in Syria. Thence he was allured by the false promises of
Menelaus, and perfidiously murdered by the king's lieuten-
ant, Andronicus. See the whole story in '.i Mace. iv. 27 seq.
The Jews at Jerusalem, incensed by the violent death of
tlieir lawful high-priest, and by the sacrilegious robberies of
Menelaus and Lysimachus, became tumultuous, and a severe
contest took pljice between them and the adherents of those
who committed the robbery, in which the patriotic Jews at
last gained the victory, and Lysimachus was slain at the
treasury. This was the first contest that took place between
the friends of Antiochus and the adherents to the Hebrew
laws and usages. The whole of it was occasioned by the
baseness of Antiochus in accepting bribes for bestowing the
office of high-priest on those who had no just claim to it.
The payment of the bribes occasioned the robbing of the
temple and the sacrilege committed there; and this was the
commencement of thnt long series of oppression, (lersecu-
tion, and bloodshed which took place in the sequel under
Antiochus.
" We have, indeed, no data in ancient history by which
the very day, or even month, connected wth the transac
tions above related can be exactly ascertained. But the
j/ear is certain ; and, as the time seems to be definite in our
t«xt, the fair presuniption is, that the outiireak of the popu-
lace and the battle that followed constitutes the terminus a
quo of the 2,yUll days. See Froelich, Annates Reg. .Vyr., p.
46 ; and also Usher's Chronol As to the difference
between the time here, viz., 2,300 days, and the three and a
half years in vii. *25, if the reader narrowly inspects the lat-
ter, he will perceive that the time there specified has rela-
tion to the period during which Antiochus entirely prohib-
ited the Jewish religion in every shape. This period, as is
well known, corresponds with historic.il facts. In the pas-
sage before us a more extensive series of events is comprised,
as vs. 10-1*2 indicate. They begin with a.ssaults on the
priesthood (which we have seen to be matter of fact, as
stated above), and enil with the desecration and prostration
of all that is sacred and holy. It is unnecessary to show
that each of the things described belongs to each and every
part of the 2,300 day.s. Enough th.lt the events are sticces-
sive, and -spread over the time specified in our text. The
trampling down nr degradation of the priesthood and the
sanctuary commenced the whole series of oppression and
persecution, and this, with most aggravated acts of sacrilege
and blasphemy, was also the consummation of the tyrant'?
outrages." Cowles gives a similar explanation in detail
Com>iientai% p. 878 et seo.J
CHAP. VIII. 1-27.
ISJ
polemical spirit of the times, which has seized
upon it as a popular weapon against papacy. ]
Verses 15-19. Preparatory to the interpreta-
tion of the vijiwn of the ram and the he-goat.
And . . . when I . . . sought for the mean-
ing, namely, of the entire vision that was seen.
The seeking was purely subjective, and not ex-
pressed in the form of a question addressed to
the angel (Von Leng. ), nor in a silent prayer to
God (Havemick). — Behold, there stood before
me (one), as the appearance of a man, i.e., ap-
pearing like a man. The expression "behold,
there stood," etc., indicates the startling and
extraordinary character of the apparition, which
argued something terrible and superhuman (cf.
Job iv. 16); the "?3 HK^'^S then follows to
denote the encouraging effect produced on the
seer by the taanlike appearance of the form.
The term "l^J is employed instead of CIH or
â– i:;i;s, doubtless in allusion to the name of the
angel, which is given below, in v. 16 ; see on
that pass.ige, and cf. chap. ix. 21. where the
same angel is designated as " the man Gabriel,"
but where his super-human nature is also very
clearly implied (in his " flying"). — Verse 16. And
I heard a man's voice between (the) Ulai, i.e.,
between the two branches of the Eulseus ; cf.
supra, onv. 3. V? does not stand for V?'?, as
if the voice only, and not also the listener, were
stationed between the TJIai ; nor does ^3^6* V3
signify "between the banks of the Ulai"
(against Von Lengerke, Hitzig, etc.). — Gabriel,
make this man to understand the vision.
