Commentary on Daniel 2.12–2.44 (Commentary on Daniel)

Theodoret of Cyrus

Commentary on Daniel 2.12–2.44

Theodoret of Cyrus · Commentary on Daniel · probably 430s (before ca. 446) · Cyrrhus · 10 passages

Greek text: PG 81.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 2

2.12PG 81

ιβ΄. ιγ΄. ε« Τότε, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν θυμῷ πολλῷ θυλῶνος. Καὶ τὸ δόγμα ἐξῆλθε, καὶ οἱ σοφοὶ ἀπ- εκτείνοντο, καὶ ἐξήτησαν τὸν Δανιὴλ καὶ τοὺς φίλους αὑτοῦ ἀνελεῖν. ν Τυραννικὸν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ βασιλικὸν τὸ ἔρημον" ἀλαζονεία τὰρ καὶ τῦφος προσλαδὼν ἐξ- ουσίαν, ὄλεθρον μηχανᾶται τοῖς ὑπηκόοις Ἰουδαίοις", ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὁ θειότατος Δανιὴλ τὴν ἄδικον ταύτην σφαγὴν βασιλέως, περὶ τίνος 15 ἐξῆλθεν ἡ γνώμη ἡ ἀναιδὴς « ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως; ν» Ἠγνόει γὰρ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἅτε 17 μὴ κληθεὶς εἰς τὸν σύλλογον τῶν σοφῶν υἱ Βαβυλῶνος " οὐδέπω γὰρ τὰ τρία παρεληλύθει ἔτη, ἐν οἷς αὑτοὺς τῇ βασιλικῇ τραφέντας τροφῇ μετὰ τὸν αὐτῷ τῶν Βαθυλωνίων ὁ βασιλεύς. Εἰ δὲ πρὸ τούτων Ο 56 διηγήσατο τὸν λόγον Ἶ5, ὅτι καὶ εἰσῆλθον, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων προεχρίθησαν ἀμείνους ὀφθέντες, θαυμαζέτω μηδείς - ἐκεῖνο γὰρ τὸ διήγημα συμπερᾶναι βουλη- πη θεὶς 5", ἄπαντα σαφῶς ἐδίδαξε τὰ τηνικαῦτα συμ- θάντα. εἶτα μεταθαίνει λοιπὸν ἐφ᾽ ἕτερον διήγημα τῶν ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ γεγενημένων. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐδέττω τῶν παῤῥησίαν ἐχόντων ἣν πρὸς τὸν βασιἀδίκου σφαγῆς ἄγνοια μαρτυρεῖ" ταύτην" γὰρ ἀγνοῶν τὴν αἰτίαν τὸν ᾿Αριὼχ ἠρώτα. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἔμαθε, θαῤῥεῖ μὲν τὴν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀξιοῖ δὲ αὐτὸν ὀλίγον αὐτῷ χρόνον ἐνδοῦναι εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου ζήτησιν, καὶ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τὴν εῦρε- σιν" εἶτα διδάσκε! ἡμᾶς τὸν τῆς εὑρέσεως τρόπον, οὐκ αὐτὸς φιλοτιμούμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν Ὁ σπουδὴν ἐκκαλούμενος.

ib΄. ig΄. e« Tote, phēsin, ho basileus en thymǭ pollǭ thylōnos. Kai to dogma exēlthe, kai hoi sophoi ap- ekteinonto, kai exētēsan ton Daniēl kai tous philous hautou anelein. n Tyrannikon, all᾽ ou basilikon to erēmon" alazoneia tar kai typhos prosladōn ex- ousian, olethron mēchanatai tois hypēkoois Ioudaiois", ᾿All᾽ ho theiotatos Daniēl tēn adikon tautēn sphagēn basileōs, peri tinos 15 exēlthen hē gnōmē hē anaidēs « ek prosōpou tou basileōs? n» Ēgnoei gar, hōs eoiken, hate 17 mē klētheis eis ton syllogon tōn sophōn hui Babylōnos " oudepō gar ta tria parelēlythei etē, en hois hautous tę̄ basilikę̄ traphentas trophę̄ meta ton autǭ tōn Bathylōniōn ho basileus. Ei de pro toutōn O 56 diēgēsato ton logon I5, hoti kai eisēlthon, kai tōn allōn proechrithēsan ameinous ophthentes, thaumazetō mēdeis - ekeino gar to diēgēma symperanai boulē- pē theis 5", apanta saphōs edidaxe ta tēnikauta sym- thanta. eita metathainei loipon eph᾽ heteron diēgēma tōn en tǭ metaxy chronǭ gegenēmenōn. Hoti gar oudettō tōn parrhēsian echontōn hēn pros ton basiadikou sphagēs agnoia martyrei" tautēn" gar agnoōn tēn aitian ton ᾿Ariōch ērōta. Kai epeidē emathe, tharrhei men tēn pros ton basilea axioi de auton oligon autǭ chronon endounai eis tēn tou enypniou zētēsin, kai tēs hermēneias tēn eure- sin" eita didaske! hēmas ton tēs heureseōs tropon, ouk autos philotimoumenos, all᾽ hēmas epi tēn homoian Ho spoudēn ekkaloumenos.

