Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_200.lzh/6_271.TXT

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dedicated to their god were !aid up, and here the king
of Babylon broughtthe treasures and rich vessels he took
out of the temple of Jerusalem; and to this agrees the
testimony of Berosus {}, who says, that with the spoils of
war Nebuchadnezzar took from the Jews and neigh-
hourlag nations, he adorned the temple of Belus.  The
riches of this temple, according to historians, are sup-
posed to be above one-and-twenty millions sterlinga,
even of those only which Diodorus Siculus gives an
account of, as above.
Ven 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master
ofhis eunuchs, &c.] That is, Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon spake to this officer of his, whose name was
Ashpenaz; which, according to Saadiah, signifies a
man of an angry countenance; btlt Hillerus {} derives
it from the Arabic word *** schaphan, as designing one
that excels in wit and understanding; for which rea-
son he might have the command of the eunuchs, many
of which the eastern princes had about them, parti-
cularly to wait upon their women, or to educate youth,
as the Turks have now; though, as R. Jeshuah in
Aben Ezra observes, the word signifies ministers, and
may intend the king's nobles and courtiers, his ministers
of state; and so this Ashpenaz may be considered as
his prime-minister, to whom he gave orders, that he
should bring certain of the children of Israel; whom he
had taken and brought captive to Babylon, and were
disposed of in some part or another of the city and
country; and out of these it was his will that some
should be selected and brought to his court: and of
the king's seed, and of theprinces: or, even f of the ki.ng's
seed, and of the princes; not any of the children of
Israe{, but such as were of the blood-royal, or of the
king of Judah's family, or some way related to it; or,
however, that were of princely birth, the children of
persons of the first rank, as the word g may signify; or
of nobles and dukes, as Jarchi interprets it.
Ver. 4. Children in whom was no blemish, &c.] Not
mere children, but yotmg men of fifteen or twenty
years of age; about which age Daniel is by Aben Ezra
supposed to be when he was carried captive; and less
than this be can't well be thought to be, since, in a
few years after, he was put into posts of the greatest
eminence and importance: such were ordered to be
selected that. had no deformity or defect in any parts
of their body, or wanted any, as an eye, or a tland,
&c.; or, in whom was not any thing {h}; vicious or im-
moral, or scandalous in their character: but well-fa-
youred; of a good complexion, a ruddy countenance,
and a healthful look. So Curtinsi says, that, in all
barbarous or uncivilized countries, the stateliness and
bighess of the body is had in great veneration; nor do
they think any capable of great services or actions, to
whom nature has not vouchsafed to give a beautifid
form and aspect. And Aristotle {k} says it was reported,
that, in Ethiopia, civil offices of government or ma-
gistracy were distributed according to the bulk or
beauty of men, the largeness and talness of their
bodies, or the comeliness of them; and not only among
them, but this has always been the custom of the
eastern nations, to choose such for their principal
officers, or to wait on princes and great personages,
and continues to this day. Sir Patti Ricaut {i} observes,
"that the youths that are designed for the great oftices
"of the Turkish empire must be of admirable
"tures and pleasing looks, well-shaped in their bodies,
"and without any defects of nature; for it is con--
"ceived that a corrupt and sordid soul can scarce
"inhabit in a serene and ingenious aspect; and (says
"he) I have observed not only in the seraglio, but
"also in the courts of great men, their personal
"attenclants have been or' come. ly lusty youths well
"habited, deporting themselves witb si ugu tar modesty
"and respect in the presence of their masters: so
"that when a pascha, aga, spabee, travels, he is always
"artended with a comely equipage, followed by flou-
"rishing youths, well clothed, and mounted in great
"nunsbets; that one may guess at the greatness of
"this empire by the retinue, pomp, and number of
"servants, which accompany persons of quality in
"their journeys." And no doubt Nebuchadnezzar
had some of these ends in view, in ordering such per-
sons to be selected and brought up at his expense;
that they might be both for service and usefulness, and
for his grandeur and glory. And s]."ilfulin all wisdom
in the wisdom of the Jews, or had a liberal education
according to the custom of their country; or were
young men of good capacities, capable of being
instructed, and of improving themselves in all kind
of wisdom: and cunning in knowledge; or knowing
knowledge {m}; having a large share of the knowledge of
their own country, customs, and laws, civil and reli-
gious: and understanding science; the liberal arts and
sciences; or however were persons of a good genius,
and of retentive memories;young men of capacity,
diligence, industry, and application, and of great do-
cility, and so very promising to make great and useful
men: and such as had ability in them to stand in the
king's palace; not only strength of body, which was
requisite to a long waiting there, as sometimes they
were obliged to do; but strength of mind, courage,
and undauntedhess, to stand before the king and his
nobles, without shewing a rustic fear, and timidity of
mind: and whom they might teach the learning and
tongue o.f the Chaldeans ; or, the book and language of
the Chaldeans"; book for books; such as contained
their literature, history, and philosophy, mathematics,
the knowledge of the stars, in which they excelled,
as well as architecture and military skill; and it wa$
necessary they should learn the Chaldean language,
which differed from the Hebrew chiefly in dialect and
pronunciation, that they might be able to read those
books of science, and to speak with a good accent, and

{c} Apud Joseph. Antiqu. 1. 10. c. 11. sect. 1.
{d} Vid. Rollin's Ancient History, vol. 2. p. 70. and Universal History,
vol. 4. p. 409.
{e} Onomast. Sacr. p. 752, 753.
{f} \^hkwlmh erzmw\^, so \^w\^ is sometimes rendered; see Noldius. p. 276.
{g} \^Mymtrp\^ ex Graeca voce \~prwtov\~, Grotius, Junius.
{h} \^Mwam\^ quidquam quod obstet, Gussetius.
{i} Histor. I. 6. c. 5.
{k} Politic. I. 4. c. 4. tom. 2, p. 224.
{l} Present State of the Ottoman Empire, B. 1. c. 5. p. 13.
{m} \^ted yedyw\^ & scientes scientiam, Pagninus, Montanus, intelligentes
scientiam, Calvin.
{n} \^Nwvlw rpo\^ librum & linguam, Jo. Henr. Michaelis.