Daniel 2:46

2:46-49 It is our business to direct attention to the Lord, as the Author and Giver of every good gift. Many have thoughts of the Divine power and majesty, who do not think of serving God themselves. But all should strive, that God may be glorified, and the best interests of mankind furthered.

Imagining there was something of divinity in him, that he could so exactly tell him his dream, which was past and gone; and give him the interpretation of it, respecting things to come, which he concluded none but God could do; and therefore, after the manner of the eastern people, threw himself prostrate to the earth, with his face to it, and gave religious adoration to Daniel; for that this cannot be understood of mere civil respect appears by his following orders; and had he not thought that Daniel was something more than a man, he, a proud monarch, would never have behaved in this manner to him; but, being struck with amazement at the relation of the dream, and the interpretation of it, he forgot what both he and Daniel were; the one a mighty king, the other a mere man, a servant, yea, a captive: this shows that he was not exasperated at the account of the fall of his monarchy, as might have been expected, but was filled with wonder at the revelation made: and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him; rising from the ground, he gave orders to his servants about him, some of whom might be the priests of Bel, that they would bring a meat offering, and incense with it, and offer them to him as to a god; but, though this was ordered, we do not read it was done; for it cannot be thought that Daniel, who had scrupled eating the king's food, and drinking his wine, lest he should be defiled, and afterwards chose rather to be cast into a den of lions

(46) Worshipped.— This act is of an entirely different nature from such as are mentioned Genesis 33:7 ; 1Kings 1:16 . The Hebrew word employed here is always used ( e.g., Isaiah 46:6 ) of paying adoration to an idol. Probably the king imagined that the gods were dwelling in Daniel in a higher sense from that in which they dwelt with his other wise men, and worshipped them on account of the marvellous revelation which they had vouchsafed to him through the means of Daniel. Oblation.—That is, the unbloody offering customary among the Babylonians; some honour different from the present mentioned in Daniel 2:48.

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and {b} worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. (b) Though this humbling of the king seemed to deserve commendation, yet because he united God's honour with the Prophets, it is to be reproved, and Daniel would have erred, if he allowed it: but it is to his credit that Daniel admonished him of his fault, and did not allow it.

This was strange, that so great a monarch should thus worship his vassal: thus was it sometimes done to men, as to Elias the prophet, 2 Kings 1:13 : this was done in consternation and admiration, because he saw so much of God in the prophet, and in the revelation of the dream; but why did Daniel suffer it to be done to him? 1. Though he could not hinder the king in his prostration, and in his word of command, yet doubtless he showed his averseness with much zeal and abhorrence, as the apostles did in the like case, Acts 14:13-15 , because it was high sacrilege and idolatry. 2. It is not said they offered sacrifice to Daniel, but only the king commanded it, which doubtless Daniel refused, because he was so careful in not defiling himself with the king’s dainties, Daniel 1:8 ; also when he would not omit the worship of God, though with the hazard of his life, Daniel 6:10 ; therefore the king, being instructed of Daniel, gives God all the glory, in the next words.

Daniel 2:46 . Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel — He was so astonished at hearing his whole dream declared and interpreted by Daniel with such exactness, and at finding such wonderful events foretold by it, that he was ready to think him more than man, (just as the Lycaonians and barbarians thought of St. Paul, Acts 14:13 , &c., and Acts 28:6 ,) and therefore prostrated himself before him, intending, as it should seem, to pay him some kind of adoration. It must be observed, however, that “doing reverence by prostration was not only an act of worship paid to God, but often given to kings and great men, in the times of the Old Testament: see 2 Samuel 9:6 ; 2 Samuel 14:33 . It was likewise an expression of reverence paid to prophets on account of the sanctity of their office, and not refused by them, 1 Kings 18:7 . Of this kind, probably, was the worship paid by the leper to Christ, ( Matthew 8:2 ,) whom he took for a prophet. But when other circumstances were added to it, which made it look like divine worship, then it was refused to be accepted, as in the case of Peter, ( Acts 10:25 ,) and of the angel, Revelation 19:10 . The adoration here described seems to have been of this latter kind, being joined with offering incense, an act of worship peculiar to God alone: see Ezra 6:10 .

46. fell upon … face, and worshipped Daniel—worshipping God in the person of Daniel. Symbolical of the future prostration of the world power before Messiah and His kingdom (Php 2:10). As other servants of God refused such honors (Ac 10:25, 26; 14:13-15; Re 22:8, 9), and Daniel (Da 1:8) would not taste defiled food, nor give up prayer to God at the cost of his life (Da 6:7, 10), it seems likely that Daniel rejected the proffered divine honors. The word "answered" (Da 2:47) implies that Daniel had objected to these honors; and in compliance with his objection, "the king answered, Of a truth, your God is a God of gods." Daniel had disclaimed all personal merit in Da 2:30, giving God all the glory (compare Da 2:45). commanded … sweet odours—divine honors (Ezr 6:10). It is not said his command was executed.

46 . fell upon his face ] a mark of respect—whether to God, as Genesis 17:3 , or to men, 2 Samuel 9:6 ; 2 Samuel 14:4 . and worshipped Daniel ] bowed down to Daniel,—the word used in Daniel 3:5-7 &c. of adoration paid to a deity. In the Targums, however, the same word is used (for the Heb. to prostrate oneself to ) of obeisance done to a human superior (as 2 Samuel 14:33 ; 2 Samuel 18:21 ; 2 Samuel 18:28 ; 2 Samuel 24:20 ); so that it does not necessarily imply the payment of divine honour. that they should offer ] lit. pour out ,—the word used of pouring out a libation or drink-offering ( 2 Kings 16:13 , and elsewhere), though here employed evidently in a more general sense. an oblation ] The word means properly a present , especially one offered as a mark of homage or respect ( Genesis 32:13 ; Genesis 43:11 ); it is also used generally in the sense of an oblation presented to God ( Genesis 4:3-5 ; 1 Samuel 2:17 ), as well as technically, in the priestly terminology, of the ‘meal-offering’ (Leviticus 3 &c.). The second of these three senses is the most probable here. sweet odours ] lit. rests or contentments .

The word is that which occurs in the sacrificial expression ‘ sweet savour’ ( Genesis 8:21 ; Leviticus 1:2 , &c.), lit. ‘savour of rest or contentment ’: it is used (exceptionally) without ‘savour,’ exactly as here, in Ezra 6:10 , ‘that they may offer rests (or contentments ) to the God of heaven.’ ‘Bowed down to’ is ambiguous; but the subsequent parts of the verse certainly represent Daniel as receiving the homage due to a god. Daniel does not refuse the homage (contrast Acts 14:13-18 ): in the view of the writer, he is (cf. Daniel 2:47 ) the representative of the God of gods to Nebuchadnezzar. Compare the story in Jos. Ant. xi. viii. 5, according to which Alexander the Great prostrated himself before the Jewish high-priest, and when asked by his astonished general, Parmenio, why he did so, replied, “I do not worship the high-priest, but the God with whose high-priesthood he has been honoured.” 46–48 . Nebuchadnezzar is profoundly impressed by Daniel’s skill, and bestows upon him high honour and rewards (cf. the promise of Daniel 2:6 ).