and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come because of thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me

-to humble thyself before thy God.-Two or three, MSS. read 7. At Isa. lviii. 3, fasting is the same as afflicting or humbling the soul. "When I wept through the fasting of my life," at Ps. Ixix. 10, is by our translators rendered, "when I wept, and chastened myself with fasting." The angel intimates, that at the beginning of his prayer and fasting his supplications were heard, and he is now come at his request to give him information from heaven of the state of the Jews and of the world in future times. Gr. "I am come at thy words."

13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me."Stood before me." Purver. And so Jun. and Tremel. referring it to an earthly prince. This is thought by some to be either Cyrus or Cambyses, making opposition to the building of the Temple, and becoming hostile to the people of God: But as this is not at all probable, so soon after passing the decree in their favour, so neither could it be properly deemed resisting an angel. Others have thought there is an allusion in this verse, and at ver. 20, to the guardian or tutelary angels of different countries; which doctrine seems countenanced by several passages in Scripture, and especially by Zechar. vi. 5. Grotius is of this opinion; and Bp. Newcome on the last mentioned place refers to the passage before us. Mr. Lowth has treated this matter very fully, and to his note I would refer the reader; he adds also, that others suppose the contest may be between a good and an evil angel, as in Zech. iii. 1, and St. Jude ver. 9. Which latter opinion is perhaps the most just, as there should seem to be no dispute or contest between the ministering spirits of heaven, who are always obedient to the pleasure of their Lord. And when the Almighty sent a superior angel, Michael, whose name is sometimes given to Christ himself, Rev. xii. 7, his office probably was to assist Gabriel in subduing the prince of the power of the air, the powers of this darksome world, or the spirits that rule over the children of disobedience. The opposition was made twenty one days; and as this was exactly the number of days that Daniel fasted, the contest may possibly have some allusion to this struggle. Daniel was certainly highly favoured, and the Almighty, who delights in hearing and answering the prayer of his servants, directs the angel to apologise (if I may so speak) for

14

15

16

twenty and one days, when lo! Michael, one of the chief princes came to assist me, so I left him there amongst the Rulers of Persia: And I came to inform thee what shall happen to thy people in the latter days; for still the vision is for days."

Now as he spoke with me according to these words, I set my face upon the ground and was dumb: When

his delay in attending to the patient solicitations of the Prophet: The angel also is represented as pleading the difficulty of his task, and another higher power or chief in the regal court of heaven favours his business, and comes in to his assistance. In whatever light this is to be understood, it is a strong and affecting, though less gross, instance of the anthropopathia, or of the Deity's accommodating himself and his measures to the manners of men. See de Sacra Poes. Heb. Præl. 16.

-so I left him.-The present text is 'n, but nine MSS. omit the Vau. Houbigant suggests 11. But as the sense in Niph. is not very different from that in Hiph. I suspect the Vau only is out of its place, and should be at the end of the word. Gr. has και αυτον κατελιπον. The emendation appears so just, and so agreeable to the context both in the next verse, and at verse 20, that I have translated accordingly.

14. in the latter days.—Or, in the latter end of the days. See on Ch. ii. 29, and Numb. xxiv. 14.

–for still the vision is for days.”—Syr. has "even to the end of the days," or to the end of time. Vulg. and Gr. " for days." Three or four MSS. read , which seems a gloss, but perhaps may The forementioned Author of Revelation

rightly explain the sense. Considered, refers it to the two thousand three hundred days mentioned in the vision at Chap. viii. 14, a part of which he thinks has been disposed of, or explained, as to the fate of the Jews, in the seventy weeks at the end of the last chapter; and this will carry on the history in a more general view from the expiration of the Persian monarchy, which was soon to follow, till the end of the time. This sense is ingenious, and I believe so far just, as it relates to the very remote extent of the following vision. I know of no authority for this word, or before "days" in our Eng. Translation.

Ar. has "for some days," but the word "many,” introduced Copt. omits the clause.

lo! one after the likeness of the Son of man touched my lips; then I opened my mouth in speech, and said unto him that stood before me, "O my Lord, by the vision my distresses are turned upon me, so that I 17 retain no strength. And how shall the servant of this

my Lord be able to speak with that my Lord; for as to me, even now no strength remained in me, neither 18 was breath left in me." Then there touched me again as it were the form of a man, which strengthened me. 19 And he said, "Fear not, O man greatly beloved, Peace be unto thee; take courage, and be strong:

15.

and was dumb.-Was struck with silence from terror. This is very strongly intimated in the next verse. See also ver. 9. -Son of man.-In the singular. So one MS. Houbigant, and all the Versions in the Polyglots.

16.

