Verse 1. Statue. It was the figure of a man, ( Calmet.) the dimensions 90 feet high and 9 broad ( Worthington.) being disproportionate; though a man might be represented on the pillar. Some take it for Nabolpolassar, ( Calmet.) or for the king himself. Saint Jerome Worthington.—But he never complains of the injury shewn to his own person, and therefore it probably was meant for Bel, the chief god. Calmet. 4:5 and 14:1. This nation adored statues. Baruch 6:3. The Persians worshipped only the elements. Calmet.—Ochus first set up the statue of the goddess Tanais or Anais. Clem. Protr.—Dura. Septuagint “enclosed.” Saint Jerome—This happened towards the end of the king’s reign, (verse 98, and so forth) of course the three young men might be about fifty years old. Calmet.
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Verse 2. Nobles. Lit. “satraps,” or, “the king’s domestics.” Septuagint in 1 Ezra 8:36.—Judges, or “governors of provinces.” ib. Theodotion, and so forth—Captains of the soothsayers.—Rulers; “tyrants,” here denoting treasurers. Calmet.—Governors. Lit. “the grandees who were in power;” ( Bible.) counsellors. The original adds, ( Calmet.) Thopthia, ( Bible.) “lawyers” and orators. The head of the Turkish religion is called muphti, from the root, ( Calmet.) peti, “to teach.” Bible.
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Verse 5. Symphony. This and several other terms seem taken from the Greek, though the scythara and sambuca came originally from Chaldea. Calmet.—Down. This and offering incense were sometimes considered as marks of idolatry; so being present at the sermons and churches of Protestants was a sign of joining in their communion, being required for that purpose. Worthington.
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Verse 8. Jews: the three children whom they viewed with a jealous eye. Daniel was too much exalted, or was absent with other Jews.
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Verse 15. Hand? Proof of this king’s inconstancy, as he had witnessed the power of God!
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Verse 18. He. Chal. “not” Calmet.—By this modest yet resolute answer, they testified their faith in God’s power, and their determination rather to suffer death ( Worthington.) than to go against their conscience. Bible.—They were ignorant whether God would preserve them from the flames or not, ( Worthington.) as he is said to have rescued Abraham from a similar danger. 2 Ezra 9:7.
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Verse 20. Strongest. Chal. “mighty in strength;” ( Bible.) his own guards, the usual executioners.
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Verse 21. Coats, or various coloured bandages for the thighs, used by men and women. Aquila and Th. retain the original term, Σαραβαροις. Chal. saraballa. Calmet.—Caps: “tiaras.” Bible.—The king alone wore them upright.
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Verse 22. Slew. They were working still at the furnace, when it burst out and destroyed them, ( Calmet.) while the three Jews were praising God below. Bible. verse 46, 48.
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Verse 24. And, and so forth “What follows I have not found in the Hebrew volumes.” Saint Jerome Bible.—Here S. Jerom takes notice, that from this verse to verse 91 was not in the Hebrew in his time. But as it was in all the Greek Bibles, (which were originally translated from the Hebrew) it is more than probable that it had been formerly in the Hebrew; or rather in the Chaldaic, in which the Book of Daniel was written. But this is certain: that it is and has been of old, received by the Church, and read as canonical Scripture in her liturgy and divine offices. Challoner.—See the pref. Worthington.
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Verse 27. True; not fickle, and liable to change. Calmet.—Opera mutas non mutas consilium. Saint Augustine Conf. i. 4.—Cappel. argues from this confession, that the piece is not divine, as they would rather have burst out into expressions of admiration, as they do in the canticle below. But they had done so already, (verse 26) and make this confession, ( Bible.) as Daniel does, Calmet. 9; reflecting, that if the nation had not transgressed, they would not thus have been exposed to the fury of the king. Houbigant. verse 40. Bible.
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Verse 33. Thee. Pagans take occasion to vilify our religion.
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Verse 34. Sake. This disinterested motive is often urged. Joshua 7:9 and 2 Maccabees 8:15. Calmet.
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Verse 35. One. Moses used the like terms, and pacified God. Exodus 32. Worthington.
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Verse 38. Thee, in Jerusalem, ( Bible.) or Judea. There were chiefs and judges, (Calmet. 13) as well as prophets, (Ezech. and so forth) among the captives. Yet the republic was in disorder. Calmet.—Sedecias was dead, Joakim in prison, so that no Jewish king ruled over the people; nor was there any prophet in the promised land, Jeremias being either dead or in Egypt. Worthington.—Prophets were at least very rare. Menochius.
