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In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
Verse 1. Beginning. This vision was to explain what he had seen Calmet. 7 respecting the four monarchies. The conflict of the Persians with Alexander, after two hundred years and twenty years, is here described. Worthington.
I saw the vision. Now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.
Verse 2. Castle; some read “city.” Here the kings had a palace; and Hystaspes, and so forth generally resided in it. Nabuchodonosor seems to have subdued Elam. Cyrus had it for his share; but Darius, the Mede, appears from Eschylus to have plundered Susa again. Daniel probably spent the latter part of his life in this city. Calmet.—Gate, or “stagnant water;” (paludem. verse 3. Bible.) though most understand the river Euleus, on the side of Susiana. The prophets often sought retired places. Calmet. 10:4. Ezekiel 1:1. Calmet.
Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, a ram which had two horns stood before the river. The two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Verse 3. A ram. The empire of the Medes and Persians. Challoner. Worthington.—Cyrus, the founder, was allied to both.—Higher, denoting the Persians; or Hystaspes, and his posterity, the second branch of the royal family, which reigned to the end: whereas Cambyses was the only one of the race of Cyrus who succeeded to the throne. Others think that he alludes to Codomannus, whom Alexander certainly attacked.—Afterward is not in Hebrew S. Jerom supposed that another ram was designated, but it is the same.
I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward. No animals could stand before him. There wasn’t anyone who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
Verse 4. South. Codomannus reigned in peace for two years, when he was invaded. But his predecessors had made war chiefly in Greece, Scythia, and Egypt. The stupendous preparations of Xerxes against Greece only accelerated the fall of his own kingdom, by irritating the two nations. Calmet.
As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn’t touch the ground. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
Verse 5. A he-goat. The empire of the Greeks, or Macedonians.—He touched not the ground. He conquered all before him with so much rapidity, that he seemed rather to fly than to walk upon the earth.—A notable horn. Alexander the great. Challoner.—He succeeded his father when only twenty years old, and the next year was chosen generalissimo of the Greeks against Persia, which he invaded at the head of 30,000 foot and 4,000 horses, having only seventy talents of silver and provisions for one month. With this he attacked the most flourishing empire, and conquered it in less than four years’ time, when Darius was slain. A. 3674. Alexander survived only six years and ten months, yet subdued so many nations that it is almost incredible that he should have travelled over them. He is the belly of brass and the leopard, Calmet. 2:39 and 7:6. Calmet.—He died in the midst of his prosperity, ( Bible.) when not quite thirty-three years old, ( Worthington.) and left no heirs to succeed him. This conqueror would be painted with two horns, to intimate that he was the son of Jupiter Ammon. Calmet.
He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power.
I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled on him. There was no one who could deliver the ram out of his hand.
Verse 7. Hand. He routed all the forces of his enemy ( Bible.) at the Granicus, at Issus; and at Gaugamela, ( Calmet.) or Arbela, Darius escaped, but was slain by his own servants. Bible.—The clemency of the conqueror towards the fallen royal family is not here specified. Calmet.
The male goat magnified himself exceedingly. When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.
Verse 8. Broken, by death. Usher, A. 3681.—Four. Seleucus, Antigonus, Philip, and Ptolemeus, the successors of Alexander, who divided his empire among them. Challoner.—Other generals held out for some time. Philip was only a nominal king; Antipater governed Macedon and Greece. Syria, Asia, and Egypt, formed three other kingdoms. All four marked out by the four heads of the leopard. Calmet. 7:6. But the prophet is intent upon Syria and Egypt, which had most to do with the Jews. Calmet.
Out of one of them came out a little horn, which grew exceedingly great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
Verse 9. A little horn. Antiochus Epiphanes, a descendant of Seleucus. He grew against the south and the east, by his victories over the kings of Egypt and Armenia; and against the strength, that is, against Jerusalem and the people of God. Challoner.—He persecuted God’s people, and set up the idol of Jupiter Olympius in the very temple. Worthington.
It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and it cast down some of the army and of the stars to the ground, and trampled on them.
Verse 10. Even unto, or against the strength of heaven. So are here called the army of the Jews, the people of God, ( Challoner.) and particularly the teachers. Many priests gave way to idolatry. 1 Maccabees 1:48 and 2 Maccabees 4:14. Calmet.
Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Verse 11. Strength; the God of armies, ( Bible.) over whom Epiphanes seemed to triumph.
The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through disobedience. It cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
Verse 12. Strength. Hebrew “the army was delivered up to him, for the,” and so forth While several contended for the high priesthood, and imitated the manners of the Greeks, the sacrifices were neglected, and then Antiochus prevailed. 2 Maccabees 4:7.—Ground. The ambitious pontiffs, as well as the king and his officers, kept not their promises. Onias, the lawful high priest, being displaced, went to seek redress at Antioch, in the asylum at Daphne. Andronicus prevailed on him to come out by treacherous promises, and slew him; whereupon even Epiphanes wept, and ordered the murderer to be punished. 2 Maccabees 4:32. The following year he entered Jerusalem, and committed horrible profanations.
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long will the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot be?”
Verse 13. Another. We do not inquire how the angels explained themselves, or whether they instruct each other. This conversation was for the prophet’s information. Calmet.—One angel asked the other a question about futurity. Worthington.
He said to me, “To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”
Verse 14. Days. That is, six years and almost four months; which was the whole time from the beginning of the persecution of Antiochus till his death. Challoner.—He began A. 143, and died A. 149, according to the era of Seleucus. Bible.—The temple was purified in the mean time. 1 Maccabees 1:21 and 6:16. Worthington.—Full days are specified. Sacrifice entirely ceased for three years, A. 145. Calmet. 7:25. Sym. has 2,400, others 2,200, as quoted by S. Jerom. We know not whether the solar year of 365 days, or the lunar of 354, be meant.
Ver 16. Between, in an island formed by the river. It was the Son of God, ( Calmet.) or S. Michael, (Saint Jerome) directing Gabriel to explain the vision.
When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. Then behold, there stood before me something like the appearance of a man.
I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end.”
Verse 17. Man. So Ezechiel is usually styled, to shew that the human nature is different from that of angels, and would be greatly honoured by Jesus Christ, who takes this appellation. Worthington.—Of the end, or determined. This shall take place, ( Calmet.) but the period is distinct. Grot. verse 26.
Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
He said, “Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.
Verse 19. Malediction. Hebrew: “wrath” against the people of God, and their enemies. Calmet.
The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
The rough male goat is the king of Greece. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Verse 21. Is. Hebrew “are the kings,” ( Bible.) including all. verse 3.
As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms will stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
Verse 22. Nation, yet not his children. verse 8.
“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce face, and understanding dark sentences, will stand up.
Verse 23. Shameless. Hebrew “hard,” cruel, and impudent, as Epiphanes was. 1 Maccabees 1:2. Marcellinus styles him “wrathful and savage.”—Sentences, making use of artifice to seize the estates of his nephew Philometor, and to oppress the Jews. 2 Maccabees 5:24. Calmet.—The history speaks of Antiochus: antichrist is also meant, as Calmet. 12 and Matthew 24. Worthington.
His power will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy awesomely, and will prosper in what he does. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.
Verse 24. By. Hebrew “not to his (Alexander’s) strength.” verse 22. Epiphanes conquered Egypt and the Jews: but the former had an infant king, and the latter were unprovided. He shewed more cunning than prowess.
Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many in their security. He will also stand up against the prince of princes; but he will be broken without human power.
Verse 25. Prince: God.—Hand of man. He confessed that he was justly punished. 1 Maccabees 6:10. Greek “He shall raise himself by the ruin of many, (Theod. and some MSS. add, and shall rise up against the prince of princes) and he shall break them like eggs with his hand.”
“The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.”
Verse 26. Morning of this day, or of what shall happen in certain full days. verse 14.—Seal. When the predictions were to take place, soon they were dated and published. Calmet.—This will remain obscure till after the event. Saint Jerome—What regarded the temple, happened in 300 years’ time. But it alludes also to antichrist. Saint Gregory Mor. xxx. 12. Worthington.
I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick for some days. Then I rose up, and did the king’s business. I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.
Verse 27. Business, at Susa. Nabuchodonosor had given him the province of Babylon.—It. All prophecies have a degree of obscurity before they be accomplished. Hebrew may intimate that none could tell the cause of his anxiety. Calmet.