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supplication and prayer, and not trusting in himself alone, but also taking those of like mind into fellowship in the supplication; and he was not disappointed in his hope. 19-22. "For then," it says, "the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. And he said: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord God from eternity and to eternity, for wisdom and understanding are his. And he changes times and seasons, he establishes kings and removes them, giving wisdom to the wise, and prudence to those who know understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things, knowing the things that are in the darkness, and light is with him.'" Through all things he shows his own gratitude, and he weaves the hymn not simply, but making the discovery of the dream the material of its weaving. For it is fitting, he says, to praise the eternal and everlasting God continually, being the fount of wisdom and understanding, governing all things rightly and well, and by the changes of affairs exposing the uncertainty of human prosperity, and showing his own strength clearly to all; for appointing kings, he easily removes them again, and giving authority, he takes it away when he wishes; and he is the provider of wisdom and prudence; and he gives this not simply, but to those wishing to understand him; and he reveals as he wishes things that in no way appear, but are hidden as in a certain depth because they have not yet come to be; and being intellectual light, dwelling in unapproachable light, he knows accurately all things that happen in the darkness. 23. "Therefore to you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because you have given me wisdom and power, and now you have made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to me the king's vision 81.1293 to make it known to the king." Such are the souls of the pious, both knowing God as provider in their needs, and running to his harbors, and after the provision of good things not enduring to give over the memory of the gifts to forgetfulness, but repaying God the benefactor with hymns. And it is worthy to note the moderate disposition of this divine man; for in making his request, he took those of like mind as partners in the prayer, and in weaving the hymn for what he received, he remembered them again. For he did not say, 'You made known to me what I asked you,' but, "what we asked of you." Thus having concluded the divine hymn; 24. "And immediately," it says, "Daniel came to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him: 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon, but bring me in before the king, and I will declare the interpretation of the vision to the king.'" This mercy was also fitting for the prophet; for he did not endure to be delivered from the unjust slaughter alone with his friends, but he also negotiates salvation for the Chaldeans, hoping through this wonder both to deliver them from their impiety and to bring them to the God of all. 25. "But Arioch, having heard these words, in haste brought Daniel in before the king, and said to him: 'I have found a man from among the sons of the captivity of Judea, who will declare the interpretation to the king.'" Again from this it has become clear to us that the king had not yet had experience of Daniel's virtue. For if he had been known, Arioch would not have spoken indefinitely: "I have found a man from among the sons of the captivity of Judea, who will declare the interpretation to the king." 26. "And the king, becoming overjoyed, said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar: 'Are you able to declare the dream that I saw, and its interpretation?'" It is necessary to note this also, that he does not always call him Belteshazzar, but when he is speaking to the king, who had placed this name upon him. Yet when asked if he could announce both the dream and the interpretation to the king, he answered saying: 27. "The mystery that the king asks, it is not for wise men, magicians, enchanters, or Gazarenes to declare to the king. (28.) But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." He began the teaching wondrously; having cast out