;st"'T23, i.e., "man of God,"oralso "man-god"
(according to Ewald, " a God who kindly conde-
scends to man"), is the name of one of the
principal angels or angel-princes (cf. Luke i. 19),
one of the apxayyeAoi or D"'"^ (chap. x. 13 et
seq.), whose number is fixed at seven in Rev.
viii. 2 {<H i—ra I'v. jc/o'. ol 'tvCi-iov rov i^toh efjTijKatjt),
equal to that of the nmjiha,<ipands, who stand
beside Ormuzd as a divine council, according
to the ancient religious books of Parseeism.
The Scriptural archangels, however, of whom
another, Michael, is mentioned hereafter in this
book, are not to be regarded as identical with
the Ame.^haxpentas of Parseeism; for (1) the
number seven in the latter case is obtained only
by adding Ormuzd himself to six others ; (2)
they are not represented as angels or servants of
God. but as being themselves divine, and as
governing determined portions of creation in
that char.acter, e.g.. Bohumarm (Bohman) gov-
erns the sky, Ardihesht the fire, Sapandomad
the earth, etc. ; (8) the 7iames of the anuha-
upandt are as thoroughly Persian or Aryan in
their character as those of the Scriptural arch-
angel, so far as they occur in the Holy Bible
(namely, Gabriel and Michael, and Raphael in i
the Apocrypha, Tob. iii. 25 ; xii. 12 et seq.) are
specifically Shemitic, and bear, by virtue of the
ending ;f< in each case, a thoroughly monothe-
istic character; (4) the attempts to establish
the identity of individual anuhnsiinnd.t with
individual archangels of the Bible must be re-
garded, without exception, as failures ; e. g. ,
the supposed recognition of Chordad (Haur-
vatat) in the Apocalyptic "angel of the waters,"
Rev. xvi. 5 (Hitzig ; also Hilgenf did, Dasjuden-
thum im pers. Zeitalter, in the ZeitscJir. f. win-
senseJuiftl. Theologie, 1866, No. 4), the proposed
identifying of Gabriel with Crao.^ha and ol
Michael with Bohman (by Alex. Kohut, Uebei
diejiidische Angelokif/ie tind Vdmonolngie in ihrer
Abhdngigkeit vom ParsiJimus," in Abhandlungen
der Deutsch. Morgenl. GeselUchuft. vol. IV. No.
3). Cf. Haneberg, in Reusch's Theolog. Litera-
turbl, 1867, No. 3, p. 72; also D(jllinger, Hei-
denthum nnd Judenthuin, p. 361 ; M. Haug,
E.'isays on the sacred language, writings,, and
religion of the Parseen, Bombay-, 1862. — Ewald
appears inclined to regard Gabriel not as one of
the superior angels, but as occupying an inter-
mediate or inferior rank, since he designates
the " man's voice " which calls to him as that
of a still higher angel. This assumption, how-
ever, is unnecessary ; it is conceivable that an
angel of equal rank may have given him this
direction, or, if this should not be preferred,
that God Himself, giving a human sound to
His voice that He might be heard by Daniel, ad-
dressed the angel. — It must remain undecided
whether the " man's voice " is to be considered
as belonging to the former of the S'"i'lp who
were speaking together in v. 13, while Gabriel
is to be identified with the questioner in that
place (as Hitzig supposes), since the author has
not definitely indicated such an identity. — Verse
17. So he came near where I stood; literally,
" beside my standing" (cf. v'. 18i. Luther ren-
ders it, "and he came hard by me" — And
when (or "as") he came, I was afraid, and
fell upon my face. Cf. chap, x 9 ; Ezek. i. 2S;
xliii. 3 ; Rev. i. 17. — Understand, O son of
man ( — this address is probably rai'delled after
Ezekiel — ) ; for at ths time of the end shall
be the vision j rather, " for the vision is for
the final time," i.e., it refers to the final period
of earthly history ; cf. v. 19 *, 26. [But these
verses do not warrant this interpretation. See
below.] The words are not designed to com-
fort, but to direct attention to the impressive
and alarming nature of the prophecy, in which,
according to the following context, they are suc-
oe6.sful. — Verse 18. Now as he was speaking
with me, I was in a doep sleep on my face
towEtrd the ground ; rather, " and while he
was speaking with me, I fell stunned upon my
face to the ground." Not until this repeated
falling down in terror did the " benumbing" or
Divine cKn-noir take place, as the immediate
presence of God for the purpose of imparting to
the prophet a highly important revelation, was
not realized until then. Cf. the case of Moses
(Ex. xxxiii. 20), Isaiah (Isa. vi. 5), Peter, John,
and James, on the mount of transfiguration
(Luke ix. 32), Paul and his com|ianions near
Damascus (Acts ix. 4; xxii. 7; xxvi. 12), etc. —
But he touched me, and set me upright. Cf.
