Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 2 · Questions · Question 30 – Question 43
Quest. 30. vers. 28. VVhether God onelyonly be the reuealer of secrets and things to come.
It will be obiected on the contrarie, that the heathen often had dreames, whereby they knewe things to come, and the like oracles they receiued at Delphos: which were not giuen by God, but vttered by spirits. Hereunto we answer, 1. that many of those oracles were false, ambiguous, and doubtfull, as those which were giuen to Craesus, and Pirrhus. 2. many of them were deuised either by them, who affirmed they had such dreames, or by the writers, to win more credit thereby. 3. And if some such dreames and oracles tooke place, either verie sewe of them did hit, which might be by chance and hap hazzard, as we say, a fewe onelyonly of a great number falling out: or the deuill by the subtiltie of his nature by some naturall signes might foresee the effects and euents which should follow; or he might foretell such things, as by Gods permission he should effect himselfe. Pere. Polan.
4. And as their dreames were vncertaine, so were they as vncertainely interpreted: as the dreame which Darius had, before he encountred with Alexander, some expounded to signifie the victorie that he should hauehave against him; some gaue a contrary sense, as Q. Curtius writeth, lib. 3. Tullie giueth an other instance, how one going to the Olympike games had a dreame, that he was turned into an eagle: one wisard interpreted it, that he should ouercome, because the Eagle is superiour to all other foules: an other turned it the contrary way, that he should hauehave the worse, because the eagle driuing other birds before her, commeth last of all: so then the Gentiles had neither any diuine dreames, and such as they had, they could not interpret. Pere.
Quest. 31. vers. 28. VVhat Daniel meaneth by the latter dayes.
1. Some doe expound it of all the time from thence, when Daniel expounded this dreame, vsque ad consummationē seculs, vntounto the ende of the world, Hierome, which were then to be fulfilled, complenda, modo incepta, but alreadie begun, Hugo. But Nebuchadnezzars thoughts extended not so farre, to the ende of the world, but onelyonly to knowe what should come to passe after him: and according to his thoughts, so was the dreame answerable, as Daniel sheweth, vers. 29.
2. Some by the latter dayes, vnderstand the comming of Christ, extremitas dierum vocatur Christi aduentus, the extreame or latter dayes are the comming of Christ, because the Gospel is as it were the perfection and renewing of all things; Caluin. Bullinger. so also Lyranus, because mention is made in this vision of the kingdome of Christ, quod est vltimum regnorum, which is the last of all kingdomes: but if it were onelyonly vnderstood of Christs comming, then all the times following betweene Nebuchadnezzars raigne and Christs comming should be excluded.
3. Much lesse for the same reason is it vnderstood, de vltima mundi aetate, of the last age of the world, from the comming of Christ vntounto the ende of the world, as Pintus: for then Nebuchadnezzar should hauehave had no reuelation of the times which should immediately followe, wherebout his thoughts were most of all troubled.
4. Wherefore by this word acharith, are signified posteriora tempora, the latter times, Pellican. or consequentia, the times following, Polan. as the word is taken, Gen. 49. 1. where Iacob declareth to his sonnes the things which should come to passe in the latter dayes, that is, in the dayes following, not in the ende of the world: but he sheweth their diuers lots, which should befall them, when they came into Canaan: And Daniel thus expoundeth himselfe in the next verse, 29. Thoughts came into thy minde, what should come to passe hereafter. Iun.
Quest. 32. vers. 29. Whether Nebuchadnezzars thoughts were the cause of his dreame.
1. There are foure causes of dreames: either the disposition of the bodie and the humors thereof, which procure naturall dreames, as cholerike men dreame of fire, phlegmatike of water, and such like: or else the affection, thoughts, and passions of the minde in the day, which cause the like dreames in the night, and these are humane dreames: or the reuelation of Gods spirit, sometime concurring with mens thoughts, sometime without them, whence are diuine dreames, of which kind this was: or the illusion of Sathan, which causeth diabolicall dreames.
