PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Daniel
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 130,682 words · 159 reading sections
Daniel 1:1
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Daniel 1:1 INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL This book is called, in the Vulgate Latin version, "the Prophecy of Daniel"; and in the Syriac and Arabic versions "the Prophecy of Daniel the Prophet". This Daniel was of the children of Judah, that were carried captive into Babylon with …
1,547 wordsSECTION 2Daniel 1:2
Daniel 1:2 Ver. 2. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand,.... And the city of Jerusalem too, or he could not have took the king, and so the Syriac version renders it, and the Lord delivered it into his hands, and Jehoiakim, &c.: this was from the Lord, because of his sins, and the sins of his ancestors,…
1,308 wordsSECTION 3Daniel 1:3
Daniel 1:3 Ver. 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs,.... That is, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon spake to this officer of his, whose name was Ashpenaz; which, according to Saadiah, signifies a man of an angry countenance; but Hillerus {e} derives it from the Arabic word "schaphan", as design…
292 wordsSECTION 4Daniel 1:4
Daniel 1:4 Ver. 4. Children in whom was no blemish,.... Not mere children, but young men of fifteen or twenty years of age; about which age Daniel is by Aben Ezra supposed to be when he was carried captive; and less than this be cannot well be thought to be, since, in a few years after, he was put into posts of the gr…
1,481 wordsSECTION 5Daniel 1:5
Daniel 1:5 Ver. 5. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat,.... Every day a portion was ordered them, from the king's table, of the richest dainties he himself ate of; which was done not only as an act of royal munificence and generosity, and in respect of their birth and breeding; but also as…
381 wordsSECTION 6Daniel 1:6
Daniel 1:6 Ver. 6. Now among these were of the children of Judea, &e.] Among those youths that were selected from the rest, and brought up in the above manner, and for the above purposes, who were of the tribe of Judah, and very likely of the house of David, and of royal descent, were the four following persons: Dani…
159 wordsSECTION 7Daniel 1:7
Daniel 1:7 Ver. 7. Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names,.... Other names, Chaldee names, according to the names of the gods of that country, for honour and glory, as Saadiah observes; which was done either to make them more acceptable to the court and courtiers of the king of Babylon; and to show that they w…
501 wordsSECTION 8Daniel 1:8
Daniel 1:8 Ver. 8. But Daniel purposed in his heart,.... It being proposed to him to be brought up in the manner before described, he revolved it in his mind; he well weighed it, and considered it with himself, and came to a resolution about it. This is to be understood of him, not to the exclusion of his three compan…
3,540 wordsSECTION 9Daniel 2:1
Daniel 2:1 INTRODUCTION TO DANIAL 2 The subject of this chapter is a dream which Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed, but had forgot; upon which he calls his magicians and astrologers together, to tell him it, and the interpretation of it; threatening them with death if they did not, and promising them great rewards and honou…
816 wordsSECTION 10Daniel 2:2
Daniel 2:2 Ver. 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians,.... He ordered his servants in waiting to send immediately for the wise men, the philosophers of that age and kingdom, that studied the things of nature, and the natural causes of things: and the astrologers; that cast nativities, and pretended by the …
239 wordsSECTION 11Daniel 2:3
Daniel 2:3 Ver. 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream,.... What before is called dreams is here expressed in the singular, a dream; for it was but one dream, though it contained in it various things; this the king could remember, that he had a dream; for it had left some impression on his mind, though…
163 wordsSECTION 12Daniel 2:4
Daniel 2:4 Ver. 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in, Syriac,.... These spake, either because the interpretation of dreams particularly belonged to them; or else as being the chief of the wise men, and of greatest authority; or as chosen by the rest, and spake in their name; and indeed this appellation may inclu…
357 wordsSECTION 13Daniel 2:5
Daniel 2:5 Ver. 5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans,.... In the same language they spoke to him: the thing is gone from me; either the dream was gone from him; it was out of his mind, he had forgot it, and could not call it to remembrance; he had been dreaming of monarchies and kingdoms, which are themselv…
596 wordsSECTION 14Daniel 2:6
Daniel 2:6 Ver. 6. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof,.... Which he was extremely intent upon to know; and therefore makes use of every way to obtain it, first by threatenings, to terrify, and next by promises, to allure: ye shall receive of me gifts, and rewards, and great honour; gold, silver,…
106 wordsSECTION 15Daniel 2:7
