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of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke thus, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the most High God, go forth, and come near. Whereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego went forth from the midst of 27 the fire. When the Princes, the Senators, and the

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Magistrates, and the king's Governors, being gathered together had beheld these men, that the fire had not prevailed upon their bodies, neither was the hair of their

of the Most High.-Keri and some MSS. read

by for by, which is more agreeable to the Talmudists, and is thought by the Masorets to be more emphatical. So at Chap. iv. 17, but no alteration is wanting. The King speaks in the singular number of GOD, whom he is again brought to acknowledge.

27. —the fire had not prevailed &c.-The several expressions here used are meant to shew, that not the least injury was received from the fire. The expressions rise in fine order, and the climax is beautiful. The fire not only had no prevailing power over their bodies, but neither was a hair of their head burnt, nor their flowing robes singed, nor even the smell of fire had passed on them. Compare this with Isai. xliii. 2. Strabo, lib. iv. intimates, that persons inspired by the goddess Feronia passed bare-footed over burning coals without injury. So Virg. in Æn. xi.

medium freti pietate per ignem

Cultores multa premunt vestigia pruna.

There is a curious passage in the 21st Chapter of the Koran, which the Commentators seem to have improved with a variety of marvellous fictions, some of which, as well as the story itself, are probably borrowed from the history before us. Abraham is reproving his father's people for idolatry; and though they seem at first convinced from his arguments, they soon relapse to their former obstinacy, and order their teacher to be burnt. They said, burn him, and avenge your gods; if ye do this, it will be well. And when Abraham was cast into the fire, we said, O fire, be thou cold, and a preservation unto Abraham. And they sought to lay a plot against him; but we caused them to be the sufferers." Sale's Kor. Vol. ii. P. 158.

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At the end of this verse MS. Alex. adds, και προσεκύνησεν ο βασιλευς ενωπιον αυτων τω θεω.

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head singed, neither were their mantles changed, nor had 28 the smell of fire settled upon them; Nebuchadnezzar spoke thus, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his Angel, and delivered his servants, because they confided in him, and have reversed the king's word, and delivered up their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, but their own God. Therefore I set forth a decree, that whatsoever people, nation, or language, shall speak amiss concerning the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be torn in pieces, and their houses be laid into a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this manner. 30 Whereupon the king advanced Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.

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their bodies.—“ Confer Acts xv. 26, vxas.” Secker. Gr. and Ar. add eis πup "to the fire," which is a good addition, but not necessary, nor in MS. Pachom. By reversing the king's command must be meant disannulling the effect of it.

29. speak amiss.-Keri and many MSS. read 15 instead of b; the word properly signifies "error." Gr. and Vulg. render it "blasphemy:" our Translators seem to have given it the true sense. Though the king was sensible that none of the Babylonian deities could deliver their worshippers, yet he dared not venture so far as to abolish the worship of them entirely.

30. in the province of Babylon.-The following addition is in the Gr. and Ar. at the end of this verse, 66 and he advanced them, and placed them over all the Jews that were in his kingdom."

In several Versions and some Editions, the three first verses of the next Chapter are subjoined to this; and they may not unfitly belong to it, as they are farther expressive of the king's sense of the Power and Goodness of the Almighty, whom he hath been just brought to acknowledge and revere; and which Darius confesses also after a like miracle, Chap. vi. 26. But as they are more usually ascribed to the next Chapter, and are a very proper Preface to the Decree that follows, I shall here close this with our present Translation,

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CHAPTER IV.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, Peace be 2 multiplied unto you. The signs and the wonders which the high God hath wrought towards me it 3 pleaseth me to declare. How great are his signs, and his wonders how mighty! his kingdom is an everlasting

This Chapter contains a Decree of King Nebuchadnezzar's, and the reasons of it; the King had again dreamed, and was at a loss for the meaning of his dream. Daniel interprets it of the deprivation and recovery of his Royal Authority: After the completion the King acknowledges the truth of the events, and praises and extols the God of Heaven. There is a change of Persons in the Chapter, which may require some little attention to prevent ambiguity. The Decree and the History are delivered in the words of Nebuchadnezzar; the Interpretation of the Dream in the words of Daniel, and the Completion or Conclusion again in the words of the King.

