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I marveled at the vision; and there was no one who understood. From whence was he weakened? Perhaps by the despondency over the terrible things that were to come, reasoning with himself, that the present things do not yet have an end. And so many terrible things again, he says. Or again, I have not yet reconciled God to them, and they are warring against him. And I arose, and I did the works of the king. That is, I served. And I marveled at the vision; and there was no one who understood. This especially brings a certain pain, when it is not possible to express one’s griefs to anyone; or because they were wicked. And I did, he says, the works of the king. That is, I left nothing out, but did the works.

CHAPTER 9.

In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,

who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fastings, and sackcloth, and ashes. This is Darius the Mede. He does not say the first year of his reign; for he did not say, in the first of his reign, but, In the first year of Darius, in one year of his reign, so that it is possible to say also the first year, while he was reigning, but perhaps then having destroyed those around Belshazzar. I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years. That is, the slaughter. And I considered. See him not daring to approach the Master before the appointed time. But the three young men do it in the furnace; but this one did nothing in the den. What then? Were they wrong, or he? Neither. For they showed their affection, while he showed his understanding when the time came. Did he then read the prophetic writings with understanding? But I think that he was not counting from the capture, but perhaps from the captivity of Israel. For one might reasonably call the desolation of Jerusalem also the wars. See also the sabbatical number. For just as then he made four hundred thirty and two hundred fifteen, so I think now too it is less. Whereof, he says, the word came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fastings, and sackcloth, and ashes. See his reverence. And I set, he says, my face. That is, I was ashamed before this, before the humiliation; but now I set, instead of I dared. If he were demanding what was owed, he would not have said, I set my face, 56.238 as if about a risky matter. If he uses such zeal on behalf of others, if while enjoying so many favors both from God and from the king, he has no perception of the matters, but as if he himself were in the terrible circumstances, he was more tormented than those who actually were; how could one admire him according to his worth? But see how even after those afflictions he did not dare to approach, until he saw the time fulfilled. Where then shall we miserable ones lie hereafter? What are you saying, O Daniel? You are in good circumstances, you enjoy honor from God, from men; what concern have you (l. is it to you) for the others? Thus also did Moses. And what does he say? Demanding what was owed with fastings and sackcloth and ashes. For what, if it was owed? Lest perhaps they made themselves unworthy even of this. For there is no necessity with God; he is above laws. To seek, he says, prayer and supplication. First he seeks this. If he permits me, he says, to pray for them; since he heard Jeremiah hearing this, that you should not pray for this people, nor make intercession for them. Having (f. add. the) alliance from the captivity, from the times,

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ἐθαύμαζον τὴν ὅρασιν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ συνιών. Πόθεν ἐμαλακίσθη; Ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἴσως τῶν ἐσομένων δεινῶν, λογι σάμενος πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, ὅτι οὐδέπω τὰ παρόντα τέλος ἔχει. Καὶ τοσαῦτα, φησὶ, πάλιν δεινά. Ἢ πάλιν οὔπω κατήλλαξα αὐτοῖς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκπολεμοῦσιν αὐτόν. Καὶ ἀνέστην, καὶ ἐποίουν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ βα σιλέως. Τουτέστιν, ὑπηρέτουν. Καὶ ἐθαύμαζον τὴν ὅρασιν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ συνιών. Μάλιστα τοῦτο φέρει τινὰ ὀδύνην, ὅταν μηδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν ἐξῇ εἴς τινα τὰ λυπηρά· ἢ ὅτι πονηροὶ ἦσαν. Καὶ ἐποίουν, φησὶ, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ βασιλέως. Τουτέστιν, οὐδὲν παρελίμπα νον, ἀλλ' ἐποίουν τὰ ἔργα.

ΚΕΦΑL. Θʹ.

Ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ἔτει ∆αρείου, τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἀσσουήρου, ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος Μήδων,

ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν Χαλδαίων, ἐν ἔτει ἑνὶ τῆς βα σιλείας αὐτοῦ, ἐγὼ ∆ανιὴλ συνῆκα ἐν ταῖς βί βλοις τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐτῶν, περὶ οὗ ἐγενήθη λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν τὸν προφήτην, εἰς συμπλήρωσιν ἐρημώσεως τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἑβδο μήκοντα ἔτη. Καὶ ἔδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν μου πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν, τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι προσευχὴν καὶ δέησιν ἐν νηστείαις καὶ σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ. Οὗτος ὁ Μῆδος ∆αρεῖος. Πρῶτον δὲ ἔτος οὐχὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ φησι· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τῆς βασι λείας αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ', Ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ἔτει ∆αρείου, ἐν ἑνὶ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, ὥστε δυνατὸν λέγε σθαι καὶ πρῶτον ἔτος, βασιλεύοντος μὲν αὐτοῦ, τότε δὲ ἀνελόντος ἴσως τοὺς περὶ Βαλτάσαρ. Ἐγὼ ∆ανιὴλ συνῆκα ἐν ταῖς βίβλοις τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐτῶν. Τουτέστι, τὴν σφαγήν. Καὶ ἀνελογισάμην. Ὅρα αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς προθεσμίας οὐ τολμῶντα προσελθεῖν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν τρεῖς παῖδες ποιοῦσιν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ· οὗτος δὲ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ οὐδὲν ἐποίησε. Τί οὖν; ἢ ἐκεῖνοι κακῶς, ἢ οὗτος; Οὐδέτεροι. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τὴν φιλοστοργίαν, οὗτος δὲ τὴν σύνεσιν τοῦ καιροῦ παραγενομένου ἐδείκνυ. Ἆρ' οὖν συνετῶς ἀνεγίνωσκε τὰ προφητικά; Οἶμαι δ' αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἁλώσεως ἀριθμεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἴσως τοῦ Ἰσραήl. Ἐρήμωσιν γὰρ εἰκότως ἄν τις εἴποι Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοὺς πολέμους. Ὅρα καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν σαββατικόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τότε τετρακόσια τριάκοντα καὶ διακόσια δεκαπέντε ἐποίησεν, οὕτως οἶμαι καὶ νῦν ἐλάττω εἶναι. Περὶ οὗ ἐγενήθη, φησὶ, λόγος πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν τὸν προφήτην, εἰς συμπλήρωσιν ἐρημώσεως Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἑβδομή κοντα ἔτη. Καὶ ἔδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν μου πρὸς Κύ ριον τὸν Θεὸν, τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι προσευχὴν καὶ δέησιν ἐν νηστείαις καὶ σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ. Ὅρα εὐλάβειαν. Καὶ ἔδωκα, φησὶ, τὸ πρόσωπόν μου. Τουτέστι, κατ ησχυμμένος ἤμην πρὸ τούτου, πρὸ τῆς ταπεινώσεως· νῦν δὲ Ἔδωκα, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐτόλμησα. Εἰ δὲ ὀφειλόμενον ἀπῄτει, οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγε, Ἔδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, 56.238 ὡς ἐπὶ παρακεκινδυνευμένῳ πράγματι. Εἰ ὑπὲρ ἄλλων τοσαύτῃ χρῆται σπουδῇ, εἰ τοσαύταις ἀπολαύων καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εὐνοίαις, οὐκ ἔχει τινὰ αἴσθησιν τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὸς ὢν ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς, αὐτῶν τῶν ὄντων μᾶλλον ἐδάκνετο· πῶς ἄν τις αὐτὸν κατ' ἀξίαν θαυμάσειεν· Ὅρα δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὰς θλίψεις ἐκείνας οὐ θαῤῥοῦντα προσελ θεῖν, ἕως εἶδε τὸν χρόνον πληρωθέντα. Ποῦ τοίνυν κεισόμεθα λοιπὸν ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄθλιοι; Τί λέγεις, ὦ ∆α νιήλ; ἐν ἀγαθοῖς εἶ σὺ, τιμῆς ἀπολαύεις παρὰ Θεοῦ, παρὰ ἀνθρώπων· τί σοι μέλλει (l. μέλει) περὶ τῶν ἄλλων; Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐποίει. Καὶ τί φησι; Ἐν νηστείαις καὶ σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ τὰ ὀφειλόμενα ἀπαιτῶν. Τί γὰρ, εἰ ὠφείλετο; Μήποτε καὶ τούτου ἀναξίους ἑαυτοὺς ἐποίησαν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνάγκη παρὰ Θεῷ· ἀνώτερος νόμων ἐστί. Τοῦ ζητῆσαι, φησὶ, προσευχὴν καὶ δέησιν. Πρῶτον τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖ. Εἰ ἐπιτρέπει μοι, φησὶ, εὔξασθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν· ἐπειδὴ ἤκουσεν Ἱερεμίου τοῦτο ἀκούοντος, ὅτι Μὴ προσεύ χου ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ μὴ ἀξίου ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Ἔχων (f. add. τὴν) ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν χρόνων συμμαχίαν,