Daniel 1

Daniel 1:1

The nations - Which were tributary to Nebuchadnezzar. Set against - By order of the king of Babylon. The provinces - Which belonged to the Babylonish kingdom.

Daniel 1:3

Thy mother - O thou prince of Israel. By the waters - In a very fruitful soil. Full of branches - Full of children; when Josiah died, he left four behind him, beside other branches of the royal line.

Daniel 1:4

Strong rods - Many excellent persons endowed with qualifications befitting kings, that they might sway the scepter. Exalted - Above the ordinary majesty of other kingdoms. Thick branches - This kingdom equalled, if not excelled, the greatest neighbour - kingdoms, and her kings exceeded all their neighbouring kings, in riches and power.

Daniel 1:5

The east wind - God raised up the king of Babylon to pull up this sinful kingdom. Dried up - Blasted all her fruit, deposed her king, captivated him, his family, and the whole kingdom. Strong rods - All the choice men.

Daniel 1:6

She - A few of the branches of the last pruning. In the wilderness - Tho’ Babylon was in a very fruitful place, yet the cruelty of the Babylonians, made it to the Jews as terrible as a wilderness.

Daniel 1:7

Fire - The fire of rebellion, kindled by Zedekiah, who is of the blood - royal. No strong rod - The regal dignity is ceased.

Daniel 1:9

The seventh year - Of Zedekiah’s reign, two years and five months before Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Came - Yet resolved before - hand what they would do.

Daniel 1:11

Are ye come - Are ye in good earnest?

Daniel 1:12

Wilt thou - Wilt thou not convince and reprove them? And denounce my judgments against them? The abominations - What their fathers have done, they approve, and have outdone; by that let them know what to expect.

Daniel 1:13

When I chose - When I shewed that I had chosen them. The history of the rebellions of the children of Israel, begins as early, as their beginning. So does the history of man’s apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of his creation, but we meet with that of his rebellion. So we see here, it was with Israel; a people designed to represent the body of mankind, both in their dealings with God, and in God’s dealing with them. Lifted up my hand - Or stretched out and made bare my arm; that is, magnified my power for their deliverance. When I lifted up mine hand - Shewed my power in performing my oath, and assuring them of doing what was farther promised.

Daniel 1:14

I had espied - God speaks after the manner of men. Milk and honey - Literally milk and honey in abundance were in the land of Canaan. Proverbially it speaks the plenty and abundance of all the blessings of life.

Daniel 1:15

Of his eyes - To which you have looked for help.

Daniel 1:16

To accomplish - To make an end of them.

Daniel 1:17

For my name’s sake - For the glory of my mercy and faithfulness. Polluted - Reproached and blasphemed.

Daniel 1:20

A sign - Of their being peculiarly my people.

Daniel 1:21

In the wilderness - Where they most needed my care and favour; where the preserving their life from destruction by the noxious creatures, and from famine by the barrenness of the wilderness, was a continued miracle.