The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 169

EXPOSITION. whole earth: Peace to you be multiplied." CHAPTER IV. In this reading, the first clause iB the head- ing of all that follows, and the document Vers.1-37.-THE MADNESS OF NEBUCHAD- itself begins with, "Peace to you be multi- plied." The absence of the opening words NEZZAR. from the Syriac Version of the Septuagint We follow here the division of chapters by P_aulus Tellensis iB e.gainst its e.uthen- which we find in Olll' English Version, e.ndae, ticity It me.y have been e. scribal note indeed, in all modern versions. The Ara- which has slipped into the text. Theodo- maic concludes the third chapter with the tion is an exact rendering of the Me.ssoretic three verses which a.re placed in our ver- text. The Peshitta Version appears to have followed a recension between that on which sion at the beginning of the fow-th ohe.pter. the Septuagint Version iB founded and the The armngement of the Are.me.ic iB followed Me.ssoretic text, "Nebuche.dnezze.r the king by the Septuagint, by Theodotion, and by torote to e.ll nations, peoples, and tongues, Jerome. The Peshitte. o.nd Paulus Tellensis Joy be increo.sed to you." The most natural follow the more logical division. Luther explanation of this uncertainty in the text is that this chapter is a condense.tion of a divides the chapters logico.lly enough, but longer document. Were the document in co.rries on the numbering of the verses from question e. proclame.tion of Nebuchadnezzar, the preceding clie.ptcr. It is difficult to see his titles would necessarily have followed. anything that co.n even seem to be a These, however, are omitted, and onlymalka, reason for this division. It may indico.te a "king,'' ie rete.ined. The baldness of this seems to have suggested the vo.riations which suspicion of these verses at the time the we find in the Septuagint and the Peshitta.. chapters were divided. The recension before us gives the begin- ning of the letter according to the e.ttesting Ver. 1 (Ammo.ic eh. iii. 81).-Nebuchad- note of the LXX. In the middle of the nezzar the king, unto all people, nations, e.nd document condensation by the simple omis- languages, that dwell in e.ll the ev.rth; Pee.ea sion of clauses was seen to be awkward e.nd be multiplied unto you. The Septu1igint !ms perhaps impossible, so insteacl. a summary e. different readiag hero, "The beginning of is given in the third petl!on. That we ha.ve tho letter of N ebuchadnezzo.r tho king to not found the proclamation itself is not ex- u.11 pcovles cind tongues dwelling in the tmordinary from the very fragmentary con- 132 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [orr. IV. 1-37.