12–13. "Then," it says, "the king in great anger [and wrath said to destroy all the wise men of Ba]bylon. And the decree went out, and the wise men were being killed, and they sought Daniel and his friends to kill them." This was tyrannical, not royal. For arrogance and conceit, once they have taken on authority, devise destruction for their subjects … But the most divine Daniel [asked Arioch, the captain of the] king, [about] this unjust slaughter: "About what has this shameless decree gone out from the presence of the king?" For he did not know, it seems, since he had not been called to the assembly of the wise men of Babylon; the three years had not yet passed in which [they were to be] nourished on the royal food, after which [they were to stand before] the king of the Babylonians. If he told the story before these events, how they went in and were preferred to the others because they appeared better, let no one be surprised. Wishing to complete that story, he taught clearly everything that happened then, and then passes on to another story, of what happened in the intervening time. That he was not yet one of those who had freedom of speech with the king is shown by his ignorance of the unjust slaughter; for not knowing its cause, he asked Arioch. And when he learned it, he takes courage [to go in] to the king, and asks him to grant him a little time for searching out the dream and finding the interpretation. Then he teaches us how it was found, not out of vanity, but calling us to the same zeal.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 2:12–16 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 1:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Dan 1:18–20 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Nebuchadnezzar orders the wise men killed; Daniel, not yet known to the king, learns the cause from Arioch and asks for time to find the dream.

The lemma of verses 12–13 and the start of verses 14–15 are partly lost in the OCR; bracketed words are supplied for sense from Theodotion's text.
"For their subjects": the printed text adds "Jews" (Ἰουδαίοις), which the apparatus reports absent in one witness; a word or line is lost after it.
Theodoret explains that 1:18–20 (the youths' presentation after three years) is told ahead of time, so that Daniel was not yet known to the king in chapter 2.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting συμβάντα; marginal verse numbers and Latin column read into the lemma): γεμβ. 19, 15. ε« → ; [} Βιι ν !οηΐ8. Εἰ βοηίοπι]ἃ οργαββα δοῖ, οἱ βαρίθηϊοβ → ; ἰηίεγἤεϊοθδηΐυγ, οἱ συςβδίογυπι ΒΔ ἴθι δὲ δπηΐοοβ → ; 6115, ιἱ ἱπιογἤεογοπί. » ΤΥγδπηΐοιιβ, οἱ ποη → ; πἰαιίάοηι ἀγγοθαπιία οἱ βυρογυΐα (Δου]δίαπι ἡλοί → ; 50} 6118 διά 5. → ; Ῥηίποορβ Γορΐ8, πὰ 46 → ; ΒΥΪΟΠΐδ5 ποι δά → ; 4105, δ αὐΐ → ; θπιηᾶ → ; Τ|Γ508 δὲ ἐλ Πδργαμάδ τοι, 48 ἰπεονοοῖο → ; οἰαπι ἱπίογγοξαναι, Εἰ ουδὲ ἀἰηϊοῖς, αὐ άτιοιον → ; {ΠῚ παι πιὸ γρτοϊδ σπου ἱπάλσαπάσιῃ, Τιην ἰὐουῖ → ; ἅμαιο, βοά αἱ δὰ δίμμ!!ο δίυ αι πος ρτγονοοοῖ. → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.12 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-12

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.17PG 81

ιζ΄, τη ε Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶ, Δαν:ὴλ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὑτοῦ, καὶ τῷ Ἀνανίᾳ, καὶ τῷ ᾿Αζαρίᾳ, καὶ τῷ Μισαὴλ, τοῖς φίλοις αὑτοῦ ἐγνώρισε τὸ ῥῆμα. Καὶ οἰκτιρμοὺς ἐζήτουν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου, ὅπως μὴ ἀπόλωνται Δανιὴλ καὶ οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦ, μετὰ τῶν ἐπιλοίπων "5 λέγειν ν᾽ ἢ πράττειν ἀνέχονται οὐδὲν δίχα τῆς ἄνωλυ καιρὸν δαπανήσας, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ἱκετείαν καὶ προσευχὴν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ θαῤῥήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ "5 τοὺς οὐκ ἐψεύσθη τῆς ἐλπίδος. γησε Δανιὴλ" τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν" τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου " τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογημένον ἀπὰ ἐλ, ἀποκαλύπτει βαθέα καὶ ἀπόκρυφα. γινώσκων τὰ θεὸν, σοφίας ὄντα καὶ συνέσεω; πηγὴν, ὀρθῶς πραγμάτων μεταδολαῖς ἐλέγχοντα μὲν τὸ τῆς ἀνοὐπὶ ἐξουσίαν ἀφαιρεῖται ταύτην, ὅταν ἐθέλῃ καὶ σοφίας λογοῦμαι καὶ αἰνῶ, ὅτι σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν ᾽ ἔδωκάς μοι, καὶ νῦν" ἐγνώρισάς μοι ἃ ἠξιώσαμεν παρὰ " αἱ ψυκαὶ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς χρείαις τὸν θεὸν ἐπιστάμεναι᾿ χορηγὸν, καὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ λιμέσι “προστρέχουσαι, καὶ μετὰ τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγίαν οὐκ ἀνεχόμεναι λήθῃ παραδιδόναι τῶν δωρεῶν τὴν μνήμην, ἀλλ᾽ ὕμνοις νασθαι τοῦ θείου τούτου ἀνδρὸς καὶ τὸ μέτριον φρόνήμᾶ " καὶ γὰρ καὶ "" τὴν αἴτηδιν ποιούμενος, κοινωνοὺς ἔλαδε τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους τῆς προσευχῆς, γὰὶ τὸν ὕμνον ὑφαίνων ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔλαδε, πάλιν αὐτῶν ἐμνη- Βόνευσεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἴπεν, Ἐγνώρισὰς μοι ἃ ἠξίωσά σε, ἄλλ᾽, «ἃ ἠξιώσαμεν παρὰ δοῦ. » Οὕτω τὸν θεῖον

