The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 100

and the light dwelleth with him. T11e Ver. 23.-1 thank thee, and praise thee, 0 T<'nd<'ring of the Sophmgint I\B it 111;1\nde thou God of my fathers, who hast given me differs ~omewhat from the Mneeoretio text,, wiadom e.nd might, e.nd he.at made known "Re-rco.ling deep thing,i l\nd de.rk, l\nd unto me now what we desired of thee: for knowing the thing,i which l\re in the da.rk- thou hast now made known unto ua the neee and the things which are in the light, king's matter. The Septuagint renders1 and with him is a dwelling-ple.oe (1t4T<1• " Thee, 0 Lord of my fathers, I thCLnk nnel l\t.r«)." There is doubt e.e to the exact force praise, because thou gavest wisdom ond of this last word; the le.et element in it knowledge:to me, 0.nd now thou hast revealed suggests "solution." This meaning seems to me what I entreated, in order to show to hR-re hern i;riven to it generally; for the king conceming these things." There Paulus Telleneie renders it sliari, whioh seems a slight dilforence of reading implied means a "solution," but 11.8 it ie derived here. Theodotion e.nd the Peehitto. ore from ~h•ra, which means "to dwell," he practice.Uy e.t one with the Massoretio. retains the double meaning.• The reading Theodotion translates the relative ,, e.e if of Kreysig is decidedly to be preferred, it were "e.nd," not, as in our version, i, for;" omitting .,.a (" the things which") before and the Peehitte. repeats the first personal "in the light," and r,a.l, "and," after. The pronoun. Daniel now pCLrticularizes hie rendering then would be, "in light is with reasons for praise and thankagiving. He him the dwelling-ple.oe." This rendering addresses God o.e the God of his fo.thers. harmonizes the LXX. completely with the He appeals to him as the oovene.nt God of Me.ssoretic. The other versions ce.11 for Israel,·who had led their fathers through no remark. There is difference here be- the wilderness. God revealed himself to tween the Q'ri'a.nd K'thib. The Q'ri reads Jacob at Bethel e.s "the God of Abraham .,•h.ora., "light," a Chaldee or Westem e.nd the God of Isaac." So to Moses at the Aramaic form ; the K'thib again is, n•heera, bnming bush he declared himself" the God the Eastem Aramaic form. God is not only of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God the God of nature, of providence, a.nd of of Jo.cob." On the other he.nd, when Jo.cob man, but also of revelation. He ca.n make approached God in prayer, he addressed known to man what otherwise man could him e.s "the God of my father Abraham, never know. He is the very Souroe of all light e.nd the God of my father Isaac." God and enlightenment. We may compare this had shown kindness to his fathers : would statement with that of Paul in 1 Tim. vi. 16: he not also show kindness to their seed he speaks of God e.s " dwelling in light aft.er them? Who h(l/jt given me wisd.om and which no man can approach unto." It seems might. As Jacob in his prayer e.t Me.he.ne.im to us the words of the Old Testament song (Gen. mii. 9) not only pleads with God as conve-r a loftier idea of God than does the the God of his fathers, but also as the God Pauline statement-perhaps it is even loftier who had blessed him with his gnids.nce than the cognate phrase of the Apostle John before, so Daniel now further addressee (l John i. 5), "God is light, and in him is God who had bestowed upon him "wisdom no darkness e.t e.11." We may compare, in e.nd might." When God has bestowed regard to this whole verse, Ps. cmix. 12, upon e.ny one special fo.cnlties, he must "The ds.rkness hideth not from thee; but presumably have e. speeie.l work for him, the night shineth e.s the ds.y: the ds.rkness ond it is therefore reasonable to plead with e.nd the light are both alike to thee," God to give e.n opportunity for the exercise where n•lieera is used e.s in the pe.sse.ge of these special powel'II. Here it forms e.n before us. Daniel e.scribes to J ehove.h all occasion of thanksgiving. We e.re e.pt to the powel'II of e.11 the gods of Babylon. forget that our powel'II, mental e.nd physico.J, our possessions e.nd e.cqnirements, a.re gifts of God's gre.ce for which we owe thanks. 1 Liddell e.nd Scott give e.s meaninge, The special reason for gratitude, however, (I) " putting down of e. government," " the follows--God has e.newered the prayer of disbanding of e.n army,'' "the ending of a his servants. Hast made lmOtD'n unto me we.r,'' "of life ; " (2) "e. resting,'' "e. lodg- MW what toe desired of thee. It is to be ing,'' "e. resting-place,'' "o.n inn." So not.ed that Daniel e.ttribut.es the answer not nlso Schleusner e.nd Stephani 'Thesaurus.' merely to his own prayer, but to the united None of these meanings is suite.hie Lere. prayer of his three friends as well. Their Tlie question is whether we may preBB the ee.mest desire he.d gone along with his own n,eaning of" dissolution" so that it might in calling down the Divine answer. Daniel, refer to disaolving of doubts, or press the while giving thanks for the knowledge temporary dwelling implied in the loosiug vouchsafed to him, recognizes the help bis of hurdens from bee.eh that bear them, to friends had afforded. For thmJ hast made the permanent dwelling implied in the knOU1n unto u, the king'• matter. Daniel M11.11soretic. assigu the reason here for hill tbank11- Clt, II, 1-49.) THE IlOOK Olt' DANIEL. 61