X. 10 et seq. ; Neh. ix. 3, etc. — Verse 19. Be-
hold .... what shall be in the last end oi
the indignation, namely, of the Divine indig-
nation upon the godless world (the o/))'/ iicyuAT),
1 Mace. i. 64 ; cf. Rom. ii. 5 ; Isa. x, 5, 25 ;
xxvi. 20; Jer. 1. 5), which naturally will be
manifested most strongly toward the close of
human history, when the tares of wickedness
shall flourish most luxuriantly (see v. 23 .and
1S2
THE PROPHET DANIEL.
Matt. xiii. 30. 39; cf. Matt. xxiv. 9 et seq.).
For this reason the last timts shall constitute a
period of great tribulation and woes (i^/'i/'f'S',
Ljildff — Matt. xxiv. 7 et seq ). — For at the time
appointed the end shall be; rather, "for it
relates to the point of time of the end." The
subject here, as in v. 17 ft, is the vision (ITH"),
or rather its contents, which, according to this
HS.su ranee from the angel, refers to the 7P. "^".1'-'
the determined point of time of the end." *
Verses 20-26. Tlie interpreUitwn of the visiiyn.
On V. 20, cf. supra, on v. 3; concerning v. 21,
on V. 5. — The king cf Graecia; properly, of
Javan (V"^). By this term the Hebrews desig-
nated all the Hellenic lands and peoples, because
the lonians (Homer, 'hutm;) dwelt in the e-astern
portions of Hellas, and- through their colonies
in Asia Minor were the first to become acquaint-
ed with the Asiatics. The Egyptians, ancient
Persians, and Indians appear likewise to have
constantly denominated the whole body of Grae-
cian nations as lonians or Jaonians ; .^Eschylus
and Aristophanes, at least, introduce Persians
as employing the term '\<inn<; instead of 'E/Z-i/ifr.
Cf- generally, Knobel, Vulkertfifd, p. 78 et seq.
— Verse 22. Notv that being broken, whereas
four stood up for it; rather, " and that which
was broken, and in whose stead four stood up,"
It should have read, properly, "and concerning
this, that it (the great horn) was broken, and
that in its stead four stood up ; " but instead of
this, ~"ip:n"J stands abruptly at the beginning
(cf. vii. 17). and the ecbactic 'l3T nnttsni,
" and four stood up," etc., is subordinate to that
* tKeil, however, justly remarks : " But yj^TlTi the
H'n^ of the end, and yp "^yiTZ, the appointed time of the
end, 19 not the absolute end of all things, the time of the
setting up of the retjutnn gtorifv, and the time of the tribu-
lation preceding the return of the Lord ; but the time of the
judgment of the world-kingdom and the setting up of the
everlasting kingdom of G-od by the appeai'ance of the Mes-
Biah. the end of aluiv oyros and the commencement of the
aiwf jneAAwi', the time of the Q'i?Q'nn n^"ini< (chap. ix.
14). which an apostle calls (1 Cor, x. 11) rd reATj Toti- aluivmv,
and speaks of as having then already come.'" Stuart still
more correctly says: ''End of what? Of Antiochus? or
of a troublous state of things ? or end of the world ? Not
merely of Antiochus: for his importance, as exhibited in
the book of Daniel, arises principally from his power to
annoy the people of God. Not, the end of ttie world : for in
chap. viiL no Messianic period is developed at the close of
It-i predictions, and yet the Messianic reign is itself the end
or last time of the world. Ver. 19 gives ns perhaps more
light; Oy^tl ri^"*ni!52, in the latter time of the indigna-
tion, i.e., the latter time of afflictions permitted to be
brought upon Israel, because of the divine indignation
against their sins. The vi-sion itself in fact reaches only to
the enfl of those special afflictions that are to come on the
people of the Jews be/ore the Messianic period, and which
are made the subject of prophecy because of their impor-
tance. The warning to mark ipett or von^tider the vision,
because it discloses these afflictions, connects itself of course
with a supposed importance attached to the knowledge of
the final special troubles of the Jews before the coming of
the Messiah. The Kabbins call these trouble-i ^b-H
T^23^." In other words, as Keil presently says m >re dis-
tinctly, " Q2.'^n ifi the wrath of God against Israel, the pun-
Uhment *A-hich God hung over them on account of their
«ins. as in Isa. x. 5 : Jer. xxv, 11 ; Ezek, xxii. 24, et^,. and
here the sufferings of pimishment and discipline w.'lich the
little horn shall bring over lai-uel."]
