Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 39 – Question 42
Quest. 39. Of the defiling of the Sanctuarie and the manner thereof.
Fowre wicked exploits done by Antiochus forces are expressed here. 1. they defiled the Sanctuarie: for they entred into it, robbed, and spoiled it; as Antiochus had done before himselfe: for he entred into the Temple Menelaus beeing his guide, and touched the holy vessels with his owne hands, 2. Macchab. 5. 15. and carried them away, 1. Mac. 1. 23. 24.
2. They tooke also the citie, and the munition, the strong places thereof. Some referre it to the Sanctuarie, thus reading the Sanctuarie of strength, so called, because it was situate in a strong place, and had the tower of Dauid adioyning vntounto it, Osiand. or because the people fled thither as to a sure hold, when the citie was taken, Oecolamp. or because the people put their confidence in the Temple, as the rocke of their defense, Bulling. or to put them in minde that they should trust in God, who was yet their strength, although for their sinnes he suffred his Temple to be defiled for a time, Calvin. But it is better vnderstood of the citie, which is called the munition, because of the strength thereof: for as Strabo writeth, lib. 16. Geograph. it was compassed with a strong wall of stone, and within was a ditch 60. foote deepe, and 200. foote wide, made out of a rocke, the stone hewne out made the walls about the Temple: Apollonius beeing sent to Ierusalem by Antiochus, was receiued peaceably into the citie: but being entred he went vp and downe killing and slaying, sparing none: but fell vponupon the Iewes (hauing an armie of 22. thousand) vponupon the Sabbath, while they were keeping their feast, 2. Macchab. 5. 24. 25. Iun. Polan. as also they fortified the citie of Dauid, with a great and thicke wall, and mightie towers, and set people to keepe it, and brought in the spoyle of the citie thither, 1. Macchab. 1. 35. 36. this may be well vnderstood, (the euent so fitly answering the prophesie) to be the munition or strong place here.
3. They caused the daily sacrifice to cease, that is, discontinued the seruice of God which was celebrated by sacrifices in the Temple: one kind of sacrifice is taken for the rest: for Antiochus commanded that they should forsake their lawes, and he would hauehave them all brought to an vniformitie, to liue according to the lawes of the heathen: likewise he enioyned his captaines to forbid burnt offrings and sacrifices, and all manner of offrings in the Sanctuarie: this was accordingly done, as we may read, 1. Macchab. 1. 47.
4. Then they set vp the abhomination of desolation, which 1. some take for the souldiers placed in garrison, who were addicted to abhominable idolatrie, and brought both the citie and Temple to desolation, Iun. Pol. but the souldiers are before signified by the armes, and this is one of their effects, to set vp the abhomination: and they were rather abhominable, not the abhomination it selfe. 2. some translate the word shamam, by an other sense: it signifieth both to make desolate and to astonish: and so they read, they shall set vp the abhomination, which shall cause them to wonder, or astonish them, Pagnin. Vatab. they should wonder to see the Temple so defiled and forsaken, Calvin. but that the word rather signifieth here to make desolate, then to astonish, appeareth both by the former vse thereof, c. 9. v. 26. 27. for the further explication whereof I referre the Reader to the questions vponupon that place. 3. Some vnderstand nothing els here, but abhominable desolation, Bulling. but that was signified before, they shall take away the daily sacrifice: and beside, the phrase of setting vp sheweth, that there was somewhat actually set vp in deede. 4. Oecolampadius referreth it to the Romane ensignes and banners which were set vp in the Temple, and round about: But this place is not vnderstood of the Romanes: Antiochus profanation of the Temple is here described. 5. Wherefore this abhomination of desolation, or making desolate, cannot be better vnderstood, then of those filthie idols which Antiochus and his captaines caused to be set vp in the Temple: as there was set vp vponupon the altar, the abhominable idol of Iupiter Olympius: Pellic. Melancth. Osiand. Lyran. Perer. for both idols are vsually in Scripture called by that name, abominations, and the sequele and euent sheweth it to be so vnderstood, as 1. Macchab. 1. 57. it is said, they set vp the abhomination of desolation vponupon the altar: there was then some abhominable thing in verie deede set vp vponupon the altar.