iz΄, tē e Eisēlthe gar, phēsi, Dan:ēl eis ton oikon hautou, kai tǭ Ananią, kai tǭ ᾿Azarią, kai tǭ Misaēl, tois philois hautou egnōrise to rhēma. Kai oiktirmous ezētoun para tou Theou tou ouranou hyper tou mystēriou toutou, hopōs mē apolōntai Daniēl kai hoi philoi autou, meta tōn epiloipōn "5 legein n᾽ ē prattein anechontai ouden dicha tēs anōly kairon dapanēsas, all᾽ eis hiketeian kai proseuchēn, kai oude heautǭ monǭ tharrhēsas, alla kai "5 tous ouk epseusthē tēs elpidos. gēse Daniēl" ton Theon tou ouranou. Kai eipen" to onoma Kyriou " tou Theou eulogēmenon apa el, apokalyptei bathea kai apokrypha. ginōskōn ta theon, sophias onta kai syneseō? pēgēn, orthōs pragmatōn metadolais elenchonta men to tēs anoupi exousian aphaireitai tautēn, hotan ethelę̄ kai sophias logoumai kai ainō, hoti sophian kai dynamin ᾽ edōkas moi, kai nyn" egnōrisas moi ha ēxiōsamen para " hai psykai, kai en tais chreiais ton theon epistamenai᾿ chorēgon, kai tois hautou limesi “prostrechousai, kai meta tēn tōn agathōn chorēgian ouk anechomenai lēthę̄ paradidonai tōn dōreōn tēn mnēmēn, all᾽ hymnois nasthai tou theiou toutou andros kai to metrion phronēma " kai gar kai "" tēn aitēdin poioumenos, koinōnous elade tous homotropous tēs proseuchēs, gai ton hymnon hyphainōn hyper hōn elade, palin autōn emnē- Boneusen. Ou gar eipen, Egnōrisas moi ha ēxiōsa se, all᾽, «ha ēxiōsamen para dou. » Houtō ton theion

17–18. "For Daniel went into his house," it says, "and made the matter known to Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, his friends. And they sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not perish with the rest [of the wise men of Babylon]." … [God-loving souls do not dare to] say or do anything without help from above … not spending the time [idly], but in supplication and prayer; and not trusting in himself alone, but [taking with him] also … and he was not cheated of his hope. … [Then] Daniel blessed the God of heaven. And he said: "Blessed be the name of the Lord God …" … "he reveals deep and hidden things, knowing …" … [He calls] God, the fount of wisdom and understanding, rightly … refuting by the changes of affairs the [folly] of … he takes this authority away whenever he wishes, and of wisdom … "I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and now you have made known to me what we asked of you." … souls that know God as the supplier in their needs, run to his harbors, and after receiving good things do not allow the memory of the gifts to be given over to forgetfulness, but [repay him] with hymns. … [One may admire] also the modesty of mind of this divine man. In making the request he took those of like character as partners in his prayer, and in weaving the hymn for what he had received he mentioned them again. For he did not say, "You made known to me what I asked of you," but "what we asked of you." So the divine …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 2:17–18 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:19–22 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:23 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Daniel and his friends pray for mercy, the mystery is revealed, and Daniel thanks God in a hymn that includes his companions in the answered prayer.

This section (verses 17–23) is badly damaged in the OCR: Migne's Latin column is interleaved with the Greek, and many lines of Daniel's hymn (verses 19–22) and of the comment are lost. Only the legible Greek is translated; gaps are marked "…" and bracketed words are supplied for sense.
Several new lemmas (verses 19, 20–22, 23) begin inside this section.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column and apparatus read into the text; Latin column read as Greek letters; apparatus and Latin column read into the text; apparatus read into the text; marginal verse numbers and Latin column read into the lemma): ξεπβ. 17, 18. ε ηρτρβδι5 οϑὶ δηΐπν, ἴηι,. → ; ηἶθὶ ᾿ν ἀοπιυδὶ βιιδῖῃ, οἱ Απληΐξ, οἱ Αχανίαι, οἱ → ; βιαπὶ πυἰδογαιίοηα8 ἃ 60 → ; αἱ ποη → ; 8. Π. τοιάδε. 5 Β προῳχονόμητο. 7 ἀλλ᾽ ἢ. Β ἀλλά. "λίαν. Β λέγει. »γ τῆς, Πε5. ἰπ δ. "58 κάντα. 1 δέξ, Β λἀάϊ!, ἐπὶ δὰ τὰ συνεχῇ τῆς ἱστορία: τὸν λόγον μετενέγχωμε". 1 πι κ. ὀργῇ. ΠΒ καὶ ὀργῇ πολλῇ. "5" δ. 18 ργῶιν, καί. ") Ἰουδ. 65. ἴῃ Πι "δὰ τί, "5 ἀν, Βὶ λί4. αὕτη. ἴστε, Β 4}. δὴς 18. 0. τοῦτ. Β τρίτον. 5" πρ. αὶ ῥτίδυν. αὐτούς. "8 τῶν λόγων. 5 Β βουλόμενος. “" 1} ταύτης. 12 ἢ λοιπῶν. 56 ραιἴοπαο 8128 Ἀὰ οϑιη, 4188 οἰμπΐα ἰπειοῖιγ, → ; Δ 56. 8010 (τϑίι8, 864 5ἰπι}} 108 αυοηιιθ 5δὺυ}] → ; του] θυ. δὰ σοι πη 6 δυρρ) οαπ μαι 8456} 418. Β → ; θαπΐοὶ Ποὺ οοἰ!. Επ ἀἰχὶι : 511. ποιηθη δοπιπὶ θεῖ → ; νοποάϊοιαπι ἃ βθοι!ο οἱ υ54ι6 ἴῃ βρβοιΐ πη, φυϊα Εἴη → ; ἐοβηῃοβοθηϑ 68 41|8 ἴῃ (Θπουγὶβ διηΐϊ, δἱ ἰυθθεὰ → ; Ρἰὀπιΐα δὲ ἱπιθὶ απ (οπίοπι, γροῖὶθ οἱ ριῸῦ6 → ; ξυδηϊοπ) παπᾶ ἰΓΔΠ4ῈΝΠ114118 ἱποοπβίδηιϊαθ, → ; νὰ} δαϊηνι; βδρίθηιδιμαι!6 86 ργυάδηιδπ] → ; θη θιθοΓ, οἱ Ἰαυάο, ητιϊὰ βαρ δπιΐδπι οἱ νἡγίυ θη) → ; ἀεάϊθε: πϑΐ, οὐ πυης ᾿παϊοαφιὶ παλ], αι τορλ- → ; λέγ, - ἀνέχ. μι Β Ῥομἰυγ ροϑὶ βοηθείας. 5 αἱτ, Β πείσματα. 55 καί, 68. ἰη Β. τό. ἔχ Α εἰ Β 5ιιρρὶ!, "5 Δαν, ἴῃ Α οἱ Β ροηΐϊυγ ροϑὶ οὐρανοῦ. “ Κυρ. θεβ. ἰῇ ἃ. 5 σύν. (Πια!ά. τοῦθυτ, 5" αὖτ. Α ργῶπι. καί. ν᾽ καί, 65. ἰῃ Β, 8.0 Α Παῦοϊ καὶ τὸ φῶς. ὅ5 ἐστ. ΟΠα! ἃ. Παρυὶιαῖ. 55 οὖς. Βὶ σὑτός. 86 αὖτ, Β ργϑπι. καὶ γνῶναι. 3 Β οἷς θέλῃ. "7 φῶς. Β ίϑ, τε. 8 μου. ΕΥΧΑ εἱ Β κυρρὶ. ᾿ δύν. ὃ σύνεσιν. ν᾽ γῦν. θ65. Δ 5 ὅτι τὸ ὄρ. Α καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα. → .