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Verse 40. Sacrifice of ourselves. Bible.—They knew not yet whether they would escape. When they beheld the angel they had greater confidence, and broke forth into a hymn of praise. Houbig.—They now offer all they can, a humble heart!
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Verse 43. Name, by rescuing us, that all may confess thy power. Calmet.
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Verse 46. Brimstone. Lit. naphtha, ( Bible.) or bitumen, which was very inflammable.—Tow, besmeared with pitch. Calmet.—Dry (malleolis) “bundles” of sticks, or ropes, covered with pitch. Bible.—Manipuli spartœi pice contecti. Nonius.
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Verse 48. Furnace. These might be other victims, ( Bible.) or he recapitulates what had been said verse 22, ( Calmet.) which is by no means unusual, though Cappel. would hence reject the piece. Houbigant.
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Verse 49. Furnace: so that it destroyed the Chaldeans, while it had no power to hurt God’s servants. The operation of the laws nature was thus only restrained. Bible.
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Verse 53. Temple; heaven, styled the throne, verse 54. The temple was now in ruins.
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Verse 55. Depths, from whom nothing is hidden.—Cherubims, as on thy chariot.
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Verse 65. Spirits: winds. Angels and men are mentioned elsewhere. Calmet.—They rejoice that the angels always praise God, and wish that all would strive to imitate them. Worthington.
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Verse 67. Heat. Winter and summer. Some copies have, æstas. Calmet.
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Verse 72. Darkness. The privation of light has its use, and invites men to praise. Saint Augustine de nat. Boni. 16. Worthington.
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Verse 86. Souls, in a separate state. Angels are invited before. Calmet.
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Verse 88. Ananias, and so forth They retain their Hebrew names, despising those imposed by the Chaldeans, with their impious manners. Calmet. 1:7. The inanimate creation is invited to praise God in its way, (Psalms 148) as well as those endued with reason. The former never refuse obedience. Bible.—Hell: the grave. Calmet.
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Verse 90. And ever. “Hitherto does not occur in Heb.; and what we have written, is translated from the edition of Theodotion.” Saint Jerome verse 24.
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Verse 91. Then hearing these praises, and seeing people walking in the fire. Grabe’s edit. after verse 24, has only, “And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing hymns, and was, “and so forth
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Verse 92. The son, or rather ( Bible.) “a son;” νιω. Lowth’s Gram.—He supposed this was some angel or petty god, like Hercules. Carthus.—It was the same angel who descended ( Worthington.) with them verse 49. Some have taken him for Jesus Christ. But Saint Augustine observes, that most of these apparitions were made by angels, (Trin. iii. 11.) who are often styled “sons of God.” Job 1:6. Tirinus. Calmet.
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Verse 94. Smell, such as is felt when people, ( Bible.) or their garments, come too near the fire. Pagans have sometimes walked through fire; but they first anointed their feet with certain preservatives, as Servius (in Æn. xi.) remarks from Varro. Calmet.—Here the fire burnt only the bands, (verse 23, 92. Bible.) God making his creatures afford comfort to his servants, as was the case when the Goths attempted to burn S. Benedict. Saint Gregory Dial. iii. 18. Worthington.
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Verse 95. Changed, refusing to comply against their better knowledge. The force of reason extorts this concession from the wicked king. Bible.
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Verse 96. Destroyed. Chal. “torn limb from limb, ( Calmet.) and their houses be made a dunghill.” Calmet. 2:5. Bible.—Manner. One would suppose that he was really converted; but his heart was not changed. Calmet. 4. Calmet.
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Verse 97. Promoted. He granted them greater power: ( Worthington.) or Chal. “re-established” them in their former dignities. Rom. Greek “He elevated them in honour, and judged them worthy to rule over all the Jews in his kingdom.” Theod.
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Verse 98. Nabuchodonosor, and so forth These three last verses are a kind of preface to the following chapter, which is written in the style of an epistle from the king. Challoner.—It was probably published in consequence of this miracle. Here the chap. might properly commence, ( Calmet.) as it does in Hebrew and Prot. Bibles. Bible.
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A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
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Some authorities transpose this verse and the next one.
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Verses 91-97 were numbered 24-30 in the traditional Hebrew text of Daniel.