e) He did not do this for their
personal profit, but that the whole Church, which was then there in
affliction, might have some release and ease by this benefit.
(f) Meaning
that either he was a judge, or that he had the whole authority, so than no
one could be admitted to the king's presence but by him.
Da 3:1
3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made {a} an
image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof
six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of
Babylon.
(a) Under pretence of religion, and
holiness in making an image to his idol Bel, he sought his own ambition and
vain glory: and this declares that he was not touched with the true fear of
God before, but that he confessed him on a sudden motion, as the wicked when
they are overcome with the greatness of his works. The Greek interpreters
write that this was done eighteen years after the dream, and as may appear,
the King feared lest the Jews by their religion should have altered the
state of his commonwealth: therefore he meant to bring all to one type of
religion, and so rather sought his own peace than God's glory.
Da 3:2
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent
to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges,
the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, to come to the {b} dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the
{c} king had set up.
(b) Showing that the idol is not
known for an idol as long as he is with workmen: but when the ceremonies and
customs are recited and used, and the consent of the people is there, then
they think they have made a god out of a block.
(c) This was sufficient
with the wicked at all times to approve their religion, if the king's
authority were alleged for the establishment of it, not considering in the
meantime what God's word allowed.
Da 3:4
3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you
it is commanded, O people, {d} nations, and languages,
(d) These are the two dangerous
weapons, which Satan used to fight against the children of God, the consent
of the multitude, and the cruelty of the punishment. For even though some
feared God, yet the multitude who consented to the wickedness persuaded
them: and here the King required not an inward consent, but an outward
gesture, that the Jews might by little and little learn to forget their true
religion.
Da 3:12
3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou
hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, {e} Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set
up.
(e) It seems that they named not
Daniel, because he was greatly in the king's favour, thinking if these three
had been destroyed, they might have had better occasion to accuse Daniel.
And this declares that this policy of erecting this image was invented by
the malicious flatterers who sought nothing but the destruction of the Jews,
whom they accused of rebellion and ingratitude.
Da 3:15
3:15 {f} Now if ye be ready that at
what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I
have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver
you out of my hands?
(f) Signifying that he would receive
them to grace if they would now obey his decree.
Da 3:16
3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we {g} [are] not careful to
answer thee in this matter.
(g) For they would have done injury
to God, if they would have doubted in this holy cause, and therefore they
say that they are resolved to die for God's cause.
Da 3:17
3:17 If it be [so], our God whom we
serve is {h} able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will
deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.
(h) They have two points as their
foundation: first on the power and providence of God over them, and second
on their cause, which was God's glory, and the testifying of his true
religion with their blood. And so they make open confession, that they will
not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry.
Da 3:19
3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of
fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego: [therefore] he spake, and commanded that they should heat the
furnace one seven {i} times more than it was wont to be
heated.
(i) This declares that the more that
tyrants rage, and the more crafty they show themselves in inventing strange
and cruel punishments, the more is God glorified by his servants, to whom he
gives patience and constancy to abide the cruelty of their punishment. For
either he delvers them from death, or else for this life gives them
better.
Da 3:25
3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see
four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and
the form of the fourth is like the {k} Son of God.
(k) For the angels were called the
sons of God because of their excellency. Therefore the king called this
angel whom God sent to comfort his own in these great torments, the son of
God.
Da 3:26
3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to
the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come
[hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, {l} came forth of the midst of
the fire.
(l) This commends their obedience to
God, that they would not because of any fear depart out of this furnace
until the appointed time, as Noah remained in the ark, until the Lord called
him forth.
Da 3:28
3:28 [Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and
said, {m} Blessed [be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath
sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have
changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve
nor worship any god, except their own God.
(m) He was moved by the greatness of
the miracle to praise God, but his heart was not touched. And here we see
that miracles are not sufficient to convert men to God, but that doctrine
most chiefly be joined with them, without which there can be no
faith.
Da 3:29
3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That
every people, nation, and language, which speak {n} any thing amiss against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their
houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can
deliver after this sort.
(n) If this heathen king moved by
God's Spirit would punish blasphemy, and made a law and set a punishment for
such transgressors, much more ought all they that profess religion make sure
that such impiety does not happen, lest according as their knowledge and
responsibility is greater, so they suffer double punishment.
Da 4:1
4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all
people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the {o} earth; Peace be
multiplied unto you.
(o) Meaning, as far as his dominion
extended.
Da 4:3
4:3 How great [are] his signs! and how
mighty [are] his wonders! {p} his kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and his
dominion [is] from generation to generation.
(p) Read Geneva "Da 2:44"
Da 4:4
4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at {a} rest in
mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
(a) There was no trouble that might
cause me to dream, and therefore it came only from God.
Da 4:5
4:5 I saw a {b} dream which made me
afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled
me.
(b) This was another dream besides
that which he saw of the four empires, for Daniel both declared what that
dream was, and what it meant, and here he expounds this dream.
Da 4:7
4:7 Then came in the magicians, the
astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before
them; but {c} they did not make known unto me the interpretation
thereof.
(c) In that he sent abroad to
others, whose ignorance in times past he had experienced, and left Daniel
who was ever ready at hand, it declares the nature of the ungodly, who never
seek for the servants of God unless they absolutely have to, and then they
flatter to a great extent.
Da 4:8
4:8 But at the last Daniel came in
before me, whose name [was] {d} Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god,
and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream,
[saying],
(d) This no doubt was a great grief
to Daniel not only to have his name changed, but to be called by the name of
a vile idol, which thing Nebuchadnezzar did to make him forget the true
religion of God.
Da 4:9
4:9 O Belteshazzar, {e} master of the
magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee, and
no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen,
and the interpretation thereof.
(e) Which also was a great grief to
the Prophet, to be numbered among the sorcerers and men whose practices were
wicked and contrary to God's word.
Da 4:10
4:10 Thus [were] the visions of mine
head in my bed; I saw, and behold a {f} tree in the midst of the earth, and
the height thereof [was] great.
(f) By the tree is signified the
dignity of a king whom God ordains to be a defence for every type of man,
and whose state is profitable for mankind.
Da 4:13
4:13 I saw in the visions of my head
upon my bed, and, behold, a {g} watcher and an holy one came down from
heaven;
(g) Meaning the angel of God, who
neither eats nor sleeps, but is always ready to do God's will, and is not
infected with man's corruption, but is always holy. And in that he commands
to cut down this tree, he knew that it would not be cut down by man, but by
God.
Da 4:16
4:16 {h} Let his heart be changed from
man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass
over him.
(h) By this he means that
Nebuchadnezzar would not only for a time lose his kingdom, but be like a
beast.
Da 4:17
4:17 {i} This matter [is] by the decree
of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent
that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and
giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of
men.
(i) God has decreed this judgment
and the whole army of heaven has as it were joined in being a part of it,
just as they also desire the execution of his decree against all those that
lift up themselves against God.
Da 4:19
4:19 Then Daniel, whose name [was]
Belteshazzar, was {k} 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] to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine
enemies.