Topics: Prayer

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.17 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-17

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.24PG 81

κδ΄. τ Καὶ εὐθὺς "" ἦλθε, φησὶ, Δανιὴλ πρὸς Αριῶχ, ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπολέσαι τοὺς Βιαδυλῶνος μὴ ἀπολέσῃς, εἰσάγαγε δὲ με ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ τὴν σύγχριδιν τοῦ ὁράματος "δ ἀναγγελῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ. » Πρέπων καὶ οὗτος τῷ προφήτῃ ἕλεος δ" οὐ γὰρ ἠνέσχετο μόνος μετὰ τῶν φίλων τῆς ἀδίκου "7 ἀπαλλαγῆναι σφαγῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς Χαλδαίοις πραγματεύεται σωτηρίαν, ἐλπίζων διὰ τοῦδε τοῦ θαύματος, καὶ τῆς ἀσεδείας αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάξειν, καὶ τῷ τῶν ὅλων προσάξειν θεῷ

kd΄. t Kai euthys "" ēlthe, phēsi, Daniēl pros Ariōch, hon katestēsen ho basileus apolesai tous Biadylōnos mē apolesę̄s, eisagage de me enōpion tou basileōs, kai tēn synchridin tou horamatos "d anangelō tǭ basilei. » Prepōn kai houtos tǭ prophētę̄ heleos d" ou gar ēnescheto monos meta tōn philōn tēs adikou "7 apallagēnai sphagēs, alla kai tois Chaldaiois pragmateuetai sōtērian, elpizōn dia toude tou thaumatos, kai tēs asedeias autous apallaxein, kai tǭ tōn holōn prosaxein theǭ

24. "And at once," it says, "Daniel came to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the [wise men of Babylon, and said to him: The wise men] of Babylon do not destroy; bring me in before the king, and I will declare to the king the interpretation of the vision." This mercy too befits the prophet. He did not consent to be delivered alone with his friends from the unjust slaughter, but works for the salvation of the Chaldeans too, hoping by this miracle both to deliver them from impiety and to bring them to the God of the universe.

Dan 2:24 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Daniel asks Arioch to spare the Babylonian wise men, seeking their salvation as well as his own.

A line of the lemma is lost in the OCR; the bracketed words are supplied from Theodotion's text.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.24 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-24

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.25PG 81

χε΄. « Ὁ δὲ "δ ᾿Αριὼχ, τούτων ἀκούσας τῶν λόγων, σπουδῇ τὸν Δανιὴλ εἰσήγαγεν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ - Εὔρηχα ἄνδρα ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν "" τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ὅστις τὸ "5 σύγκριμα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναγγελεῖ. ν» Πάλιν ἐντεῦθεν σαφὲς ἡ οἷν γέ- Ὑόνεν, ὅτι οὐδέπω τῆς τοῦ λανιδλ ἀρετῆς πεῖραν ὁ Βασιλεὺς εἰλήφει. Οὐ γάρ δ', εἴπερ ἐγινώσκετο, ἀορί- ν στως εἶπεν ὁ ᾿λριώχ " « Εὔρηκα ἄνδρα ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ὅστι; τὸ σύγκριμα «ῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναγγελεῖ. » κε΄. ε Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς κεριχαρὴς γενόμενος εἶτιξ τῷ Δανιὴλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Ὠαλτάσαρ - Εἰ δύνασαι δ ἀναγγεῖλαι "2 τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ὃ εἶδον, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ; » Ἐπισημήνασθαι δεῖ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι Βαλτάδαρ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀεὶ προσαγορεύει, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε τῷ βασιλεῖ διλλέγεται, ταύτην δ᾽" αὐτῷ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπιτεθειχότι. Ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ ὅμως, εἰ δύναιτο ὅδ καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον, καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἐπαγγεῖλαι "5 τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων "

che΄. « Ho de "d ᾿Ariōch, toutōn akousas tōn logōn, spoudę̄ ton Daniēl eisēgagen enōpion tou basileōs, kai eipen autǭ - Eurēcha andra ek tōn huiōn "" tēs aichmalōsias tēs Ioudaias, hostis to "5 synkrima tǭ basilei anangelei. n» Palin enteuthen saphes hē hoin ge- Hyonen, hoti oudepō tēs tou lanidl aretēs peiran ho Basileus eilēphei. Ou gar d', eiper eginōsketo, aori- n stōs eipen ho ᾿lriōch " « Eurēka andra ek tōn huiōn tēs aichmalōsias tēs Ioudaias, hosti? to synkrima «ǭ basilei anangelei. » ke΄. e Ho de basileus kericharēs genomenos eitix tǭ Daniēl, hou to onoma Ōaltasar - Ei dynasai d anangeilai "2 to enypnion, ho eidon, kai tēn synkrisin autou? » Episēmēnasthai dei kai touto, hoti Baltadar auton ouk aei prosagoreuei, all᾽ hote tǭ basilei dillegetai, tautēn d᾽" autǭ tēn prosēgorian epitetheichoti. Erōtētheis de homōs, ei dynaito hod kai to enypnion, kai tēn hermēneian epangeilai "5 tǭ basilei, apekrinato legōn "

25. "And Arioch, hearing these words, brought Daniel in haste before the king and said to him: I have found a man from the sons of the captivity of Judea who will declare the interpretation to the king." Again it is clear from this that the king had not yet had experience of Daniel's virtue. For if he had been known, Arioch would not have spoken so vaguely: "I have found a man from the sons of the captivity of Judea who will declare the interpretation to the king."

26. "And the king, overjoyed, said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar: Can you declare the dream that I saw and its interpretation?" This too should be noted: he does not always call him Belteshazzar, but only when he is speaking with the king, who had given him this name. Asked, then, whether he could tell the king both the dream and its interpretation, he answered:

Dan 2:25–26 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 1:7 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Arioch presents Daniel as an unknown captive, and the king, using his Babylonian name, asks whether he can tell the dream.

Theodoret attributes the name Belteshazzar to the king; in Dan 1:7 the chief eunuch gives it.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.25 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-25

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.27PG 81

κζ΄. ε Τὸ μυστήριον ὃ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπερωτᾷ, οὐκ ἔστι σοφῶν, μάγων, ἑπαοιδῶν, Γαζαρηνῶν ἀναγγεῖλαι" τῷ βασιλεῖ. (χη΄.) ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἔστι Θεὸς "δ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια. ν θαυμαστῶς τῆς διδασκαλίας ἤρξατο " ἐχθαλὼν γὰρ τὸν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἐχείνων χορὸν, καὶ γυμνώσας αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν, τὸν θεὸν εἶναι ἔφη τῆς τῶν μυστηρίων ἀποκαλύψεως διδάσκαλον" προστέθεικε δὲ, ἐν οὐραγῷ. τοὺς κάτω γινομένους δ᾽ καὶ προσκυνουμένους ἐχθαλὼν “ὁ θεούς. Καὶ τῷ μὲν ἑνιχῷ ὀνόματι τὸ πλῆθος ἐχθάλλει τῶν οὐκ ὄντων θεῶν, τῇ δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ διαγωγῇ τοὺς κάτω φαινομένους δείκνυσιν οὐ θεοὺς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπάτην ἀφορμὴν ἔχουσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν τέχνην, «ε Οὗτος “' ἐγνώρισεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ βασιλεῖ Ναδουχοδονόσορ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων "3 τῶν ἡμερῶν. » Οὕτω προοιμιασάμενος, πάλιν ἐπισπᾶται τῇ εὐλογίᾳ εἰς εὔνοιαν τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἀκοήν. ε Βασιλεῦ 55, γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ζῆθι. » Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέλλει καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον λέγειν, καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἐπάγειν, καὶ προλέγειν αὐτῷ τὴν τῆς βασιλείας κατάλυσιν, προοἰμιαζόμενος:" Εὐχὴ", φησὶν, ἐστὶν ἐμοὶ, ζῇν σε διηνεκῶς " μὴ τοίνυν ἐμοὶ ἐπιγράψης τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου δηλούμενον, Εἶτά φησι" «ε Τὸ ἐνύπνιόν σου, καὶ αἱ ὁράσεις "δ᾽ τῆς χεφαλῆῇς σου, ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτη; σον, τοῦτό 6 ἐστι, βασιλεῦ. » ᾿Αντὶ τοῦ “ Ἃ νύκτωρ

kz΄. e To mystērion ho ho basileus eperōtą, ouk esti sophōn, magōn, hepaoidōn, Gazarēnōn anangeilai" tǭ basilei. (chē΄.) ᾿All᾽ esti Theos "d en ouranǭ apokalyptōn mystēria. n thaumastōs tēs didaskalias ērxato " echthalōn gar ton tōn aphronōn echeinōn choron, kai gymnōsas autōn tēn astheneian, ton theon einai ephē tēs tōn mystēriōn apokalypseōs didaskalon" prostetheike de, en ouragǭ. tous katō ginomenous d᾽ kai proskynoumenous echthalōn “ho theous. Kai tǭ men henichǭ onomati to plēthos echthallei tōn ouk ontōn theōn, tę̄ de en ouranǭ diagōgę̄ tous katō phainomenous deiknysin ou theous, all᾽ apatēn aphormēn echousan tōn anthrōpōn tēn technēn, «e Houtos “' egnōrisen ho Theos tǭ basilei Nadouchodonosor ha dei genesthai ep᾽ eschatōn "3 tōn hēmerōn. » Houtō prooimiasamenos, palin epispatai tę̄ eulogią eis eunoian tou basileōs tēn akoēn. e Basileu 55, gar, phēsin, eis tous aiōnas zēthi. » Epeidē gar mellei kai to enypnion legein, kai tēn hermēneian epagein, kai prolegein autǭ tēn tēs basileias katalysin, prooimiazomenos:" Euchē", phēsin, estin emoi, zę̄n se diēnekōs " mē toinyn emoi epigrapsēs to hypo tou enypniou dēloumenon, Eita phēsi" «e To enypnion sou, kai hai horaseis "d᾽ tēs chephalēę̄s sou, epi tēs koitē? son, touto 6 esti, basileu. » ᾿Anti tou “ Ha nyktōr