Daniel 2:7 Ver. 7. They answered again, and said,.... Or, a "second" {e} time; repeating the same words, having nothing more to say: let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation thereof; the first part was but right and reasonable, though the latter was mere boasting and arrogancy. {…
67 wordsSECTION 16Daniel 2:8
Daniel 2:8 Ver. 8. The king answered and said, I know of certainty,.... I see plainly and clearly what you are at, and am fully assured you mean nothing, but that ye would gain the time: or buy {f}, or redeem time, as in Eph 5:16, prolong time, put off the answer to longer time; spin out time, as people do in buying …
157 wordsSECTION 17Daniel 2:9
Daniel 2:9 Ver. 9. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream,.... For the present he does not insist upon the interpretation, only the dream itself, at least this is now only mentioned; concluding that if they could do the one, they could do the other, as is after observed: there is but one decree for you; for …
313 wordsSECTION 18Daniel 2:10
Daniel 2:10 Ver. 10. The Chaldeans answered before the King, and said,.... As follows, in order to appease his wrath, and cool his resentment, and bring him to reason: there is not a man upon the earth can show the king's matter; or, "upon the dry land" {g}: upon the continent, throughout the whole world, in any coun…
307 wordsSECTION 19Daniel 2:11
Daniel 2:11 Ver. 11. And it is a rare thing the king requireth, &e.] Meaning not scarce, or seldom heard of; for they had before asserted it never had been required; but that it was hard and difficult, yea, with them, and as they supposed with any other, impossible to be done: and there is none other that can show it…
191 wordsSECTION 20Daniel 2:12
Daniel 2:12 Ver. 12. For this cause the king was angry, and very furious,.... Not only because they could not tell his dream, and the interpretation of it; but because they represented him as requiring a thing unreasonable and impossible, which had never been done by any potentate but himself, and could never be answe…
120 wordsSECTION 21Daniel 2:13
Daniel 2:13 Ver. 13. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain,.... Or, "and the wise men were slain" {h}, as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions render it; and so Saadiah: orders were given by the king to his proper officers, and his edict was published, and his will made known in the…
206 wordsSECTION 22Daniel 2:14
Daniel 2:14 Ver. 14. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom,.... In a discreet manner, using soft words and gentle language, humbly and modestly inquiring what should be the meaning of all this. The Vulgate Latin version is, "he inquired of the law and decree" {i}; what was the reason of the king's orders, which…
322 wordsSECTION 23Daniel 2:15
Daniel 2:15 Ver. 15. And he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain,.... Or governor {m}; over the persons before mentioned; either the king's guard or militia, or cooks or executioners: before, the manner in which Daniel answered is observed; here, the matter of it, as follows: why is the decree so hasty from…
223 wordsSECTION 24Daniel 2:16
Daniel 2:16 Ver. 16. Then Daniel went in,.... Or "went up" {n}; to the king's palace, which might be built on an eminence; or into his chamber, where he probably was; or in some upper room, very likely introduced by Arioch; and which was a bold and daring action in them both: in Arioch, to cease from doing his orders,…
10,352 wordsSECTION 25Daniel 3:1
Daniel 3:1 INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 3 In this chapter an account is given of a golden image made by Nebuchadnezzar; its size; and where placed, Da 3:1, a summons to all his princes, governors, and officers, to attend the dedication of it, Da 3:2, a proclamation commanding men of all nations to fall down and worship it,…
1,366 wordsSECTION 26Daniel 3:2
Daniel 3:2 Ver. 2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes,.... He sent letters, or dispatched messengers, into the several provinces of his empire, and parts of his dominions, to convene all the peers of his realm, and governors of provinces, and all officers, civil, military, and religious, …
368 wordsSECTION 27Daniel 3:3
Daniel 3:3 Ver. 3. Then the princes, the governors, and captains,.... And all the rest of the officers before mentioned, having received their orders from the king, in obedience to them, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; at great expense, and with much fatigue…
139 wordsSECTION 28Daniel 3:4
Daniel 3:4 Ver. 4. Then an herald cried aloud,.... That his voice might be heard all over the plain; or if it should be thought that one was not sufficient to be heard throughout, which probably was the case, and where; so great a number being assembled together, all could not hear one man, the singular may be put for…
132 wordsSECTION 29Daniel 3:5
Daniel 3:5 Ver. 5. That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet,.... So called of the horn of which it was made; a sort of trumpet; so the Jews had trumpets of rams' horns: flute; or pipe, or whistle, so called for its hissing noise; it is used of the shepherd's pipe or whistle; see Zec 10:8, harp; an instrumen…
386 wordsSECTION 30Daniel 3:6
Daniel 3:6 Ver. 6. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth,.... Who refuses to worship it, or wilfully neglects it; which would be interpreted a contempt of it, and of the king's command: shall in the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; such as were used to burn stones in for lime, as Jarc…