(k) He was troubled because of the
great judgment of God, which he saw ordained against the king. And so the
Prophets on the one hand used to make known God's judgments for the zeal
they had for his glory, and on the other hand had compassion upon man. And
they also considered that they would be subject to God's judgments, if he
did not regard them with pity.
Da 4:23
4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher
and an 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] his portion [be] with the beasts of the
field, {l} till seven times pass over him;
(l) By which he means a long space,
as seven years. Some interpret seven months, and others seven weeks, but it
seems he means seven years.
Da 4:25
4:25 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 {m} oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of
heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that {n} the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he
will.
(m) Not that his shape or form was
changed into a beast, but that he was either stricken mad, and so avoided
man's company, or was cast out because of his tyranny, and so wandered among
the beasts, and ate herbs and grass.
(n) Daniel shows the reason why God
punished him in this way.
Da 4:27
4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel
be acceptable unto thee, and {o} break off thy sins by righteousness, and
thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a {p} lengthening
of thy tranquillity.
(o) Cease from provoking God to
anger any longer by your sins, that he may reduce the severity of his
punishment, if you show by your upright life that you have true faith and
repentance.
(p) Allow the errors of your former life to be made up
for.
Da 4:29
4:29 At the end of twelve {q} months he
walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
(q) After Daniel had declared this
vision: and this pride of his declares that it is not in man to convert to
God, unless his Spirit moves him, seeing that these terrible threatenings
could not move him to repent.
Da 4:34
4:34 And at the end of the {r} days I
Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him
that liveth for ever, whose dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, and his
kingdom [is] from generation to generation:
(r) When the term of these seven
years was accomplished.
Da 4:35
4:35 And all the inhabitants of the
earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his {s} will in the
army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay
his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
(s) He confesses God's will to be
the rule of all justice, and a most perfect law, by which he governs both
man and angels and devils, so that none ought to murmur or ask a reason for
his doings, but only to stand content with them and give him the
glory.
Da 4:36
4:36 At the same time my reason
returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness
returned unto me; and my counsellors and {t} my lords sought unto me; and I
was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto
me.
(t) By whom it seems that he had
been put from his kingdom before.
Da 4:37
4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar {u} praise
and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works [are] truth, and his
ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to
abase.
(u) He not only praises God for his
deliverance, but also confesses his fault, so that God alone may have the
glory, and man the shame, and so that God may be exalted and man cast
down.
Da 5:1
5:1 {a} Belshazzar the king made a
great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine {b} before the
thousand.
(a) Daniel recites this history of
King Belshazzar, Evilmerodach's son, to show God's judgments against the
wicked for the deliverance of his Church, and how the prophecy of Jeremiah
was true, that they would be delivered after seventy years.
(b) The kings
of the east part then used to commonly sit alone, and disdained that any
should sit in their company: and now to show his power, and how little he
thought of his enemy, which then besieged Babylon, made a solemn banquet,
and used excess in their company, which is meant here by drinking wine: thus
the wicked are very lax in morals and negligent, when their destruction is
at hand.
Da 5:2
5:2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the
wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his {c} father
Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the
king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink
therein.
(c) Meaning his grandfather.
Da 5:4
5:4 They drank wine, and praised the
{d} gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of
stone.
(d) In contempt of the true God they
praise their idols, not that they thought that the gold or silver were gods,
but that there was a certain strength and power in them to do them good,
which is also the opinion of all idolaters.
Da 5:5
5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers
of a man's hand, and wrote over {e} against the candlestick upon the plaister
of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that
wrote.
(e) That it might the better be
seen.
Da 5:6
5:6 Then the king's countenance was
changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were
loosed, and his {f} knees smote one against another.
(f) So he that before condemned God,
was moved by this sight to tremble for fear of God's judgments.
Da 5:7
5:7 The king cried aloud to bring in
{g} the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake,
and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and
shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have]
a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the
kingdom.
(g) Thus the wicked in their
troubles seek many means, which draw them from God, because they do not seek
for him who is the only comfort in all afflictions.
Da 5:10
5:10 [Now] the {h} queen, by reason of
the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: [and] the
queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble
thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
(h) That is, his grandmother,
Nebuchadnezzar's wife, who because of her age was not at the feast before,
but came there when she heard of this strange news.
Da 5:11
5:11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in
whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and
understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom
the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master
of the {i} magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and]
soothsayers;
(i) Read Da 4:6 ; and this declares
that both this name was odious to him, and also he did not use these vile
practises, because he was not among them when all were called.
Da 5:14
5:14 I have even heard of thee, that
{k} the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding
and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
(k) For the idolaters thought that
the angels had power as God, and therefore held them in the same estimation
that they held God, thinking that the spirit of prophecy and understanding
came from them.
Da 5:18
5:18 O thou king, the most high God
gave {l} Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and
honour:
(l) Before he read the writing, he
declares to the king his great ingratitude toward God, who could not be
moved to give him the glory, considering God's wonderful work toward his
grandfather, and so shows that he does not sin from ignorance but from
malice.
Da 5:24
5:24 {m} Then was the part of the hand
sent from him; and this writing was written.
(m) After God had for such a long
time deferred his anger, and patiently waited for your repentance.
Da 5:25
5:25 And this [is] the writing that was
written, {n} MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
(n) This word is written twice
because of the certainty of the thing, showing that God had most surely
decided: it signifies also that God has appointed a term for all kingdoms,
and that a miserable end will come on all that raise themselves against
him.
Da 5:31
5:31 And Darius {o} the Median took the
kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.
(o) Cyrus his son-in-law gave him
this title of honour, even though Cyrus in effect had the dominion.
Da 6:1
6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the
kingdom {a} an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole
kingdom;
Da 6:3
6:3 Then this Daniel {b} was preferred
above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit [was] in him;
and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
(b) This heathen king preferred
Daniel a stranger to all his nobles and those he was familiar with, because
the graces of God were more excellent in him than in others.
Da 6:4
6:4 Then the presidents and princes {c}
sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could
find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he [was] faithful, neither was
there any error or fault found in him.
(c) Thus the wicked cannot abide the
graces of God in others, but seek by every occasion to deface them:
therefore against such assaults there is no better remedy than to walk
upright in the fear of God, and to have a good conscience.
Da 6:9
6:9 Wherefore king Darius {d} signed
the writing and the decree.
(d) In this is condemned the
wickedness of the king, who would be set up as a god, and did not care what
wicked laws he approved for the maintenance of it.
Da 6:10
6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the
writing was signed, he went into his house; and his {e} windows being open in
his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did
aforetime.
(e) Because he would not by his
silence show that he consented to this wicked decree, he set open his
windows toward Jerusalem when he prayed: both to stir up himself with the
remembrance of God's promises to his people, when they should pray toward
that temple, and also that others might see that he would neither consent in
heart nor deed for these few days to anything that was contrary to God's
glory.
Da 6:15
6:15 Then these men assembled unto the
king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and
Persians [is], That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be
{f} changed.
