The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 140

at tho time every ono In Ilabylon would be The Septuagint rendering hero is, "Whom r,orfeetly o.wrue why Dnniol,wns not there. when he ee.w, Nebuchadnezzar the kin~ aC1irl fho absence of o.11 reforeneo to Daniel in to them, Wherefore, Shadrach, Meehach, o.nrl thle oho.pter ie an indirect proof of the Abcdnego, do ye not_ worship my gorls, o.nil Bntiquitr. and genuinenoss of the book of before the golden image which I hrtv" whioh 1t forms pnrt. Tho ree.eone for set up do ye not prostrate yourselves?" Daniel'e o.becnco mo.y easily be imagined. There seems to have been e. difference of Ho might have been eent on official duty reading here. The first words muet havo to B distant province of tho empire, or, been ree.d as p;i•',11 p;i::i (behon 'a/,P,e/wn), '1ml though this is not so likely, his presence o.t the mysterious word N;J¥;:J (hatz'da) ha,\ occu- this festive.I might not be required. A pied e. position before, not after ,o~. The prosaic but possible solution of De.nicl'e o.bsonco might be illness. If he were word 11:;i~ in the e.phel in Syriac means " to known to be incapacito.ted by sickneee from look eteo.dily." Thie interpretation of the taking port in o.ny public function, the word ehowe that the translator had before Cho.ldeo.ne would not damage their case hy him e. document in which Syriac meaninaa referring to him. might be expected. Theodotion rende~s Ver. 13.-Then Nebuchadnezzar in his the laet clause, "If truly ( ,; cl.M79wr) Bha.-\- rage and fury commanded to bring Sha- re.ch, Meehe.ch, !l'nd Abednego, my gods drach, llleahach, and Abed-nego. Then they ye do not worship, and before the golden brought these men before the king. The image which I have set up ye do not pros- Septuagint differs from the Me.eeoretic in trate yourselves?" - a. construction that translating NP!] (/i"ma') as e. verb, and there- shows e. slavish following of the Aramaic. fore rendering, B•µwBels hm, "infuriated The sense here is really the same a.e that with rage." Theodotion is in close agree- of the Authorized Version. The Peehitta. ment with the Me.eeoretic, e.e also the Pe- renders the opening word of this latter ehitte., with this difference, that the Syrie.c portion of the verse, "in truth "-e. rendering repeats the preposition, in which it is with which Jerome agrees. Professor Bevan followed by Jerome. The word translated suggests another reading, 1171~;:i, followed by "brought" presents some gre.mme.tico.l Behrmann. Unfortunately,"the meaning of difficulty: the word is l'J:,'CI (haythtiyoo). N;l)i!:1 is very doubtful. The common render- The form seeme active, but the meaning is ing is "of sei purpose." So Fiirst, Gese- passive. Professor Bevan suggests e. differ- niue, Winer, among lexicographers, and ence of vocalization. The accusation of Bertholdt, Ewald, Aben Ezra, Wordsworth, those who desired to devour these Jewish among commentators; Keil, Kliefoth, Kra- councillors was succeeeful in its immediate nichfeld, hold it to mean "with evil intent." aim. Nebuchadnezzar is filled with rage It is suggested also that it may mean "in and fury age.inst those who, having been mockery." The reading suggested by Pro- the creatures of his favour, had yet de.red to fessor Bevan and supported by Behrmann do despite to his authority. It might even is not to be thought of; they e.ppeo.l to be that their unheard-of want of courtesy Theodotion, but when this word occurs in to the monarch would also be regarded as the previous chapter (ver. 5), Theodotion discourtesy still more fie.grant to the god to translates lur<<TT"11, which me.kee it evident whose honour the statue or pillar had been that 11'1111 (azda) did not mean "truth" to erected, and this dedicative fee.et instituted. him. More may be said for the Peshitta, Ho commands the criminals to be brought only tho.t, though azda does seem to mean to him. Fierce and furious as Nebuchad- "truth," the translation is not the same in nezzar is, fanatic as he is for the religion of eh. ii. 5 e.ud the present verse. If there is his fa.there, he is yet just. These officials, to be a change of reading, that indicated however disrespectfully they have o.cted, by the Septuagint tre.nsle.tion is preferable. have yet a right to be heard in their own The Septuagint translator has had 11,i: defence. They are sent for by the monarch, before him, and there is no evidence that and in due course they oome. rt ie not Theodotion had not. The change in tho impossible that Nebuchadnezzar, with all arrangement of the words is e. simpler varia- hie rage and fury, was yet shrewd enough tion than e.ny other, and it retains the word in to see envy behind the accusation ; it is its Syrio.o meaning; otherwise we should be heco.use these men are Jowe, and have been inclined to follow the lexicographers, and highly advanced, that the Che.ldee.ne o.re translate "of set purpose." If we take the ready to bring e.ooueo.tione of impiety a.go.inst view of this word indicated above, then them. we may imagine Nebuohadnezzor lookin.,. Ver. 14.-Nebuohadnez■ar ape.ke, and said steadfastly on those youths who had dareJ. unto them, Is it true, 0 Shadre.ch, llleahaoh, to oppose him, hoping, it may be, to seo and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor them shrink from his gaze, as he had seen worship the golden image which I have set up 1 so me.ny of the kings he had conquered clv,  102 'fHE BOOK OF DANIEL. [err, m. 1-30.