Quest. 40. How Antiochus vsed as his instruments certaine wicked persons of the Iewes, that forsooke the lawe.
1. The second kind of helpe which Antiochus vsed, was beside his captaines and souldiers, certaine wicked factious people among the Iewes: which were seduced by his flatterie to betray their owne countrey. Such were wicked Iason, that entred into the citie with a thousand men, and slue his owne citizens without merciemercy: and wicked Menelaus that was himselfe a guide vntounto Antiochus, and brought him into the Temple, to robbe and spoile it, 2. Macchab. 5. As these assisted Antiochus in his first taking of the citie: so afterward when he sent Apollonius, diuerse of the people ioyned with him: as 1. Macchab. 1. 55. then went many of the people vntounto them by heapes, euerie one that forsooke the lawe. And after these times such an one was Alcimus the high Priest, who came with Bacchides, the kings captaine: the people trusted Alcimus, because he was the high Priest, and he sware vntounto them, that he would doe them no harme, but he tooke 60. men and killed them, 1. Mac. 7. 15. 16.
2. The other part of the verse is diuersly read. 1. Iunius and Polan. thus interpret, and the people of those that knowe God, they shall apprehend, that is, the wicked apostataes shall betray their owne brethren: but in this sense the word chazak is put with the preposition beth most commonly: as Isay. 4. 1. and Zachar. 8. 13. as our English phrase is, to lay hold on, and the word people, beeing set first, is rather the nominatiue then the accusatiue case, which for the most part followeth the verbe in the Hebrewe tongue. 2. Therefore here I rather approoue the receiued interpretation: that though many shall fall away, yet those among the people, which feare and knowe God, shall encourage themselues, and goe on in their dutie: which is the meaning of the last word: they shall doe, doe their part and office, Bulling. Melan. Calv. Osiand. Genevens. cum caeter.
Quest. 41. Of such things as the faithfull people of God should doe and suffer in this persecution.
v. 33. They that vnderstand, &c. shall instruct many: Three things are expressed concerning the faithfull people. 1. what they shall doe, they shall not giuegive ouer one instructing and conforting another. 2. what they shall suffer. 3. how they shall be comforted, v. 34.
1. Concerning the first. 1. Some because mention is made here of instruction, will not hauehave it here vnderstood of the persecution of the Iewes, in the time of the Macchabees, for they were fighters rather then instructors: and therefore they thinke it more fitly to be referred vntounto the persecutiō of the seruants of God in the times of the Apostles, as is declared in the booke of the Acts: for then the Apostles ceased not to instruct the people and Church of God, Oecolamp. 2. But though Mattathias and his sonnes were stirred vp to defend the innocent by their valiant resisting of wicked Antiochus proceedings, yet they also instructed and encouraged the people, and exhorted them to continue stedfast, as we may further see 1. Macchab. 2. and 2. Macchab. 8. 16. 21. And that this persecution is not that which the historie of the Acts maketh mention of, is euident by this; that the Romanes and their agents were then the persecutors: but here this Tyrant and persecutor was somewhat curbed by the Romanes, as is before shewed v. 30. And for the same reason this cannot be referred vntounto the last destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian and Titus, as some of the Hebrewes thinke. 3. Those then which instructed the people, were chiefely the faithfull Priests, the Macchabees, the father and his sonnes, 1. Macchab. 2. and other faithfull people are not excluded, who did their part one instructing and encouraging an other.