(f) Thus the wicked maintain evil
laws by constancy and authority, which is often either weakness, or
stubbornness, and the innocent as a result perish by them: and these
governors neither ought to fear, nor be ashamed to break such laws.
Da 6:20
6:20 And when he came to the den, he
cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: [and] the king spake and said to
Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest
continually, {g} able to deliver thee from the lions?
(g) This declares that Darius was
not touched with the true knowledge of God, because he doubted of his
power.
Da 6:22
6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and
hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before
him {h} innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done
{i} no hurt.
(h) My just cause and uprightness in
this thing in which I was charged, is approved by God.
(i) For he
disobeyed the kings's wicked commandment in order to obey God, and so he did
no injury to the king, who ought to command nothing by which God would be
dishonoured.
Da 6:23
6:23 Then was the king exceeding glad
for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So
Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him,
because he {k} believed in his God.
(k) Because he committed himself
wholly to God whose cause he defended, he was assured that nothing but good
could come to him: and in this we see the power of faith, as in He 11:33
.
Da 6:24
6:24 And the king commanded, and they
brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they {l} cast [them] into the
den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the
mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the
bottom of the den.
(l) This is a terrible example
against all the wicked who do against their conscience make cruel laws to
destroy the children of God, and also admonishes princes how to punish such
when their wickedness is come to light: though not in every point, or with
similar circumstances, but yet to execute true justice upon them.
Da 6:26
6:26 I make a decree, That in every
dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear {m} before the God of Daniel: for
he [is] the {n} living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that]
which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the
end.
(m) This does not prove that Darius
worshipped God properly, or was converted: for then he would have destroyed
all superstition and idolatry, and not only given God the chief place, but
also have set him up, and caused him to be honoured according to his word.
But this was a specific confession of God's power, unto which he was
compelled by this wonderful miracle.
(n) Who not only has life in
himself, but is the only fountain of life, and quickens all things, so that
without him there is no life.
Da 7:1
7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar
king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: {a}
then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the
matters.
(a) Whereas the people of Israel
looked for a continual peace, after the seventy years which Jeremiah had
declared, he shows that this rest will not be a deliverance from all
troubles, but a beginning. And therefore he encourages them to look for a
continual affliction until the Messiah is uttered and revealed, by whom they
would have a spiritual deliverance, and all the promises would be fulfilled.
And they would have a certain experience of this in the destruction of the
Babylonian kingdom.
Da 7:2
7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my
vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon {b} the
great sea.
(b) Which signified that there wold
be horrible troubles and afflictions in the world in all corners of the
world, and at various times.
Da 7:4
7:4 The first [was] like a {c} lion,
and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it
was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a
man's heart was given to it.
(c) Meaning the Assyrian and
Chaldean empire, which was most strong and fierce in power, and most soon to
come to their authority, as though they had wings to fly: yet their wings
were pulled off by the Persians, and they went on their feet, and were made
like other men, which is meant here by man's heart.
Da 7:5
7:5 And behold another beast, a second,
like to a {d} bear, and it raised up itself on {e} one side, and [it had]
three ribs in the {f} mouth of it between the teeth of it: {g} and they said
thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
(d) Meaning the Persians who were
barbarous and cruel.
(e) They were small in the beginning, and were shut
up in the mountains, and had no strength.
(f) That is, destroyed many
kingdoms and whose hunger could not be satisfied.
(g) That is, the angels
by God's commandment, who by this means punished the ingratitude of the
world.
Da 7:6
7:6 After this I beheld, and lo
another, like a {h} leopard, which had upon the back of it {i} four wings of a
fowl; the beast had also four heads; and {k} dominion was given to
it.
(h) Meaning Alexander the king of
Macedonia.
(i) That is, his four chief captains, which had the empire
among them after his death. Selencus had Asia the great, Antigonus the less,
Cassander and after him Antipater was king of Macedonia, and Ptolemeus had
Egypt.
(k) It was not of himself nor of his own power that he gained all
these countries: for his army contained only thirty thousand men, and he
overcame in one battle Darius, who had one million, when he was so heavy
with sleep that his eyes were hardly open, as the stories report: therefore
this power was given to him from God.
Da 7:7
7:7 After this I saw in the night
visions, and behold a {l} fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great {m} iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces,
and stamped {n} the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all
the beasts that [were] before it; and it had {o} ten
horns.
(l) That is, the Roman empire which
was a monster, and could not be compared to any beast, because there was no
beast that was even comparable.
(m) Signifying the tyranny and greediness
of the Romans.
(n) That which the Romans could not quietly enjoy in other
countries, they would give it to other kings and rulers, so that whenever
they wanted to, they might take it again: which liberality is here called
the stamping of the rest under the feet.
(o) That is, various and
different provinces which were governed by the deputies and proconsuls: and
each one of these might be compared to a king.
Da 7:8
7:8 I considered the horns, and,
behold, there came up among them another little {p} horn, before whom there
were {q} three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in
this horn [were] {r} eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great
things.
(p) Which is meant of Julius Caesar,
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, etc., who were as kings in
effect, but because they could not rule, except by the consent of the
senate, their power is compared to a little horn. For Muhammad did not come
from the Roman Empire, and the pope has no vocation of government: therefore
this cannot be applied to them, and also in this prophecy the Prophet's
purpose is chiefly to comfort the Jews until the revelation of Christ. Some
take it for the whole body of antichrist.
(q) Meaning a certain portion
of the ten horns: that is, a part from the whole estate was taken away. For
Augustus took from the senate the liberty of choosing the deputies to send
into the provinces, and took the governing of certain countries to
himself.
(r) These Roman emperors at the first used a certain humanity
and gentleness, and were content that others, as the consuls, and senate,
should bear the names of dignity, so that they might have the profit. And
therefore in election and counsels they would behave themselves according as
did other senators: yet against their enemies and those that would resist
them, they were fierce and cruel, which is here meant by the proud
mouth.
Da 7:9
7:9 I beheld till the {s} thrones were
cast down, and the {t} Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as
snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the
fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
(s) Meaning, the places where God
and his angels would come to judge these monarchies, which judgment would
begin at the first coming of Christ.
(t) That is, God who was before all
times, and is here described in a way such that man's nature is able to
comprehend some portion of his glory.
Da 7:10
7:10 A fiery stream issued and came
forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten
thousand {u} times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and
the {x} books were opened.
(u) That is, an infinite number of
angels, who were ready to execute his commandment.
(x) This is meant of
the first coming of Christ, when the will of God was plainly revealed by his
Gospel.
Da 7:11
7:11 I beheld then {y} because of the
voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast
was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning
flame.
(y) Meaning that he was astonished
when he saw these emperors in such dignity and pride, so suddenly destroyed
at the coming of Christ, when this fourth monarchy was subject to men of
other nations.
Da 7:12
7:12 As {z} concerning the rest of the
beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for
a season and time.
(z) As the three former monarchies
had an end at the time that God appointed, even though they flourished for a
time, so will this fourth have an end, and they that patiently wait for
God's appointment, will enjoy the promises.
Da 7:13
7:13 I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, {a} [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and {b}
came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him.