27. "The mystery that the king asks is not for wise men, magi, enchanters or Gazarenes to declare to the king. (28.) But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." He began his teaching admirably. Casting out the chorus of those fools and laying bare their weakness, he said that God is the teacher who reveals mysteries; and he added "in heaven", casting out the gods that are made and worshiped below. By the singular name he casts out the multitude of gods who do not exist, and by the dwelling in heaven he shows that those who appear below are not gods but a deceit that has its origin in human craft. "He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what must happen in the last days." After this preface he again uses a blessing to draw the king's hearing toward goodwill: "O king," he says, "live for ever." Since he is about to tell the dream, add the interpretation and foretell to him the end of his kingdom, he says by way of preface: It is my prayer that you live for ever; do not then ascribe to me what the dream shows. Then he says: "Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed: this is it, O king." Instead of: What by night …

Dan 2:27–28 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Daniel denies that any diviner could tell the dream and proclaims the one God in heaven who reveals mysteries, prefacing his hard news with a blessing on the king.

"Gazarenes" is Theodotion's transcription of the Aramaic word for "diviners".
"O king, live for ever" is not in Theodotion's text of 2:28; Theodoret quotes it as part of Daniel's preface.
The section breaks off in the OCR ("Instead of: What by night …"); the apparatus suggests the sense "what you saw by night, O king".

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus and Latin column read into the text): ὨΪΐ » 488 ρα. ἃ ἴ6, δεῖ τ φυξ το φάνη ἃ [6. ν μὲ χοῦ --- βὰσ. ἢ 68. ἴπ Α οἱ ἰπ ἰοχῖα (π414. 5") καί. 65. ἴῃ Β. ρα; δ ἔχ, Β ργξηι. ὁ. "7 τ. ἀδ. ἴῃ Β δ τοῦ ὁράμ. "5. 1πΑ οἱ ἴῃ ἰδχίι Ομ (. ΑΕΒ. ἔφς τ υἱῶν. Ετ Α εἰ Β 85 Βὶ ἀπαγγεῖλαι. δ. εὖθ. θ08. ἰπ Α οἱ ἰη ἰοχίυ δι γάρ Β λθι, ἄν. "ἢ δύν. Α εἴ " 885 ἢ δύναται. 55 Βὶ ἀναγγεῖλαι. “΄ Β ἀπαγγεῖλα:, 40} ποι 81, Ἔχ ροΙ δε λα] τ ἀἰῃοπι : 60 νοτο, πὴ αν, α, πᾶ 20 {14 ἀλλ φηᾶ, οἱ Α → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.27 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-27

