In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
The Book of Daniel
Written by himself (not by another of his name, in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, as wicked Porphyry, a that professed enemy of Christianity, blaterateth), like as Xenophon and Julius Caesar wrote their own acts so wisely and impartially, as none have been so upright in writing the histories of others. This divine book is, for the matter of it, partly historic and partly prophetic. The historical part we have in the first six Chapter s, sc., a continuation of the history of the book of Kings during the whole time of the captivity and after it. Hence Jerome b calleth Daniel multiscum et totius mundi polyhistorem, a general historian. The prophetic part, beginning at the seventh chapter, foretelleth future things in the several monarchies but very obscurely, according to that of the angel, Dan 12:9-10 "Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up, and sealed till the end of the time," &c; and according to that hieroglyphic of prophecy, which hangs, they say, among other pictures, in the Vatican Library at Rome, like a matron with the eyes covered, for the difficulty. Whence it was that Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, though able, would never be drawn to write commentaries; Cajetan and Calvin would set no notes upon the Revelation; and Piscator, c after he had commented upon the other prophets, when he came to Daniel, met with so many dark and difficult passages, ut parum obfuerit, saith he, quin in medio commentandi cursu subsisterem, et calamum e manu deponerem, that he was even ready to lay down his pen, and to lay aside the business. But this he did not, as considering that the best, while here, "know but in part, prophesy but in part," &c.; and that the promise is, though none of the wicked understand this prophecy, yet the wise shall. Dan 12:10 Jerome d well saith, that a prophecy is therefore obscure, because it is said at one time and seen at another. And one thing that causeth a cloud in Daniel is the transposing of the history here often used; as the prophecies contained in the seventh and eighth Chapter s, which were shown unto Daniel under the reign of Belshazzar, in order should be set before the sixth chapter, &c. He seemeth indeed to have been laid aside in the days of Belshazzar, that drunken sot, till the handwriting on the wall brought him more in request again. Dan 5:11-12 That cock on the dunghill knew not the worth of this peerless pearl, highly prized both by his predecessor and successor, to whom he was a secretis of their privy council. Famous he was grown, and worthily, for his extraordinary wisdom Eze 28:3 and holiness, Eze 14:14 so that the angel Gabriel styleth him "a man of desires," or a desirable man. Dan 9:23 Seneca calleth Cato virtutum vivam imaginem, a lively picture of virtues. Pliny e saith that the same Cato Censorius was an excellent orator, an excellent senator, an excellent commander, and a master of all good arts. Paterculus f saith, that he was a man as like virtue as ever he could look, et per omnia virtute diis quam hominibus propior. Livy saith, he was a man of rigid innocence and invincible integrity. Cornelius Nepos, g that being assayed and assaulted by many, he not only never lost any part of his reputation, but as long as he lived grew still in the praise of his virtues, as being in all things of singular prudence and industry. Lastly, Cicero saith of Cato Major, that whereas he underwent the enmities of many potent persons, and suffered no little hardship all his time, yet was he one of those few who lived and died with glory. How much more truly might all this be affirmed of Daniel the prophet than of Cato the censor! all whose virtues were but glistering sins, h and all whose praise worthy parts and practices were but "tinkling cymbals" in comparison. Daniel's whole life was a kind of heaven, adorned with most radiant stars of divine virtues. And although we cannot say of him as Alexander of Hales did of his scholar Bonaventure in a hyperbolic strain, that Adam seemed to him not to have sinned in Bonaventure, such was his sanctity and knowledge, i yet, with more colour of truth, might the like be said of Daniel, the Jews' jewel and the world's darling. He wrote this book, part of it in Hebrew and part in Chaldee, all in a short but grave style, evident and elegant, being a divine polychronicon j to the world's end, or, as one k calleth it, the Apocalypse of the Old Testament.
Ver. 1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim.] That wicked king, who killed the prophet Uriah; Jer 26:23 cut Jeremiah's prophecy with a knife, and cast it into the fire; Jer 36:23 was a gross idolater, 2Ch 36:8 and therefore justly suffered.
Came Nebuchadnezzar.] Surnamed Magnus son to Nebuchadnezzar, surnamed Priscus. See 2 Kings 24:1,2 2 Chronicles 36:8. See Trapp on " 2Ki 24:1 " See Trapp on " 2Ki 24:2 " See Trapp on " 2Ch 36:8 "
a Lib. xii., contra Christian.
b Jerome, Eph 103, ad Paulin.
c Piscat. Epist. Dedicat. Ante Com. in Dan.
d Quod alio tempore canitur, alio cernitur. - De Vir. Perfect.
e Lib. ii.
f Dec. 4, lib. ix.
g In Vita Catonis.
h Splendida peccata.
i Sixt. Senens. Bib. Sanct., lib. iv.
j A chronicle of many events or periods. ŒD
k Torshel.