The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 219

EXPOSITION. bracketed parts ue easily separable from CHAPTER VI. the rest, and then what remains forms e. Ven. 1-28.-DAl>'IEL IN THE LIONS' Do. continuous narrative. Theodotion differs, though slightly, from the Massoretio text, Vers. 1-3.-It pleased Darius to set over Darius "set (,ca.na.rf,a,v) Daniel over the. the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, kingdom "--did not merely take counsel to which &honld be over the who,e kingdom; do it. The Peshitte. 11grees also very closely aul over these three presidents ; of whom with the Messoretic, only the word for Daniel was first: tha.t the princes might "princes" is not, as in the Massoretic text, gin accounts unto them, and the king should ~ashdarpnayya', but rabu ~eel. This is ha-n no damage. Then this Daniel was the common rendering in the Peshitta of preferred above the presidents and princes, this word, and points to the Massoretic beoanse an excellent spirit was in him; and term being an adaptation. The use of the the Icing thonght to set him over the whole word " satrap " here has led to the idea realm. The ve.rie.tions from the Me.ssoretic that this is derived from the hundred 11nd t.ext in the Septne.gint a.re, in regard to twenty-seven provinces (Esth. i. 1). This the verses before us, very considerable. It identification is supported certainly by the assnmcs the last verse of the preceding LXX., which gives a hundred and twenty- chapter, and begins, ".A.nd he set op a seven as the number or the satraJ!S set up hondred and twenty 11Dd seven so.traps over by Darius. Josephus, it may oe noted all his kingdom. And over them he set (' Ant.,' x. 11. 4), mentions the satrapies as three men as presidents (7ryou1ihov,), and three hundred and si.x.ty-e. reading that DIIIliel was one of the three men [and had seems scarcely to be drawn by any con• authority over all men in the kingdom. .A.nd ceivable mistake from the Massoretic text, Daniel was clothed in purple, and was great nor any tradition of the actual number of 11Dd honourable (lv~o!os) before Darius the satrapics under the Persian rule.• The king, because he was honourable (tv~o!o,-) probability is that there has been some and understanding 11Dd prudent, and there early corruption of the number. On the wu an holy spirit in him, and he prospered supposition that Darius is Gobryaa, these iJl tl,e affairs of the kingdom which he did]. satraps would really be governors of cities Then the king thought (,{3ou>..e6aa:ro) to and small districts in the populous province place Daniel over all his kingdom [(and of Dabylon. We have in the inscriptions of th<; two men who stood with him and the the ABByrian monarchs who interv~ned in hundred and twenty-seven so.traps) when the affairs of Dabylon and Chaldc11, notices the king thought to place Daniel over his of a large number of small kingships; ea.eh whole kingdom]." The passages within of these would require o. special governor. hrnckcts, we think, are additions to amplify In harmony with thie, we are informed by ibt description, and to connect it with the Mr. Pinches that Gobryas appointed sub- honow giv1,n Daniel by Bel.Bha.zzar. The ordinate guvernor11 in the territory of on. vt. 1-28.J THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 186