Daniel 4:27

4:19-27 Daniel was struck with amazement and terror at so heavy a judgment coming upon so great a prince, and gives advice with tenderness and respect. It is necessary, in repentance, that we not only cease to do evil, but learn to do good. Though it might not wholly prevent the judgment, yet the trouble may be longer before it comes, or shorter when it does come. And everlasting misery will be escaped by all who repent and turn to God.

Since this is the true interpretation of the dream, and such evils are like to befall thee according to it, permit me, though thou art a king, and I am thy minister or servant, to give thee some advice; and let it be taken in good part, as done with a good design, and a hearty concern for thy welfare: and break off thy sins by righteousness; this advice carries in it a tacit charge of sins, and a reproof for them; which shows the faithfulness of Daniel: these sins probably, besides pride, intemperance, luxury, and uncleanness, were tyranny, rapine, violence, and oppression of his subjects, to which righteousness is opposed; and by which, that is, by a course and series of righteous living, by administering public justice, and giving to everyone their due, he is advised to break off his sinful course of life; to break off the yoke of his sins upon his neck; to cease from doing evil, and to learn to do well: and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; to his poor subjects, and especially to the poor captives the Jews, Daniel might chiefly bear upon his mind, whom the king had ill used, shown no compassion to, and had greatly distressed; but is now counselled to relieve their wants, and give generously to them out of the vast treasures he was master of: if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity; peace or prosperity; perhaps by such a conduct there may be a reprieve for a while, the evil portended and threatened by this dream may be deferred for a time; and though the

(27) Break off.— The metaphor is taken from a refractory beast casting off the yoke. (Comp. Genesis 27:40 , where it is foretold that Esau’s posterity shall “break off” the yoke of Jacob.) In Chaldee the word is used for the most part in the sense of putting on one side. Daniel therefore counsels the king to rebel against his sins, such as pride, harshness, and cruelty towards his captives, and to put all these sins aside. And how can he do this in a better manner than by practising the contrary virtues? Righteousness.—In all wars of conquest many acts of injustice are perpetrated. The king is warned here to show justice or to act justly for the future. Similar counsel is given, though in different language (Micah 6:8). The idea of “alms” and “redeeming” is not conveyed by the Chaldee words, so that the translation “redeem thy sins by alms” is incorrect and unwarrantable. If it may be—i.e., if Nebuchadnezzar will repent, his prosperity and peace will be prolonged.

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and {o} break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a {p} lengthening of thy tranquillity. (o) Cease from provoking God to anger any longer by your sins, that he may reduce the severity of his punishment, if you show by your upright life that you have true faith and repentance. (p) Allow the errors of your former life to be made up for.

Let my counsel be acceptable unto thee: these words Daniel adds out of his good will to the king, if perhaps it might turn away this dreadful stroke from him, and give the king some hopes of mitigation at least, as it was with Nineveh and others. Break off: the word is well translated break off , for so it properly signifies, and not redeem, as the papists would wrest it, to establish their works of satisfaction and merit; and is no more than this, cease to do evil and learn to do well, change thy course, instead of oppressing the poor show them mercy. If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity: Daniel was not certain of pardon for him, nor did he altogether despair of it, as Peter dealt with Simon Magus, Acts 8:22 Joel 2:14 , Who knoweth if he will return and repent? Jonah 3:9 Zephaniah 2:1-3 . Though Daniel save not this counsel to elude or nullify the decree of God, which was immutable, yet it might turn to the king’s good many ways, if he followed this counsel. 1. Hereby this judgment was shorter in the time, and easier in the rigour. 2. That he might acknowledge God to be gracious to him in this chastisement. And, 3. That he might become by his reformation more capable of pardon, and prepared for it.

Daniel 4:27 . Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee — These words Daniel adds out of love to the king, if perhaps his complying with the advice given might turn away this dreadful stroke from him, or at least might give the king some hopes of a mitigation of the calamity. And break off thy sins by righteousness — Cease to do evil, and learn to do well. Change thy principles and practices; do justly and love mercy; and instead of oppressing the poor, have compassion upon them, and be kind and bountiful to them. Give this evidence of thy true repentance and reformation. Though the word פרק , here used, properly signifies to break off, as it is here translated, yet many of the versions render it, to redeem, and read the clause, Redeem thy sins by righteousness, that is, as they explain it, by almsgiving; and thus the passage is alleged as favouring the doctrine of expiatory merit, and purchase of absolutions and pardons; but, it must be observed, sins are not said to be redeemed in Scripture, but persons; and the plain sense of the words is as it is given in our translation. If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity — Daniel was not certain of pardon for him, nor did he altogether despair of it. With what wisdom and tenderness does he speak, and yet with what plainness!