2. Now mens thoughts sometimes are the cause of dreames, as the preacher saith, dreames come through the multitude of busines, Eccles. 5. 2. but such dreames then doe not prognosticate things to come, but are a representation onelyonly of things done and past: Ly. sometime they are not the cause, but the occasion onelyonly and preparation of the minde for the dreame which God purposeth to send; as Iosephs carefull thoughts, what he should doe with Marie whom he suspected to be with child, were but forerunners of that direction, which God gaue him by a dreame, correspondent vntounto his former thoughts, Matth. 1. Pere. So Polanus distinguisheth well, that the cause of this dreame was twofold; either foreign, the preparatiue cause, or occasion rather, which were his pensiue thoughts; or foreign, the efficient and working cause, which was God himselfe.
Quest. 33. vers. 29. Why it pleased God to impart vntounto Nebuchadnezzar this dreame.
Vers. 29. He which reuealeth secrets, telleth thee what shall come: 1. God sent this dreame vponupon Nebuchaddnezzar, for certaine particular causes, that his minde might thereby be humbled, when he should consider the mutable and variable state of his kingdome, that he might submit and subiect himselfe vntounto God. 2. That hereby his heart might be mooued toward the Lords people, not to tyrannize or beare rule cruelly ouer them, seeing there was an higher and mightier then himselfe. 3. Other generall causes there were beside: that all earthly Potentates should hereby be admonished, how fraile and of what short continuance their earthy dominions are. 4. And withall, that they might hereby be occasioned to looke vntounto the spirituall and euerlasting kingdome of Christ, that should shake all other kingdomes, and that they should all be in expectation of that kingdome.
Quest. 34. vers. 30. This secret is not shewed me for my wisedome: Whether Daniel by any naturall wisdome could hauehave attained to the knowledge of this dreame.
It is evident he could not: 1. for then the Magicians, and Chalde philosophers might also by their naturall skill and long experience hauehave founded the depth thereof. 2. As the dreame is, so must be the interpretatiō: a natural dreame may be expoūded by natural means, but this heeing a diuine dreame sent of God, must be interpreted by a diuine instinct. 3. This dreame beeing a premonstration of things to come, whereof God onelyonly hath the knowledge, could not be opened but by the spirit of God, who reuealeth secrets and things to come. 4. This dreame containing a signification of thing… to come, was either a naturall, or voluntarie signe: a naturall signe it could not not be; for then there should be some affinitie betweene it, and the things to come; it was either as the cause or effect, or had some other agreement and coherence: but the vision of an image could hauehave no such naturall affection or disposition to or with the conuersion and alteration of kingdomes thereby fignified, and shadowed forth: It was therefore no naturall, but a voluntarie signe, not appointed by the will of man, but by the will of God so disposing: therefore it could not be interpreted, but according to the minde and will of him, by whom it was assigned. Pere.
Quest. 34. vers. 30. Why Nebuchadnezzar could not vnderstand the dreame which he same.
1. Augustine giueth the reason of it,Tom. …. 1. cont. Adinant. non est propheta veri Dei, qui oblata diuinitus visa, &c. he is no Prophet of the true God, which seeth either with his bodie, or with that part of the spirit, which receiueth the images and representations of bodily things, yet seeth not with his minde such visions as are effred of God, &c. therefore Nebuchadnezzar seeing one ly the vision, but hauing no propheticall gift to interpret it, could not vnderstand it, sed ad interpretandum visum suum aspectum quaesivit alienum, but he vsed an others spirituall sight to interpret his vision, &c. Augustin, ibid, and so els where he concludeth,de Genes. ad li…. lib. 12. c. 9. magis propheta erat, qui interpretabatur, quod alius vidisset, quam ipse, qui vidisset, and so he he was rather a Prophet, that could interpret that which an other sawe, then he which sawe it, &c.