1. -Peace be multiplied unto you.-Chald. Your peace be multiplied: An usual form of addressing the subjects of this vast empire. See Chap. vi. 25. Cod. Chis. begins this Chapter with " In the 18th year," which words Theodotion has prefixed to the last : There are also many other variations, such as omissions of whole verses, and very large additions in this part of that Roman version, insomuch that it has often the appearance of a Paraphrase or Commentary.

3. How great are his signs &c.—The King's repeated experience had extorted from him the sublime confession contained in this verse; the latter part of which is a fine display of the infinite power and dominion of the true God. I have in these verses, and many other instances, as nearly as I could, followed the order of the original words in my translation, in which there appears to me to be often

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kingdom, and his dominion from generation to generation.

I Nebuchadnezzar was at ease in my house, and 5 flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream, which affrighted me, and the thoughts upon my bed, and the 6 visions of my head disturbed me. Therefore I set forth a decree, to introduce before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the soothsayers, the magicians, the astrologers, and the diviners; and when I related the dream before them, the interpretation of it they could not make

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something so striking, and so expressive of the elegance and character of the Eastern style, that it ought to be preserved.

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4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at ease.-The words "at ease" and "flourishing," denote such a kind of tranquil and secure state as is the usual result of uninterrupted prosperity and abundance. The simplicity and energy of the few words contained in this verse are admirable. The king had finished all his wars, magnificently decorated his imperial city, and was now in the meridian of his highest enjoyments; or settled with the utmost tranquillity in his house, and with the most pompous and flourishing state in his palace; when, as at the next verse, he saw a dream, which affrighted him.

Anna soror, quæ me suspensam insomnia terrent?

Virg. Æn. iv. ver. 9.

6. -I set forth a decree.-Or, I issued a mandate. See Chap. iii. 29, and vi. 26.

7. Then came in.-Ch. pbby. Keri and several MSS. consider one of the Lameds as redundant both here, and at verse 8 of Chap. v. But there is no occasion for any alteration if we derive the word from the Chaldee by, which signifies "to approach, or enter:" From the same root also may come the word by in the last verse, with both characteristics, of the tense and of the conjugation. It may not be amiss to observe here, that though the Nun is commonly a rejected letter in the Hebrew language, yet it meets with more favour among the Chaldeans, as the sound was probably less ungrateful to their ears.

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known unto me. But at the last came in before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and since the spirit of the holy God is in him, thus the dream I related before him.

O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I

8. But at the last.-'8 7. Many MSS. read 8 with Keri, dropping the Jod. Taylor points out two places, where the word is used for alius in this book. Vulg renders the word "Collega," and Secker thinks that Jerom found eraipos for erepos in his Greek copy, as a and ‹ are often confounded. Aqu. and Sym. seem to follow this reading; MS. Pachom. has erepos; but Gr. Ar. and Syr. rather consider it as an adverb.

-since the Spirit of the holy God.- "since." See Noldius. Gr. and Ar. have cov in this verse and the next, and the words are capable doubtless of a singular sense; see note on Chap. ii. 11, and many passages in Chap. iii. but Vulg. and Syr. render plurally. However it must be presumed, that this King had now the one true God in his mind.

9.

-Belteshazzar, chief of the Magicians.—Belteshazzar according to the name of Bel or Baal; see on Chap. i. 7. That he was superior to, or placed as a governor over all the Magi or wise men, see on Chap. ii. 48, and also on Chap. i. 20.

Whether the religion of the Magi properly so called was received among the Babylonians is perhaps not altogether certain; but I have followed our Translators in adopting the word " Magicians," as supposing it to comprehend all the enchanters or diviners of every sort. The Magians or worshippers of fire were first established in Persia, and their tenets have been fully explained by Dr. Hyde in his account of the religion of the ancient Persians. Dr. Prideaux likewise speaking of them says, that their sect was propagated only in Persia and India, and that they remain there even to this day. But it is not improbable that their principles were well known also, and partly received, in Chaldea and Babylon, especially as these nations were immersed in all sorts of superstitions; and the name of Mayo seems to have belonged to the countries of the East in general. Their chief doctrine of the two principles, one the cause of all the good, and the other of all the evil in the world, or God and the Devil, is what Manes the heretic would have introduced from them into the

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