The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 53

and of the king's seed, and of the princes; no means an impossible personal name for children in whom was no blemish, but a Persian or Median. In one or two cunei- well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, form inscriptions of the Persian peiio<l the and cunning in knowledge, and under- name occnrs. Nothing can be built on this, standing scienoe, and such as had ability in as in the Septuagint the name is given llS them to stand in the king's palace, o.nd 'A/3mr8pl : in the Peshitta it becomes "Ash- whom they might teach the learning aud pe.z," as we have mentioned above. It the tongue of the Chaldeans. The version would be easilypoBBible to derive" Asbpaz" of the LXX. here becomes important: "And from "Ashpenaz," or rice veTBa; but there the king spake to Abiesdri, his own chief seems no relation between Abiesdri o.nd eunuch (nj fav-rou dpx1<vvo6x'i'), to lead either. Dy some, as Hitzig, the name has to him from the sons of the nobles of been identified with" Ashkenaz" (Gen. x. 3), Israel, and from the seed royal, and from and that again derived from 7~t', "the cord ihe choice ones, four young men, without of the testicle," and nas, a Sanskrit root, blemish, of goodly appearance, and un- "to destroy," e.nd therefore the name wonld derstanding in all wisdom, o.nd educated, simply be " ennuch." Over and above the and prudent, and wise, and strong, so that general improbo.bility that is always pre- they may be in the house of the king, sent in regard to etymologies which imply and mo.y be taught the letters and tongue the word in question to be a hybrid word, of the Chaldees." The version of Theo- there is the improbability that one eunnch dotion is in closer accordance with the would receive o. name applicable to the whole l\fossoretio text, only it inserts "captivity" class of which he we.a a member. The where the LXX. had "nobles," nnd reads, name, as it appears in the Septuagint, is, "from the sons of the captivity of Israel." as we have said, toto.lly nnconnected with In this version the nnme of the chief of the that in the Massoretic text, bnt both may eunuchs is the same as the Mnssoretic; the have sprnng from some common source. worcl rendered "princes" in the Authorized Thus the French word e-oeque has not 11 Version is transliterated ,Pop6oµµ(v. The ren- single letter in common with "bishop," de1ing, " the .seed of the kingdom," is more yet both words are derfred from bri0'1cor.os. literal them that of the Authorized, "the The changes that a name might nndcrgo king's seed." The Peshitte. is in close in passing from nny language, even o. cog- ngreement with the Massoretio t~xt, save nate one, into Hebrew were very great; that, instead of "Ashpenaz," the name of thus AssuT-bani-pal became "Asnapper." the chief of the eunuchs is written "Aspaz," Lenorme.nt bas endeavonred to reco,er the and the word translated " princes" (paTt'- name in the present case. The process be mim) is transliterated Pai·thouia, which has followed is the somewhat mechanicul means literally "Pnrthinns." Symmachua one of combining the two names, as if we reads napOwv. The Icing Bpalce unto Ashpenaz. were to strive to reach Asshnr-bnni-pe.l from There is assumed here that there were a large a combination of "Asnapper" and "Sar- number of Isre.elitish hostages who wonld do.no.pal us." He arrives at the name ..J.sh- be reckoned captives whenever the con- ben-azuT, which is a possible Babylonian qnered state gave cause of suspioion to the name. Professor Fuller bas suggested regnant power in whose hands the hostages Aba-(i)-istaT, "the astronomer of the godde811 were, and they were possibly eunuchized. Ishtar." The main objection to this is thnt; It is possible that Nebuchadnezzar wished it is drawn solely from the Septuagint. to use these hostages about the oonrt, in Version. If we look at the tendency ex- order that, having tasted the pleasure and hibitecl by the Hebrew equive.leuts of B11hy- dignities of the magnificent oourt of Baby- lonian no.mes, we find that shortoning we.a  12 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [en. 1. 1-21.