The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 110

!'llmRrk, eave the VnlgRte, whioh inserts text. It oert11in ly o.ppca,re to be 11n nd,lition, argenteum, RB if reading =io:i. The word uscrl, indeed, has the look of I\ "doublet." '1.'his "kingdom," not "king," el1ows, without view is confirmed by the fact that the Pe- rossi~ili~y of rcMon1tblo dispnto, th1tt in ehitta, also omits this clause. The Peehitll\ 1dent1fymg Ncbuchadnczz,n with the ho1trl rendering is, "Tho fourth kingdom eha,ll bo of gold, the reforenoe is not to him per- strong like iron, e.nd even as iron orushee l!Onally, but to him ns representing his and bruises A.II, thus even it shA.11 bel\t sml\11 dynMty. Tho next dynast,· is said to bo and subdue A.!l." Tho Vnlgl\to rendering inferior, thnt is t.o say, nearer tho ground A.lso omits I\ elauee, "And the fourth king- tt:i-;:i!$ ( ar'a ), which is certainly trne of the dom ehl\ll be like iron, o.s iron beo.t.s ema,ll shoulders in rel1ttion to the head. Not only and subdues nll things, it shl\ll bee.t emo.11 docs the inferior mete.1 imply inferiority, (commi~t) ~ll these." l•'or theso grounds bnt the inferior position does 80 also. The wo feel mchned to regnrd the cla,use in metal is omitted here, but stated in the next question e.e o.n cxpla,ne.tory note which ho.a clause, Another third kingdom of brass slipped into the text. Before w~ leo.ve the trhich g/wll bear rule over aU the Mrth. consideration of the text, we must observe The =ta.I is here referred to, but not the that the word for " fourth " o.seumee the position; there is no need to say it is in- Syria.~, or Ee.stern Aro.mo.io form, not the ferior-that is implied when it is said to be form m Chaldee, or Western Aramaic. Tho.t a kingdom of brass. We need only refer to empire which wo.s represented by the basest what we ho.ve sa,id above, as to the fact that of t):i~ fo~ meto.ls, e.nd occupied the lowest "braae" here really means "copper." As the position m the figure, is tho.t which is the inferiority stated in the first clnuse is omitted most powerful. When we go be.ck we find in the second, 80 the statement me.de at the brass is the next in point of hardness 11nd end, which gro.mma.tically applies only to the strength ; it is the third, and of it, o.t o.11 third kingdom, applies o.lso to the second. It cvents,if not o.lso of the.t which preceded it it is only as, in o. sense, bee.ring role over the is so.id that "it ehe.ll bee.r rule over all the whole earth, that any monarchy comes into earth." The inferiority indice.ted by the this statue at all. When we look at these mete.le e.nd by the position occupied in the two, we find certainly the two arms suggest- unn:ge, did not indico.te inferiority in power ing e.nd rendering emphatic e. twofoldness or m extent of dominion. An interesting of eome sort in this power. The fact that, theory he.s been formed by Dr. Bonnar in the description of the statue, the word (' Great Interregnum'), tho.t this degenera.- tre.nelo.ted "belly" ('iTIJ)!c) is plure.l,suggcsts, ·ticn was one of type. The monA.rchy as along with the two thighs, the idea of four- exhibited in Babylon, especio.lly when the foldnces. Faintly is this suggestion me.de, monarch was a me.n of genius,e.s was Nebu- but the exigencies of the figure must be che.dnezze.r, we.s likest to the rule of the ooneidered.. Almighty over the world ; his authority we.a Ver. 40.-.A.nd the fourth kingdom shall without limit, direct and absolute over every be strong u iron: foro.smuch a.a iron bree.k- one subject to his sceptre. The Medo- eth in pieces a.nd subdueth o.11 things : e.nd Pe~sian mono.rohy he.d much of the Bo.by~ u iron that breaketh all these, shall it loruo.n absoluteness, but there were, if Hero- break in pieces e.nd bruise. The version of dotus is to be trUB ted, the peers of the the LXX. diifera considerably here, " The crown, e.nd, a.hove e.11, there were the so.traps, fourth kingdom shall be strong o.e iron, as with their almost independent position in iron which eubdueth e.ll things, even as iron respect to the centre.I power. The third, in cutlcth down every tree." It is evident our author's opinion, the Hellenic, ho.d the monarchy limited, not only by numerous that the trcmslator has read fr~ ('illan)," a compeers, as the king in Antioch was tree," instead of r~t:t ('illeen), "these." The bale.need by the kings in Alexandria. and last clo.uee is due to JZ"l!:I) (,J'tayroa') being Pergamus, not to speak of .the monarchs of written with the It: J)"lltni; however,, (van) Pe.rthio., but e.lso by the o.utonomoue cities is not unlike, in ancient Aramaic script, to :.i with the semblance of freedom. The fourth, the Roman, was vet further removed from the (kaph), although , (lamed) is not like n old Di vine-right' monarchy of the Bo.bylonio.n (tau), yet the phrase .l'~;i would carry the type. At their first intercourse with the render over every obstacle. TheodoJ;ion Jews the Romans were llepublico.ne. Their differs lees from the Me.saoretic," The fourth first conquest of Judreo. wus mo.de by Pompey, kingdom is that which shall be o.e strong the genera.I of the Republic. To the lo.et 11.B iron, just o.e (5P 'TpOrop) iron beateth email the emperor, whatever his power, we.s still atd suLdueth o.ll things, thus shall it beo.t theoretically the first mo.gistro.te of a re- small and subdue e.11 things." It may be public. The feet and toes of mingled clny observed the.t the cl.a.use " o.nd e.s iron and iron, he held, were modern constitutional i,rc-nl.:ctlJ a.II these," is o~itted from the monarchies-monarchies built upon demo• CII, II, 1-49,] THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 71