term in its absolute position. — Pour kingdom]
shall stand up out of the nation ; ~:"!?ar'^, an
archaism (Gen, xxx. 38; 1 Sam. vi. 12), that
here seems to be renewed under the influence
of the Chaldee element, — But not in his power.
The suffix in inSa does not refer back to "'13': i
but to ^r'?'? in y- 21 ft. The power of the first
great Gra3cian conqueror shall not descend to the
kingdoms which spring from his empire ; they
shall not equal him, neither singly, nor all taken
together, — Verse 23. And in the latter time of
their kingdom, when the transgressors are
come to the full, namely, of the measure of
their wicked plans and actions ; cf. the same
elliptic usage of onn in chap, ix, 24 Keri, and
in addition Gen. xv. 16 ; 2 Mace. vi. 14 ; Matt,
xxiii. 33; 1 Thess. ii. 16. The S^JSTQ who are
here charged with ' ' filling the measure of their
sins " are not the Israelites who have forsaken
Jehovah and His law (Dereser, Von Lengerke,
Kranichfeld), but, without doubt, the enemies
of God's people, the heathen oppressors of the
saints of the Most High; for the term 2i;tL"S
alludes with sufficient clearness to i'r E in vs.
6, 12, and 13. For the opinion that this does
not probably refer to the servants and abettors
of Antiochus Epiphanes, but rather to his pre-
decessors, see supra, on v. 9. * — A king of fierce
(rather, "insolent") countenance, and under-
standing dark sentences, shall stand up.
D^:E tV, properly, "of hard countenance" (cf.
Deut. xxviii. 50 ; Isa. xix. 4). The predicate
probably refers chiefly to the blasphemous say-
ings of the tyrant, see chap, vii, 3 et seq. The
following predicate, niin Vt*?! "versed in
riddles," denotes his art of cunning dissimula-
tion, b.y which he is able to conce.al his purposes
from both friend and foe; cf, v, 2.'>. and xi, 21,
27. — Verse 24, And his power shall be mighty,
but not by his own power. The implied
thought is. "but by Divine permission;" cf.
vs. 12 and 13, and also Isa. x. 5 et seq. ; 1 Sam.
ii. 9, etc. — It is incorrect to supply, with Dere-
ser, Von Lengerke, etc, an antithe,sis to "not
by his own power," so that it will read " but by
his cuniii/ig." rna sb is a litotes, which,
exactly similar to the expression ' ' without
hand" (chap, ii, 34 and infra, v. 25). alludes to
the superhuman providence of God as com-
pared to human power, which is never more
than impotence. — And he shall destroy won-
derfully, and shall prosper; r"S<;E;, an ad-
verb, as in Job xxxvii, 5, For what remains,
cf, supra, V. 12 A. — And shall destroy the
mighty (ones) and the holy people. The I in
^^H"?'?! is explicative ; it is designed to denote
more particularly the respects in which the king
shall prosper. The " mighty ones" are the war-
like enemies over whom he shall triumph, and
to them are added, by way of contrast, the
* [Stuart and Keil. on the contrary, strongl.v maintain
that "the transgre,ssors" here are not the heathen, but the
apostate Jews, whose sin will be visited by the indignatior
of God : and this seems to be more appropriate to the whole
connection.]
CH-VP. Vlll. 1-27
ISJ
"nation of saints'' (cf. vii. 18, 22), as unwar-
like opponents. In the opinion of Hitzig,
Ewald, etc., the 3"'':^^ J are the three preten-
ders to the crown whom Epiphanes was com-
pelled to depose ; but not one of these deserved
to be called a mighty one, not even the usurper
Heliodorus ; see supra, on chap. vii. 8, 25.* —
Verse 25. And through (rather, "according
to ") his policy he shaU cause craft to prosper
in his hand. 'Z^'^'Z^ is probably not "by
reason of." but "according to his cunning ; " of.