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ἱκετείαν καὶ προσευχὴν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ θαῤῥήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ἱκετείας λαβών· καὶ οὐκ ἐψεύσθη τῆς ἐλπίδος. ιθʹ κβʹ. "Τότε γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ ∆ανιὴλ ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς τὸ μυστήριον ἀπεκαλύφθη, καὶ ηὐλό γησε ∆ανιὴλ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν· Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογημένον ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος, ὅτι ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ σύνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἀλλοιοῖ καιροὺς καὶ χρόνους, καθιστᾷ βασιλεῖς καὶ μεθιστᾷ, διδοὺς σοφίαν τοῖς σοφοῖς, καὶ φρόνησιν τοῖς εἰδόσι σύνεσιν. Αὐτὸς ἀποκαλύπτει βαθέα καὶ ἀπόκρυφα, γινώσκων τὰ ἐν τῷ σκότει, καὶ φῶς μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν." ∆ιὰ πάντων τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγνωμοσύνην δείκνυσι, καὶ πλέκει τὸν ὕμνον οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τῆς πλοκῆς ὕλην ποιούμενος τοῦ ἐνυπνίου τὴν εὕρεσιν. Προσήκει γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν ἀΐδιον καὶ αἰώνιον διηνεκῶς ἀνυμνεῖν Θεὸν, σοφίας ὄντα καὶ συνέσεως πηγὴν, ὀρθῶς ἅπαντα καὶ ἀγαθῶς πρυτανεύοντα, καὶ ταῖς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολαῖς ἐλέγχοντα μὲν τὸ τῆς ἀν θρωπίνης εὐημερίας ἀβέβαιον, δεικνύντα δὲ ἅπασιν ἐναργῶς τὴν οἰκείαν ἰσχύν· χειροτονῶν γὰρ βασι λέας, πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἀποχειροτονεῖ ῥᾳδίως, καὶ διδοὺς ἐξουσίαν ἀφαιρεῖται ταύτην, ὅταν ἐθέλῃ· καὶ σοφίας δὲ καὶ φρονήσεως οὗτός ἐστι χορηγός· δίδωσι δὲ ταύτην οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς συνιέναι αὐτὸν βου λομένοις· ἀποκαλύπτει δὲ ὡς ἐθέλει τὰ μηδαμῶς φαινόμενα, ἀλλ' οἷόν τινι βυθῷ κρυπτόμενα τῷ μη δέπω γενέσθαι· καὶ φῶς ὑπάρχων νοερὸν, φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον, ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα γινώσκει τὰ ἐν τῷ σκότει γινόμενα. κγʹ. "∆ιό σοι, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων μου, ἐξομο λογοῦμαι καὶ αἰνῶ, ὅτι σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν ἔδωκάς μοι, καὶ νῦν ἐγνώρισάς μοι ἃ ἠξιώσαμεν παρὰ σοῦ, ὅτι τὸ ὅραμα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγνώρισάς μοι 81.1293 τοῦ γνωρίσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ." Τοιαῦται τῶν εὐσεβῶν αἱ ψυχαὶ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς χρείαις τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιστάμεναι χορηγὸν, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ λιμέσι προστρέχουσαι, καὶ μετὰ τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγίαν οὐκ ἀνεχόμεναι λήθῃ παραδιδόναι τῶν δωρεῶν τὴν μνήμην, ἀλλ' ὕμνοις ἀμειβόμεναι τὸν εὐεργέτην Θεόν. Ἄξιον δὲ ἐπισημή νασθαι τοῦ θείου τούτου ἀνδρὸς καὶ τὸ μέτριον φρό νημα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν αἴτησιν ποιούμενος, κοινω νοὺς ἔλαβε τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους τῆς προσευχῆς, καὶ τὸν ὕμνον ὑφαίνων ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔλαβε, πάλιν αὐτῶν ἐμνη μόνευσεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐγνώρισάς μοι ἃ ἠξίωσά σε, ἀλλ', "ἃ ἠξιώσαμεν παρὰ σοῦ." Οὕτω τὸν θεῖον συμπεράνας ὕμνον· κδʹ. "Καὶ εὐθὺς ἦλθε, φησὶ, ∆ανιὴλ πρὸς Ἀριὼχ, ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπολέσαι τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος μὴ ἀπολέσῃς, εἰσάγαγε δέ με ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν τοῦ ὁράματος ἀναγγελῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ." Πρέπων καὶ οὗτος τῷ προ φήτῃ ἔλεος· οὐ γὰρ ἠνέσχετο μόνος μετὰ τῶν φίλων τῆς ἀδίκου ἀπαλλαγῆναι σφαγῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς Χαλδαίοις πραγματεύεται σωτηρίαν, ἐλπίζων διὰ τοῦδε τοῦ θαύματος, καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτοὺς ἀπαλ λάξειν, καὶ τῷ τῶν ὅλων προσάξειν Θεῷ κεʹ. "Ὁ δὲ Ἀριὼχ, τούτων ἀκούσας τῶν λόγων, σπουδῇ τὸν ∆ανιὴλ εἰσήγαγεν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εὕρηκα ἄνδρα ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ὅστις τὸ σύγκριμα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναγγελεῖ." Πάλιν ἐντεῦθεν σαφὲς ἡμῖν γέ γονεν, ὅτι οὐδέπω τῆς τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἀρετῆς πεῖραν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰλήφει. Οὐ γὰρ, εἴπερ ἐγινώσκετο, ἀορί στως εἶπεν ὁ Ἀριώχ· "Εὕρηκα ἄνδρα ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ὅστις τὸ σύγκριμα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναγγελεῖ." κ ϛʹ. "Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς περιχαρὴς γενόμενος εἶπε τῷ ∆ανιὴλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ· Εἰ δύνασαι ἀναγγεῖλαι τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ὃ εἶδον, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ;" Ἐπισημήνασθαι δεῖ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι Βαλτά σαρ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀεὶ προσαγορεύει, ἀλλ' ὅτε τῷ βασιλεῖ διαλέγεται, ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπιτε θεικότι. Ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ ὅμως, εἰ δύναιτο καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον, καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἐπαγγεῖλαι τῷ βασι λεῖ, ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· κζʹ. "Τὸ μυστήριον ὃ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπερωτᾷ, οὐκ ἔστι σοφῶν, μάγων, ἐπαοιδῶν, Γαζαρηνῶν ἀναγγεῖ λαι τῷ βασιλεῖ. (κηʹ.) Ἀλλ' ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια." Θαυμαστῶς τῆς διδασκα λίας ἤρξατο· ἐκβαλὼν