Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_300.lzh/6_351.TXT

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heard his words, he fell upon his face to the ground,
either in a way of worship and adoration, of prayer
and supplication, as the Arabic version suggests; or
through awe and reverence of the speaker, as well as
-through fainthess of spirits; and these being quite
exhausted, as it were, might be the reason of his failing
into a deep sleep; unless it can be thought he was
In|led into it, through the sweetness of the voice he
had heard.
Vet. 10. And, behold, an hand touched me, &c.] Not
the hand of the man clothed with linen, whose voice
he heard, and whose hand was like polished,"brass, ver.
6. but the hand of one distinct from him, one of his at-
tendants, ch. xii. 5, 6. that had the similitude of the
sons of men, vet. 16. and whose hand was softer, and
nearer a human one; very probably the hand of the
Angel Gabriel in human form, who had touched him
before, when in the like circumstances, ch. viii. 1G, 18:
which set me upon my knees, and upon the palms of my
hands; or, which caused him to move t; fi'om the pro-
strate condition in which he was, and raised him
up a little upon his hands; so that, with a little diffi-
culty, he might be able to raise himself to stand
upright.
Vet. 11. And he said unto me, 0 Daniel, a man greatly
beloved, &c.] Or, a man of desires {u}; a most desirable
man, lovely to God and men; the same epithet Ga-
briel gives him, ch. ix. 22, c23. which confirms the sen-
timent, that it is he that touched Daniel, and is here
speaking, distinct from the glorious Person before de-
scribed: understand the words' that [ speak unto thec; at-
tend unto them, in order to understand them; and
which he was sent to give him an understanding of, as
in ch.. viii. 16. which is a further confirmation that this
is Gabriel: and stand upright; being upon his hands
and knees, vet. 10. but now is bid to stand on his stand-
ing {w}, or his station; upon his feet, in au erect posture,
which was fittest for attention, and most decent and
becoming a hearer and learner of the mind of God,
from one of his messengers: and therefore, the more to
excite him to such a posture, he adds, for unto thee am
l now sent: of God, and particularly to the prophet,
and that after three weeks' fasting and mourning: this
is another proof that not the glorious Person before de-
scribed, but an angel of his, is meant, since he is said
to be sent to Daniel: and when he had spoken this word
unto me, I stood trembling: he got up and stood upon
his feet, as the angel had bid him, but trembling and
tottering, not yet recovered from his fainting-fit; like
a man that has been ill, and got upon his legs again,
trembles and totters as he goes or stands: and also,
though the'angel was kind and serviceable to l}im, set
him on his knees and hands, and spoke to him in a
tender manner; yet the appearance of such a divine
messenger had such an effect upon him, as we find such
appearances used to have on good men.
Vet. 12. Titen said he unto me, fear not, Daniel, &c.]
Perceiving him to shake and tremble, and to be intimi-
dated at his presence, he speaks comfortably to him,
and encourages him' to lay aside his fears, that he
might be more capable of attending to what he was
about tO say to him; and which had a tendency of
themselves to remove his fears, and increase his confi-
,lence in the Lord: for from the first day thou didst set
thine heart to understand; not so much the former
visions which he had an understanding of, as the future
state of his people; or rather, the reason of their pre-
sent distressed condition, being hindered by their ene-
mies in rebuilding their city and temple: and to chasten
thyself before thy God; to humble himself in prayer,
and to afflict himself by fasting: thy words were heard;
his prayers were heard, and an answer ordered to be
given, the very first day he began to pray, and fast,
and mourn, though it was now frill three weeks since;
just as, at the beginning of his former supplications,
Gabriel had a commandi'nent to go and shew him that
they were heard, ch. ix. 23: and I am come forth for
thy words; on account of his 'prayers, to bring an
answer to them; the reason why he came no sooner,
when it was three weeks since he received his order,
is as follows:
Ver. 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
uit/tstood me one-and-twenty days, &c.] Which. was
just the tithe Daniel had been mourning and fasting,
ver. 2. and the angel had had his instructions to acquain.t
him with the Lord's answer to his prayers: by the
prince of tlte Icingdora of Persia is not to be understood
the then reigning king of Persia, Cyrus, or his son
Cambyses; who either of them would have been
called rather king of Persia; nor were they able to
withstand an angel, and such an one as Gabriel; nor is
a good angel meant, the tutelar one of this kingdom;
for it cannot be reasonaby thought that good angels
should militate against one another; but an evil angel,
either Satan, the prince and god of this world, or one
of his principal angels under him, employed by him to
do what mischief he could in the court of Persia, against
the peopleof God, the Jews; and with this sense agree
the contests ascribed to Satan and the Angel of the-
Lord concerning Joshua, Zech. iii. 1, o., 3. and to
Michael and the devil disputing about the body of
Moses, Jude, ver. 9. and to Michael and his angels,
and the devil and his angels, warring in heaven, Rev.
xii. 7, 8. now Gabriel's business in the court of Persia
was to work upon the minds of the king of Persia and
Iris nobles, and to influence their counsels, and put
them on such measures as would be in fayour of the
Jewi, and be encouraging to them to go on in the re-
building of their city and temple: in this he was with-
stood arid opposed by an evil spirit that counterworked
him; by exasperating the spirit of Cambyses against
them; by stirring up the Samaritans to corrupt the
Persian courtiers with gifts, to take their part against
the Jews; and by influencing them to accept of their
gifts, and act in their favour; and this business on the
angel'i hands, to oppose these measures,' detained him
at the Persian court for the three weeks Daniel had
been fasting and praying: but, lo, Michael one of the
chief Princes, came to help me; called in the New Testa-
ment an Archangel, the Prince of angels, the Head of

{t} \^yneynt\^ "movere fecit me", Pagninus, Montanus; "commovit me",
Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius; "movit me", Tigurine version, Michaelis.
{u} \^twdmx vya\^ "vir desideriorum", V.L.
{w} \^Kdme-le dme\^ "sta super stare tuum", Montanus, Calvin; "sta in
statione tua", Piscator; "super statione tua", Michaelis.