2. And Augustine further maketh here three sorts of men, the first is, when one rerum quae significatur sola signa vider, &c. doth onelyonly see the signes of such things, which are signified, &c. and he (as he saith) minus propheta est, is no Prophet: the second is, when one solo earum intellectu praeditus est, is onelyonly endued with the vnderstanding of them, and he is rather a Prophet:August. ibid. such an one was Ioseph who expounded Pharaohs dreame: sed maxime propheta, qui vtroque excellit, but he is most of all a Prophet, which excelleth in both: as Deniel both sawe the king, vision and dreame, and gaue also the interpretation of it.
Quest. 36. vers. 30. Of the two ends, why it pleased God to reueale vntounto the king his dreame.
1. One cause was that by this occasion the Church of the Iewes might …re the better, seeing that by their pr…yers the king had the interpretation of his dreame: the words are thus to be read, that they might ratifie or make knowne vntounto the king the interpretation: they (not the Angels, as Vatab.) but Daniel and his fellowes, which ioyned in prayer: some read that the interpretation might be made manifest, as the Latine, whom Lyranus followeth: some translate it in the first person, vt exponerem, that I might expound or declare to the king the interpretation, Caluin: but the word is iehoreghun, that they might notifie: this was the first reason, that by this meanes the Iewes might receiue more fauour, vntounto whom God reuealed the meaning of this vision.
2. The other cause was, for the instruction of the king himselfe, that he might knowe and vnderstand the thoughts of his heart: both these reasons, why the Lord gaue vntounto Daniel both the knowledge of the dreame, and the vnderstanding thereof, are expressed by Augustine, Hoc factum est, vt Regi Daniel summi creatoris notitiam insinnaret, …b. 2. de mirab. Scrip. c. 30.& plebs in seruitute & captiuitate pos…a, aliquod solatium haberet, &c. this was done that both Daniel might insinuate to the king the knowledge of the high Creator, and that the people beeing in seruitude and captiuitie, might hauehave some helpe and comfort.
Quest. 37. vers. 31. Of the vision which the King sawe in his dreame the manner and parts thereof.
First, Daniel rehearseth the kings dreame, what he sawe, and then he giueth the interpretation thereof, from vers. 36. to ver. 45.
The vision consisteth of two parts: of the image which the king sawe in his dreame, to v. 34. and then of the stone, which broke it in peices, ver. 34. 35.
The image is described, first by the adiuncts, then by the matter.
The adiuncts are fiue, 1. it was but one. 2. it was great. 3. glorious and excellent. 4. it stoode before him. 5. it was terrible.
The matter was either distinct, as the head of gold, the armes and breast of siluer, the thighs and bellie of brasse, the legges of yron; or else mingled together, as the feete were part of yron, part of clay.
Then followeth the description of the stone, by fixe arguments. 1. of the place, it was taken out of a mountaine, which though it be not expressed here is supplied, ver. 45. 2. of the manner, it was cut out without hands. 3. by the effects, it brake the image in peices. 4. by the euent, the image became as nothing, it was as the chaffe, which the winde carrieth away. 5. by the adiunct, it became a great mountaine. 6. by the effect, it filled the whole earth.
2. This vision representeth two kingdomes; the image the earthly, and the stone the heauenly: in the earthly 4. things are obserued, 1. the varietie of administration, and great difference of gouernement in respect of time, and place. 2. the great pompe and glorie. 3. the terrour and tyrannie. 4. the vncertaintie and mutabilitie.
In the spirituall kingdome of Christ 4. things are also expressed: 1. the beginning thereof, from heauen. 2. the administration thereof, not by any humane or worldly meanes. 3. the encrease thereof, through the world. 4. the continuance thereof for euer, when all other earthly kingdomes and regiments shall be dissolued.
Quest. 38. Of the diuerse kinds of signes of things to come, and of which kind this image was.