(a) Which is meant of Christ, who
had not yet taken upon him man's nature, neither was he yet the son of David
according to the flesh, as he was afterward: but he appeared then in a
figure, and that in the clouds, that is, being separated from the common
sort of men by manifest signs of his divinity.
(b) That is, when he
ascended into the heavens, and his divine majesty appeared, and all power
was given to him, in respect that he was our mediator.
Da 7:14
7:14 And there was given him {c}
dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not
pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be
destroyed.
(c) This is meant of the beginning
of Christ's kingdom, when God the Father gave unto him all dominion, as the
the Mediator, with the intent that he would continually govern his Church
which is here on earth, until the time that he brought them to eternal
life.
Da 7:15
7:15 I Daniel was {d} grieved in my
spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled
me.
(d) Because of the strangeness of
the vision.
Da 7:16
7:16 I came near unto {e} one of them
that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me
know the interpretation of the things.
(e) Meaning one of the angels, as in
Geneva "Dan 7:10"
Da 7:18
7:18 But the saints of the {f} most
High shall take the {g} kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for
ever and ever.
(f) That is, of the most high
things, because God has chosen them out of this world, that they should look
up to the heavens, upon which all their hope depends.
(g) Because Abraham
was appointed heir of all the world, Ro 4:13 , and in him all the faithful,
therefore the kingdom of him is theirs by right, which these four beasts or
tyrants would invade, and usurp until the world were restored by Christ. And
this was to strengthen and encourage those that were in troubles, that their
afflictions would eventually have an end.
Da 7:19
7:19 Then I would know the truth of the
fourth beast, which was {h} diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful,
whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake
in pieces, and stamped the {i} residue with his feet;
(h) For the other three monarchies
were governed by a king, and the Roman empire by consuls: the Romans changed
their governors yearly, and the other monarchies retained them for term of
life: also the Romans were the strongest of all the others, and were never
at peace among themselves.
(i) Read Dan 7:7 .
Da 7:20
7:20 And of the ten horns that [were]
in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell;
even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things,
whose {k} look [was] more stout than his fellows.
(k) This is meant of the fourth
beast, which was more terrible than the others.
Da 7:21
7:21 I beheld, and the same {l} horn
made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
(l) Meaning the Roman emperors, who
were most cruel against the Church of God, both of the Jews and of the
Gentiles.
Da 7:22
7:22 Until {m} the Ancient of days
came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom.
(m) Until God showed his power in
the person of Christ, and by the preaching of the Gospel gave unto his own
some rest, and so obtained a famous name in the world, and were called the
Church of God, or the kingdom of God.
Da 7:24
7:24 And the ten horns out of this
kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them;
and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue {n} three
kings.
(n) Read Geneva "Dan 7:8"
Da 7:25
7:25 And he shall speak [great] words
against {o} the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and
think to {p} change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a {q} time and times and the dividing of time.
(o) That is, will make wicked
decrees and proclamations against God's word, and send throughout all their
dominion, to destroy all that did profess it.
(p) These emperors will not
consider that they have their power from God, but think it is in their own
power to change God's laws and man's, and as it were the order of nature, as
appears by Octavius, Tiberius, Calligula, Nero, Domitianus, etc.
(q) God
will allow them to rage in this way against his saints for a long time, the
time and times, but at length he will soften these troubles, and shorten the
time for his elect's sake, Mt 24:22 , which is here meant by the dividing of
time.
Da 7:26
7:26 But the {r} judgment shall sit,
and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the
end.
(r) God by his power will restore
things that were out of order, and destroy this little horn in such a way
that it will never rise up again.
Da 7:27
7:27 And the {s} kingdom and dominion,
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting
kingdom, and all {t} dominions shall serve and obey him.
(s) He shows why the beast would be
destroyed, that is, so that his Church might have rest and quietness, which
though they do not fully enjoy here, yet they have it in hope, and by the
preaching of the Gospel enjoy the beginning of it, which is meant by these
words, "under the whole heaven". And therefore he speaks here of the
beginning of Christ's kingdom in this world, which kingdom the faithful have
by the participation that they have with Christ their head.
(t) That is,
some of every type that rule.
Da 7:28
7:28 Hitherto [is] the end of the
matter. As for me Daniel, my {u} cogitations much troubled me, and my
countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my
heart.
(u) Even though he had many motions
in his heart which moved him to and fro to seek out this matter curiously,
yet he was content with that which God revealed, and kept it in memory, and
wrote it for the use of the Church.
Da 8:1
8:1 In the third year of the reign of
king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, {a} after
that which appeared unto me at the first.
(a) After the general vision, he
comes to certain particular visions with regard to the destruction of the
monarchy of the Persians, and Macedonians: for the ruin of the Babylonians
was at hand, and also he had sufficiently spoken of it.
Da 8:2
8:2 And I saw in a vision; and it came
to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in
the province {b} of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of
Ulai.
Da 8:3
8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and
saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a {c} ram which had [two]
horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] {d} higher than the
other, and the higher came up last.
(c) Which represented the kingdom of
the Persians and Medes, which were united together.
(d) Meaning Cyrus,
who after grew greater in power than Darius his uncle and
father-in-law.
Da 8:4
8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and
northward, and southward; so that no {e} beasts might stand before him,
neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did
according to his will, and became great.
(e) That is, no kings or
nations.
Da 8:5
8:5 And as I was considering, behold,
{f} an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched
not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable {g} horn between his
eyes.
(f) Meaning Alexander that came from
Greece with great speed and warlike undertaking.
(g) Even though he came
in the name of all Greece, yet he bore the title and dignity of the general
captain, so that the strength was attributed to him, which is meant by this
horn.
Da 8:7
8:7 And I saw him come close unto the
ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and {h} smote the ram, and
brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him,
but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none
that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
(h) Alexander overcame Darius in two
different battles, and so had the two kingdoms of the Medes and
Persians.
Da 8:8
8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very
great: and when he was strong, the great {i} horn was broken; and for it came
up four {k} notable ones toward the four winds of
heaven.
(i) Alexander's great power was
broken: for when he had overcome all the East, he thought to return towards
Greece to subdue those that had rebelled, and so died along the way.
(k)
That is, who were famous: for almost in the space of fifteen years there
were fifteen different successors before this monarchy was divided to these
four, of which Cassander had Macedonia, Seleucus had Syria, Antigonus had
Asia the less, and Ptolemeus had Egypt.
Da 8:9
8:9 And out of one of them came forth a
{l} little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the {m} south, and toward
the {n} east, and toward the {o} pleasant [land].
(l) Which was Antiochus Epiphanes,
who was of a servile and flattering nature, and also there were others
between him and the kingdom: and therefore he is here called the little
horn, because neither princely conditions, nor any other thing was in him,
why he should obtain this kingdom.
(m) That is, towards Egypt.
(n) By
which he means Ptolemais.
(o) That is, Judea.
Da 8:10
8:10 And it waxed great, [even] to the
{p} host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to
the ground, and stamped upon them.