2. Then it followeth, what they endured and suffred, euen all kind of most grieuous torments, by the sword, by flame, by captiuitie, by spoyle: how they were put to the sword, when Apollonius with an armie of 22. thousand entred the citie, as is shewed, 2. Macchab. 5. 25. and the younger sort with the women were sold into captiuitie, v. 24. the spoile of the citie is described, 1. Macchab. 1. 37. And how they were tried by the flames of fire and other torments, is declared in that lamentable storie of the mother with her 7. children, how cruelly they were put to death, 2. Macchab. 7. their skinne was fleyed off, their tongues cut out, and their vtmost parts cut off: their flesh was boyled in hoate caldrons: The like report Iosephus maketh of that cruell persecution, verberati, & diuersis cruciatibus fatigati, &c. they beeing scourged and wearied with diuerse torments, yet beeing aliue were hanged vp vponupon pearches: the children which were circumcised, were strangled and hung about their parents neckes, lib. 12. antiquit. c. 6. 7. And of these persecutions seemeth the Apostle to speake, Heb. 11. 35. 37. they were racked, &c. they were stoned, they were hewed asunder: they were tempted or they were burned, as Iunius and Polanus thinke it should be reade foreign, rather then foreign, they were slaine with the sword, &c.
Quest. 42. Of the consolation of the afflicted Church of the Iewes, v. 34. 35.
v. 34. They shall be holpen with a little helpe. The Lord forgetteth not his Church in their affliction, but sendeth them a breathing time, and some helpe to comfort them in the middes of their trouble. This consolation here propounded, consisteth of three parts. 1. it is described by the adiunct, the small helpe, that shall be raised vntounto them. 2. by the ende, wherefore God suffreth them to be afflicted, namely, to purge and trie them. 3. by the circumstance of the time, which shall not continue, but so long onelyonly as God hath appointed.
Concerning the first (for the other two parts are plaine enough) 1. the Hebrewes vnderstand this small helpe of some Emperours, which fauoured the Iewes, such were Seuerus and Antoninus.
2. Some referre it vntounto the time of Iulian, who gaue the Iewes libertie to build the temple againe: but he did it fainedly, for he intended thereby onelyonly the aduancement of idolatrie, and the defacing of Christian religion.
3. Oecolampadius interpreteth this little helpe of the fauour shewed by some Emperours vntounto the Christians, as Marcus Aurelius protected them: and by those, that should cleaue vntounto them fainedly, he vnderstandeth the heretikes, as Cherinthus, Menander, the Ebonites, with other who ioyned with the Christians, yet were great enemies vntounto the truth of Christian religion: But all these opinions may be confuted by one and the same argument: because here is a continuance of the same historie, from v. 30. he which was repelled by the shippes of Chittim, which were the Romanes, is the same which persecuteth the Church here: the Romanes are not these persecutors, but they somewhat bridled and stayed the persecutor.
4. Some further applie this to the last times of persecution vnderunder Antichrist, that then the Saints shall resist him, but by small helpe, Hierome. Indeede typically this Scripture may be so applyed, but historically it was performed in the time of Antiochus, as Pererius obserueth.
5. Wherefore here there is euident relation vntounto the Macchabees, vntounto Mattathias and his sonnes, who beeing but an handfull and a small companie in respect of Antiochus, and his armie; yet God so prospered this small helpe, that the tyrannie of Antiochus was somewhat stayed for the time: and in the ende of the appointed time, after three yeares and certaine dayes from the abolishing of the daily sacrifice, which beganne the 15. day of Casleu, in the 145. yeare 1. Mac. 1. 57. the Temple was cleansed on the 25. of the same monethmonth in the 148. yeare, 1. Macchab 4. 52.
Now while this small helpe prospered, some as the text saith, did but cleaue fainedly vntounto them: there were diuerse, that as long as they preuailed, which stood for the lawe, would seeme to ioyne with them, but if their busi…esse went not forward, then they were as readie to take part against them: and such we shall finde to hauehave beene am…g the Iewes in the time of the Macchabees, as that storie maketh mention, that were but false brethren, Bulling. Polan.