152 wordsSECTION 31Daniel 3:7
Daniel 3:7 Ver. 7. Therefore at that time,.... Such a severe edict being published, threatening with so terrible a punishment: when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music; not only at Babylon, and that lived near the plain of Dura, but in all places where …
113 wordsSECTION 32Daniel 3:8
Daniel 3:8 Ver. 8. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near,.... That is, to King Nebuchadnezzar, either in his palace at Babylon, or more likely in the plain of Dura: and accused the Jews; particularly Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as after mentioned, of not obeying the king's command, to worship the go…
260 wordsSECTION 33Daniel 3:9
Daniel 3:9 Ver. 9. They spake and said to Nebuchadnezzar,.... Having got access unto him, and within his hearing, they expressed themselves in the following manner: O king, live for ever; this they said to show their fidelity and hearty attachment to him, and their regard to his welfare, and the continuance of his li…
76 wordsSECTION 34Daniel 3:10
Daniel 3:10 Ver. 10. Thou, O king, hast made a decree,.... According to his own mind and will, and which he had published as such to his subjects: that every man; let him be who he will, high or low, rich or poor, in whatsoever station or condition: that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psal…
109 wordsSECTION 35Daniel 3:11
Daniel 3:11 Ver. 11. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth,.... The image; the above is the decree, this that follows the sanction of it: that he should be cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace; See Gill on "Da 3:6".…
45 wordsSECTION 36Daniel 3:12
Daniel 3:12 Ver. 12. There are certain Jews,.... Men, by birth, by nation, and religion, despicable, foreigners, exiles, and captives; this they observe by way of contempt, and tacitly suggest that they were never worthy of the king's regard, and improper persons to be put in places of profit and trust, and that the k…
478 wordsSECTION 37Daniel 3:13
Daniel 3:13 Ver. 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury,.... Which did not became him as a man, much less as a king, and still less as engaged in devotion and religion; commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; that is, immediately before him; who very probably were not afar off: he did not order the…
152 wordsSECTION 38Daniel 3:14
Daniel 3:14 Ver. 14. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, is it true,.... What I have heard of you, what you are charged with and accused of; surely it cannot be; so Aben Ezra and Saadiah interpret the word as we do, and all the Oriental versions: it is only used in this place: it is expressed by way of admiration…
351 wordsSECTION 39Daniel 3:15
Daniel 3:15 Ver. 15. Now if ye be ready that at what time ye shall hear,.... The meaning is, that if they were disposed in mind, which the king was very desirous they should, both for his own honour, and for their safety, for whom he had a regard; and were willing to comply with his orders, and readily yield obedience…
303 wordsSECTION 40Daniel 3:16
Daniel 3:16 Ver. 16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,.... In a mild and gentle manner, without affronting his majesty, or insulting his gods, and yet without the least degree of servile fear or fawning flattery: O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; about w…
3,864 wordsSECTION 41Daniel 4:1
Daniel 4:1 INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 4 This chapter was written by Nebuchadnezzar himself; and was either taken out of his archives, or given by him to Daniel, who under divine inspiration inserted it into this work of his; and a very useful instruction it contains, showing the sovereignty of God over the greatest kings…
554 wordsSECTION 42Daniel 4:2
Daniel 4:2 Ver. 2. I thought it good,.... Or, "fair" {y} and beautiful, highly becoming me, what was my duty, and what might be profitable and beneficial to others, and make for the glory of the great God of heaven and earth: to show the signs and wonders the high God hath wrought toward me; to declare by writing the…
141 wordsSECTION 43Daniel 4:3
Daniel 4:3 Ver. 3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders!.... They are great, very great, exceeding great; so great that it cannot be said, nor even conceived how great they are, what a display of wisdom, power, and goodness is in them; they are wonderful beyond expression and conception; and so stro…
203 wordsSECTION 44Daniel 4:4
Daniel 4:4 Ver. 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house,.... Being returned from his wars, and having obtained victory over the Egyptians, and other nations, and made himself an universal monarch; and now was in entire rest from all his enemies; enjoying himself in his family, and among his courtiers, and nothin…
282 wordsSECTION 45Daniel 4:5
Daniel 4:5 Ver. 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid,.... Things were represented to his fancy in a dream, as if he saw them with his eyes, as the tree, its leaves and fruit; the shaking and cutting it down to the stump, &c.; and though he did not understand the meaning of it, yet he thought it portended some evil, w…
