Hippolytus of Rome : Accordingly, after these things happened Scripture says, "All the gathering cried out in a great voice and gave praise to God because Daniel convicted they who falsely testified from their mouth." [Susannah 60-61] And so what shall we say? While one said, "The Mastic tree," yet the other said, "The oak," in this there is a proof of God. For what did they plan to say? "When we, while we were in possession of the young man, saw him, we did not unmistakably see what kind of tree it was." But since divine Scripture instructs us in all things, leading us to truth, in this it is necessary to know that they were constrained by the Spirit to name such trees which were not planted in the garden, so that, behold, out of their own mouths they accuse themselves. For if they named some of those which were planted there, they likely would have persuaded the people with this word. But now it is not so, but the things which happened are displayed. For after Daniel tested the misgivings of their hearts and also their terrible lust, through their words, which they still had before their eyes, and after declaring their secret errors which they did long ago to the daughters of Israel, and having revealed them, they themselves were tested by the Holy Spirit, and being darkened in mind they named foreign trees, so that through their words they are shackled by their own selves. After which all the people and all her relatives having heard this, shouted, saying "They lied! For neither a Mastic tree nor an oak have been planted in the Garden." [Susannah 60] — Commentary on Daniel 1.32.1-33.1 Jerome : Verse 60. "And the whole congregration (Vulgate: assembly) cried out with a great voice and blessed God, who saveth those who trust in Him..." If the whole congregation put them to death, the view which we mentioned earlier is apparently refuted, namely that these were the elders Ahab and Zedekiah, in conformity with Jeremiah's statement (Jeremiah 29:22). The only other possibility is that instead of taking the statement, "They killed them," literally, we interpret it as meaning that they gave them over to the king of Babylon to be put to death. That would be just like when we say that the Jews put the Savior to death; not that they smote Him themselves, but they gave Him over to be slain and cried out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (John 19:15). — St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER THIRTEEN