True; not fickle, and liable to change. (Calmet) --- Opera mutas non mutas consilium. (St. Augustine, Confessions 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, (ver. 26) and make this confession, (Haydock) as Daniel does, Chap. ix.; reflecting, that if the nation had not transgressed, they would not thus have been exposed to the fury of the king. (Houbigant. v. 40.) (Haydock) Thee. Pagans take occasion to vilify our religion. Sake. This disinterested motive is often urged. (Joshua vii. 9. and 2 Machabees viii. 15.) (Calmet) One. Moses used the like terms, and pacified God. (Exodus xxxii.) (Worthington) Thee, in Jerusalem, (Haydock) or Judea. There were chiefs and judges, (Chap. xiii.) as well as prophets, (Ezechiel, &c.) 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) Sacrifice of ourselves. (Haydock) --- 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. (Houbigant.) --- They now offer all they can, a humble heart! Name, by rescuing us, that all may confess thy power. (Calmet) Brimstone. Literally, naphtha, (Haydock) or bitumen, which was very inflammable. --- Tow, besmeared with pitch. (Calmet) --- Dry (malleolis) "bundles" of sticks, or ropes, covered with pitch. (Haydock) --- Manipuli spart\'9ci pice contecti. (Nonius.) Furnace. These might be other victims, (Haydock) or he recapitulates what had been said ver. 22, (Calmet) which is by no means unusual, though Cappel. would hence reject the piece. (Houbigant.) CHAPTER III. 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. (Haydock) Temple; heaven, styled the throne, ver. 54. The temple was now in ruins. Depths, from whom nothing is hidden. --- Cherubims, as on thy chariot. 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) Heat. Winter and summer. Some copies have, \'e6stas. (Calmet) Darkness. The privation of light has its use, and invites men to praise. (St. Augustine, de nat. Boni. 16.) (Worthington) Souls, in a separate state. Angels are invited before. (Calmet) Ananias, &c. They retain their Hebrew names, despising those imposed by the Chaldeans, with their impious manners. (Chap. i. 7.) The inanimate creation is invited to praise God in its way, (Psalm cxlviii.) as well as those endued with reason. The former never refuse obedience. (Haydock) --- Hell: the grave. (Calmet) And ever. "Hitherto does not occur in Hebrew; and what we have written, is translated from the edition of Theodotion." (St. Jerome, ver. 24.) Then hearing these praises, and seeing people walking in the fire. Grabe's edition after ver. 24, has only, "And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing hymns, and was, " &c. The son, or rather (Haydock) "a son;" Greek: nio. (Lowth's Gram.) --- He supposed this was some angel or petty god, like Hercules. (Denis the Carthusian) --- It was the same angel who descended (Worthington) with them ver. 49. Some have taken him for Jesus Christ. But St. Augustine observes, that most of these apparitions were made by angels, (Trin. iii. 11.) who are often styled "sons of God." (Job i. 6.) (Tirinus; Calmet) Smell, such as is felt when people, (Haydock) 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 Virgil, \'c6neid xi.) remarks from Varro. (Calmet) --- Here the fire burnt only the bands, (ver. 23, 92.; Haydock) God making his creatures afford comfort to his servants, as was the case when the Goths attempted to burn St. Benedict. (St. Gregory, Dial. iii. 18.) (Worthington) Changed, refusing to comply against their better knowledge. The force of reason extorts this concession from the wicked king. (Haydock) Destroyed. Chaldee: "torn limb from limb, (Calmet) and their houses be made a dunghill." (Chap. ii. 5.) (Haydock) --- Manner. One would suppose that he was really converted; but his heart was not changed. (Chap. iv.) (Calmet) Promoted. He granted them greater power: (Worthington) or Chaldee: "re-established" them in their former dignities. Rom. Gr.: "He elevated them in honour, and judged them worthy to rule over all the Jews in his kingdom." (Theod.) Nabuchodonosor, &c. 