The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 341

this, when hor father's cumies were tlefe11,ted temple of Jove (Ilel) in Elymaia. nut the by the Romans, she joined with her husband attempt he.ving been dia<'overcd, tl1ere Wll.B in sending congratulations to the Senate of a concourse of the inlu1bit~nta an,l ho w,.e Rome. slain with a.II his forces." Th~ resemhle.noo Ver. 18.-After this ■hall he tum hi■ face here between the fate of Antiochus the unto the isle■, and shall take many: but e. Great e.nd that of his son Epiphanea ia 80 prince for hh own behalf shall oe.uae the striking BB to throw suspicion on one or reproach offered by him to cee.ae; without other of them. his own reproach he shall co.use it to turn Ver. 20.-Then shall stand up in hia upon him. The rendering of the LXX. is estate e. raiser of taxes in the glory of the nearly unintelligible, "And he she.II set kingdom: but within few days he shall be (3~,rn) his face against the see., and ehe.11 destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. take many (,rol\l\oiis), and shall tum the The rendering of the LXX. differs very wrath of their reproe.ch in e.n oath ago.inst much from this, "Then shall a plant arise his reproo.oh." The tre.nsle.tor bed reed c,', out of his root to the restoration ( civO:.,.-,,.a,ru) instead of C"Nr,, Professor Bevan would of the kingdom, o. man striking the glory of ingeniously Bllpply some words to the Greek. o. king." It is impossible to find any con- With all it seems nearly impossible to ex- nection between the opening clause of this plain the relation between the Mo.seoretio and the corresponding clause in the Mas- text and that used by the Septuagint. soretic. Some of the other clauses contain Theodotion is muoh briefer, " He she.II echoes of the Me.ssoretic, or 'Dice TJersa. The turn his fe.oe to the islands, e.nd shall first clause of ver. 21 in the LXX. really te.ke me.ny, e.nd shall ea.use rulers to cease belongs to this verse, "In the last de.ys he from their reproach ; but his reproach sbe.11 shall be broken, not in wrath nor in war," return upon him." The Peshitte. renders, reading thus, c•~-;:i~ ("haTcmeem) instee.d of "And he she.11 turn his fe.ce to the islands C'Xl_!l ('•hadeem). Theodotion agrees in the of the see., and she.ll conquer me.ny, e.nd e. first clanse with the Septuagint, but is ruler of reproach shall co.use it to cease in equally unintelligible, "There sha.11 arise regard to him, and his reproach she.11 return out of his root one removing o. plant of the t.o him." 'fhe Vulgo.te is closely related to kingdom ; on bis preparation he shall act the Pesbitte.. We would render the le.it ( -,,p,,;,,.,,.,,w), the glory of the kingdom : yet in clause, with Behrmann, " Yea, his reproach those days he shall be broken, o.ndnot openly will he repe.y to him." The events referred ( lv1rpo,r~o1S) nor in war shall he stand." Tho t.o are clee.r and obvious enough. Antiochus Pesbitta renders, "In his stead shall one the Great took advantage of the disastrous stand up who shall co.nse o. rnler to pass defeat inflicted on Philip of Macedon by through even the glory of yonr kings ; o.n,l the Romans, to seize many of the islands of in o. few do.ye he shall be destroyed, not in the e.rchipele.go. He not only took possession tumult, nor in battle." The Vulgate renders, of e.11 the Asiatic dominions of Philip, but "In his stead shall stand e. vile person (TJi!is- crossed into Europe and seized Thrace. nmus), and unworthy of royal dignity ; a.nd The Romans demanded that he should re- in a few days he shall be broken, not in tire from all the former dominions of Philip. fury, nor in battle." Difficult as is the He refused, e.nd war ensued, in which, after interpretation of the words, just as difficult being driven out of Europe, he we.a tote.Uy is it to find out the reference. Seleucus defeated at Magnesia by Luoius Scipio, e.nd Philopo.tor, who succeeded Antiochus, compelled to surrender all his dominions might be called a "raiser of taxes," as he west of the Taurus. had to meet a.a best he could the heo. vy Ver. 19.-Then he shall turn his fa.ea demands of the Roman treasury. The ren- toward the fort of hie own le.nd ; but he shall dering of the Revised suits also, "co.using stumble and fall, and not be found, The the exo.ctor to pass through the glory of the versions do not present any occasion for kingdom." The reference might be to rem,lrk. After his defeat, Antiochus was Heliodorus, were there any probability that not only compelled to submit to the loss be ever made an expedition to rob the of much of his empire, but was adjudged to temple. Certainly the story in 2 l\Iaccabees pe.y all tb~ expenses of the war, estimated Rt makes it doubtful. It is not li.kelv that eighteen tbousand Eubceio talents. Justin Po.Jestine would be exempt from taxation. relates thus the dee.th of Antiochus: "Mean- To a Jew resident in Palestine-the fond while in Syria King Antioohus, being the possession of which bad been the loaded with heavy tribute after his defeat occ11sion or so many wars-it might well by the Romane, whether urged by want of seem the glory of the Syrian kingdom. money or impelled by o.vo.rioe, flat_tering But withi11 few days he shall be de- himself that, under the plea of necessity, he stro'!Jed. It is difficult to understand how might with fair exouee commit eaorilege, the writer could reckon the reign of Seleucus aeeaullocl with an armed force by night the PhilC\pator as only a fow days. His reigu  :;14 'l'HE BOOK OF DANIET,. (en. x,. 1-4G.