(p) Antiochus raged against the
elect of God, and tread his precious stars underfoot, who are so called
because they are separated from the world.
Da 8:11
8:11 Yea, he magnified [himself] even
to the {q} prince of the host, and by him the {r} daily [sacrifice] was taken
away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
(q) That is, God, who governs and
maintains his Church.
(r) He laboured to abolish all religion, and
therefore cast God's service out of his temple, which God had chosen as a
little corner from all the rest of the world to have his name there truly
called upon.
Da 8:12
8:12 And {s} an host was given [him]
against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it {t} cast down
the truth to the ground; and it practised, and
prospered.
(s) He shows that their sins are the
cause of these horrible afflictions: and yet comforts them, in that he
appoints this tyrant for a time, whom he would not allow to utterly abolish
his religion.
(t) This horn will abolish for a time the true doctrine,
and so corrupt God's service.
Da 8:13
8:13 Then I heard one {u} saint
speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How
long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the
transgression of {x} desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the {y} host
to be trodden under foot?
(u) Meaning that he heard one of the
angels asking this question of Christ, whom he called a certain one, or a
secret one, or a marvellous one.
(x) That is, the Jews' sins, which were
the cause of its destruction.
(y) That is, which suppresses God's
religion and his people.
Da 8:14
8:14 And {z} he said unto me, Unto {a}
two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed.
(z) Christ answered me for the
comfort of the Church.
(a) That is, until so many natural days have
passed, which make six years, and three and a half months: for the temple
was profaned this long under Antiochus.
Da 8:15
8:15 And it came to pass, when I,
[even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then,
behold, there stood before me {b} as the appearance of a
man.
(b) Who was Christ who in this
manner declared himself to the old fathers, how he would be God manifest in
flesh.
Da 8:16
8:16 And I heard a man's voice between
[the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, {c} make this [man] to
understand the vision.
(c) This power to command the angel,
declared that he was God.
Da 8:17
8:17 So he came near where I stood: and
when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me,
Understand, O son of man: for {d} at the time of the end [shall be] the
vision.
(d) The effect of this vision will
not yet appear, until a long time after.
Da 8:19
8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make
thee know what shall be in the last {e} end of the indignation: for at the
time appointed the end [shall be].
(e) Meaning that great rage which
Antiochus would show against the Church.
Da 8:22
8:22 Now that being broken, whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up {f} out of the nation, but
not {g} in his power.
(f) That is, out of Greece.
(g)
They will not have similar power as Alexander had.
Da 8:23
8:23 And in the latter time of their
kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of {h} fierce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand
up.
(h) Noting that this Antiochus was
impudent and cruel, and also crafty so that he could not be deceived.
Da 8:24
8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but
not {i} by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper,
and practise, and shall destroy the {k} mighty and the holy
people.
(i) That is, not like Alexander's
strength.
(k) Both the Gentiles that dwelt around him, and also the
Jews.
Da 8:25
8:25 And through his {l} policy also he
shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in
his heart, and by {m} peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against
the {n} Prince of princes; but he shall be broken {o} without
hand.
(l) Whatever he goes about by his
craft, he will bring it to pass.
(m) That is, under pretence of peace, or
as it were in sport.
(n) Meaning, against God.
(o) For God would
destroy him with a notable plague, and so comfort his Church.
Da 8:26
8:26 And the vision of the {p} evening
and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut thou up the vision;
for it [shall be] for many days.
Da 8:27
8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick
{q} [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I
was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].
(q) Because of fear and
astonishment.
Da 9:1
9:1 In the first year of Darius the son
of {a} Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the {b}
realm of the Chaldeans;
(a) Who was also called
Astyages.
(b) For Cyrus led with ambition, and went about wars in other
countries, and therefore Darius had the title of the kingdom, even though
Cyrus was king in effect.
Da 9:2
9:2 In the first year of his reign I
Daniel understood by {c} books the number of the years, whereof the word of
the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years
in the desolations of Jerusalem.
(c) For even though he was an
excellent Prophet, yet he daily increased in knowledge by the reading of the
scriptures.
Da 9:3
9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord
God, to {d} seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and
ashes:
(d) He does not speak of that
ordinary prayer, which he used in his house three times a day, but of a rare
and vehement prayer, lest their sins should cause God to delay the time of
their deliverance prophesied by Jeremiah.
Da 9:4
9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God,
and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the {e} great and dreadful God,
keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep
his commandments;
(e) That is, has all power in
yourself to execute your terrible judgments against obstinate sinners, as
you are rich in mercy to comfort those who obey your word and love
you.
Da 9:7
9:7 O Lord, {f} righteousness
[belongeth] unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the
men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, [that
are] near, and [that are] far off, through all the countries whither thou hast
driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against
thee.
(f) He shows that whenever God
punishes, he does it for just cause: and thus the godly never accuse him of
rigour as the wicked do, but acknowledge that in themselves there is just
cause why he should so treat them.
Da 9:8
9:8 O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion
of face, to our {g} kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have
sinned against thee.
(g) He does not excuse the kings
because of their authority, but prays chiefly for them as the chief
occasions of these great plagues.
Da 9:10
9:10 Neither have we obeyed the {h}
voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his
servants the prophets.
(h) He shows that they rebel against
God, who do not serve him according to his commandment and word.
Da 9:11
9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed
thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the
{i} curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of
Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against
him.
(i) As in De 27:15 , or the curse
confirmed by an oath.
Da 9:16
9:16 O Lord, according to all thy {k}
righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away
from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the
iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to
all [that are] about us.
(k) That is, according to all your
merciful promises and the performance of them.
Da 9:17
9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the
prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to {l} shine
upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the {m} Lord's
sake.
(l) Show yourself favourable.
(m)
That is, for your Christ's sake, in whom you will accept all of our
prayers.
Da 9:18
9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and
hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is
called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for
our {n} righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
(n) Declaring that the godly flee
only to God's mercies, and renounce their own works, when they seek for
remission of their sins.
Da 9:19
9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O
Lord, {o} hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy
city and thy people are called by thy name.
(o) Thus he could not content
himself with any vehemency of words: for he was so led with a fervent zeal,
considering God's promise made to the city in respect of his Church, and for
the advancement of God's glory.
Da 9:24
9:24 Seventy {p} weeks are determined
upon {q} thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the {r} transgression,
and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to
bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most Holy.
(p) He alludes to Jeremiah's
prophecy, who prophesied that their captivity would be seventy years: but
now God's mercy would exceed his judgment seven times as much, which would
be 490 years, even until the coming of Christ, and so then it would continue
forever.
(q) Meaning Daniel's nation, over whom he was careful.
(r) To
show mercy and to put sin out of remembrance.
Da 9:25
9:25 Know therefore and understand,
[that] from {s} the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven {t} weeks, and {u}
threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even
in troublous times.
(s) That is, from the time that
Cyrus gave them permission to depart.
(t) These weeks make forty-nine
years, of which forty-six are referred to the time of the building of the
temple, and three to the laying of the foundation.