The Lord vseth 4. kind of signes to foreshewe and signifie things to come: 1. the first is of those, which are onelyonly signes, and serue to no other ende, then to shadowe forth things to come; such were the signes shewed vntounto the Prophets in visions, and dreames. 2. There are signes, which are not onelyonly types and figures of things to come, but serue also to other purposes; such were the ceremonies of Moses law, which were shadowes of sprituall things, but had also their present vse, seruing as rites and ceremonies of the lawe. 3. Some signes did signifie something which was presently done and effected, as Naamans washing of himselfe seuen times, did betoken that he was in that instant cured of his leprosie. 4. Some figures did not onelyonly shewe a present effect, but did also shadowe forth some more excellent worke afterward to be effected, as the blowing of the trumpets of rammes hornes about the walls of Iericho, did not onelyonly assure them of the present subuersion and ouerthrow of Iericho, but it signified the ouerthrow of idolatrie by the preaching of the Gospel: so the setting vp of the brasen serpent did not onelyonly giuegive present health of bodie to them that looked vponupon it, but it did also promise spirituall health of soule to all which with the eyes of faith should behold Christ: now this vision which Nabuchadnezzer saw was of the first kind: it was a meere signe seruing to no other purpose, then to signifie and shew vntounto the king, what should come to passe afterward. Perer.
39. Quest. What kingdomes of the earth are not comprehended in this vision.
1. Those kingdomes which were alreadie destroyed, as the Assyrian Monarchie, whose chiefe citie was Ninive, are not contained in this propheticall vision; hic agitur de rebus futuris, this vision chiefly concerneth things to come. Calvin. 2. The petie and smaller kingdomes of the world are omitted, as of the Sycionians, Athenians, Lacedemonians, Lydians, which though they were flourishing kingdomes, and had command ouer the countries next adioyning, yet they had not such vniuersall dominion, as the great Monarchies of the Chaldeans, Persians, Grecians had. 3. Such Monarchies and kingdomes are here described, which had some coherence and dependance with and of the other, the ruine of the one, was the raising of the other: as the Persian Monarchie subdued the Babylonian, the Greekes the Persian: therefore the great and flourishing kingdomes of the Scythians, Egyptians, Carthaginians, are exempted, which had not that succession one to another, as the great Monarchies of the world had. 4. Those great kingdomes are onelyonly here decyphered, which ruled in the world till Christs comming, who was the stone cut out of the mountaine without hands: therefore the kingdome of the Gothes, and Vandals, Saracens and Turks, which hauehave risen vp since Christs beeing in the flesh, are without the compasse of this vision. Perer.
40. Quest. Why the Chaldean Monarchie is compared to the head of gold.
v. 38. Thou art this head of gold: 1. Thou, and thy succession: for this is not onelyonly vnderstood of Nabuchadnezzers person, but of his sonnes Euilmerodach, and his sonne Balthazar who succeeded him; vnderunder whose raigne the Chaldean Monarchie flourished for the space of 70. yeares. And that not onelyonly Nabuchadnezzer, but the rest of his successors are here comprehended, is euident, Ierem. 27. 7. where the Prophet saith, All nations shall serue him, and his sonne, and his sonnes sonne. 2. He is compared to the head, because the Babylonian Empire was primum temporum ordine, the first in order of time, as the head in the image was the first part thereof. Iun. 3. It was likened to gold, 1. propter maximas divitias, because of their great riches, Lyran. and abundance of gold, in which respect it is called golden Babylon. Hug. Card. 4. Because their gouernment was more tolerable toward the people of God, though hard enough, yet it was more equall then the regiment of the Persians in generall. 5. Beside beeing compared with the rest, it was more golden-like in respect of their flourishing peace: for after that Nabuchadnezzer had subdued the nations round about, that Monarchicall state enioyed tranquilitie and peace 50. yeares; twentie yeares of Nabuchadnezzers raigne, and thirtie yeares vnderunder Evilmerodach his sonne. Bullinger.
