The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 348

('Dee WBB t.o Constantine the Gree.t. Re.ehi, this, "And no god of hie fa.there will he followe,1 by Ce.lvin, would me.ke it the regard (,rvvl,,r<i) and e. desire of women." 1 RomRn Empire personified. He notices This clnnse eta.nde thus incomplete, o.a if the t.he RRhbins' referring this t.o Titus e.nd transl1ttor would he.vo finished it with YeRpe.sian. As abo\'e mentioned, his own (11/,,,-rji) "to him"-" be regards no god, view i~ that the 'MonRTchie. Romana' is because over all he is exnlted." 'l'ho here inten<l!'d. Jephct-ibn-Ali sees in this Peehitte. rendering is, "And to the god or e. prophecy of Mohammed; othcl'S, WoTde- hie fathers he eho.11 not hnve regard; nor to worth nn<l Rnle, following Jerome 8.Jld the desire of women, nor e.ny god, will he Luther, think the reference here is to the have respect; but over e.11 he ehnll exalt antichrist of the New Testament. For himself." It is t.o be noted the.t the Pcshitto. our own psrt, we see no necessity for sup- renders e.e does the English Version, o.nd posing any other monarch than Epiphanes has the singular, "the God of hie fo.there " is referred to. While Livy and Polybius not a.e the Greek versions, " the gods of his'." remark on the piety of Epipha.ues, it ma.y The Hebrew might be either. The Vulgo.te seem strange to refer wha.t is ea.id here to agrees here with the Syria.o. Neither •hall him; but bis ruthless plundering of temples he regard the God of hiB fatherB. Antioch us proved that his piety wn.s merely a. political is looked upon, not o.s a. me.n of Mo.ccdoninn expedient. Speak maT"Dellous things ag11imt or Greek descent, but a.e o. Syrian, and the God of godB. We he.ve no record of any certainly he ha.d no reverence for the procla.ma.tions of Antiochus which exa.ctly ancient gods of Syria.. Hie opposition tu suit this ; but then we must bea.r in mind the theocracy a.nd t.o the worship of tha.t we he.ve only compendious a.ccounts of Jehovah wa.e but a portion of a. wide policy, what he did procle.im. To the bee.then, the object of which we.s the abolition of a.ll moreover, a.s t.o Polybiue 8.Jld Livy, words of local cults. The desire of women. It might contempt age.inst Jehovah would seem mea.n the.t he wa.s not lustful ; but there is nothing wol"Be than impolitic; but t.o the no evidence the.t, like Che.des XII., he wa.e J cw, bla.sphemous words would he so horrible abstinent. On the other hand, he never that they would not be recorded, a.s being neglected wa.r for luxury, e.s did some of the a conta.mine.tion: henoe it is not extra.- Hellenic kings. Moreover, it is almost im• ordine.ry that we hear nothing of blasphemy pere.tive tha.t it be a.n object of worship that in the hist.ory of Antiochus. The forbidding is here referred t.o. Te.king "the desire of of sa.crillces 8.Jld of circumcision, while women" e.s a.n object of worship, there is a.n clearly enough dishonouring to God and interpretation which ha.e come down t.o us to the Jewish nation, do not contain enough from Ephrem Byrne a.nd Jerome, the.t to justify the statement. Shall prosper till Beltis or Na.nee. is here referred to; e.nd the the indignation be acc()'ITl,plished. If by the fa.et tha.t in a.n attempt to plunder the indignation (CJ11, za'am) is mea.nt the suffer- temple of this goddeBB, in Elyme.is, An- ings endured by the Jewish people, then tiochue lost his life, supports this view. the prosperity of Epiphanee-hie life, in- The worship is ea.id to ha.ve been very deed-did not le.st so long e.e the sufferings lascivious. On the other ha.nd, it wa.s a inflicted on the Jews; for these continued worship tha.t would not na.tura.lly be pro- for some time a.fter his dea.th. There is minent t.o a. Pa.lestinie.n Jew. The sugges- probe.bly here e.n indication that the writer's tion of Ewa.Id, tha.t it we.a the worship of horizon did not rea.ch to the death of Adonis or Ta.mmuz which Antiochue de- Antiochus. Certs.in, by hie fa.ith in God, spised, is more likely to be mea.nt here, the.t Antiochue would perish, he thinks tha.t For he shall magnify himBelj abo"lle all. until the.t time he me.y prosper. For that Claiming the right of annulling worship, that is determined slw.ll be doM. There i.6 a.nd ta.king the sa.cred utensils from the coneidere.ble difficulty ea to the text here, temple tree.euree, he e.llowed himself t.o but e.ll the various forms convey the 1111.me be addressed by the Be.me.rite.na as a god. meaning- definite limit to oppreBBion. Alltiochue we.a probably utterly withoni Ver. 37.-lleither Bhall he regard the God fa.ith in the Divine; worship we.s merely of hi& fa.ther1, nor the desire of women, nor policy. regard e.uy god: for he llhe.ll ma.gni.fy him- Ver. 38.-But in hie estate 1hall he honour self above all. The Septuagint rendering the Gbd of forces : and a god whom hia is, "And to the gods of hie fe.thel"B he will fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, not he.ve respect, e.nd to the desire of women a.nd· silver, and with preoious atone,, a.nd be will not he.ve respect, because in every- pleasant things. As we ha.ve said above, thing he ehe.11 be exalted, a.nd by him strong the le.et clause of the preceding vel"Be a.ccord• nations she.11 he subdued." The last clause 1 The reading preferred by Ore.be, I..? belongs ree.lly to the next verse, of the first cle.UBe of which it is a. r.e.ria.nt reading. l11,6vµ/11.11 wd.JPT"-, is e.n attempt to make the Thoodotion is Dearly identical in sense with pa.eee.ge more intelligiblo, en. xr. 1-45.J THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 821