173 wordsSECTION 46Daniel 4:6
Daniel 4:6 Ver. 6. Therefore made I a decree,.... Published a proclamation; signifying it was his mind and will to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before him; all together, supposing that one or other of them, or by consulting together, would be able to explain things to his satisfaction, and make him more easy:…
121 wordsSECTION 47Daniel 4:7
Daniel 4:7 Ver. 7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers,.... See Gill on "Da 2:2", and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof; because they could not; before they pretended, if the dream was told, they could give the inte…
91 wordsSECTION 48Daniel 4:8
Daniel 4:8 Ver. 8. But at the last Daniel came in before me,.... Whether sent for or no is not clear; the reason why he came not with the rest might be because he did not associate with them; nor did they care he should be among them, and present at this time; and it may be the king had forgot the knowledge he had of …
262 wordsSECTION 49Daniel 4:9
Daniel 4:9 Ver. 9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians,.... So he called him, either because he excelled them in knowledge, and was greater than they, as Jacchiades; though not of their rank and order, which Daniel would have scorned to have been among, and reckoned of; so that this would have been no compliment, …
221 wordsSECTION 50Daniel 4:10
Daniel 4:10 Ver. 10. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed,.... So things appeared to my fancy thus; they ran in my head or brain in a dream in my bed, as if I saw them with my eyes, as follows; for so I thought, I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth; an emblem of a powerful prince well settled, a…
145 wordsSECTION 51Daniel 4:11
Daniel 4:11 Ver. 11. The tree grew, and was strong,.... Grew higher and broader, taller and thicker, increased in boughs and branches, and became strong and stable, that no winds nor storms could move it: this shows the increasing power of Nebuchadnezzar, the enlargement of his dominions, and the stability of his empi…
152 wordsSECTION 52Daniel 4:12
Daniel 4:12 Ver. 12. The leaves thereof were fair,.... Or "branches" {i}, as some; and design either the provinces belonging to his empire, which were very large and flourishing; or the governors of them under him, as Saadiah, who made no small and contemptible figure; his princes were altogether kings: and the fruit…
238 wordsSECTION 53Daniel 4:13
Daniel 4:13 Ver. 13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed,.... The king goes on to relate what other things presented themselves to his imagination in his dream, concerning this tree which signified himself: and, behold, a watcher: which Saadiah interprets of Bath Kol; but Aben Ezra, Jarchi, Jacchiades, and Be…
204 wordsSECTION 54Daniel 4:14
Daniel 4:14 Ver. 14. He cried aloud,.... Or, with strengths; {l} being a mighty angel, and that he might be heard far and near: and said thus, hew down the tree; remove this mighty monarch from his throne; take away his government from him: this is said to fellow angels employed in the affairs of Providence, and the …
201 wordsSECTION 55Daniel 4:15
Daniel 4:15 Ver. 15. Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth,.... Let him not be utterly destroyed, or his life taken away; but let him continue in being; though in a forlorn condition, yet with hope of restoration; for a tree may be cut down to the stump, and yet revive again, Job 14:7 and let his kin…
8,173 wordsSECTION 56Daniel 5:1
Daniel 5:1 INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 5 This chapter gives an account of a feast made by King Belshazzar, attended with drunkenness, idolatry, and profanation of the vessels taken out of the temple at Jerusalem, Da 5:1, and of the displeasure of God, signified by a handwriting on the wall, which terrified the king, and c…
1,439 wordsSECTION 57Daniel 5:2
Daniel 5:2 Ver. 2. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine,.... As he was drinking his cups, and delighted with the taste of the wine, and got merry with it: or, "by the advice of the wine" {h}, as Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret it, by a personification; as if that dictated to him, and put him upon doing what follows; an…
231 wordsSECTION 58Daniel 5:3
Daniel 5:3 Ver. 3. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem,.... That is, the servants to whom the orders were given fetched them from the temple of Bel, and brought them to the king's house; and though only mention is made of golden vessels, yet…
151 wordsSECTION 59Daniel 5:4
Daniel 5:4 Ver. 4. They drunk wine,.... That is, out of the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem, and perhaps till they were drunk: and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone; for they had gods of all these materials; See Gill on "Da 1:2", and these they praised by offering sa…
139 wordsSECTION 60Daniel 5:5
Daniel 5:5 Ver. 5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, &c. From heaven, as Jarchi; or they came forth as if they came out of the wall: this was done by the power of God, though it might be by the intervention or means of an angel; so Josephus Ben Gorion {i} says, that an angel came and wrote what foll…
393 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.