6. So in this short sentence, Thou art the head of gold, there are as many figures, as words. 1. Thou, that is, thy kingdome, as v. 39. it is said, After thee shall rise an other kingdome, that is, after thy kingdome, not after his death. 2. Thou art, that is, signified and represented by this head of gold: as the Apostle saith, The rocke was Christ, that is, signified Christ. 3. There is a metaphor in the word head, which signifieth the antiquitie and prioritie of that kingdome, and the knowledge and wisdome of that nation. 4. An other figure there is, in that he is likened to gold, which betokeneth their riches, prosperitie, and flourishing estate.
41. Quest. Of the largenesse of the Empire and dominion of Nabuchadnezzer.
v. 38. In all places, where the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the foules of heauen, &c. hath he giuen into thine hand.
1. The Scripture doth euidently testifie what large dominions the king of Babel had, Ierem. 27. 6. I hauehave giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchadnezzer king of Babel my seruant, and the beasts of the field hauehave I also giuen him to serue him, and all nations shall serue him, &c. And the Prophet Abacuck saith of the Chaldeans, They shall gather the captiuitie as the sand, and they shall mocke the kings, and the Princes shall be a scorne vntounto them, &c. c. 1. 9, 10.
2. Forren writers also hauehave ginen the like testimonie of the greatnes of the Babylonian Empire: Berosus, who wrote of the Chaldean affaires, preferreth him before all kings that were before him. Megasthenes lib. 4. de reb. Indicis, witnesseth, that Nabuchadnezzer beside the Prouinces of the East, subdued Egypt, Africa, Spaine, and maketh him in courage and magnanimitie superiour to Hercules: so likewise Strabo lib. 15. Geograph. writeth, that this Nabuchadnezzer was the mightiest of all other kings, and held of the Chaldeans to hauehave exceeded Hercules. Tertull. lib. advers. Iudaeos.Tertullian saith, that his dominion extended from India to Ethiopia.
3. But whereas it is said, that God had made him ruler in all places, this is not so to be taken strictly according to the letter: for neither Nabuchadnezzer, or any other Monarch euer had the dominion and rule of the whole world: as witnesseth the altar of Alexander, the pillars of Hercules, and Ctesiphon the boundes of the Romane Empire toward the East. 1. Some therefore thinke that this is spoken in respect of the opinion of the Chaldeans, who held him to be an absolute Monarch ouer all the world: 2. or that all, according to the Scripture, is taken for the most, or many: as Gen. 22. 18. the Lord saith, that all nations should be blessed in Abraham: that is, many: as c. 17. 5. the Lord saith, A father of many nations hauehave I made thee: Perer. But this example is vnfitly alleadged, for in the one place the Lord speaketh of Abrahams carnall generation, in the other of the spirituall benediction, which in Christ should come indeede vponupon all nations. 3. some take it therefore for an hyperbolicall speech. Pintus. 4. Hugo thus expoundeth it, he is said to rule ouer all, quia nihil ei resistebat, because no countrey resisted him. 5. Lyranus taketh all places, for all kind of places; as the cities where men dwelt, the fields where beasts ranged, and the woods where the foules made their aboad: and therefore both men, beasts, and foules are said to be giuen into his hand. 6. Some admit here a synecdoche, that part is taken for the whole, all for a great part: Lyranus also. 7. But this vniuersall particle (all) must be restrained vntounto all the regions next adioyning: as it is taken, Gen. 41. 57. All countries came to Egypt to bui… corne of Ioseph, that is, all the countries neare vntounto them. And so here all the regions in those East parts, were subdued vnderunder the kingdome of Nabuchadnezzer.