(u) Counting from the
sixth year of Darius, who gave the second commandment for the building of
the temple are sixty-two weeks, which make 434 years, which comprehend the
time from the building of the temple until the baptism of Christ.
Da 9:26
9:26 And after threescore and two {x}
weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but {y} not for himself: and the people of the
{z} prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the
end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations
are determined.
(x) In this week of the seventy,
will Christ come and preach and suffer death.
(y) He will seem to have no
beauty, nor to be of any estimation; Isa 53:2 .
(z) Meaning Titus,
Vespasians's son, who would come and destroy both the temple, and the
people, without any hope of recovery.
Da 9:27
9:27 And he {a} shall confirm the
covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause
the sacrifice and the oblation to {b} cease, {c} and for the overspreading of
abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
(a) By the preaching of the Gospel
he affirmed his promise, first to the Jews, and after to the
Gentiles.
(b) Christ accomplished this by his death and
resurrection.
(c) Meaning that Jerusalem and the sanctuary would be
utterly destroyed because of their rebellion against God, and their
idolatry: or as some read, that the plague will be so great, that they will
all be astonished at them.
Da 10:1
10:1 In the {a} third year of Cyrus
king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called
Belteshazzar; and the thing [was] true, but the time appointed [was] {b} long:
and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the
vision.
(a) He notes this third year,
because at this time the building of the temple began to be hindered by
Cambyses, Cyrus's son, when the father made war in Asia minor against the
Scythians, which was discouraging to the godly, and fearful to
Daniel.
(b) Which is to declare that the godly should not hasten too
much, but patiently abide the fulfilment of God's promise.
Da 10:4
10:4 And in the four and twentieth day
of the {c} first month, as I {d} was by the side of the great river, which
[is] Hiddekel;
(c) Called Abib, which contains part
of March, and part of April.
(d) Being carried by the Spirit of prophecy
so that he could see the river Tigris.
Da 10:5
10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and
looked, and behold a certain man {e} clothed in linen, whose loins [were]
girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
(e) This was the angel of God, who
was sent to assure Daniel in this prophecy that follows.
Da 10:8
10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and
saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for {f} my
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no
strength.
(f) So that because of fear he was
like a dead man because of his deformity.
Da 10:10
10:10 And, behold, an {g} hand touched
me, which set me upon my knees and [upon] the palms of my
hands.
(g) Which declares that when we are
struck down with the majesty of God we cannot rise, unless he also lifts us
up with his hand, which is his power.
Da 10:13
10:13 But the {h} prince of the kingdom
of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, {i} Michael, one of the
chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of
Persia.
(h) Meaning Cambyses, who reigned in
his father's absence, and did not only for this time hinder the building of
the temple, but would have further raged, if God had not sent me to resist
him: and therefore I have stayed for the profit of the Church.
(i) Even
though God could by one angel destroy all the world, yet to assure his
children of his love he sends forth double power, even Michael, that is,
Christ Jesus the head of angels.
Da 10:14
10:14 Now I am come to make thee
understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the {k}
vision [is] for [many] days.
(k) For even though the Prophet
Daniel would end and cease, yet his doctrine would continue until the coming
of Christ, for the comfort of his Church.
Da 10:16
10:16 And, behold, {l} [one] like the
similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and
spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, {m} by the vision my
sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no
strength.
(l) This was the same angel that
spoke with him before in the appearance of a man.
(m) I was overcome with
fear and sorrow, when I saw the vision.
Da 10:19
10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved,
fear not: {n} peace [be] unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had
spoken unto me, I {o} was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou
hast strengthened me.
(n) He declares by this that God
would be merciful to the people of Israel.
(o) Which declares that when
God smites his children down, he does not immediately lift them up at once
(for now the Angel had touched him twice), but by little and little.
Da 10:20
10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou
wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of
Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the {p} prince of Grecia shall
come.
(p) Meaning that he would not only
himself bridle the rage of Cambyses, but also the other kings of Persia by
Alexander the King of Macedonia.
Da 10:21
10:21 But I will shew thee that which
is noted in the scripture of truth: {q} and [there is] none that holdeth with
me in these things, but Michael your prince.
(q) For this angel was appointed for
the defence of the Church under Christ, who is the head of it.
Da 11:1
11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius
the Mede, [even] I, {a} stood to confirm and to strengthen
him.
(a) The angel assures Daniel that
God has given him power to perform these things, seeing that he appointed
him to assist Darius when he overcame the Chaldeans.
Da 11:2
11:2 And now will I shew thee the
truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet {b} three kings in Persia; and the
fourth shall be far richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his
riches he shall stir up {c} all against the realm of
Grecia.
(b) Of which Cambyses that now
reigned was the first, the second Smerdes, the third Darius the son of
Hystaspis, and the fourth Xerxes, who all were enemies to the people of God,
and stood against them.
(c) For he raised up all the east countries to
fight against the Grecians, and even though he had in his army 900,000 men,
yet in four battles he was defeated, and fled away with shame.
Da 11:3
11:3 And a {d} mighty king shall stand
up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his
will.
(d) That is, Alexander the
Great.
Da 11:4
11:4 And when he shall stand up, {e}
his kingdom shall be broken, {f} and shall be divided toward the {g} four
winds of heaven; and not to his {h} posterity, nor according to {i} his
dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others
beside {k} those.
(e) For when his estate was most
flourishing, he overcame himself with drink, and so fell into a disease: or
as some write, was poisoned by Cassander.
(f) For his twelve chief
princes first divided his kingdom among themselves.
(g) After this his
monarchy was divided into four: for Seleucus had Syria, Antigonus had Asia
minor, Cassander had the kingdom of Macedonia, and Ptolemeus had
Egypt.
(h) Thus God avenged Alexander's ambition and cruelty, in causing
his posterity to be murdered, partly by their father's chief friends, and
partly by one another.
(i) None of these four will be able to be compared
to the power of Alexander.
(k) That is, his posterity having no part of
it.
Da 11:5
11:5 And the {l} king of the south
shall be strong, and [one] of {m} his princes; and he shall be strong above
him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great
dominion.
(l) That is, Ptolemeus king of
Egypt.
(m) That is, Antiochus the son of Seleucus, and one of Alexander's
princes will be more mighty: for he would have both Asia and Syria.
Da 11:6
11:6 And in the end of years they shall
join themselves together; for the king's {n} daughter of the south shall come
to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the
power of the {o} arm; neither shall {p} he stand, nor his {q} arm: but she
shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he {r} that begat her, and
he that strengthened her in [these] times.
(n) That is, Bernice the daughter of
Ptolemais Philadelphus will be given in marriage to Antiochus Theos,
thinking by this affinity that Syria and Egypt would have a continual peace
together.
(o) That power and strength will not continue: for soon after
her husband's death, Bernice and her young son were slain by her stepson
Seleicus Calinieus the son of Laodice, the lawful wife of Antiochus, but put
away for this woman's sake.
(p) Neither Ptolemais nor Antiochus.
(q)
Some read "seed", meaning the child begotten by Bernice.
