Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 2 · Questions · Question 7 – Question 13
Quest. 7. Of the fower kinds of wisemen whom the king sendeth for.
1. The first are called chartummim, which Hierome translateth harialos, qui verbis rem peragunt, which doe all with words: so the Septuagint reade, foreign, cuchanters: Hugo Cardi. saith they were such, qui per sacrificia & aras, &c. which by sacrifices, and altars did require the answer of their doubts of spirits. so also gloss, ordina, and Lyranus. These enchanters tooke their beginning from Zoroastres the king of the Bactrians, who onelyonly of all men is said to hauehave laughed as soone as he was borne, Pin. ex Plin. but these chartummim, were rather their wise men, or Magi, which were as their Philosophers, yet mingled the studie of naturall things with damnable artes: Iun. Aben Ezra saith they were the Magi or wisemen: they were such as professed hid and curious learning, called among the Chaldeans, chartummim, as the Hebrewes called their doctors, and learned men, Scribes: The olde Latine translation, (as Hierome saith) called them Sophistas, wisemen.
2. The second sort are ashaphim: which are vsually translated Magi, qui de singuli… philosophantur, which take vponupon them to giuegive the reason of any thing: Hier. Pere. Hu. Car. Pellican. These which professed art Magicke Origen thinketh to hauehave had their beginning from Balaam: Pin. R. Abraham thinketh, that by this word are vnderstood Medici, physitians, which by the inspection of the vtine, or feeling of the pulse, doe giuegive coniecture of the state of the bodie: but the king had no occasion here to vse his physitians: this was no naturall accident, but a supernaturall work: Some would deriue it of the Hebrew word nashaph, signifying inspiration: but it seemeth rather to be a strange word, beeing onelyonly read here in Daniel. Therefore R. Dauid Kimhi better taketh them for Astrologers: and the word signifieth such as obserue the heauens crepusculo, in the twilight: whom Plin. calleth Hesiophantas, Plin. lib. …. ca…. 26.for Rekiophantas, that is, obseruers of the element or skie. Iun. in Daniel.
3. The third sort is mecashphim, which Caluine professeth is not certainely known, what it signifieth, because the names together with the things are out of vse: cum res ipsa sepulta sit, quis distinguet inter voces, seeing the thing it selfe is buried, who can distinguish betweene the words: the Septuagint call them foreign, the Latine maleficos, sorcerers, witches, doers of mischiefe. Hierome describeth them, qui sanguine & victimis viuntur, which vse blood, and sacrifices, and consult with the dead: these had Cham for their founder: Pin. so Hugo Cardi. Pint. Pelli. but they are better vnderstood to be praestigiatores, counterfetters, deluders of the sense, iuglets, which doe cast as it were a mist before the eyes, and deceiue the sense: such as were the Egyptian sorcerers, which made counterfeit serpents: which delude the externall sense, as phrantike persons are terrified with inward phantasies, which rise of a distempered braine, Polan. Inn. And they themselues also are deluded and deceiued with phantasticall visions of Sathan, & sic. auersis sensibus aliqua illis occulta reuelantur, and while their sense is held, turned aside, or otherwise occupied, certaine secret things are reuealed vntounto them. Lyran.
4. The fourth sort, are called chaslim, the Chaldeans: Some take this for the generall n…me comprehending all other diuiners whatsoeuer in Babylon, Iun. and therefore they are all afterward called Chaldeans, v. 4. Calvin. Pererius thinketh that these called Chaldeans, beeing the more principall and excellent of the rest, had conference with the king. These Chaldeans then, though it were a generall name of all the inhabitants of Chaldea, yet it was appropriated vntounto a certaine sect and profession of learning among them, which seemed to be more excellent then the rest. Hierome saith, they were called mathematici, Mathematicians: Astrologi, Chaldaeorum Philosophi, they were Astrologians, the Chaldean Philosophers: Gloss. interlin. Strabo saith, that the Chaldeans were, Assyriorum philosophi, the Assyrian Philosophers, lib. Geograph. 16. These tooke vponupon them to cast mens natiuities, and by the sight of the starres to foretell things to come: whereupon the three wisemen that came vntounto Christ by the leading of the starre, are held to hauehave beene Chaldeans, Gloss. ordinar. and therefore in the time of Hezekiah, the king of Babylon sent to know the reason of the going backe of the Sunne, 2. Chron. 32. 31. Lyran. This kinde of Astrologie is thought to hauehave beene inuented of Iupiter Belus, as Philo, in lib. de Abrah. Diodorus Siculus thus writeth of them, Chaldaei Babyloniorum antiquissimi eo loco sunt apud Babylonios, quo in Aegypto sacerdotes, the Chaldeans the most auncient of the Babylonians, are in that place among them, as the Priests are among the Egyptians: they are deputed to the seruice of the gods: they spend their whole life in Philosophie, &c. take vponupon them to interpret dreames and prodigious thing, and to foretell things to come, &c. they are much addicted to the knowledge of the starres, thereby diuining what shall happen to eueryevery man in his life: These foretold vntounto Alexander the death of Darius, the like they foreshewed to Antigonus, Nicanor, Seleucus, &c. All these doe make the Chaldeas a certaine profession of Philosophers, and Astrologians in Babylon.
