The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 206

happen tho.t p (In the older script <I> and 4) is not repeated as in the Maseoretio text wns rosolved into, (in the older script <I and and 'P.i: is derived from ',~p, which in BQme of A). In support of tbis,itmaybeobscrvod tl,at the conjugations means "destroyed " where- while in the fifth verse the older conetru~ as in ver. 17 it is rendered Ko.;•/\o•tfuo.,, tion of construct etnte and status emphaticus " it is reckoned," a rendering of ',pn which ie u~cd to exhibit the genitival connection, in tlio preeent co.eo the relat~vo ,, ie used as makes it mean "weigh." The Septua~nt o. eign of the genitive. Starting with thie, rendering of the first clause is an evi<lent it is oney to eee how the Massorctic text attempt at explaining the numbering im- o.rose; but, on the other ho.nd, it ie difficult plied. The MaAsoretic reading involves a to eee the scnee of the ren.ding of the pun in both the last words; there is a play Septuagint, unlees this fiery hand is to be between ',pi;, (t•qel), " to weigh," and ',Sp imagined aa tracing and retracing the (q"lal), "to be light," although the intro- characters on the wo.11 of the po.lace, e.nd duction of n:il/1 rather conceals this. In that the hand only ceo.ecd when Do.niel the last the play is bdween o,~, "to divide," stood before the inscription to read. Theo- and oi;i, "a Persian." Theodotion avoids dotion differs very little from the I\Iassoretio the repetition of the first word, otherwise text, and the Peebitta coincides with it. he is in somewhat close agreement with The word for "writing," □•tt:i (r'sheem), is the Massoretic text, "MANE, God hath really "engraving," and therefore pecu- measured thy kingdom ; TBEKEL, It is set liarly descriptive of the ABeyrian mode of on the balance, and found wanting; PnARE,,, impressing on clay tablets or incising in Thy kingdom is cut asunder, and given to ■tone the thing to be preserved. the Medes and the Persians." The Pcshitta Vere. 2~28.-And this is the writing is in close agreement with the Massoretic that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, tex~. The actual meaning of the words, UPRARSIN. This is the interpretation of taking them as they appear in the Masso- the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy retie text, as Aramaic words, is, to give kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou Euglish eq11ivalcnts, "a pound, a pound, an art weighed in the balances, and art fotllld ounce, and quarters;" he.nee the impossi- wantillg. PERES; Thy kingdolll is divided, bility of interpreting the words. \Ve find and given to the llledes and Persians. The all these words, mena, teqel (shekel), pares, Septuagint has two versions of this passage, in the Ninevite illscriptions. As the words one in the text, the other in the portion at are interpreted, we cannot fail to be im- the beginning, which we think is really pressed with the peremptory style of the composed of marginal readings. In the inscription, o.s Hitzig has it. Zockler refers text the Aramaic is not given o.t all. As to the sculpturesque style (lapidursti[). Thui we have already seen, the verse which brevity rendered it difficult for the sooth- corresponds to ver. 25 here ie really the sayers to put any meaning into the words latter part of ver. 17 of the Septuagint, at all. In all the versions the fact that the "This is the writing: It hath been num- kingdom is to be given to the Medes and bered; it is reckoned ; it ho.a been carried Persio.ns is emphasized, but, moreover, the away." In the verses which are appended play on words in the last clause implies to the beginning of the chapter, we have the Persians as the prominent as,o.ilants of the Aramaic words, but given in a different the Babylonian power, but really that the order, and without the repetition of the first two powers were united. It seems extra.- word : " MANE, PHARES, THEKEL. MANE, ordinary that any one, in the face of this It ho.a been numbered ; PHARES, It is should maintain that the author of Daniei co.rried away; TREKEL, It has been set separated the two powers, and thono-ht the up." Here not only is the order different, Median power succeeded the Babylonian, but the meaning assigned to pharee is and then that the Persian succeeded the singular. c:,~ means in Syriao, "spread Median. We know now that Herodotus's representation of the history of Media and out." It would seem tho.t l(,,lp., meant Persia. is utterly false and misleading. "stretched out" as well o.s "carried away." It is still more difficult to understand how Ver. 29.-Then commanded Belshazzar, thekel can mean "set up," unless the words, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and lv (11')',i, "on the balance," are understood. put a chain of gold about his neck, and The Septuagint of the best version is briefer made a proclamation concerning him, that than the Maseoretic, though less so than it he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. is in some of the other passages, "Num- The Septuagint runs thus: "Then Bo.ltasar bered is the time of thy kingdom; ceases the killg clothed Daniel in purple, and put thy kingdom; cut short and ended has been on him a golden necklace, and gave au- thy kingdom; to the Medes and the Persians thority to him over a third part of his kin o-. has it been given." The word interpreted dom." The only difference here is ~1  172 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [oa. v. 1-31.