(r) Some read,
"she that begat her", and by this understand her nurse, who brought her up:
so that all those who were part of this marriage were destroyed.
Da 11:7
11:7 But out of a branch of her {s}
roots shall [one] stand up in his estate, {t} which shall come with an army,
and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal
against them, and shall prevail:
(s) Meaning that Ptolemais Evergetes
after the death of his father Philadelphus would succeed in the kingdom,
being of the same stock that Bernice was.
(t) To revenge the sister's
death against Antiochus Calinicus King of Syria.
Da 11:8
11:8 And shall also carry captives into
Egypt their gods, with their princes, [and] with their precious vessels of
silver and of gold; and he shall continue {u} [more] years than the king of
the north.
(u) For this Ptolemais reigned
forty-six years.
Da 11:10
11:10 But his {x} sons shall be stirred
up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] {y} shall
certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he {z} return, and
be stirred up, [even] to his fortress.
(x) Meaning Seleucus and Antiochus
the great, the sons of Calinicus, will make war against Ptolemais
Philopater, the son of Philadelphus.
(y) For his older brother Seleucus
died, or was slain while the armies were preparing for war.
(z) That is,
Philopater, when he will see Antiochus take great dominions from him in
Syria, and also ready to invade Egypt.
Da 11:11
11:11 And the king of the south shall
be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the
king of the north: and he shall set forth a great {a} multitude; but the
multitude shall be given into his hand.
(a) For Antioch had 6,000 horsemen,
and 60,000 footmen.
Da 11:13
11:13 For the king of the north {b}
shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and
shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much
riches.
(b) After the death of Ptolemais
Philopater, who left Ptolemais Epiphanes as his heir.
Da 11:14
11:14 And in those times there shall
{c} many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy {d}
people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall
fall.
(c) For not only Antaiochus came
against him, but also Philip King of Macedonia, and these two brought great
power with them.
(d) For under Onies, who falsely alleged that place of
Isa 19:19 , certain of the Jews retired with him into Egypt to fulfil this
prophecy: also the angel shows that all these troubles which are in the
Church, are by the providence and counsel of God.
Da 11:15
11:15 So the king of the north shall
come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of
the south shall {e} not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither [shall
there be any] strength to withstand.
(e) The Egyptians were not able to
resist Stopas, Antiochus' captain.
Da 11:16
11:16 But he that cometh against him
shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he
shall stand in the {f} glorious land, which by his hand shall be
consumed.
(f) He shows that he will not only
afflict the Egyptians, but also the Jews, and will enter into their country,
of which he admonished them before, that they may know that all these things
came by God's providence.
Da 11:17
11:17 He shall also {g} set his face to
enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus
shall he do: and he shall give him the {h} daughter of women, corrupting {i}
her: but {k} she shall not stand [on his side], neither be for
him.
(g) This was the second battle that
Antiochus fought against Ptolemais Epiphanes.
(h) That is, a beautiful
woman who was Cleopatra, Antiochus' daughter.
(i) For he did not regard
the life of his daughter in respect of the kingdom of Egypt.
(k) She will
not agree to his wicked counsel, but will love her husband, as her duty
requires, and not seek his destruction.
Da 11:18
11:18 After this shall he turn his face
unto the {l} isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf {m}
shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he
shall cause [it] to turn upon {n} him.
(l) That is, towards Asia, Greece,
and those isles which are in the Mediterranean Sea: for the Jews called all
countries which were divided by the sea "isles".
(m) For whereas
Antiochus was accustomed to condemn the Romans, and put their ambassadors to
shame in all places, Attilius the consul, or Lucius Scipio put him to
flight, and caused his shame to turn on his own head.
(n) By his wicked
life, and obedience to foolish counsel.
Da 11:19
11:19 Then he shall turn his face
toward the fort of {o} his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be
{p} found.
(o) For fear of the Romans he will
flee to his strongholds.
(p) For when as under the pretence of poverty he
would have robbed the temple of Jupiter Dodomeus, the countrymen slew
him.
Da 11:20
11:20 {q} Then shall stand up in his
estate a raiser of taxes [in] the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he
shall be destroyed, neither in {r} anger, nor in battle.
(q) That is, Seleuchus will succeed
his father Antiochus.
(r) Not by foreign enemies, or battle, but by
treason.
Da 11:21
11:21 And in his estate shall stand up
a {s} vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but
he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by
flatteries.
(s) Who was Antiochus Epiphanes, who
as is thought was the occasion of Seleucus his brother's death, and was of a
vile, cruel, and flattering nature, and defrauded his brother's son of the
kingdom, and usurped the kingdom without the consent of the people.
Da 11:22
11:22 And with the {t} arms of a flood
shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the
prince of the {u} covenant.
(t) He shows that great foreign
powers will come to help the young son of Seleucus against his uncle
Antiochus, and yet will be overthrown.
(u) Meaning Ptolemais Philopater's
son, who was this child's cousin, and is here called the prince of the
covenant, because he was the chief, and all others followed his
conduct.
Da 11:23
11:23 And after {x} the league [made]
with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become
strong with a {y} small people.
(x) For after the battle, Philometor
and his uncle Antiochus made a league.
(y) For he came upon him by
surprise, and when he did not suspect his uncle Antiochus at all.
Da 11:24
11:24 He shall enter peaceably even
upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do [that] which his
fathers {z} have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among
them the prey, and spoil, and riches: [yea], and he shall forecast his devices
against the strong holds, even for a {a} time.
(z) Meaning, in Egypt.
(a) He
will content himself with the small strongholds for a time, but will always
labour by craft to attain to the chiefest.
Da 11:25
11:25 And he shall stir up his power
and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king
of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army;
but he shall not {b} stand: for they shall forecast devices against
him.
(b) He will be overcome with
treason.
Da 11:26
11:26 Yea, they that feed of the
portion of {c} his meat shall destroy him, and his army {d} shall overflow:
and many shall fall down slain.
(c) Signifying his princes and the
chief men about him.
(d) Declaring that his soldiers will break out and
venture their life to stay and to be slain for the safeguard of their
prince.
Da 11:27
11:27 And both these kings' hearts
[shall be] to do {e} mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it
shall not prosper: for {f} yet the end [shall be] at the time
appointed.
(e) The uncle and the nephew will
make truce, and banquet together, yet in their hearts they will imagine
mischief against one another.
(f) Signifying that it depends not on the
counsel of men to bring things to pass, but on the providence of God, who
rules the kings by a secret bridle, so that they cannot do what they
themselves wish.
Da 11:28
11:28 Then shall he return into his
land with great {g} riches; and his heart [shall be] against the holy
covenant; and he shall do [exploits], and return to his own
land.
(g) Which he will take from the Jews
in spoiling Jerusalem and the temple, and this is told them before to exhort
them to be patient, knowing that all things are done by God's
providence.
Da 11:30
11:30 For the ships {h} of Chittim
shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have
indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return,
{i} and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy
covenant.
(h) That is, the Roman power will
come against him: for P. Popilius the ambassador appointed him to depart in
the Romans' name, which he obeyed, although with grief, and to avenge his
rage he came against the people of God the second time.
