The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 114

i.,t]i. d!'(lam Rnd interprctittion perforce r()gnrd the 11ct.ion ae one of eacriftoie.l offer- puhhc 1n R WI\)" tbc~· could not otherwise ing. It ie true min~a~ meo.ne "a present," ho.vc h<>t>n. W1wt ,1rnll co711fl to pa.88 here• e.s when Jacob sends a present t.o Esau after: litc>ritlly, tol,ic7, ,hall be after the8e (Gen. xnii. 13) ; but, in that oonneotien, thing•. This does not IDC'A.D in the im- niisa.k ie not used. It is quite true that tho rucdi11tc future, but nfter the etnte of burning of sweet odours we.ea.common enough rnnttPrs nC. prC'Bl'nt cxiAting-tlie clominR• thing in entertaining guests whom it was tion of thC' worhl by great powers after the desired to honour, hut tho torm nee!w~een system of ,:rt>nt world-empires hRs pa.ssed WM not gil•en to the aromatic woods so used. nway, th<'n will the Lord's kingdom be eet People sometimes, even at present, soent up. A ml lh.e dream is certain, and the in• their rooms by burning o.rome.tio woods, but ter11retalio11 thcrenf ~11re; or, litoraJ.ly, t.o they never in such oases oall them incense. bring out tile emphasis, certain - cstab- But from the fnct that tho old Greek version lishcd-i6 the dream, and Bure-fo.ithful- e.nd Jerome re&d Bucrlu, 1iostiaa, the doubt the t"merpretation. Thie is not a. mere seems foroed upon us that the re&ding hero assertion of the fact the.t he, Daniel, h&d has been altered, and tho.t the true re&ding given a.n exact a.ccount of wha.t the king wa.s deeb/,ee1i-notn.ee!w~een-this is aohe.ngo hnd seen in his dree.m, e.nd e. correct inter- that could with difficulty be imagined as oc- pre tation of its import; of the first the king curring e.coidentally, but readily enough wns the best judge. It is rather a.n lll'gu- might happen from the desire to defend ruent : "The account of the dree.m is Dauielfrom the ohlll'ge of allowing idolatrous correct; from this learn that the interpret&• worship to be offered to him. The inste.noo tion is sure." referred t.o a.s parallel-the homage which Yer. 46.-Then the king Nebuohadnezzar Josephus relates Alexo.nder the Great gave fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, to J addua-is not quite on a.11 fours with and comms.ni!ed that they should offer an tho present case. We are, in the first place, o:ilatiou a"i!d sweet odou;:-s unto him. The expressly told the.t it we.a " the name " of Greek versions render in such a way tho.t Jehove.h, engraved on the petalon on the we are o.lmost obliged to recognize nn act of front of the priest's mitre, that Alexander idolntrous worship. Jerome, too, distillctly worshipped (1rpocr<1tOV"1)CTE -ro ~voµa). In tho snys," N ebnchodonosor . . . Danielem ador- next place, we ho.ve no notice of sacrifice or nvit et hostias et inccnsum prrecepit ut sacri- incense being ordered to be offered to the high fico.rent." The se.me ideo. is conveyed by priest. It is not correct to say that nasal, the Peshitta, but less definitely, from the of necessity men.us "pour out an oblation," fact that qorban meo.ns o. " gift" as well as to the exclusion of the more genere.l mean- an " oblation ; " though the gift is usually ing of " offer se.cri.fice." Tho corresponding a consecrated gift. In the .Axa.maio of the word in .Ara.hie means " to sacrifice " (Behr- Bi l,Je we he. ve certo.in phrases used for mann). Behrme.nn says, in regard to this, " sacrifice ; " several of these o.re here em- truly, ".As t.o Porphyry later, so to the ployed : it is true all of them have the anthor and t.o the first readers of this book, possibility of being used in a somewhat lower it wonld have seemed indecent if Daniel had meaning. The mere" falling down before allowed himself to be hononred as a god." Do.niel upon his face," when the person who This wonld have been true had the author- did it was Nebuchadnezzar, is extro.ordino.ry, been a contemporary of the Macce.bees. 0.11d co.n only be explained by the idea of The tide of feelillg that led Peter to refuse worship. When we find the word,~., (B"gad) the prostration of Cornelius, and Paul and used immedio.tely after, it is very difficult to Barnabas the sacrifices at Lystre., would refuse tD l.dieve that the Greek Version and have prevented any one inventing such a Jerome are right when they tro.nslate the scene. It is perfectly true the worship was l.o.tter word ,rpocrrni5v.,cr•. The word occurs probably directed to the Divine Spirit e.e repeatedly ill the following chapter, in- resident in Daniel, re.ther than to Do.niel vo.riftbly o.s " worship." The con-esponding himself ; few except the lowest nnd most Hebrew word occurs in the second chapter of degraded of heathen worshipped idols in I.sain.h, in the sense of "idole.trous worship" any other way - the divine spirit, the (Isa. ii. 20). It certaillly does mee.n '' to deity, was the real object of worship, whose bend." Had the word thus stood alone, sign they were, and who resided in them. we could not hnve been certain that it "e must bear in mind that Daniel had mennt "worship;" but when it follows been brought up in nn idolatrous court, tl,e extreme act of prostro.tion to the earth, perhapa, o.Jso, he had to submit, on po.in of "worship" must be meant. The separate suffering the fate tho.t befell Paul and Bar- tcnus, ,.,;,,!wh, i;i/w/,iu, l'nassal:ah lah, nabns when they refused the worship mighl, tu.ktn separately, mean "gifts" of the people of Lystra. We must lo.y e.ud the " Leetowment of gifts; " but, stress on the very different relationship to taken togr·ther, it is impossible not to iciolatry and its worship implied in Daniel en. u. l-40] 'l'IIE BOOK m' DANll~I... 75