Book 2
Concerning the image which king Nebuchadnezzar set up
Chapter 11
1. And so since the blessed Daniel described the vision and was not silent about its interpretation, he left behind some questions5 for those who possess a keen6 mind, so that again what was spoken by Daniel may be explained by another.
2. Yet it is necessary for the lovers of truth, to not merely read cursorily, but to seek to say the obscure and to understand what was spoken by the prophets.7
3. For Daniel1 sees a great image, and the head of this he likens to be as pure gold. Next, the shoulders and chest he describes as being silver. Then, the stomach and thighs are bronze. Next, the legs are iron. Likewise also the toes of the feet are clay and iron which has been mixed together2. Then, a stone, which is cut from a mountain without hands, strikes the image and grinds it. And the same stone became a great mountain and filled all the earth.
4. After saying these things concerning the image, he afterwards divides the image3 , in accordance with its sections4, into kingdoms and he explains5 each part of the statue statue proceeding to each part, saying that the gold is king Nebuchadnezzar himself, describing him to be the golden head of the image.
5. Next, he names a second kingdom, implying that it is inferior, saying that it is silver.
6. Next, a third which is bronze.
7. Then, a fourth strong kingdom, which is iron.
8. Next, the clay and iron, having been mixed together, exhibit the tips of the feet of the image.
9. For I have begun from the head because6 it displays the gold. Next, the chest and arms and he names them silver. Then, the stomach and thighs, and he indicates them to be bronze. Next, he describes the legs, and he shows them to be iron. Then, the feet and ten toes, and he declares them to be clay and iron, after these things there is nothing left to see, but the stone which is cut from a mountain and which struck the image, and it became in the end a great mountain which also filled all the earth.
5 Lit: behind an inquiry
6 Lit straight
7 Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ σπουδαίως ἐπιζητεῖν τοὺς φιλαληθεῖς, καὶ µὴ µόνον ἐν
παραδροµῇ ἀναγινώσκοντας ἐπ’ ἄδηλον νοµίζειν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν
προφητῶν εἰρηµένα
1 Lit: he
2 Lit: in this
3 Lit: it
4 Lit: with its form
5 Lit: paraphrases
6 Lit: so that
Chapter 12
1. And so how can we not consider the ancient things which were prophesied by Daniel in Babylon and are now still. being fulfilled in the world?
2. For the image which was portrayed according to that season, embraced the model of the kingdom of all the world.
3. In which season the Babylonians then reigned, as being the golden head of the image.
4. Then after them the Persians ruled for two hundred forty-five years as they are shown to be silver.
5. After them the Greeks ruled, beginning from Alexander of Macedon, for three hundred years, as they are bronze.
6. After them the Romans, who are the iron legs of the image, being strong as iron.
7. Next the toes of the feet, so that in each place democracies are shown, which are destined to be and which are divided into the ten toes of the image, in which the iron will have been mixed with clay.1.
1 Εἶτα δάκτυλοι ποδῶν, ἵνα δειχθῶσιν αἱ κατὰ τόπον δηµοκρατίαι αἱ µέλλουσαι γίγνεσθαι, διαιρούµεναι εἰς τοὺς δέκα δακτύλους τῆς εἰκόνος, ἐν οἷς ἔσται ὁ σίδηρος ἀναµεµιγµένος τῷ ὀστράκῳ.
Chapter 13
1. After these things, what does Daniel say? “A stone was cut without hands and struck the image.”2
2. For in all events after the iron was mixed with clay and spread to the tips of the toes and while they are3 discordant with one another of the seed of men, what is left which is necessary to await but Christ who comes from the heavens as a stone which is cut from a mountain, so that he removes the kingdoms of this world, but also sets up the heavenly kingdom of the saints which will never be destroyed, and the
same mountain also became the city of the saints which fills all the earth.