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.29PG 81

κθ'. ε Οἱ διαλογισμοί σου ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης σὸν ἀνἐόησαν, ἃ 57 δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα. » Ἐλογίζου, φησὶ, κατακείμενος ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης, εἴτε εἰς ἀεὶ ζήσῃ, εἴτε τῷ νόμῳ τῶν ἀνήρώπων ὑπὸ τὸν θάνατον γενήσῃ " ἐπεθύμεις δὲ μαθεῖν καὶ τὰ μήπω 4 γεγενημένα. Καὶ ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια ἐγνώρισέ σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθα!. Πανταχοῦ δὲ τὸν ἕνα κηρύττει Θεὸν, τῆς πολυθεῖας ἐχθαλὼν “' τὴν πλάνην " εἶτα καὶ τοῦ οἰκείου φρονήματος τὴν μετριότητα δείκνυσιν. δ, 4 Ἐμοὶ γάρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ζῶντας, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο ἀπεκαλύφθη, ἀλλ᾽ ἕνεκεν τοῦ τὴν σύγκρισιν τῷ βασιλεῖ γνωρίσαι, καὶ ἵνα γνῷς τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῆς καρδίας σου.» Ταύτης γὰρ, φησὶ, τῆς ἀποκχαλύψειυς τυχον, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πάντων εἰμὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐφώτερος, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα σὺ μάθῃς ἃ μαθεῖν ἐπεθύμτσας " ἐμοὶ δὲ διακόνῳ ταύτης ἐχρήσατο τῆ: γνώσεως, ὡς οἰκείῳ θεράποντι. ἔλρχεται τοίνυν τῆς ἐξηγήσεως, καὶ λέγει 9 πρῶτον αὐτὸ τὸ ἐνύπνιον. λα'-λγ'. «Σὺ, βασιλεῦ, ἐθεώρεις, κσὶ ἰδοὺ εἰκὼν μία, πολλὴ 1', ἡ εἰκὼν μεγάλη, καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτῆς, ὑπερφερὴς ἑστῶσα πρὸ προσώπου σου, καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτῆς φοβερά. Εἰκὼν, ἧς ἡ κεφαλὴ χρυσίου καθαροῦ, αἱ χεῖρες 13, καὶ τὸ στῆθος, καὶ οἱ βραχίονες αὐτῆς ἀργυροῖ, καὶ κοιλῖα καὶ οἱ μηροὶ χαλκοῖ. Αἱ κνῆμαι σιδηραῖ, οἱ πόδες μέρος μέν τι σιδήρου “δ, καὶ “κέρος Ὁ δέ τι ὀστράκινον. » Τέτταρας μὲν ὕλας διὰ τῶν προεἰρημένων ἐσήμανε, τὸν χρυσὸν, τὸν ἄργυρον, τὸν χαλκὸν, τὸν σίδηρον " ὄστρακον γὰρ" οὐ κατ᾽ αὐτὸ εἴπεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ σιδήρῳ συμμεμιγμένον. Δηλοῖ δὲ διὰ τούτων τὰς μεγίστας τε καὶ χαθηλιχωτάτας βασιλείας, αἵ τοῦ πλείστου τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐχράτη σαν ἀλλήλας διαδεξάμεναι. "Ὅτ! μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλαι βασιλεῖαι συνέστησαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος δὲ συνεστᾶσι, δῆλόν ἐστι" οὐ μὴν τῶν 15 πάντων ἢ τῶν πλειόνων “ἢ ἔστιν αὐτὰς χρατούσας ἰδεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ 11 ἑνὸς, ἣ δύο Α μόνον ἐθνῶν. Δέγει τοίνυν πρώτην ἁπάντων γεγενῆσῦαι τὴν τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων ἡγεμονίαν, ἥτις αὕτη 15 ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν Βαδυλωνίων ᾿Ασσύριοι γὰρ 75 οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι " ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν τῇ Νίνῳ, τῇ παρ᾽ ποτὲ δὲ ἐν Βαδυλῶνι 89, “Ὅτι δὲ μία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τούτων κἀκείνων, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης μαρτυρεῖ" ξρμηνεύων γὰρ τὸ ἐνύπνιον, φησίν" ε Ἡ κεφαλὴ ἡ χρυσῇ σὺ εἶ, βασιλεῦ. » Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Ἱερεμίας ὁ προφήτης φησί " ε Ποτήριον χρυσοῦν Βαδυλὼν ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου, μεθύσκον πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. ἀπὸ οἴνου δ' αὐτῆς ἐπίοσαν "3 ἔθνη -“ διὰ τοῦτο ἐσαλεύθησαν, καὶ ἄφνω ἔπεσες Βαδυλὼν, καὶ συνετρίδη. » Εἴ δὲ ἑτέρα ἣν παρὰ ταύτην ἡ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων βασιλεία ταύτης πρεσδυτέρα, ποίαν ἄν τις ὕλην αὐτὴν χαλέσειεν : Δίαρτυρεῖ ὃς καὶ ὁ θειότατος Μωσῆς δ᾽ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχειν " ἐν γὰρ τῇ χοσμογενείᾳ περὶ τοῦ Νεδρώδους δ᾽ εἰρηκὼς, ὅτι γίγας κυνηγὸς δ΄ ἕναντι Κυρίου, ἐπἦγαγε " « Καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ ἀρχὴ δ᾽ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ιἰαδυλὼν, Ὁρὲχ καὶ Χαλάνη. » Καὶ οἱ ἔξω δὲ συγσι, καὶ μέχρι δὲ τοῦ παρόντο: ᾿Λσσυρίαν 57 αὑτὴν ὀνομάζουσι Πέρσαι. Οὐκοῦν» ἡ μὲν πρώτη ὕλη, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ χρυσὸς, τὴν ᾿Ασσυρίων καὶ Βαδυλωνΐίων σημαίνει βασιλείαν " κεφα.1ὴν δὲ αὐτὴν ὀνομάζει, ὡς πρώτην γεγενημένην " ἡ δευτέρα δὲ, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ ἄργυρος, ἡ Περσῶν ἐστι καὶ Μήδων. Κῦρος γὰρ ἑκατέρωθεν ὁρμώμενος, μητρόθεν μὲν ἐκ Μήδων, πατρόθεν δὲ ἐκ Περσῶν, κατέλυσΞς μὲν ᾿Ασσυρίων 5, εἴτουν Βαδυλωνίων, τὴν βασιλείαν, μετατέθεοιχε δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν 3" εἰς Πέρσας. Στῆθος δὲ αὐτὸν προσ- Ὠγόρευσε καὶ βραχίονας, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν πρὸς δύο ἔθνη συγγένειαν " διὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς δεξιᾶς τὸ πα- «ρῷωυν αὐτοῦ σημαίνει γένος, μητρῷον "9 δὲ διὰ τῆς εὐωνύμον, ὧν τὴν συνάφειαν τὸ στῆθος πεπίστευται, τὴν καρδίαν ἔχον τῶν λογισμῶν τὸ ταμεῖον, λογισμῷ δὲ καὶ τὰ γαμιχὰ τελεῖται συμθδόλαια. Τὸν