should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness.” Ezekiel XIV. 14. Note in passing, that by order of birth these names should be read Noah, Job and Daniel. However, according to a custom common among the writers of Scripture, the line of Divine favor was followed in preference to the order of birth. For example, Japheth, Ham, Shem was the order of birth; but the records stands: “These are the generations of the sons of Noah; Shem, Ham and Japheth.” So too we read of “Abram, Nahor, and Haran” when the order of birth was Haran, Nahor and Abram. Also of “Aaron and Moses and Miriam,” when the true order was Miriam, Aaron and Moses.

9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

The Scriptures everywhere associate a sense of completeness and perfection with the numeral 7, also with the numeral 10. The Mosaic Law teems with instances of this sort. A Sabbatic period covered 7 years. Sprinklings were administered 7 times, feasts lasted 7 days, priests carried 7 trumpets, Jericho was compassed 7 times, Naaman bathed 7 times in the Jordan, a servant bowed 7 times to his lord and so on. As to the numeral 10, the Law had 10 commandments, the tabernacle had 10 curtains, 10 pillars, 10 sockets. After the Israelites had tempted the Lord 10 times, they were condemned to die in the wilderness. Ten plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians. In the matter of taxation, the herd was divided into 10 parts and one part set aside for the Lord.

When Nebuchadnezzar tested Daniel and his companions, “he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers.” Thus we see plainly that the numerals 7 and 10 conveyed the idea of completeness and perfection to the Hebrew mind.

13. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

16. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

“Behold art thou wiser than Daniel.” Ezekiel XXVIII. 3.

18. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of the 3 years spoken of in verse 5.

19. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

21. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

Cyrus began to reign, as king of Persia in B.C. 558, just twenty years prior to his conquest of Babylon in B.C. 538. The verse of course refers to the first year of his reign as king of Babylon. In the following chapter the narrative goes back to B.C. 603 which as already explained was the 2nd year of Nebuchadnezzar’s individual reign. His father Nabopolassar was still on the throne in B.C. 606, but on his death in B.C. 605 Nebuchadnezzar returned at once to Babylon and was made king, with full authority.

CHAPTER II. [Hebrew and Syriac.]

1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

From this point to the end of the VI chapter Daniel wrote in the Syriac language. The rest of the book was written in Hebrew. In our own day men of affairs converse and write in several languages. Evidently one who was fitted to preside over 120 princes had many languages at his command.

4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

6. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

7. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.

8. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

9. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

10. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

14. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

15. He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16. Then Daniel went in, and desired