3. And on account of this blessed Daniel spoke, “And after the end of those days God shall set up the kingdom of heaven which shall never be destroyed1, and the kingdom shall not be left for another people.”2
4. Therefore, so that one may not mistrust what was spoken and ask whether these things really will be or not, the prophet seals it, saying, “and the dream is true and its interpretation is faithful.”3
2 Daniel 2:34
3 Lit: while it is
1 Lit: not for ages be destroyed
2 Daniel 2:44
3 Daniel 2:45
Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship.
Chapter 14
1. “In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar the king made a golden image, its height was sixty cubits and its breadth was six cubits, and he set it in the plain of Deira in the country of Babylon. And he sent out a command to bring together the governors, captains and rulers, leaders and chiefs and those in authority and all the rulers of the countries, and to come to the consecration of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king set up. And all were brought together. And they came and stood before the image. And a herald shouted in strength, ‘To you it is said, peoples, tribes, tongues, at the hour which you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipes and lyres, harp and psaltery and all the family of musical instruments, you shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall to worship4 , the same hour he shall be cast into the burning furnace of fire.’”5.
4 Lit: Not falling down, worship
5 Daniel 3:1-6
Chapter 15
1. And so, after sufficient time had passed and the eighteenth year had come, the king, having remembered his dream, made a golden image, which was sixty cubits high and its breadth was six cubits.
2. For when the blessed Daniel, when he interpreted the same dream6 , answered the king saying, “You are the head of the golden image,”1 in this word king Nebuchadnezzar, having been puffed up2 and having been lifted up in heart, made the image as an anti-type of the dream3, so that he might be worshiped as God by all.
3. And so having furnished it in greatness he set it up in the plain of Deira in the country of Babylon.
4. And having sent out a command he summoned together the governors, captains and rulers and all of those in authority to come to the consecration of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.
5. And so then, while all the men were coming together for the event4 and while the musical instruments rang out together, at that moment5 the peoples, tribes, and tongues, fell down and worshipped the image, some of them only because they feared the king, but all became idolaters, and they heeded the word which was prescribed by the king.
6 Or: dream itself1 Daniel 2:38
1 Daniel 2:38
2 Or: been naturally disposed
3 Lit: of it
4 Lit: it
5 Lit: it
Chapter 16
1. “Then some of the Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews before the king, ‘You O king, have issued6 a a decree, that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, pipes and lyres, harp and psaltery and the orchestra of all the family of musical instruments and does not fall down to worship7 the golden image shall be cast to the burning furnace of fire. There are Jewish men whom you have appointed over the affairs of the country of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who did not heed, O king, your decree, who do not serve your gods and do not worship the golden image which you set up!’ Then the king after hearing this called in wrath and anger to bring them in and Nebuchadnezzar1 answered and said, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you do not serve my gods and worship the golden image which I have set up? And so, now if you are prepared2, when you should hear the sound of the trumpet, pipes and lyres, harp and psaltery and all the family
of musical instruments, fall down and, worship the golden image. But if not in the same hour you shall be cast into the burning furnace of fire, and what god is there who shall take you out of my hands?’”3.
6 Lit: set
7 Lit: Not falling down, worship
1 Lit: he
2 Lit: If you readily hold fast
3 Daniel 3:8-15
IChapter 17
1. Do you see the boast4 of the tyrannical human king, who did not know he who said, “Do not fear men who are able to kill the body, in this they are not able to kill what is inside5, but fear rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell6.”7
2. The boys, who did not cower at these words, answered saying, “We have no need to answer you
concerning this matter. For there is a God whom we serve, he is able to deliver us from the burning furnace of fire and from your hands, O king, he will rescue us, and if not, let it be known to you O king that we will not8 serve your gods and we will not9 not worship the golden image which you set
up.”10.
4 Or: threat
5 Lit: the inner man
6 Lit: Gehenna
7 Matthew 10:28
8 Lit: we do not
9 Lit: we do not
10 Daniel 3:16-18
Chapter 18
1. See, the three boys have become examples for all believing men; they who did not fear the crowd of satraps nor, having heard the words of the king, were terrified, nor, having seen the burning fire of the furnace, cringed, but they despised all men and the whole world, holding the fear of God alone before their eyes.
