Commentary on Daniel
Dockery, David S. (Holman Concise Bible Commentary)
Remaining Faithful (1:1–21).Daniel and His Friends Chosen to Be Court Officials (1:1–7). In 605 b.c. the Babylonians marched against Judah and besieged Jerusalem. They took some temple articles to Babylon, as well as some of Judah’s finest young men. Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, his chief court official, to choose the very best of these men and train them for the king’s service. Among this group were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They were given Babylonian names, trained in Babylonian language and literature, and placed on a special diet.
Daniel and His Friends Refuse Unclean Food (1:8–16). Daniel regarded the food offered by the Babylonians to be defiling. The Mosaic law forbade God’s people to eat unclean animals or flesh that had not been drained of blood. Portions of the wine and meat presented by Ashpenaz may have been offered to idols.
Daniel convinced the Babylonians to allow him and his three friends to follow a different diet, consisting only of vegetables and water. After a ten-day trial period they looked even healthier than those who were following the diet prescribed by the king. Consequently they were not forced to eat the king’s food or drink his wine.
God Rewards Daniel and His Friends (1:17–21). In response to Daniel’s and his friends’ faithfulness, the Lord gave them superior intellect and gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and visions. When the king interviewed the trainees, he found Daniel and his friends to be the cream of the crop and appointed them to his service. Their abilities far surpassed those of the king’s wise men and diviners.
The Dream Interpreted (2:1–49).The King Seeks a Dream Interpreter (2:1–16). During the second year of his reign King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. He summoned his wise men and diviners and, perhaps to ensure credibility, commanded them to reveal the dream’s contents, as well as its interpretation. If they failed, they would be executed; if they succeeded, they would be richly rewarded. The diviners, understandably shaken, objected that the king’s request was without precedent and that no one could know what another man dreamed. In anger the king decreed that all the royal diviners be put to death.
Daniel Interprets the King’s Dream (2:17–49). When Daniel heard what had happened, he and his friends prayed to the Lord for wisdom to know and interpret the dream so that their lives might be spared. When the Lord revealed the dream to Daniel in a night vision, he praised the Lord as the sovereign Ruler of the universe, who is the source of all wisdom.
When Daniel went before the king, he was careful to give God the credit. He told the king that the Lord had revealed to him both the contents and interpretation of the dream. In his dream Nebuchadnezzar had seen a large statue. Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet of iron and clay. A large rock then smashed the feet of the statue, causing it to tumble and shatter. The rock then grew into a large mountain.
Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar that the dream pertained to world history. The statue represented successive world kingdoms, which would ultimately be displaced by God’s kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian empire was the golden head. The silver chest and arms represented a kingdom that would follow. Just as silver is inferior to gold, so the glory of this kingdom would not match that of Babylon. The bronze portions of the statue symbolized a third world kingdom, while the iron legs represented a fourth empire, which, like iron, would be especially powerful. The mixture of clay and iron indicated that this empire would eventually divide and become vulnerable to attack. God’s kingdom (represented by the rock that grew into a mountain) would conquer this empire, bringing human rule to a violent end. Like a mountain His kingdom would be incapable of destruction and would exist forever.
Scholars differ over the identification of the final three kingdoms represented in the vision. Some see the silver portions of the statue as the combined Medo-Persian empire, the bronze parts as Alexander’s Greek empire, and the iron legs as Rome. Others see the successive kingdoms as Media, Persia, and Greece.
When Daniel finished, Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord as the sovereign God who reveals wisdom. He rewarded Daniel and elevated him and his friends to prominent positions in the empire’s government.
Facing Death (3:1–30).Daniel’s Friends Refuse to Bow to the King’s Image (3:1–18). Nebuchadnezzar made a huge, gold image. The image may have represented his sovereign authority or one of his gods. The king ordered all of his subjects to attend a dedication ceremony for the image. At a designated time they were to bow down to the image. All who refused to worship the image would be thrown into a fiery furnace. When Daniel’s friends refused to bow down to the image, the angry king gave them an ultimatum and warned them of the consequences of disobedience. They explained that their loyalty to the Lord prevented them from worshiping images. They also told the king that the Lord was able to deliver them from the furnace if He so desired.
Daniel’s Friends Delivered from the Furnace (3:19–30). After ordering the furnace to be heated to its maximum temperature, Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel’s friends tied up and thrown in. The fire was so hot that its flames killed the soldiers who threw them in. However, when Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he saw the three men walking around unbound, accompanied by an angelic being. When the king ordered them out of the furnace, they were completely unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord for delivering His faithful servants, decreed that anyone who slandered the Lord be executed, and promoted the three men.