Psa. ex. 4 ; Esth. lx. 20, etc. This expression,
ia an absolute position at the beginning, is con-
nected with the principal sentence which fol-
lows by an emphatic 1 ; cf . Gesenius, Tlietaur. ,
p. 390 a. rf^ISn jg not transitive (Hitzig, et
al. ), as if the following ~^~^ were its accusa-
tive, but probably intransitive, despite the fem.
r?3"in ; cf. Isa. liii. 10. — "In (or with) his
hand " (cf. Isa. xliv. 20), considered as the out-
ward sphere of action, seems intended to form
an antithesis to the following "in his heart."
Concerning 'i-^?-? and the signification of -"'1?7
which results from it, cf. supra, on v. 4. — And
by peace shall destroy many; rather, "and
unawares shall destroy many." ~'^3~:^ does
not exactly signify "in the midst of profound
peace" (.Job xv. 21), but more indefinitely,
" with suddenness, by a malignant surprise," an
illustration of the malice and dissimulation prac-
tised by this t>Tant, which were already men-
tioned in V. 28. The circumstance that it is
recorded of Antiochus Epiphanes, in 1 Mace. i.
30, ^'ii kit^TTeaev l~l t/'/v tto/h' i^a-tva, proves
nothing in favor of a vntic. ex ereiitu, beyond
the fact that malignant and sudden surprises
are necessarily practised by every warlike foe of
cruel dispo.sition. ["In the -"^'^ (many) are
comprehended 'the mighty (one) and the holy
people' iver. 24)." — Kfil.] — He shall also stind
UD against the Prince of prince?, etc. Cf. v. i
11. and with regard to the being " broken with- I
oat hand," cf. chap. ii. 34 ; also Job xxxiv. 20 '
and Lam. iv. (5. It is not necessary to seek a
definite reference to the death of Ejiiphanes by
sickness or extraordinary accident in this pas-
sage, instead of permitting him to fall on the
battle-field, or by the hand of a murderer
(against Bertholdt, Von Lengerke, Hiivemick,
etc. ).f — Verse 2(5. And the vision of the even
* ['* O^T^^i^ doofl not here signify many^ numerous,
mftny indivi Inal Israelites (Von Leng., Slaurer, Kliefotfl
[Btuart]), partly because in ver. 25 D''^'^ stands for that,
partly because of the C'^~~p 25, by which we are to
undei-stand the people of fm-aet." — Keil.\
t ["The language is adaptctl to the .symbol, namely, the
little horn. The meaning is. IntaUtj destroi/ed. Facts cof-
Tespond. According to history. Antiochus. after marching
Into Persia, and robbing the temple at Elymats, was driven
a-.vay by popular tumult : and on his return back towards
Syria, be was met with the news of the total defeat of his
army in Judaea, and of the restoration of the temple -services
there. Polybius i XXXI. U) says of him, that ^ lie fell mad
(6oi/ioi''i<rtt«) and died :' 1 Mace. vi. 8 relates that he fell .sick
of erief for his losses ; Appian( />t?7^^. .Vj/r., LXVI.) says sim-
ply : i^Siviav eTeA«ur)j(r«. Various sha.ies are given t«j the
picture by the different writers; e.g., in 1 Mace. vi. ?< seq..
which narrates his penitent confessions. But these have a
ing and the morning which was told, namely,
in v. 14. Since the observation in that place
respecting the 2,300 evenmg-mornings was really
a :Q"4:'?, and not a •IS-':, the words ">'?»«: —is
seem to refer back to the genitive l^l -".^n-
instead of to the Stnt. Cim-str. (thus Hitzig)
Words and things told, however, form the sub
ject of visions in other cases also (cf. Isa. ii. 1 ;
Am. i. 1; Hab. ii. 1, etc.); and the remark
concerning the 2,300 evening-mornings may con-
sequently be termed a "vision " in this instance.