(i) With the Jews
who will forsake the covenant of the Lord: for first he was called against
the Jews by Jason the high priest, and this second time by Menelaus.
Da 11:31
11:31 And arms {k} shall stand on his
part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary {l} of strength, and shall take
away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh
desolate.
(k) A great faction of the wicked
Jews will join with Antiochus.
(l) So called because the power of God was
not at all diminished, even though this tyrant set up in the temple the
image of Jupiter Olympius, and so began to corrupt the pure service of
God.
Da 11:32
11:32 And such as do wickedly {m}
against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do
know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].
(m) Meaning those who had the name
of Jews, but indeed were not Jews at all, for they sold their souls, and
betrayed their brethren for gain.
Da 11:33
11:33 And they that understand among
the {n} people shall instruct many: {o} yet they shall fall by the sword, and
by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, [many] days.
(n) Those that remain constant among
the people will teach others by their example, and edify many in the true
religion.
(o) By which he exhorts the godly to constancy, even though
they should perish a thousand times, and even though their miseries endure
ever so long.
Da 11:34
11:34 Now when they shall fall, they
shall be holpen with a {p} little help: but many shall cleave to them {q} with
flatteries.
(p) As God will not leave his Church
destitute, yet he will not deliver it all at once, but help in such a way
that they may still seem to fight under the cross, as he did in the time of
the Maccabees, of which he here prophesies.
(q) That is, there will even
be among this small number many hypocrites.
Da 11:35
11:35 And [some] of them {r} of
understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white,
[even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time
appointed.
(r) That is, of those that fear God
and will lose their life for the defence of true religion. Signifying also
that the Church must continually be tried and purged, and ought to look for
one persecution after another: for God has appointed the time, and therefore
we must obey.
Da 11:36
11:36 And the {s} king shall do
according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above
every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and
shall prosper till the indignation {t} be accomplished: for that that is
determined shall be done.
(s) Because the angels purpose is to
show the whole course of the persecutions of the Jews until the coming of
Christ, he now speaks of the monarchy of the Romans, which he notes by the
name of a king, who were without religion and condemned the true God.
(t)
So long the tyrants will prevail as God has appointed to punish his people:
but he shows that it is but for a time.
Da 11:37
11:37 Neither shall he regard the {u}
God of his fathers, nor the desire {x} of women, nor regard any god: for he
shall magnify himself above all.
(u) The Romans will observe no
certain form of religion as other nations, but will change their gods at
their pleasures, indeed, they will condemn them and prefer themselves to
their gods.
(x) Signifying that they would be without all humanity: for
the love of women is taken for singular or great love, as 2Sa 1:26 .
Da 11:38
11:38 But in his estate shall he honour
the {y} God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour
with {z} gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things.
(y) That is, the god of power and
riches: they will esteem their own power above all their gods and worship
it.
(z) Under pretence of worshipping the gods, they will enrich their
city with the most precious jewels of all the world, because by this all men
would hold them in admiration for their power and riches.
Da 11:39
11:39 Thus shall he do in {a} the most
strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge [and] increase with
glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land
for gain.
(a) Even though in their hearts they
had no religion, yet they did acknowledge the gods, and worshipped them in
their temples, lest they should have been despised as atheists. But this was
to increase their fame and riches, and when they gained any country, they
made others the rulers of it in such a way that the profit always came to
the Romans.
Da 11:40
11:40 And at the time of the end shall
the king of the {b} south push at him: and the king of the north shall come
against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many
ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass
over.
(b) That is, both the Egyptians and
the Syrians will at length fight against the Romans, but they will be
overcome.
Da 11:41
11:41 He shall enter also into the {c}
glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall
escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children
of Ammon.
(c) The angel forewarns the Jews
that when they should see the Romans invade them, and that the wicked would
escape their hands, that then they should think that all this was done by
God's providence, seeing that he warned them of it so long before, and
therefore he would still preserve them.
Da 11:44
11:44 But tidings out of the east and
out of the north shall {d} trouble him: therefore he shall go forth {e} with
great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
(d) Hearing that Crassus was slain,
and Antonius defeated.
(e) For Augustus overcame the Parthians, and
recovered that which Antonius had lost.
Da 11:45
11:45 And he shall plant the
tabernacles {f} of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain;
yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
(f) The Romans after this reigned
quietly throughout all countries, and from sea to sea, and in Judea: but at
length because of their cruelty God will destroy them.
Da 12:1
12:1 And at that {a} time shall Michael
stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation
[even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.
(a) The angel here notes two things:
first that the Church will be in great affliction and trouble at Christ's
coming, and next that God will send his angel to deliver it, whom he here
calls Michael, meaning Christ, who is proclaimed by the preaching of the
Gospel.
Da 12:2
12:2 And many {b} of them that sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
[and] everlasting contempt.
(b) Meaning all will rise at the
general resurrection, which thing he here names because the faithful should
always consider that: for in the earth there will be no sure comfort.
Da 12:3
12:3 And they that be {c} wise shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that {d} turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
(c) Who have kept the true fear of
God and his religion.
(d) He chiefly means the ministers of God's word,
and next all the faithful who instruct the ignorant, and bring them to the
true knowledge of God.
Da 12:4
12:4 But thou, O Daniel, {e} shut up
the words, and seal the book, {f} [even] to the time of the end: many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
(e) Even though the most part
despise this prophecy, yet make sure you keep it and esteem it as a
treasure.
(f) Until the time that God has appointed for the full
revelation of these things: and then many will run to and fro to search for
the knowledge of these mysteries, which things they obtain now by the light
of the Gospel.
Da 12:5
12:5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold,
there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the {g} river, and
the other on that side of the bank of the river.
(g) Which was the Tigris.
Da 12:7
12:7 And I heard the man clothed in
linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his {h} right
hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that
[it shall be] for a {i} time, times, and an half; and when he shall have
accomplished {k} to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things]
shall be finished.
(h) Which was as it were a double
oath, and did the more confirm the thing.
(i) Meaning, a long time, a
longer time, and at length a short time: signifying that their troubles
would have an end.
(k) When the Church will be scattered and diminished
in such a way as it will seem to have no power.
Da 12:11
12:11 And from the time [that] the {l}
daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh
desolate set up, [there {m} shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety
days.
(l) From the time that Christ by his
sacrifice will take away the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Law.
(m)
Signifying that the time will be long until Christ's second coming, and yet
the children of God ought not to be discouraged, even though it is
deferred.
Da 12:12
12:12 Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and
cometh to the thousand three hundred and {n} five and thirty
days.
(n) In this number he adds a month
and a half to the former number, signifying that it is not in man to appoint
the time of Christ's coming, but that they are blessed that patiently wait
for his appearing.
Da 12:13
12:13 But go {o} thou thy way till the
end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the
days.
(o) The angel warns the Prophet
patiently to wait, until the time appointed comes, signifying that he should
depart this life, and rise again with the elect, when God had sufficiently
humbled and purged his Church.
Index