Dream of a Large Tree (4:1–37). This chapter begins and ends with Nebuchadnezzar praising the Lord (4:1–3, 34–37). In the intervening verses he related a personal experience through which he came to a greater realization of God’s sovereignty and learned the dangers of pride.
The King Reports His Dream to Daniel (4:1–18). While lying in his palace, the king had a terrifying dream. When his wise men and diviners were unable to interpret it, he summoned Daniel. In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a large fruit tree with beautiful leaves. Animals found shelter in its shade, and birds lodged in its branches. An angelic being then commanded that the tree be cut down and that the stump be bound with iron and bronze. The angel then announced that the man represented by the stump would be overtaken by insanity and would live outdoors like an animal for a specified period of time (“seven times” may refer to seven years; see 7:25).
Daniel Interprets the Dream (4:19–27). Daniel informed Nebuchadnezzar that the tree represented none other than the king himself. Though great and mighty, the king would be brought low. For a period of time he would be plagued by an extreme form of insanity (known as boanthropy or lycanthropy) and would actually behave like an animal. Once he was sufficiently humbled, Nebuchadnezzar would be restored to his throne.
The Dream Comes True (4:28–37). One year later, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was fulfilled. As he proudly looked about the great city of Babylon, a voice from heaven announced to him that he was about to be humbled. He began acting like an animal, and his hair and nails grew exceedingly long. Finally, God restored his sanity, causing Nebuchadnezzar to praise Him publicly and warn others of the consequences of pride.
Babylon Falls (5:1–31). The events of chapter 5 occurred in 539 b.c., twenty-three years after Nebuchadnezzar’s death. Belshazzar was now ruling Babylon in the absence of his father, Nabonidus (see introduction).
A Mysterious Message on a Wall (5:1–12). Belshazzar held a great banquet for all his nobles and their wives. He ordered that wine be served in the golden and silver goblets Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem years before. While Belshazzar and his guests drank from the goblets, a hand appeared in thin air and wrote a mysterious message on one of the palace walls. The frightened king sent for his wise men and diviners and decreed that whoever was able to interpret the message would be elevated to third in the kingdom. (Technically speaking Nabonidus was still the king, with Belshazzar being his vice-regent.) When they were unable to decipher the message, the queen (or queen mother) reminded Belshazzar of Daniel, who years before had gained a reputation as a skillful interpreter of dreams and riddles.
Daniel Interprets the Message (5:13–31). When summoned by the king, Daniel agreed to interpret the writing, though he declined the king’s gifts. Before interpreting the message, however, he reminded Belshazzar of how God had humbled proud Nebuchadnezzar. He also denounced the king for his arrogance and for his disrespect for the temple vessels. Finally, Daniel turned to the cryptic message, which read, “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin.” He interpreted the message as being an ominous warning of impending judgment on Belshazzar’s kingdom. “Mene,” meaning mina (fifty shekels), sounds like a related word meaning numbered. Belshazzar’s days were numbered and his reign about to come to an end. In similar fashion “tekel,” meaning shekel, was a play on a related word meaning weighed. Belshazzar had been weighed like a shekel on the scales of divine justice and had been found lacking. “Parsin,” meaning half-shekels (in 5:28 the singular form “peres” is used) was taken as a play on a related word meaning divided. Furthermore, it sounds like Persian. Belshazzar’s kingdom would be divided between the Medes and Persians. This prophecy of Belshazzar’s demise was fulfilled that very night.
Daniel Delivered (6:1–28).Daniel Defies the King’s Decree (6:1–15). Daniel continued to prosper under Persian rule. Darius the Mede made him one of three administrators over the 120 districts within his jurisdiction. Daniel was so successful that he aroused the jealousy of other administrators and officials. Knowing that Daniel was loyal to his God, they devised a plot by which they hoped to have him executed for treason. Appealing to Darius’s vanity, they convinced the king to issue a decree commanding his subjects to worship him exclusively for one month. Violators would be thrown to the lions. When Daniel defied the decree and openly prayed to the Lord, the conspirators reported him to the king. Realizing he had been tricked, Darius tried to absolve Daniel of guilt; but Daniel’s enemies reminded the king that royal decrees could not be altered.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den (6:16–28). Darius had no other alternative than to throw Daniel to the lions. A stone was placed over the entrance to the den, and the king sealed it with his own ring so that it might not be disturbed. After a long, restless night Darius returned to the den in the morning. To his amazement Daniel was still alive. Daniel explained that the Lord had miraculously preserved him by closing the lions’ mouths. The king ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den and his accusers thrown in. Darius then issued an official statement praising Daniel’s God as the sovereign Lord of the universe, who miraculously delivers His servants.