-then I opened my mouth.―Copt. has, "and he opened." MS. A. drops the clause.

-my distresses are turned upon me, so that I retain no strength.— Gr. Ar. and Syr. “my entrails are contracted, or rolled up within me." The word ' means such wreathing pains or throes as are the effect of travail or labour. See Isai. xiii. 8. The agitation was so violent as to exhaust all his strength.

17. -How shall the servant of this my Lord be able to speak with that my Lord.-Gr. and Ar. read as in the margin, “how shall this servant;" and then the latter must be the same as talis, or tantus, alluding to the more majestic appearance at ver. 5, but I follow Mr. Lowth, who has pointed out several instances, and might have shewn many more, wherein the pronoun, when doubled, relates to different persons or things. See Nold.

19. And he said.—Gr. and Ar. add-μot. And he said unto me. -Peace be unto thee.-See Gen. xliii. 23, Judg. vi. 23. Our Lord addresses his disciples in the like form after his resurrection, John xx. 19. And it is used at the beginning of most of the epistles in the New Testament. See on Chap. vi. 21. The words that follow, "take courage and be strong," in the Heb. is a repetition of the same verb. But we read post pin in four or five MSS. of De Rossi's: And Gr. has ανδριζου και ισχυε.

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21

And as he talked with me, I was strengthened, then I said, "Let my Lord speak, for thou hast made me strong."

Wherefore he said, "Knowest thou for what cause I came unto thee? Now presently will I return and contend with the prince of Persia; and when I am gone forth, lo! the prince of Grecia will come. But yet I will declare to thee what is deeply noted in the writing of truth, although there is no one that supported me in these things, but Michael your Prince.

20.

-Knowest thou for what cause I came unto thee?—Or, "thou knowest for what cause, &c." The angel, having strengthened the prophet, presumes that he also understood the general design of his errand. The Greek is Et oidas, "surely thou knowest," according to an usual Heb. idiom.

-Now presently will I return and contend with the prince of Persia. With the tutelar angel that belongs to that kingdom, one of the four spirits in Zech. vi. 5. Soon after this contest shall be ended, when I go forth again from the presence of God, another of the spirits, the prince of Grecia, will come. The angel of Persia would plead all that could be offered in her favour; but when the dissolution of her empire was at hand, the power of Grecia would prevail, and the kingdom or dominion be transferred to a prince who should favour the cause of the Church of God. That Alexander favoured the Jews, see Joseph. Ant. 1. xi. near the end.

21. -in the writing of truth.-So Ps. lvi. 8, Isai. lxv. 6, and Mal. iii. 16. The design of the metaphor is obvious, and the decrees are meant as irrevocable. The whole argument will be weighed on all sides, but what follows will be the final result. The prophet uses a like expression at the first verse of this chapter, and again at Chap. xi. 2, where “the truth" seems opposed to the figures or symbols that had been used in the visions of the preceding parts of the book.

-Michael your Prince.-This shews in what sense the word prince is to be understood in the preceding parts of the chapter, and to what order of beings it is to be applied. Michael and Gabriel were probably the tutelary angels of the Jews, and would be their only protectors in the various contests for empire till the coming of Christ. These names do not occur in any books of the Old Testament that

CHAPTER XI.

1 ALSO I in the first year of Darius the Mede stood to

were written before the captivity: and it is suggested by some that they were borrowed from the Chaldeans, with whom and the Persians the doctrine of the general administration and superintendence of angels over empires and provinces was commonly received. Castell mentions the names of four that were said to stand around the throne of God, Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael; two only of which seem to be named in Scripture. But whatever may be determined concerning their names, it is certain, from various passages of the Old Testament, that ministering spirits continually attend upon the service of God, and execute the divine commands. In the two last verses these blessed spirits appear to have been intended. We know, and can know, no more of the offices or employments of these celestial agents than what is revealed to us, and therefore it is in vain to indulge conjecture. In general we may conclude, that they will be favourable or unfavourable to any nation or people according to their deserts; and that all things, and all powers, will work together for good to those that fear and love God.

THIS and the following Chapter contain the substance of Daniel's last Vision, or a series of Prophetical Story from the third year of Cyrus to the end of time. The Dominion is soon made to pass from the Persians to the Grecians; the State of the Greek Empire is continued through various Changes and Revolutions, and particularly with respect to Syria and Egypt, till at length it yields to the Romans. Several particulars afterwards follow that must relate to the fate of the Church of Christ; and the last Chapter has a peculiar respect unto the time of the end, to the end of all Prophecy, or to the grand consummation of all things.

1. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede stood to confirm and to strengthen him.—Syr. joins the word ' with the preceding verse, thereby transferring to that verse the pleonasm of the affix in