The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 89

gint tmuelo.tor, inste11d of p:in, (dalliciin), mind-ne, if he were to ndmit 1.he,ir innhility "your deoroe," thero stood 11:ino (motl.cii11), to satisfy wh"t ho wisl,r,rl lo lr,nni, the,n "your de11tb," the 1 (vav) boing omitted, llCcording to his logic, all their clo.ims wer~ ond possibly the prcpoei tion ~ (b•), ancl false. Hence the accusation of "lying nnct milah being rend into somo pnrt' of n'phal, corrupt words" would still stand, and l,avo ell the greater emphmis. Wo.iving lho "to f11II," probably 1'~91;1 (lipp'liin). The question of the antlienticity of "corr11pt," omission of this clBuse, 11s 11bove mentioned, the distinction between the two words from Theodotion renders it a little doubt- "lying" e.nd "corrupt " seems to be in ful, 11s it indic11tos th11t in tho text used this: the first refers to the person adrlreeeed by the Jews of Asi11 lllinor this phrase was -to Nebnchadnezze.r,-tbe words are un- nwnnting. Most commentators take dath true, they are lies-as coming from the in tho sense more common in Eastern than soothsayers they are" corrupt," because they in ,vestern Aramaic, of" plea" rather than are symptomatio of a corrupt disposition, 11 decree." Ewald 11nd Professor Bevan probably tmitorou~. Till the time be changed. oppose this view, as also Keil, the last Theodotion renders here, "till the time be with gre11t positiveness. The fact that so passed." The Septuagint follows a similar many commentators give this meaning-, and reading to that in the Massoretic text. The also certain Rabbinic authorities referred Peshitta rendering is akin to that of Theo- to but not named by Jephet-ibn-Ali prove dotion. While in all forms of magic and it to be no impossible translation. Hitzig, soothsaying, time was an element not to be Von Lengerke, Maurer, Michaelis, and Moses neglected, it was doubly important in regard Stuart are not quite despicable. The main to astrology, and an hour or two changed the reason ag11inst this view is that in Western position of the moon in relation to the Aramaic datll means " decree," in Eastern constellations. If something required to Aramaicitmeans,acocrdingtoCastell,scopm, be done in consequence of this dream, then meta, finis, volunta.,, The only difficulty most likely it would require to be done is that he gives no reference, and Brockel- in a certain relation of the heavenly bodies mann gives only lez, which in this case it to each other. Therefore tell me the dream, cannot be, though this is the only reference and I shall know that ye ce.n show me beside Hoffme.nn's 'Glossary.' It might be the interpretation thereof. The Septuagint an individual "decree," but a "law" it rendering is paraphrastic, "Now then, if oannot be. On the received renderings the ye tell me the thing which I .caw in the succession is somewhat violent. •• If ye night, I shall know that ye can also show will not tell me the dream, one is your the interpretation." While we have called decree," can only be me.de consecutive by it R paraphrase as regards the Massoretic a violent jerk away be.ck to the fifth verse. text, the rendering in the Septuagint may It seems more natural to take it as meaning, represent the Egyptian recension of the "Ye have agreed together to say one thing text of Daniel. The use of p:;,µ.a. for "thing" to me." 'l'he accusation of conspiracy suggests translation, and assumes millah naturally followed from the king's firm or 111ill'tha, which he.a the same double sug- conviction tbe.t the soothsayers could tell, gestion of" word spoken" and "thing spoken if they only would, what he required of about." H the Septuagint text were assumed them. If there began to dawn upon him here, we should have confirmation of our any idea that their silence was due to V'iew that N ebnchadnezze.r remembered his inability to answer, it might well move him vision, but was determined to experiment to redoubled anger that they had been 011 the soothsayers of his court. This view guilty of imposture in claiming such lofty is ~ta.inly implied in the following clause. powers and being so highly paid and The first word of this clause is peculiar honoured for their exercise. The king's gramm11tically: 11:!lt;t ('in'!Ea) instead of )11'11 mind he.d not yet abandoned. the faith of ('iyda) or JI:!~ ('idda). This form of com- his fathers in magic and divination. For pensating for a dropped oonsonant by in- ye have prepared lying and oorrnpt words serting l (nun) instead of doubling occurs to speak before me. If the Septuagint is elsewhere in Biblical Are.maio (see ver. 30). to be taken as our guide, the word shlµethah This is rare in Syriao, and in the Te.rgnms i.e a doubtful addition to the Maseoretio found only in those later, especially those text. It is, however, in the other later ver- of the Megilloth, which have affinities with sions. According to the rendering of both the the form of Aramaic seen in the Babylonian Greek versions, the meaning here is stronger Talmud. This peculiarity is common in than that whioh is expressed in the Autho- the Mondaitio dialect. It is thus a dis- rized Version ; hizdaminliin re111Iy means tinctively Eastern form of Aramaic that i11 "to conspire." He will not 11dmit the plea indicated here. When we pass beyond the of ine.bility to satisfy his demnnds-the grammatico.l elements, we find that NeblJ• vague suspioion may be floating before his oh11dnezz11r would take correct inforruatioq ll4Nil!;I,, ls 50 'l'IlE BOOK OF DANIEL. [en. n. 1-40,