Visions and Revelations (7:1–12:13)
Four Beasts (7:1–28). The vision recorded in this chapter occurred in Belshazzar’s first year of co-regency (about 556–553 b.c.), prior to the events recorded in chapters 5–6.
Daniel Reports the Vision (7:1–14). Daniel saw four beasts emerge in succession from the churning sea. The first resembled a lion but also had the wings of an eagle. As Daniel watched, the creature’s wings were torn off, and it stood on two feet like a human. It also was given a heart like that of a person. The second beast resembled a bear with three ribs in its mouth. The third beast looked like a leopard with four wings and four heads. The fourth beast, the most terrifying of all, had iron teeth with which it ripped its victims to bits. It also possessed ten horns, three of which were uprooted before another horn that sprouted up among them. This other horn had human eyes and spoke arrogant words.
In this vision Daniel also saw God, called the “Ancient of Days,” seated on His throne with thousands of His servants attending Him. His clothing and hair were white, and His throne, a flame of fire. Books were opened as God prepared to sit in judgment on the fourth beast. The beast, along with its boastful little horn, were cast into the fire and destroyed. A human figure, called “one like a son of man,” then appeared in the clouds and approached the divine throne, where he was granted authority to rule the world.
The Interpretation of the Vision (7:15–28). One of the heavenly attendants explained the significance of the vision to Daniel. The four beasts, like the statue seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2), represented four successive empires that would rule the earth. The ten horns of the fourth beast, which was of particular interest to Daniel, represented ten kings who would arise from the fourth empire. The little horn symbolized another ruler, who would supplant three of the ten. This little horn would oppose God and persecute His people for a specified period of time (perhaps three and a half years; compare “a time, times and half a time,” 7:25). After this the Lord would destroy this ruler and establish His kingdom.
As in chapter 2, interpreters differ about the identification of the four kingdoms. On analogy with chapter 2, the lion probably represents Babylon. The bear is often associated with the Medo-Persian Empire, with the three ribs understood as symbols of its three major victims, Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. The leopard may very well represent Greece, its four heads reflecting the fourfold division of Alexander’s kingdom after his death (8:8, 21–22). The final beast may represent Rome, with its ten horns symbolizing a later manifestation of this empire prior to the coming of God’s kingdom. In this case the little horn may be equated with the New Testament figure of the Antichrist. However, as with chapter 2, others identify the successive kingdoms as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece, with the little horn being associated with Antiochus Epiphanes (see Dan. 8; 11).
The identification of the “one like a son of man” has also occasioned much debate. Many see the title as messianic. Others understand the figure to represent humanity, God’s chosen people, or angelic beings (with Michael sometimes being specified as the angel in view).
A Ram and Goat (8:1–27). This vision, like that of chapter 7, came during the reign of Belshazzar.
Daniel Reports the Vision (8:1–14). Daniel saw a vision of a ram with two horns of unequal length, the longer of which grew up after the other. The ram charged westward, northward, and southward, conquering all who opposed it. However, a goat with a long horn then came from the west, shattered the ram’s two horns, and trampled the ram into the ground. None could stand before the goat, but at the height of his power his horn was broken and replaced by four small horns. From one of these horns grew another horn that became increasingly strong and extended its power southward and eastward. It challenged the hosts of heaven, oppressed God’s people, and disrupted the sacrifices in the Lord’s temple.
The Interpretation of the Vision (8:15–27). The angel Gabriel revealed the interpretation of the vision to Daniel. The two-horned ram represented the Medo-Persian empire, and the goat, the Greek empire (of Alexander). The four horns reflected the fourfold division of Alexander’s empire following his untimely death. The little horn represented Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian ruler (about 175–164 b.c.) who opposed God’s people and desecrated the temple.
Seventy Sevens (9:1–27).Daniel’s Intercessory Prayer (9:1–19). In 539–538 b.c., immediately after the Persian conquest of Babylon, Daniel prayed to the Lord on behalf of exiled Israel. Daniel realized that the seventy-year period of Judah’s desolation prophesied in Jeremiah 25:11–12 was soon approaching its end. (The prophecy is dated to 605 b.c. [see Jer. 25:1], the year when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem for the first time and carried away the first group of exiles to Babylon. If one assumes that the seventy-year period began in that year, then it would be over in 535 b.c.)