Daniel (Vol. 2)ã??(Johann P. Lange - ??????

?Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures - Daniel (Vol. 2)?(Johann P.
Lange) 07 Chapter 7 Verses 1-28
SECOND (PROPHETIC) DIVISION
Chap7-12
1. The vision of the four world-kingdoms and of the Messianic kingdom
Daniel 7
1In the first year of[FN1] Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had [saw] a
dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and
told the sum of the matters.[FN2]
2Daniel spake[FN3] and said, I saw[FN4] in my vision by[FN5] night, and,
behold, the four winds of the heaven [heavens] strove upon [were rushing
to] the great sea 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one
from another[FN6]
4The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till[FN7] the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
[to] stand upon5the feet as a Prayer of Manasseh, and a man's heart was
given to it. And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it
raised[FN8] up itself [was made to stand] on one side,[FN9] and it had
three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus
unto it, Arise, devour much flesh 6 After this I beheld,4and lo, another,
like a leopard, which [and it] had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl
[bird]: the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it 7 After
this I saw[FN10] in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth:[FN11] it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with
the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts 8 that were before
it; and it had ten horns. I considered[FN12] the horns, and, behold, there
came up among them another little horn, before whom [and from before it]
there were three of[FN13] the first horns plucked up by the roots [were
extirpated]: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of Prayer of
Manasseh, and a mouth speaking great things.
9I beheld, till7 the thrones were cast [set] down, and the Ancient of days
did sit, whose [his] garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head
like the[FN14] pure wool: his throne was like the13fiery flame [flames of
fire], and his wheels as burning fire 10 A fiery stream [stream of fire]
issued [flowed] and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him,[FN15] and ten thousand times ten thousand stood[FN16]
before him: the judgment was set [did sit], the books 11 were opened. I
beheld 4 then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake
[was speaking]; I beheld, even till7 the beast was slain, and his12[its]
body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning [And] the
rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away:[FN17] yet their
lives were prolonged for[FN18] a season and time.
13I saw 4 in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came
[was coming] with the clouds of heaven [the heavens], and came to [reached]
the 14 Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was
given him [to him was given] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages,[FN19] should serve[FN20] him: his dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed.
15I Daniel was grieved in my spirit [my spirit was grieved] in the midst of
my body [its sheath], and the visions of my head troubled[FN21] me 16 I
came near unto[FN22] one 12 of them that stood by, and asked him[FN23] the
truth of 21 all this. So [And] 17he told me, and made[FN24] me know the
interpretation of the things.[FN25] These great 18 beasts, which are[FN26]
four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But [And] the
saints of the Most High26 shall take [receive] the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19Then I would know [wished] the truth of 21 the fourth beast, which was
diverse from all the others [of them], exceeding dreadful, whose [its]
teeth were of iron, and his [its] nails of brass; which devoured, brake
[breaking] in pieces, and 20 stamped the residue with his [its] feet; and
of 21 the ten horns that were in his [its] head, and of the other which
came up, and before whom [from before it] three fell; even [and] of that
horn that [and it] had eyes, and a mouth that spake [speaking] very great
things, whose [and its] look was more stout than his21[its] fellows. I
beheld,4and the same [that] horn made war with the saints, and prevailed 1
against them; 22until the Ancient of days came, and [the] judgment was
given to the saints of the Most High;26 and the time came [arrived] that [,
and] the saints possessed the kingdom.
23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom[FN27] upon
[the] earth, which shall be diverse from all [the] kingdoms, and shall
devour the Whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24And the ten horns out of this[FN28] kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise [arise] after them; and he shall be diverse
from the[FN29] first, and he shall subdue [abase] three kings 25 And he
shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out [afflict]
the saints of the Most High,26 and think to change times and laws [law]:
and they shall be given into his hand, until a time and times and the 26
dividing of [half a] time. But [And] the judgment shall [did] sit, and they
shall take away his dominion, o consume and to destroy it unto the end 27
And the kingdom and [the] dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven [heavens], shall be given to the people of the saints of
the Most High,[FN30] whose [his] kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all
[the] dominions shall serve and obey him.
28Hitherto is the end of the matter.[FN31] As for me[FN32] Daniel, my
cogitations [thoughts] much troubled20 me, and my countenance[FN33] changed
in 21 me: but [and] I kept the matter30 in my heart8
EXEGETICAL REMARKS
Daniel 7:1. Historical introduction. In the first year of Belshazzar;
hence, in the first year after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the father and
predecessor of Belshazzar; see on Daniel 5:1.[FN34]This designation of the
time "seems substantially to have furnished the occasion for renewed
reflection on the part of the prophet, bearing upon the former series of
prophetical meditations that had been called forth in him by an important
event (the dream of Nebuchadnezzar concerning the image of the monarchies,
which Daniel interpreted, chap2). The idea of the four heathen kingdoms
which were to precede the introduction of the Messianic kingdom of Israel,
that was announced by the earlier prophets and believed by them to be near,
is again brought out comprehensively in this place, with reference to the
course observed by those kingdoms toward the theocracy" (Kranichfeld).
-Concerning the chronological parallelism of the series of apocalyptic
visions, opened by this new vision of the monarchies, with the series of
historical events recorded in the former division of the book, and
beginning with chap2, see the Introd, § 3.-Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed. Cf. Daniel 2:19; and with reference to the
visions of his head, cf. Daniel 2:28.-Then he wrote the dream, immediately
or soon after it transpired; a note intended to strengthen the following
statements concerning its nature (cf. Daniel 12:4). This note, however, as
the change of person between Daniel 7:1-2 indicates, was probably
introduced by the author at a later time, in connection with his final
revision of the whole book. The closing verse of the chapter, which
likewise is merely important as a transitional passage, seems also to be a
later addition.-And told the sum of the matters; gave the leading features.
????? ???????, the sum or substance of the words; cf. ????? in passages
like Leviticus 5:24; Psalm 119:160; and also the Talmudic ???? ????? (Rosh
hash., II:6), and the Gr. ?????????, which is employed in this place by the
Sept. The "sum" signifies, of course, the aggregate of all that is of
Messianic significance. Cf. Ewald: "When it is said that Daniel merely
recorded the leading features, or gave a mere summary, of the wonderful
visions which he saw, the meaning becomes evident, when it is observed with
what freedom the leading outlines of the visions are drawn in the first two
turns of the description ( Daniel 7:1-14), and are afterward repeated for
the purpose of interpretation. All the remaining prophetic sections of the
book have the same plan in substance; but whenever it is attempted to
record personal experiences and observations in writing, it is advisable to
furnish the briefest outline consistent with clearness, on account of the
readers, if for no other reason."*
Daniel 7:2-3. The entrance of the four beasts. Daniel spake and said. The
incoherence of these words with the statements of Daniel 7:1 seems to
indicate that they no longer belong (as Kranichfeld believes) to the
supplementary note, Daniel 7:1, but that they originally served to
introduce the description of the vision.-I saw in my vision by night; ???,
"during, by," spoken of synchronous things; cf. Daniel 3:33.-And behold,
the four winds of the heavens strove ("broke forth") upon the great sea.
Concerning ?????, see on Daniel 2:31.-The fourfold number of the "winds of
the heaven" (i.e., the winds blowing from the different quarters of heaven,
or, more simply, those blowing under heaven; cf. "the birds of heaven") has
reference, of