— Is true (r.ather "truth"), /.<'., it is correct,
deserves to be credited, inasmuch as 2,300 even-
ing-mornings must elapse before the end of the
period of affliction. That period is thus deter-
mined as an extended one, which shall not soon
reach its close. On P?*, cf. chap. x. 1 ; xi. 2;
alsoxii. 7; Jer. xxri. 15; xxviii. 9; Rev. xix.
9; xxi. 5; x.Kii. 0. — 'Wherefore shut thou up
the vision; rather, "and thou, conceal the
vision," i.e. , do not publish it. do not be anxious
to spread a report concerning it. - ; is noi
equivalent to 3.- n. "to seal up" (Theodotion
Hiivemick, Von Lengerke) ; for " sealing" ia
added to the mere " concealing" in chap. xii. 4,
as a strengthening term. — For it shall be for
many days, i.e., it (the vision) shall retain its
prophetic value for a long period, it does not
relate to a near, but to a distant future; cf.
chap. xii. 4. 9. As the direction to conceal the
vision is here based on the consideration that a
long period must elapse before it shall be ful-
filled, so, on the contrary, the prophet is direct-
ed, in Rev. xxii. 10, not to seal what has been
revealed to him, because the time of its fulfil-
ment is near. Notice the difference between
the Old-Testament seer, who is far removed
from the final future, and only sees it primarily
in types {e.g.', instead of beholding the antichrist
he only sees his forerunner Epiphanes), and the
New-Testament prophet, who beholds the events
of the last times in the history of the world
much nearer at hand, and is therefore not
obliged to conceal the prophecies relating to
them, especially since he addresses a commun-
nitj' composed exclusively of t^fo^^ftJavro/ (Isa.
liv. 3 ; John vi. 45 ; cf. 1 John ii. 20, 27).
Verse 27. T/ie effect of f/ie vision upon the, pro-
phet. And I Daniel fainted, anil was sick
(certain) days. Cf. vii. 28, and especially chap.
ii. 1, in relation to '^""'■^.r'J. — Afterwcird I rose
up, namely, from the sick-bed. This formal
statement by the prophet cannot be regarded as
extraordinary, since not only the vision as such
(i.e., by reason of its startling character), but
also the fasting which preceded it (cf. chap. ix.
3 ; X. 2 et seq. ), comes under consideration as
the cause of the complete exhaustion which fol-
lowed. — And did the king's business. Con-
cerning the extent to which Daniel might have
transacted official business for the king in the
reign of Belshazzar, without being personally
known to him, see on chap. v. 7. — And was
astonished at (rather, " dumb concerning")
strong tinge of .Jetrish coloring. So much is undoubtedly
true, viz., that he perished suddenly by a Tiolent sickness,
dur ng which he proliably fell into a state of mania. He
died, therefore, without violence by the hand of man, and
so as to make a deep impression of perishing by a pecuiiat
visitation of God." — Stuart,]
1S4
THE PROPHET DANIEL.
the vision, but ("and") none understood
(rather, "became aware of") it; usually ren-
dered, "none vndentood it," or, "and to me
there was no understanding, / did not under-
stand it" (thus Maurer, Hitzig. Kranichfeld,
Kamphausen, etc., under comparison with chap,
xii. 8). Since, however, the obvious design is
to state what Daniel did "to conceal" the
vision, the signification of "not noticing, not
learning" seems to be the only logical and
suitable one for Vr'!!' '^^ in this passage ; cf.
on this interpretation, vs. 5, 17 ; Job xxviii.
23 ; Isa. xxviii. 19, etc.
ETHICO-FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES BELATED
TO THE HISTORY OF SALVATION, APOLOGE-
TICAL REMARKS, AND HOMILETICAL SUG-
GESTIONS.
1. The principal difficulty to be met with in
this section relates to the concrete number of
1150 days or 2300 evening-mornings, in v. 14,
and in its failure to agree with the three and a
half years of the preceding vision (chap. vii.
2o). If simply the idea was to be expressed
that the period of tribulation should expire in
something kss than three and a half years, why
did the author not permit the angel to say,
" even before three and a half years shall have
passed," etc.? Or why did he not select really
a round number, as 1200 days (to denote 1277,
which amount exactly to three and a half years)?
Or why did he not pursue the course adopted
by the New-Test, apocalyptist, who suijsti-