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 chapter might properly commence, (Calmet) as it does in Hebrew and Protestant Bibles. (Haydock) Palace. He continues the edict, having subdued all his enemies. (Calmet) --- Daniel recites his words. The king had the dream in the 34th year of his reign, which continued in all forty-three, including the seven of absence. (Worthington) Colleague. Chaldee also, "another, or afterwards, (Haydock) or at last." (Calmet) --- My god. He says this, because the name of Baltassar, or Belteshazzar, is derived from the name of Bel, the chief god of the Babylonians. (Challoner) --- Gods. He speaks conformably to his false opinion; (St. Jerome) or, being instructed by Daniel, he testifies that the Holy Spirit enlightens the prophet. (Theod. Greek has "god," which St. Jerome disapproves; though the plural is often used for the true God. Reason evinces that only the Deity can disclose the secrets of futurity. (Genesis xli. 38.) (Calmet) And the. He is convinced that Daniel could do both, but condescends now to relate his dream. (Haydock) Tree often denotes princes; (Ezechiel xxxi. 3.) and according to the false principles (Calmet) of those who pretend to explain dreams, always (Haydock) implies some great personage. (Achmet. C. 200.) (Grotius) --- But nothing is more vain than these pretensions. (Calmet) A watcher. A vigilant angel, perhaps the guardian of Israel. (Challoner) --- Chaldee: hir; (Haydock) whence Iris the messenger of the gods, is derived. (St. Jerome) --- Theodot. retains eir. See St. Jerome in Psalm lxxvi. 4. The Scholiast (Rom. ed.) says: "the Septuagint renders it an angel, the rest a watcher. " These supernatural agents (Haydock) and saints are represented as judges, ver. 14. (Calmet) Branches, to shew that all (Haydock) the king's subjects should abandon him. Let it, the tree, representing the king who was confined when he began to shew signs of madness: but he broke loose, and fled away. (Calmet) Changed, &c. It does not appear, by Scripture, that Nabuchodonosor was changed from human shape, much less that he was changed into an ox, but only that he lost his reason, and became mad; and in this condition remained abroad in the company of beasts, eating grass like an ox, till his hair grew in such a manner as to resemble the feathers of an eagle, and his nails to be like birds' claws. (Challoner) --- Origen represents the whole as an allegorical description of the fall of Lucifer. See St. Jerome. But his arguments have made little impression: and it is universally believed that Nabuchodonosor was thus punished for his pride, after a whole year had been allowed him to see if he would repent. The manner of this strange metamorphose has been variously explained. But it seems that he was seized with the species of madness styled Lycanthropy, (Calmet) as Virgil (Eclogues vi. 48.) relates of the daughters of Pr\'9ctus, who "with mimick'd mooings fill'd the fields." (Haydock) --- Thus many fancy they are kings, or horses, (Calmet) and that they are continually mounting above the clouds, of which we have an instance in a woman still living at Whitby, who in other respects appears to be sufficiently sensible, (Haydock) as Tertullian and others think Nabuchodonosor was, that he might suffer more. Yet it is commonly supposed he lost his senses for a while, till God was pleased to restore them at the time appointed; when his former humiliating state might make a deep impression upon his mind, as well as upon his subjects, and caution all future generations to guard against the fatal consequences of pride. His son, Evilmerodac, probably ruled during his absence. Most of the Chaldee writings have perished; so that we need not be surprised if they take no notice of this event, wheich was so disgraceful to the nation. Yet Megasthenes, (in Eusebius, pr\'e6p. ix. ultra) seems to hint at it, when he represents the king seized with a divine fury, and crying out: (Calmet, Diss.) "I, the same Nabuchodonosor, foretell unto you, Babylonians, a fatal calamity, which neither my ancestor Belus, nor even the kingdom of Bel, have power to avert. For a Persian mule ( Cyrus. (Calmet)) shall come, assisted by your demons, and bring on slavery....Having