DANIEL.
PART FIRST.
DANIEL AT THE COURT OF BABYLON.
i. 1-vi. 28.
§ I.
DANIEL'S
CHALDEAN
EDUCATION.
i. 1-21.
1. He and Three Companions Are Selected for the King's
College.
i. 1-7.
- How was this in the third year of Jehoiakim?
1, cf. Jer. xxv. 1.
- How long before the fall of Jerusalem? See
II. Ki. xxiii. 36; xxiv. 18.
- What, "the land of Shinar"?
2, cf. Gen. xi. 1, 2.
- Why put the vessels in the treasure house of his god?
2.
- Purpose of the proposed instruction? and length of the course?
4, 5.
- Why select only royal or noble youths?
3, 4.
- Why a special diet prescribed?
5, cf. 10.
- Of what rank were Daniel and the three?
6, cf. 3.
- How had they fallen into Nebuchadnezzar's hands?
1, 2,
cf. II. Ki. xxiv. 1, 2.
- Why the change of their names?
7.
2. The Royal Diet Is Refused.
8-16.
- How would the meat and wine defile them?
8.
- Why would the eunuch's head be endangered?
10.
- Why next appeal to the steward?
11.
- What is pulse?
12.
- What proof of character in this refusal?
- Why did the steward make the venture?
14, 16.
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3. The Final Result.
17-21.
- Who meant by "them" all?
19, cf. 15.
- Who conducted the final examination?
19, 20.
- In what sense did Daniel continue till "the first year of Cyrus"?
21.
§ II.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S
DREAM
INTERPRETED.
ii. 1-49.
1. The Dream, and the Call upon the Wise Men.
ii. 1-13.
- How in his second year?
1, cf. 5, 18.
- Why think the dream significant?
3, cf. 1.
- Meaning of, "gain time"?
8.
- Did they claim inspiration?
11.
- Was his argument valid?
9.
- Why was Daniel involved?
13.
- Why was he not called in?
- What the original language of it?
ii. 4-vii. 28,
cf. ii. 4,
margin.
2. Daniel Begs for Time.
14-16.
- How could he be sure of giving the dream?
16.
3. The Secret Revealed to Daniel.
17-24.
- Meaning of, "desire mercies of the God of heaven"?
18.
- How could he know that the revelation was a reality?
19.
4. Daniel Recalls the Dream.
25-35.
- What lesson did he teach the king?
27, 28.
- How could smiting the feet pulverize the whole image?
34, 35.
5. The Interpretation.
36-45.
- What were the other three kingdoms?
39, 40.
- Why was the Roman kingdom partly strong and partly broken?
42, 43.
- In the days of what kings?
44, cf. 40.
- Meaning of, "all these kingdoms"?
ib. 44.
- How did it break these in pieces? [119]
6. The Effect on the King.
46-49.
- Why worship Daniel?
46.
- What the change at Daniel's request?
49.
- What the original source of this promotion? See
i. 8.
- What effect must all this have had on the condition of the Jewish
captives?
§ III.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S
GOLDEN
IMAGE.
iii. 1-30.
1. The Image and Its Dedication.
iii. 1-7.
- Image of what?
1.
- Was it all of gold?
- Why such an assembly?
2, 4.
- Why the threat in the proclamation?
6.
- How did they have so many instruments?
5.
2. The Three Hebrews Are Accused.
8-12.
- What the motive of the accusers?
- Why was not Daniel included?
3. They Defy the King and Are Cast into the Furnace.
13-23.
- Why give them a second chance?
15.
- Why ask, "who is that god that shall deliver you"?
15.
- What was their expectation?
17, 18.
- How could the soldiers be burned?
22.
- In what way were the three bound?
23.
4. Their Deliverance and the King's Decree.
24-30.
- What kind of furnace was it?
25.
- Who was the fourth?
25, 28.
- What the effect of the proclamation?
29.
- God's design in the miracle? [120]
§ IV.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S
PROCLAMATION
RESPECTING
HIS
INSANITY.
iv. 1-37.
1. The Preamble.
iv. 1-3.
- Why the address so universal?
1.
- Why say, "the Most High God"?
2.
- What meant by "his kingdom"?
3, cf. 37.
2. His Vision of a Great Tree.
4-18.
- What his circumstances at the time?
4.
- Why call in the Babylonian wise men before Daniel?
6, 8, 9.
- Significance of the band of iron and brass?
15.
- Who are meant by "the watchers" and "the holy ones"?
17.
3. Daniel's Interpretation and Advice.
19-27.
- Why Daniel's hesitation and trouble?
19.
- Design of God in the matter?
25, cf. 17.
- What meant by, "a lengthening of thy tranquillity"?
27, cf. 4.
- The condition of it?
4. The Prediction Fulfilled.
28-37.
- Why so proud of Babylon?
30,
cf. Rawlinson.
- What the nature of his insanity?
32, 33.
- Why permitted to herd with cattle? and why his person neglected?
- Why did he connect his recovery with the most High?
34.
- What effect had this on his heathen subjects, and on the Hebrew captives?
§ V.
BELSHAZZAR'S
FEAST.
v. 1-31.
1. The Feast, and the Desecration of the Holy Vessels.
v. 1-4.
- Who was Belshazzar. See Rawlinson.
- Why send for the temple vessels?
2, cf. 4.
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2. The Handwriting on the Wall.
5-12.
- Why the third ruler?
7.
- How was Nebuchadnezzar his father?
11.
- Why had he not called Daniel?
3. The Interpretation.
13-31.
- Why change Upharsin to Peres?
25, 27.
- Why could not the wise men read it?
- How was Belshazzar killed?
- Jeremiah's prediction?
Jer. li. 30-32.
- Who was Darius the Mede?
31.
§ VI.
DANIEL IN THE
LION'S
DEN.
vi. 1-28.
1. His Promotion, and a Plot Against Him.
vi. 1-9.
- Why this honor?
3, cf. v. 29.
- Relative excellence of his administration?
4.
- Why the conclusion of his enemies?
5.
- What cunning in their proposal?
7, 8.
- Why did they have a den of lions?
- Why such provision in their law?
8.
2. Daniel Convicted, and the Sentence Executed.
10-17.
- Why not pray in secret?
10.
- In what way did the king labor to rescue him?
14, 15.
- Why think his God would deliver Daniel?
16.
- Construction of the den?
17.
- Why the stone sealed?
17.
3. Daniel Unharmed, and His Accusers Thrown to the Lions.
18-24.
- Why the king so troubled?
18.
- Why cast in the accusers?
4. The King's Proclamation.
25-28.
- How did he know so much of God?
- What the effect of this event on the captives? [122]
PART SECOND.
OTHER PREDICTIONS.
vii. 1-xii. 13.
§ I.
DANIEL'S
VISION OF
FOUR
GREAT
BEASTS.
vii. 1-28.
§ II.
HIS
VISION OF THE
RAM AND THE
HE
GOAT.
viii. 1-27.
§ III.
HIS
PRAYER FOR THE
RESTORATION OF
ISRAEL, AND
HIS
PREDICTION OF
SEVENTY
WEEKS TILL THE
MESSIAH.
ix. 1-27.
- His knowledge of Jeremiah.
2.
§ IV.
HIS
LAST
VISION:
THIRD
YEAR OF
CYRUS.
x. 1-xii. 13.
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[CNSH2 118-123]
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