I Daniel fainted— Daniel's sickness proceeded from his grief for his religion and country; as in the former vision he was grieved at the success of the little horn, there described. And this is another conclusive argument, that the calamities under Antiochus Epiphanes could not possibly be the main end and ultimate scope of this prophesy, for the calamities under Antiochus were of small extent, and of short duration, in comparison with what the nation had suffered, and was then suffering, under Nebuchadnezzar and his successors. Present and sensible evils usually affect us most; and therefore, that Daniel was so much more affected with the future than the present,—was astonished, and fainted, and was sick certain days, can be ascribed to nothing but his foreseeing that the future distress and misery of the nation would greatly exceed all that they endured at present. But the calamities under Antiochus, as we observed above, were much less and much shorter. Those only which they suffered from the Romans were greater and worse than the evils brought on them by Nebuchadnezzar; and the transgression of desolation has now continued above seventeen hundred years. They expect, and we expect, that at length the sanctuary will be cleansed, and that in God's time his promise in Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:16-17 will be fully accomplished. This concern of Daniel, and affection for his religion and country, shew him in a very amiable light, and give an additional lustre to his character. But not only in this instance, but in every other, he manifests the same public spirit, and appears no less eminently a patriot than a prophet. Though he was torn early from his country, and enjoyed all the advantages that he could enjoy in a foreign service, yet nothing could make him forget his native home: and in the next chapter we see him pouring out his soul in prayer, and supplicating most earnestly and devoutly for the pardon and restoration of his captive nation. See Bishop Newton. Houbigant renders the last clause, But I was silent, and astonished, nobody understanding that I was so affected on account of the vision.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, This second vision is dated, in the third year of Belshazzar's reign. The scene is laid in Shushan, which was one of the royal palaces of the kings of Persia by the river Ulai.
1. The prophet saw a ram, the emblem of the second monarchy, having two very high horns, the nations of Medes and Persians; and one horn, which rose the last, was higher than the other, the Persians under Cyrus taking the lead, though at first inferior to the Medes. This animal seemed to push furiously, westward, northward, and southward, extending his conquests on every side, none of the nations being able to stand before him; so that he did as he pleased, and became great, rose to universal empire. But such is the perishing nature of all sublunary things, that the seeds of corruption and ruin are ripening when a nation's outward prosperity seems most established; for,
2. A he-goat attacks and overcomes the ram. This represents the Grecian monarchy under Alexander: he came from the west, from Macedon, on the face of the whole earth, sweeping it with his victorious arms, and weeping, it is said, that he had not another world to conquer: and he touched not the ground; so rapid were his marches, that he rather seemed to fly than walk; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes, descriptive of Alexander, the first founder of the monarchy; so eminent a conqueror, so sagacious a general, and attended by his father's wisest counsellors. He came to the ram that had two horns, the Persian monarch Darius Codomannus, then in possession of the kingdom, and ran unto him in the fury of his power, eager to engage, and furious in the attack that he made; highly exasperated by the message of contempt which Darius had sent him, he came close to the ram, joined battle with him, and smote him in three general engagements, at the Granicus, at Issus, and at Arbela; and brake his two horns, overthrew his armies; and so entirely destroyed the force of the Persian empire, that there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him, quite subdued the whole kingdom of Persia; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand, his allies all falling with him. Thus the he-goat waxed very great; the Grecian monarchy being established through the greatest part of the then known world.
3. In this flourishing state of the new empire, a sudden stroke divides it into four parts. The great horn was broken: Alexander, at thirty-two or three years of age, was cut off suddenly, by a drunken debauch, as some say; or by poison, as others; and for it, in his room, came up four notable ones, his four captains, who divided his dominions among them, see chap. Daniel 7:6 toward the four winds; see the annotations. Note; Many take great pains, while others reap the fruit of their labours.
4. The principal thing intended in the vision, as what more immediately concerned the Jewish people, is the little horn coming out of these kingdoms. But I have enlarged so much in my annotations on this point, that I shall refer my readers to them.
2nd, The vision that he had seen excited in the prophet a great desire to know the meaning of it; and whilst in his own mind he pondered on what he had seen and heard, God graciously orders one of his angels to explain the particulars to him. Note; When, in God's appointed ways, we are earnestly desiring to know his mind and will, he will enlighten our minds, and lead us in the right way. We have,
1. The deep impression made on Daniel by the approach of the heavenly messenger. Overpowered with his glory, he trembled, and fell at his feet as in a swoon, and a deep sleep came upon him. The spirit is sometimes willing, when the flesh is weak.
2. The angel gently raised him from the dust, and set him on his feet, bidding him attend to and understand the explication he was about to give concerning what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the time of the end shall be the vision, or the vision shall have an end at its proper time; when the troubles of God's people should cease, and his indignation be removed from them, at the time appointed. Note; All the sufferings of God's faithful people have their bounds and limits, and by faith and patience they shall be enabled with comfort to see their end.
3. He gives the interpretation of the vision, mentioned before, Daniel 8:3-14. But see the annotations.
Lastly, The vision left a deep impression upon him. He fainted on the view of the terrible sufferings that his people were to endure, and he was sick certain days, could not recover from the distress into which the vision had thrown him. Afterward I rose up, from his bed, to which he had been confined, and did the king's business, according to the duty of his place; and I was astonished at the vision, at the awful contents of it; but none understood it; he either kept the whole quite a secret, or, if he told the vision, he mentioned not the interpretation, shutting it up as he was commanded. Note; (1.) The distress of God's people cannot but deeply affect every gracious soul. (2.) Our grief must never be so inordinate as to disable us from the duties of our station.