uttered this oracle, he suddenly disappeared." (Haydock) --- Beast's heart. In his hypochondriac temper he imagined himself (Calmet) to be an ox, (Haydock) avoided the society of men, going naked and feeding on grass, upon his hands and feet, till (after seven years) God restored him to his senses and kingdom. (Worthington) --- The food which he used would tend to purge him, and naturally abate the disorder. (Barthol.) --- Yet none but God could tell precisely when the madness would seize or leave him. --- Times. This usually denotes years, in Daniel; (vii. 25. and xii. 7.) and of course (Calmet) we must understand it here in this sense; (Worthington) though some have explained it of an indeterminate length of time, or of weeks, months, or seasons. Only winter and summer were admitted, so that his period would thus suffice. See Theod. (Calmet) Over it. Kings are not always of the most noble dispositions. (Haydock) --- "All honour comes from Jove." (Homer, Iliad 17.) --- Let the greatest monarchs be humble, (Haydock) and cast their crowns at the feet of God. (Calmet) Hour. Chaldee: shaha, (Haydock) implies "a little while;" (Grotius) yet of some duration, not precisely like one of the modern hours. The prophet was silent, being troubled by the divine spirit, (Chap. x. 8.) at the view of impending misery; or unwilling to hurt the king's feelings, till he should urge him to speak. (Calmet) --- He was sorry to denounce such calamities, yet must speak the truth. (Worthington) --- Trouble. Theodot.: "make thee hurry." He perceived the prophet's anxiety, and encouraged him. Remain. His son and the nobles should act in his name. (ver. 13.) Alms. Chaldee: "justice," is often taken in this sense. (Syr. &c. 2 Corinthians ix. 9.) (Calmet) --- The prediction was conditional, and therefore Daniel exhorts the king to strive to obtain pardon by the powerful remedy of alms-deeds; as he did, after enduring some punishment. (Worthington) --- Yet this is very doubtful. (ver. 31.) Came. Daniel informs us of this event, unless the king speak of himself in the third person, from ver. 16 to 31, giving an account of what he had heard and experienced. (Haydock) --- A year of trial was allowed him at first; (Theod.) or he obtained this reprieve by his alms, and lost his former merit by relapsing into pride. (St. Jerome) Answered his own vain thoughts. (Haydock) --- He was admiring the city, (Calmet) which he had greatly enlarged and beautified. (Berosus &c.) Heaven: God having looked on me with pity. St. Augustine (ep. 111. (Calmet) or 122. (Worthington)) seems to think that he was saved; and the author of the B. on Pred. &grace, (chap. 15) attributes to him, remarks that his repentance was different from that of Pharao. Hence none must despair. (St. Jerome, ep. vii. to L\'e6ta.) --- See Theod.; A. Lap. [Cornelius a Lapide] &c. who maintain that same opinion: but St. Thomas Aquinas expresses his doubts. Isaias (xiv. 9.) seems to condign him to hell; and the king here manifests his adhesion to Bel, (ver. 5.) and great inconstancy. (Chap. ii. 47. and iii. 15.) His conviction seems therefore to have been only in speculation, (Calmet) or momentary, like that of the philosophers, (Romans i.) which would render them more criminal; and we must confess, (Haydock) that this conversion is very equivocal. (Sanctius. ver. 24 and 34.) (Haydock) With, or "by the powers ( angels. ver. 10.)....as by men." (Grotius) --- The stars are also frequently thus described. (Matthew xxiv. 29.) The king probably believed that the God of the Jews was above his gods, the sun, fire, &c. (Calmet) Shape. He had not assumed that of an ox, (Haydock) but had greatly neglected his person, (Calmet) so that he was covered with hair, &c. (ver. 30.) (Haydock) I, &c. From this place some commentators infer, that this king became a true convert, and dying not long after, was probably saved. (Challoner) (Josephus, Antiquities, 10) --- This is the last act of his which is recorded. If he had lived much longer, he would probably have restored the Jews. (Worthington) --- But the time decreed by heaven for their liberation was not yet arrived. (Haydock)