• Part First. Daniel at the Court of Babylon. Dan. 1:1-6:28.
• Part Second. Other Predictions. Dan. 7:1-12:13.

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DANIEL.

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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. [118]

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. [121]

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]

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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. [123]

[CNSH2 118-123]