The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 62

Fnng or Solomon i. 7, ,hnllnma, only with ttgain iB a word which Professor DcvRn the norlhern shortoned relRtil-e. Jn u,or~, dcclttres is ll\t<', the word here trl\nslatcrl lildng. The word rn'"ph~cm mel\ns "end," "mako me onrlRnger Dt'?~~,' (1/°l,iyyab•tem)." "lrnnhloo" (Gen. xl. 6); the verb f1"ru which Thero is no difficulty I\S to the reading in it <'nmes means " to be l\ngry" (2 Chron. the versions, SRVe thttt the Beptul\gint reads xxd. 19). H is to be not.e<I thRt the the first person singn lttr instortrl of lho seoonrl FeplnRgint hero hfl-B two renderings, pro- person plnrl\l, in other words, v•~iiyyabti, hnhl, R onse of" doublet.." The first liu1n- "and I shall endanger," l\lln "my neclf," -r-pa/J-p.<va mny refer to the mental confusion reRding, instead of "my hoarl," possibly or BRdnel!I! tbat they might be in if on ':-'II~ (travvari) or 'T:'R''.199 (maplrraqti), \ho I\COOtmt of tbch; poor nourishment they latter roading due to tho mem, the sign of were uunble to answer the king's questions; the sec.one:! person plural being transforred to the BCCond, ol...-11,vi;, "wettk," may refer to tho the following word. H may oortaiuly have body : <r1cu6po,.,,.il. iii Tlieodotion's rendering, been I\ paraphmso, but tbe phrase as it which mtty be rendered "scowling" (it is stnn,ls in tl.Jo Me.ssoretio seems awkward. used along with 1'.v,rov/J-•vov, Plato, • Symp.'). Profrssor Devan brings forward this word Tbe Pesbitta has m'karan, "ashamed;" that as Aramaio, and a proof of the lateness of the, wonld feel shame were they much O1\niel. If wo are oorrect, it is a oe.ee inferior in looks or acquirements to their where the Aramaic of the original shines neighbours would be natural. The intimate through. 'l'he word indubitably oooure connection between food and good looks in Ezek. xviii. 7. As counsel for the prose- and good mental qualities is well known cution, Professor Bevan must get rid of 88 one mucli held, especially in ancient this awkward fact. Comill, one of hie col- davs. Than the children of your sort. leagnos in the ce.ee age.inst Daniel, sug- K;i/1,em; this word,~? or ~~. is maintained gests thnt another word should be read in bv Professor Bevan to be llllUsed in early Ezekiel, and Professor Bevan agrees, but Hebrew in the sense of "generation" or differs as to the word. There is no indica- .. e.a:e." Fiirst would regard the name tion in any of the versions that there is any Abigail e.e exhibiting- the word as exist- uncertainty as to the ree.cling in Ezekiel. ing in enrly times. The only difficulty in It is a most convenient method of getting this is that the name may have another rid of an awkward fact; little extension of derivation. The real meaning of the word it might make any word one pleased e. in this connection is "e. circle ; " hence liapa:i: l,egomenon. The critics might have then a revolution of the heaveue. It is tried the method more reasonably on explained by l:lu.:i::torf as meaning "con- Daniel than on Ezekiel; but e.s their 1.Jrief stellation," "planet;" ;1,,, J~ "son of hie WBB against Daniel, that did not occur to star "-born under the same constellation, them. The picture presented to us in contemporary. The Syriac paraphrases the this verse is one that in the oircumstanres word and renders" of your year." Theodo- is full of naturalness. We have, on the tion ;enders ,rwf,>..uca., " of like age." When one hand, the eager entreaty of the Hebrew we turn to thP. Septuagint, we find evidence youth; the kindly look of the prince, will- either ths.t the word was not there at all, or ing to grant anything he possibly can to bis that it was misunderstood; the Septuagint favourite, yet hindered by fear f,,r himself, rendering is "tlian tlie stranger (a.Mo')'•""'") aud at the same time a desire that Daniel, youths brought up witb you (<rv,,.,-p«poµlvovr ). n hie favourite, should stand well with the Tliis is an evident ce.ee of doublet. The first king. The chief of the eunuchs knew that that stands in the Greek is ,rv,,.,-p•tf>oiilvovs: personal good looks were e.n important matter with Nebuchadnezzar. If they were tliis represents a various reading,~~ 1~-;i~ badly nourished, these Hebrew youths (qad'lu itlcem), by no means an impossible would be handicapped in their exumination reading. The other, li,u.o-y,.,,;,.,, represents before the king. But more, sl.Jame at their o•-,•; (geereem): tlti; is still more like the own appearance would disturb them llissoretic reading c:,S•; (goolkem). The Mas- mentally, even if they were able to study suretic is possibly tlie reading from which the as well on this pie.in food they desired. If other two hs.ve sprung; if so, it is clear that the failure were egregioWJ, then investigation 1lic worJ ~•; has not in this sense been might he demanded, and then the fact that known to either of tlie two Egyptian lrans- lie had tr,msgressed the orders of the king lators. It is not Targumic, for Levy liae would be a serious otrence--the Iring knew it not in hi. Lexicon. Professor Bevan oo mercy when enraged. It is to be observed 83.'l'S it is Aramaic and Arabic. This, then, that the chief of the eunuchs first appeals is·., ce.st, where the Aramaic original shines to the self-interest of the youths before him, tluou!(h ; the chief of the eunuchs would that they would endanger their own r,aturully sprnk in Aramaic. Tl,,en shall ye prospects; but e.e that does not move them, ,r;aite me endanger my head to IM king. Here he neii:t tells the111 that bis own life woulcl Cll, I, 1-21.] THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 21