2. Daniel, who was standing a far way off and keeping silent, taught these three1 to be courageous, while smiling at them, he himself even rejoicing at their witness, while observing the three boys who were about to be crowned against the devil. They were not deluded by musical skill nor enslaved by the pleasure of the instruments, nor carried away by the deceit of the Babylonians, nor subdued by the decree of the king, nor did they bend their knees before the golden image, which was wrought with a hammer.
3. These three believing witnesses were found in Babylon, so that through them God may be glorified and Nebuchadnezzar may be shamed and the idols of the Babylonians be revealed as nothing.
1 Lit: themselves
Chapter 19
1. I will dare to say something and I will not venture to say something else while speaking2 . These boys, having read the contents of Scripture, saw what was spoken by the prophet, that it was written concerning them. For how else did the contents of Scripture say to Babylon, “I shall make mention of
Rahab and Babylon to those who know me,”3 except if it foresees by the Spirit the mysteries of the economy there?
2. For these, having seen all men worshiping the image and heeding the prescription of the king, settled their minds to speak. This is not idly written, brothers, this is similarly fulfilled in us now.
3. For behold, it happened that even every family received our captives and they became slaves to the Babylonians.1 Nebuchadnezzar, just as the great devil, tyrannizes against us and having made a golden image compels people to idolatry.
4. We the faithful stand fast2 unto death, lest we disgrace our teacher, Moses, or lest we permit our family to be ridiculed. Let us, as the three boys, conquer all the power of the Babylonians. God will deliver us from the hand of the king, as he rescued our forefathers3 from the hand of Pharaoh.
5. Let us recall what happened long ago in the land of Egypt. When the sea was struck with a staff, it was put to flight and the Jordan River, when it saw the Ark, was turned back to its source, and Rahab the prostitute, when she was found faithful in the city of Jericho, she was preserved from the slaughter of the sword.
6. And now God is able to easily quench the fire of the furnace.
7. If you are threatened with the sword, let us submit to death; if thrown to wild beasts4 let us not cower before the beasts. Let not the crowd of the Babylonians prevail in that faithful day.
8. Urging one another on as living combatants5 , the three young boys were led on by the Spirit
to the pit, contending before myriads of unbelieving men.
2 τολµήσω τι εἰπεῖν καὶ οὐ κινδυνεύσω ἐν τῷ λέγειν
3 Psalm 87:4
1 This cryptic passage perhaps refers to Christians who were forced into
slavery to the people of the world, that is the “Babylonians.”
2 Lit: We the faithful remain
3 Lit: fathers
4 Lit: Beasts of the field
5 Or: champions
Chapter 20
1. But someone will say, “You are making sophistries.6”
2. Be educated, O man, about the things which happen under7 Antiochus Epiphanes.
3. While the seven brothers together with their mother were taken, they were struck with scourges and whips, but one of them answered the whips, and he said, “Why do you delay to ask and to learn? For we are prepared to die rather than to transgress our patriarchal1 laws.”2
4. “But the king, becoming stirred up at this, commanded pans and cauldrons to be heated at once, and he commanded that the one of them who spoke first, that his tongue be rooted out and having been scalped, to be maimed.3 While the rest of the brothers looked on, and while the steam of the pans grew4
sufficiently, he exhorted one another in the voice of their fatherland5 saying, ‘The Lord God
God watches over us, and in truth, he comforts us just as Moses through the song which he spoke before God’s face long ago saying, ‘He will be comforted in his slaves.’”6
6 πιθανολογεῖς
7 Or: the events of
1 Or: patrimonial
2 2 Maccabees 7:1-2
3 Or: hands cut off
4 Lit: spread
5 Lit: in a fatherly voice
6 2 Maccabees 7:3-6, Deuteronomy 32:36
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