8. Quest. Why Daniel was not called and sent for among the rest of the Chaldeans.
1. Osiander thinketh the reason was, because the king did know, that Daniel was not exercised in their Magicall artes: but that is not like, for seeing the king had giuen order, that they should hauehave beene trained vp in the learning of the Chaldeans, c. 1. 5. it would hauehave much offended him, if he had knowne his order had beene neglected.
2. It may be therefore that the wise men were afraid to take Daniel with them, least he might hauehave obscured them all by his wisdome: and they beeing auncient, thought scorne that such a young man should be ioyned vntounto them. Perer.
3. The king also might spare Daniel, as hauing yet had no great triall of his faithfulnes, and therefore he would not at the first commit his secrets to a stranger. Calvin.
4. Peretius thinketh that Nebuchadnezzer might hauehave forgotten him in the space of 22. yeares, for so long it was since Daniel first stood before the king. But that cannot be: for this yeare wherein Nebuchadnezzer dreamed, was but the second yeare from the beginning of Daniels ministie and seruice in the Court, as is before shewed, Quest. 1. vponupon this chapter.
5. But herein chiefly we are to acknowledge Gods prouidence, who so disposed, that Daniel should not be admitted, neither before, nor together with the Chaldeans. If he had beene called first, the Magicians might hauehave saide, that they could hauehave interpreted the dreame, if they had beene called. If he had come with them, and expounded the dreame, the Chaldeans would hauehave ascribed it to their owne skill; and so the ignorance and follie of them should not hauehave so manifestly appeared. Polan.
6. And further God to this ende would not hauehave Daniel present with the rest, to signifie that he would not hauehave the professors of the truth, matched or mingled with the assemblies of lyers and hypocrites. Polan.
9. Quest. v. 4. Of the Aramites language, whether it differ from the Hebrew▪ and be all one with the Chalde.
v. 14. Then spake the Chaldeans to the King in the Aramites language. 1. Hierome by this argument confuteth the opinion of Philo, who taketh the Hebrew and Chalde language for all one; because Daniel then needed not to hauehave learned the Chaldean tongue, c. 1. 5. And further that they differed, it is manifest by that speech of Eliakim to Rabshakeh, Speake to thy s…ruants in the Aramites language, 2. king. 18. 26.for we vnderstand it, and talke not with vsus in the Iewes tongue: So the Lord threatneth by his Prophet, that he will bring a nation vponupon them,Ierem. 5. 15. whose language they vnderstand not, meaning the Chaldeans.
2. Now although the ancient and pure Hebrew tongue differ much from the Chalde, yet after the captiuitie the vsuall language of the Iewes did borrow much of the Chalde tongue, by reason of their long captiuitie among them: and was compounded partly of the Chalde, partly of the Hebrew, from their returne from Babylon, vntill the daies of out blessed Sauiours beeing in the flesh. Perer.
3. But concerning the Syrian tongue, some take it and the Chalde for all one, Osiand. some thinke that they differed onelyonly as the tongue of the learned and vnlearned, Lyran. that the Syriake was held to be the more eloquent tongue, Genevens. some thinke the Chaldean and Babylonian tongue was when called the Syrian or Aramites language, because Chaldea was counted part of Syria, Iun. And it seemeth that in times past there was small difference betweene them, though now the ancient Chalde tongue, wherein part of Ezra and Daniel is written, be farre diuers both in character and sound from the Syrian tongue, wherein the learned Iewes write and speake at this day: see more hereof, Quest. 25. c. 1.
10. Quest. Why the Chaldeans speake in the Aramites language.
From the beginning of this booke vntounto the 4. v. of this chapter, all is written in the Hebrew words and characters: from this place to the ende of the 7. chap. the Prophet vseth Chalde words, but Hebrew charactrs: and then the rest of the booke followeth in the Hebrew tongue and writing, as before: now the reasons why these Chaldeans vse the Aramites language, were these. 1. These wise men were of diuers countries, and so of diuers languages: therefore they spake in the Syrian or Chalde tongue, which was knowne and vnderstood of all. Perer. 2. Some thinke they vsed it, as the more eloquent tongue, Genevens. 3. Or because it was the language which the king vsed, Perer. 4. Or rather the Syrian was the Babylonian tongue, which in that respect, was fittest for them to vse. 5. And the Lord hereby so disposed, that the knowledge of these things should be manifest vntounto the Chaldeans, that euen they might be conuinced of the truth out of their owne acts and records: which also was the cause, for the more credit of this historie among the Chaldeans, that Daniel setteth it downe in the very same language wherein it was acted. Polan.
