The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 247

divel'l!e from all the beRstB that were before Nothing like this occurred in regard to tho it.." In all the previous empires, the eon• empire of the Diadochi. Of ooursc, it ia stitution WRS avowedly monarchi<'a.l. With true the number ought not to bo preeacd, the RomRn, the rcpublice.n oonstitulion save as a designative symbol. Thero must, o.ppeared, o.nd even under the emperors however, be more than five or six, as in such tlie forms of that constitution were pre- a case four would be a more natural gonoral 1mr-rC'd. In this sense it WRB diverse from number. It may, however, be twelvo or all the preoeding empires. Mr. De-rRn fifteen. Severo.I events in the history of tlio think,, " the e.otrooious massacres at Tyre kingdoms that h11,e followed the Romnn and elsewhere, by which Alexander en- Empire might satisfy one pnrt of tliis deavoured to strike terror into the con- picture-the replacing of threo kingdoms quered races," is symbolized by the monster by o:ne. It is a possible enougli view tho.t "de-rouring, crushing," etc. M.r. Be-ran pr~vmc~s ~ay be referred to, as Jepliet-ibn- must never have read the e,coounts of tho ~h ~aintains. As, however, the primnry conquests of Asshnr-bani-pa.l. He seems to s1g01ficance of the . "horn " is power, the have forgotten the treatment meted out to moat probable solution seems to us to be to Sawos and l\Iiletus by the Persians. take tile " ten" horns as the magistracies of Ver. 8.-I_considered the horns, and, behold, Republican Rome. If we reckon the magis- there came up among them another little tracies, there were fewer, if we take the dis- horn, before whom there were three of the tinctive individuals occupying the magis- nnt horns plucked up by the roots: and, tracies, more, than ten. 'l'he imperial form behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of go,ernment replaced several of these of man, and a mouth speaking grest things. magistracies, which may roughly be reckoned The Septuagint Version, if we consider it at three. Certainly of the imperial power n rendering of the Massorotie, begins really it might be said that it had a moutli "speak- with the words which a.re ma.de in it the last ing grent things;" for the claim to deifica- clause of the preceding veme, "And counsels tion made openly was certainly a new claim. were many in its horns." This reading is Other monarchs had claimed to be the sons certainly not to be preferred, e.ltbongh it of their god; only the Roman emperors were can en.silv be understood how it has arisen. addressed as d·ivus during their lifetime, The version proceeds, "And behold another Certainly the empire made war against the hom sprang up in the midst of them-little saints-against the people of God. It was in it.s horns "-this latter is a doublet-" and Nero, a Roman emperor, who decreed war three of the former horns were rooted eut by against the Jews; it wus Vespasian, another it, and, behold, eyes as human eyes were in Roman emperor, that began the conquest this horn, and a mouth speaking great of Palestine; it was Titus, a third Roman things, and it made war against the saints." emperor, that captured Jerusalem. Some Theodotion is practically in agreement with support may be found for the Jewish idea the Maasoretic text, as is a.leo the Peehitta. that it is Titus personally. If we are per- .AJJ Daniel is gazing, hi! attention is directed mitted to take the ten horns as successive to the horns; he sees their appearance emperors, he was the eleventh emperor, and changing. AD eleventh horn springs np, three emperors were swept o.way before the much Iese than e.ny of -the former ten; Fla.vian dynasty. We must reserve fuller quickly, however, it grows, and before its diacueeion of this subject t.o a special ex- growth three of the former horns are rooted cursus. up. ThlB hom now drew his gaze from all the Vera. 9, 10.-I beheld till the thrones others : it had human eyes, it had a mouth were cast down, and the Ancient of days speaking great things. In the changes of did 1it, whose garment was white as snow, the dream the horn now seems separated and the hair of hi• head like the pure from the animal on which it is; it becomes wool : his throne was like the fiery fie.me, an oppressor, and makes war upon the Slld his wheels as burning fire, A fiery saints. It is DSlla.l to identify this horn with 1tream issued and came forth from before that in eh. viiL 7. When carefully looked him: thousand thousands ministered unto at, the alleged resemblance is reduced t.o the him, and ten thousand time■ ten thousand fact that in both cases " a. horn " is llBCd as 1tood before him: the judgment was set, a symbol of a.n oppressor of the saints. We and the books were opened. The Septuagint mllBt remember tJ.Ja.t, a.ecording t.o the figure, Version here does not differ much from the these ten horns a.re contemporary. If we Maesoretie save that there are two caeca take the typology of the next chapter as of doublet. 'fheodotion a.nd the Peehitta our guide, these horns are kingdoms or are evidently translated from a text identical dynasties. Ulllike the Greek Empire, which with that of the Maseoretie. TIJere is, split np into four, this fourth empire splits however, one point where the versions agree up into ten. Another dynasty rises up and against the Authorized Version-the throne11 eweer>f a wo.y three of the~e ep.riier dY11U-11tie1. 1ne l!Oi ~st dowp, they are "rliwcd," 1111 M, VII, 1-28.) THE BOOK OF DANIEL.