42. Quest. Whether Nabuchadnezzers dominion were at that time the greatest in the world.
It will be here obiected, that the Empire of the Medes was at this time very mightie, as Herodotus lib. 1. maketh mention of the greatnes of Cyaxares king of the Medes, who ruled ouer all Asia, and subdued the Assyrians, the Babylonians onelyonly excepted. And it is euident by Herodotus Chronologie, that Cyaxares raigned about this time: for from the beginning of his raigne vntounto the first of Cyrus, he counteth 75. yeares: 40. yeares vnderunder the raigne of Cyaxares, and 35. vnderunder Astyages: so if the Babylonian captiuitie tooke beginning from the 19. yeare of Nabuchadnezzer, as Pererius reckoneth, Cyaxares began his raigne in the 14. yeare of Nabuchadnezzer: but if the 70. yeares captiuitie be counted from the carrying away of Iechonias captiue, which is the more probable, which was in the 8. yeare of Nabuchadnezzer, 2. king. 24. 12. then Cyaxares beganne his raigne 5. yeares before, about the 3. yeare of Nabuchadnezzers raigne: they raigned then much about the same time, Nabuchadnezzer in Babylon, and Cyaxares among the Medes.
2. Pererius giueth this solution, that, the kingdome of the Medes was much wasted by the other Nabuchadnezzer father vntounto this king, who warred against Arphaxad king of the Medes, and tooke the chiefe citie thereof Ecbatane, as is set forth in the storie of Iudith: and beside by the incursion and inuasion of the Scythians those parts of Asia were kept vnderunder the space of 28. yeares, so that all that time Cyaxares was of no great power, which was during the raigne of Nabuchadnezzer: then after his death, the Scythians beeing destroied and expelled, Cyaxares kingdome flourished for the space of 12. yeares.
3. Contra. 1. The historie of Iudith could not fall out in the raigne of the Elder Nabuchadnezzar: for at that time the Apocryphal storie saith, that the Temple had not beene cast downe, Iudith 5. 18. but the Temple was not destroied till the 19. yeare of this Nabuchadnezzer, which was about 12. yeares after he had this dreame, which was in the 5. yeare of his raigne, as is before shewed, Qu. 1. 2. Cyaxares could not suruiue Nabuchadnezzer so long, but it seemeth rather that Nabuchadnezzer suruiued him: for Nabuchadnezzer raigned 45. yeares: 8. yeares before Iecouias captiuitie, 2. king. 24. 12. and 37. yeares after, 2. king. 25. 27. Cyaxares raigned 40. yeares and beganne in the 3. yeare of Nabuchadnezzer, as is prooued before: then his raigne must determine in the 43. yeare of Nabuchadnezzer: therefore neither of these answers are sufficient.
4. The best solution then is this, 1. that Cyaxares might be a king of power in the remote parts of Asia beyond the Medes toward the Indians Eastward; and yet Nabuchadnezzer about Babylon and those countries extending North and South,lib. 8 de pa…ia Cyri. as in Egypt, Tyrus, and in the regions of Asia minor, might be of the greatest command. 2. If otherwise Herodotus affirme, more credit is to be giuen to the sacred storie, then to his vncertaine report.
43. Quest. v. 39. Of the second Monarchie described by the armes and breast of siluer, what it was.
1. The Rabbins because they would auoid this so manifest a prophesie of the comming of Christ, doe ioyne two Monarchies together, of the Persians and Grecians, Calvin. so confounding the histories; whereas they were two kingdomes, one succeeding an other: but here Daniel pointeth out but one kingdome, After thee shall rise an other kingdome, &c.
2. Theodoret by the right arme, vnderstandeth Cyrus kinred of the fathers side of the Persians, and by the left, his kinred on the mothers side of the Medes.
3. Pererius thinketh that the Persian Monarchie is described by two armes; because the Chaldean state was subdued by Darius the Mede Cyrus vncle, and by Cyrus the Persian,
4. But by the two armes rather are vnderstood the two nations of the Medes and Persians, which were first two kingdomes, the Medes vnderunder Darius, and the Persians vnderunder Cyrus, but after Darius death they were ioyned in one, as the two armes did meete together in the breast: Lyran. so also Iun. Pintus.