11. Quest. v. 8. Why the King saith, They would gaine or redeeme time.
1. It is the third interrogation or question, which the king propoundeth vntounto them: the first was cum simplici denuntiatione, v. 3. with… simple prolation and propounding of his dreame: the second, v. 5. cum forti comminatione, & praemij promissione, with a vehernent commination and threatning, with promise also of reward: the third, v. 9. cum falsi suspicione, with a suspition of falshood, &c. You hauehave prepared lying and corrupt words.
2. By gaining or redeeming of time, is vnderstood occasionem, quaerere evadendi pericula, to seeke occasion to escape the daunger: as the Apostle saith, Eph. 5. 16. Redeeming the time, for the daies are euill: as trauellers that fall into foule weather doe watch their times and opportunities, how to escape it, and so to goe on in their iourney, Pintus: some vnderstand by time, spatium vita, the tearme of their life, which they desired to be prolonged, Gloss. Lyran. but it is more fitly referred to the interpretation of the dreame, which they would hauehave shifted off, and so quarebant dilationem temporis, they sought to prolong the time, that some other thing falling betweene, the king might forget to vrge that matter, Osiand, & sic daretur effugiendi ecoasio, and so they might hauehave occasion to escape, and auoid the daunger.
3. But the kings coniecture is not good, that they which doe not presently make answer to the king, doe it to gaine time, and so to delude the king: for there may be diuers and different causes of suspending ones answer; as cū officium pi…tatis & charitatis vetat, when as the office of pietie or charitie enioyneth silence, as the Martyrs, which were vrged to bewray their fellowes, would not make direct answer, Iun. lection. in Daniel.
4. But the kings other argument is good, which he vrgeth against these wisemen and Chaldeans, v. 9. Tell me the dreame, that I may know if you can declare me the interpretation thereof. The argument is this framed, They which can giuegive the interpretation of a dreame, can finde out the dreame it selfe: for the one is of a diuine instinct as well as the other: And to God nothing is hid, he can as well tell what the dreame was, as open the meaning of it: But ye cannot tell me my dreame: therefore neither can you interpret it though you knew it: you are then but impostors and deceiuers. Polan. But Osiander collecteth otherwise, non reste argumentabatur rex, &c. the king reasoned not well: as though it were all one, somnia divinare & interpretari, to diuine what the dreame was, and to interpret it. But I rather herein consent to Pererius, recte redarguit eos Rex, the king doth with good right reprooue them: for if they could not tell the dreame, which was now in act, how could they hauehave told of things to come by that dreame, quae nunquam actu fuerunt, &c. which neuer were in act, &c. Indeede if it belonged vntounto humane skill and coniecture to interpret diuine dreames, it were possible to doe the one and not the other; as Physitians can interpret naturall dreames: but what the dreame was, if it be not declared, they can not gesse: and the reason hereof is, because humane skill and arte is finite, and hath certaine limits and bounds: but seeing it proceedeth of a diuine instinct to interpret diuine dreames, by the same instinct, which is not limited, he taht can doe the one, can the other also.
12. Quest. v. 10. Of the Chaldeans answer vntounto the King.
The Chaldeans and wise men doe seeme modestly to excuse themselues by these 5. arguments: 1. From the impotencie and weaknes of mans nature, v. 10. There is no man vponupon earth, that can declare the kings matter: they thus reason, That which is in no mans power to declare, the king ought not to enquire of any: but to tell a dreame that is forgotten, is in no mans power to doe.
2. Ab exemplo, from the example of other kings: neuer any asked any such thing of any Chaldean; and therefore it beseemed not the king to propound that question, which neuer any did before.
3. From the qualitie of the thing: it was a rare and pretious thing which the king demanded, exceeding the wit of man.
4. A comparatione, from the comparison with others: there is none else that can declare it: they dare vndertake to doe as much as an other.
5. A causa efficiente sola, from the sole efficient cause, which is God, who onelyonly can declare such secrets: whose habitation is not in the flesh, that they might conferre with him.
13. Quest. Of the impostures and falshoods in the answer of the Chaldeans.
1. They promise and vndertake to expound the dreame, if they did know it, v. 4. but the king afterward by experience found the contrary, c. 4. 4. for though he told them his dreame, yet could they not expound it. Perer.
2. They say none els liuing could tell the dreame: whereas Daniel was then liuing, and afterward did both shew the dreame, and the interpretation of it. Bulling.
3. They superstitiously affirme a multitude of gods, saying, Except the gods: so they ignorantly worshipped many gods. Polan.
4. They denie Gods prouidence, as though he had nothing to doe here with mortallmen that liue in the flesh. Bulling.
5. They seeme to affirme, that man can know nothing of God, vnlesse he cohabited in the flesh with them. Polan.
6. They also denie the incarnation of God: Whose dwelling (say they) is not in the flesh: wherein they bewray their ignorance and misbeleefe. Bulling.