27. break off—as a galling yoke (Ge 27:40); sin is a heavy load (Mt 11:28). The Septuagint and Vulgate translate not so well, "redeem," which is made an argument for Rome's doctrine of the expiation of sins by meritorious works. Even translate it so, it can only mean; Repent and show the reality of thy repentance by works of justice and charity (compare Lu 11:41); so God will remit thy punishment. The trouble will be longer before it comes, or shorter when it does come. Compare the cases of Hezekiah, Isa 38:1-5; Nineveh, Jon 3:5-10; Jer 18:7, 8. The change is not in God, but in the sinner who repents. As the king who had provoked God's judgments by sin, so he might avert it by a return to righteousness (compare Ps 41:1, 2; Ac 8:22). Probably, like most Oriental despots, Nebuchadnezzar had oppressed the poor by forcing them to labor in his great public works without adequate remuneration. if … lengthening of … tranquillity—if haply thy present prosperity shall be prolonged.

27 . Daniel closes with a piece of practical advice addressed to the king. break off ] R.V. marg. ‘Or, redeem ’; LXX., Theod., λύτρωσαι . The word ( p‘raḳ ,) meaning properly to tear away , is common in Aram. (both Targums and Syriac) in the derived sense of tearing away from servitude, death, or danger, i.e. of redeeming (e.g. Leviticus 25:25 , 2 Samuel 4:9 ); and occurs twice in that sense in Heb. ( Lamentations 5:8 , Psalm 136:24 ); but though sins might of course be ‘atoned for,’ or ‘expiated,’ it is doubtful whether they could be spoken of as ‘redeemed’: and hence no doubt the word is used here in its more original sense of break off (cf. in Heb. Genesis 27:40 of a yoke, Exodus 32:23-24 ), i.e. make a complete end of, cast absolutely away . by righteousness ] i.e. by righteous conduct: cf. Proverbs 5:2 , ‘righteousness delivereth from death’; Proverbs 16:6 , ‘by kindness and truth iniquity is cancelled.’ ‘Righteousness’ ( צדקה ) acquired, however, in late (post-Bibl.) Hebrew, as also in Aramaic (Targums, Talmud, Syriac), the special sense of alms or almsgiving : for instance Abhoth , Daniel 4:13 (Taylor 19), ‘those who give ẓedâḳâh (i.e. alms)’; Jerus. Taanith , ii. 65 b , ‘three things neutralize an evil fate, prayer, righteousness (almsgiving), and repentance.’ Cf. Matthew 6:1 , where ‘righteousness’ (R.V.) is the true reading, and ‘alms’ (A.V.) the (correct) explanation, which has found its way into the textus receptus .

In accordance with this usage, LXX. and Theod. ( ἐλεημοσύναις ), Pesh., Vulg., express the same sense here; but, in view of the context, the limitation of ‘righteousness’ to such a special virtue cannot be said to be probable[245]. On the contrary, ‘righteousness’ in its widest sense, especially towards subjects and dependents, is in the O.T. one of the primary virtues of a ruler ( 2 Samuel 8:15 ; Jeremiah 22:15 , &c.), which Nebuchadnezzar, as the ideal despot, is naturally pictured as deficient in. [245] LXX also render ṣedäḳâh by ‘alms’ in Deuteronomy 6:25 ; Deuteronomy 24:13 ; Psalm 24:5 ; Psalm 33:5 ; Psalm 103:6 ; Isaiah 1:27 ; Isaiah 28:17 ; Isaiah 59:16 ; Daniel 9:16 ; and ‘alms delivereth from death’ in Tob 4:10 ; Tob 12:9 , seems based upon Proverbs 10:2 , similarly interpreted. by shewing mercy to the poor ] cf. Proverbs 14:21 , where the same two words occur in their Hebrew form. if haply there may be lengthening ( Daniel 7:12 Aram.) of thy prosperity ] the last word being the subst. corresponding to the adj. rendered at case or prosperous in Daniel 4:4 . A.V. marg. , and R.V. marg. , ‘an healing of thy error’ (so Ewald), implies changes of punctuation in the two substantives: ’arûkhâh , ‘healing,’ Isaiah 58:8 al. (lit. fresh flesh over a wound), for ’arkhâh , and shâlûthâkh , ‘thy error’ ( Daniel 3:29 , Daniel 6:4 ) for shelçwethâkh .