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Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Daniel 2

1 a The father and the sonne were bothe called by this name, so that this is ment of the sonne, when he reigned, alone: for he reigned also after a sort with his father.

1 b Not that he had many dreames, but because many matters were conteined in this dreame.

1 c Because it was so rare and strange a dreame that he had not had the like.

1 d He was so heauy with slepe that he gegan to slepe agayne. Some read, and his slepe was borken from him.

2 e for all these astrologers & sorcerers called them selues by this name of honour as thogh all the wisdome and knowledge of the countrey depended vpon them, and that all other countreies were voide of the same.

4 f That is, in the Syrian tongue which differed not muche from the Caldeans, saue it semed to be more eloquent, & therefore the learned vsed to speake it: as the Jewish writers do to this day.

5 g This is a juste rewarde of their arrogancie (which vanted of them selues that they had the knowledge of all things) that thei shulde be prouen fooles & that to their perpetual shame and fonfusion.

7 h Here not able to tel the dreame, except he entred them into the matter, & therefore thei wolde pretende knowledge where was but mere ignorance and so as deluders of the people, thei were worthy to dye.

13 ! The King commandeth all the wise men of Babylon to be slaine because thei colde not interprete his dreame.

13 i Which declareth, that God wolde not haue his seruant joyned in the companie of these sorcerers, and astrologers, whose artes were wicked, and therefore justly oght to dye, thogh the Kind did it vpon a rage, and no zeale.

16 ! Daniel requireth tim to solute the question.

22 k He sheweth that man hathe nether wisdome nor knowledge, but very darke blindenes, and ignorance of himself: for it cometh onely of God, that man vnderstandeth anie thing.

23 / To whome you madest thy promes and who liued in thy feare: whereby he excludeth all other gods.

23 m Meaning, power to interpret it.

24 n Whereby appeareth that manie were slaine, as verse 13, and the rest at Daniels offer were preserued on condition: not that Daniel fauoured their wicked prfession bu that he had respect & equitie because the King proceded according to his wicked affection & not considering, if their science was lawful or no.

24 ! Daniel is broght vnto the King and sheweth him his dreame & the interpretacion thereof.

28 o He affirmeth that man by reason, & arte is not able to atteine to the cause of Gods secrets, but the vnderstanding onely thereof must come of God: whereby he smiteth the King with a certeine feare and reuerence of God that he might be the more apt to receiue the hye mysteries, that shuld be reueiled.

30 p Because he had said that God onely must reueile the signification of this dreame, the King might haue asked, why Daniel did enterprise to interpret it, & therefore he sheweth that he was but Gods minister, and had no giftes, but suche as God had giuen him to set forthe his glorie.

32 q By golde, siluer, brasse, and yron are ment the Caldean, Persian, Macedonian & Romaine kingdome, which shulde successiuely rule all the worlde til Christ (which is here called the stone) come him selfe, and destroye the last: & this was to assure the Jewes, that their afflictions shulde not end with the empire of the Caldeans, but that they shulde paciently abyde the comming of Messiah, which shulde be at the end of this fourth monarchie.

38 r Daniel leaueth out the kingdome of the Assyrians, which was before the Babylonian, bothe because it was not a monarchie & general empire, & also because he wolde declare the things, that were to come, to the comming of Christ for the comfort of the elect among these wonderful alterations: & he calleth the Babylonian Kingdome the golden head, because in respect of the other thre, it was the best, and yet was of it self wicked and cruel.

39 s Meaning, the Persians, which were not inferiour in dignitie, power, and riches, but were worse touching ambition, crueltie & all kinde of vice: shewing, that the worlde shulde growe worse, and worse, til it was restored by Christ.

39 t That is, of the Macedonians shalbe of brasse, not alluding to the hardenes therof, but to the vilenes in respect of siluer.

40 u That is, the Roman empire shal subdue all these other afore named, which after Alexander were deuided into the Macedonians, Grecians, Syrians & Egyptians.

41 x They shal haue ciuil warres and continual discordes among themselues.

43 y Thei shal by mariages, and affinities thinke to make themselues strong: yet shal they neuer by joyned in hearts.

44 z His purpose is to shewe, that all the kingdomes of the worlde are transitorie, & that the kingdome of Christ shal onely remaine for euer.

44 ! Of the euerlasting kingdome of Christ.

45 a Meaning Christ who was sent of God and not set vp by man, whose kingdome at the beginning shulde be smale, & without beautie to mans judgement, but shulde at length growe & fil the whole earth, which he calleth a great mountaine, as {vers. 35}. And this kingdome, which is not onely referred to the persone of Christ, but also to the whole bodie of his Church, and to euerie member thereof, shalbe eternal: for the Spirit that is in them, is life eternal, {Rom. 8, 10}.

46 b Thogh this humbling of the King semed to deserue commendation, yet because he joyned Gods honour with the Prophets, it is to be reproued, & Daniel herein erred if he suffred it: but it is credible that Daniel admonished him of his faute, and did not suffre it.

47 c This confession was but a sudden motion, as it was also in Pharaoh, {Exo. 9, 28} but his heart was not touched, as appeared sone afterward.

48 d Not that the Prophet was desirous of gifts or honour, but because by this meanes he might relieue his poore breathren which were grieuously oppressed in this their captiuitie, & also he reciued them lest he shulde offend this cruel King, which willingly gaue them.

49 f Meaning, that either he was a judge, or that he had the whole authoritie, so that none colde de admitted to the Kings presence, but by him.

49 e He did not this for their priuate profit, but that the whole Church which was then there in affliction, might haue some release and ease, by this benefite.