δὲ χα ϊκὸν προσηγόρευσε τὴν Μακχεδονιχὴν βασιλείαν μετὰ τὴν Περσιχὴν ἀναφανεῖσαν, καὶ αὐτὴν ὁμοίως: ᾽! ἁπάντων κρατῆσασαν. Κοιάλίαν."" δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ τοὺς μηροὺς ἀπένειμε, τὴν τε μοναρχίαν «τοῦ ᾿Αλεξάνδρου διὰ τῆς ἀοιλίας μηνύων, καὺ διὰ τῶν μηρῶν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἐχείνου τελευτὴν γεγενημένην" τῆς βασιλείας διαίρεσιν. Σίδηρον δὲ τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν προσηγόρευσε βα- σιλείαν “ αὕτη δὲ τὴν Μαχεδονιχὴν διεδέξατο " ἀπ. ἔνειμε δὲ αὐτῇ τὰς χγήμας, ἅτε δὴ περὶ τὸ τέλος οὔπας τοῦ παντὸς σώματος, καὶ φέρειν ἅπαν δυναμένας τὰ σῶμα" τὰς δὲ τῶν ποδῶν βάσεις, σιδηρᾶ: μὲν καὶ αὐτὰς, ὀστράκῳ δὲ ἀναμεμιγμένας. Διὰ δὲ τούτου οὐκ ἑτέραν αἰνίττεται βασιλείαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὑτὴν ἀσθενεστέραν ἑαυτῆς ἐσομένην, καὶ τῇ τοῦ στ διαφορὰν ἀνέθτχεν "", οὐ τῆς τιμῆς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἰσχύος δεικνὺς τὸ διάφορον " τοῦ μὲν γὰρ χρυσοῦ ὁ ἄργυρος στεγανώτερος “ τοῦ δὲ ἀργύρον στεῤῥότερος "5 ὁ χαλκός " ὁ δὲ σίδηρος καὶ αὐτοῦ 55 τοῦ χαλκοῦ πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ στερεμνιώτερος. Ἧ διαφορὰ τοίνυν οὐκ ἐν τῇ τιμῇ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ τε καὶ δυνάμει. ᾿Αναγκαῖον δὲ ζητῆσαι, τί δήποτε ἐν εἰχόνε τῶν ὑλῶν τούτων ἐθεάσατο τὴν συνθήκην ᾿ οὐδὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ μάτὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀποκαλύπτεται. Ἡ εἰκὼν σχήματα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πράγματα, ἔχει. Τοιοῦτος δὲ ᾽ ὁ παρὼν βίος, οὐδὲν ἔχων" διαρκὲς, οὐδὲ μόνιμον " διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐδόα, ὅτι ε« Παράνει τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ χόσμοὐυ τούτου. » Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ παραινῶν λέγει" « Μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ. » Καὶ ὁ μα- Β χάριος Δαθὶδ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης εὐημερίας διελέγχων τὸ μάταιον, φησί - ε Πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης, πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν. ν» Μέντοι γε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος, θησαυρίζει, καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάξει αὐτά. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ παρὼν βίος ὀξυῤῥόπους ἔχει τὰς μεταθδολὰς (θνητὰ " γὰρ ἅπαντα τὰ ὁρώμενα, καὶ πρόαχα:ρα, καὶ ἐπίχηρα '), καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν δὲ τῶν μὲν πραγμάτων τὴν ἐνέργειαν οὐκ ἔχει, μόνα δὲ τὰ σχήματα δείκνυσι βασιλέων, καὶ ἀρχόντων, καὶ ὑπηκόων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ σχῆμα εὐδιάλυτον ἔχει" εἰκότως ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὸν ἀλαζόνα ἐκεῖνον πα!:δεῦσαι βουληθεὶς ᾽ βασιλέα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ὀφρύος τὸ μάταιον, καὶ διδάξαι, ὅτι ῥᾷάστην ἔχει τὰ ἀνθρώπινα τὴν μεταδολὴν, εἰκόνα μὲν αὑτῷ ὄναρ προτίθησι, τὰ δὲ ταύτης μόρια μερίξει ταῖς ὕλαις, τὰς συχνὰς καὶ ἐπαλλήλους διδάσκων " τῶν βασιλέων διαδοχὰς, καὶ πείθων ἅπαντας, ὡς αὑτὸς μόνος διηνεκὲς ἔχει τὸ κράτος, ἄναρχόν τε καὶ ἀτελεύτητον, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς αἰώνιον τὴν βατιλείᾳν. Τούτοις ἐπάγει ὁ μακάριος Δανιὴλ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ ἐν- ἀπὸ " ὄρους ἄνευ χειρῶν, καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν εἰκόνα ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας τοὺς σιδηροῦς καὶ ὁστραχίνυυς, καὶ ἐλέπτυνεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τέλος, Τότε ἐλεπτύνθησαν εἰσάπαξ ὁ σίδηρος 5, τὸ ὄστρακον, ὁ χαλκὸς, ὁ ἄργυρος, ὁ χρυσὸς, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡσεὶ κονιορτὸς ἀπὸ ἄλωνος θερινῆς, καὶ ἐξῆρεν αὐτὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ πᾶς Ἶ τόπος οὐκ ηὑρέθη ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὁ λίθας ὁ πατάξας τὴν εἰκόνα ἐγένετο" εἰς ὄρος μέγα, καὶ ἐπλήρωσε πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. » Τοιαῦτον" τοῦ ἐνυπνίον τὸ τέλος" προσήκει δὲ κάτωθεν ἡμᾶς ἄρξαᾳθαι τῆς ἑρμηνείας. Ζητήσωμεν τοίνυν πρότερον, τίς λίθος ᾽5 προσαγορευόμενος, καὶ βραχὺς πρότερὴν "' φαινόμενος, ὕστερον ἐδείχθη μέγιστος, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκάλυψεν. Οὐκοῦν ἀκούσωμεν αὑτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ ᾿Ησαῖου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος " τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον πολυτελῆ, ἀκρογωνιαῖον, ἕντιμον, ἐκλεκτὸν "", εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς, καὶ πᾶς ὁ βασιλέων. " πιστεύων ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ "5, ν ᾿Ακού- σωμεν δὲ καὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Δχδὶδ καὶ βοῶντος" «ε Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰχοδομβοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας. ν Ταύτὴν δὲ τὴν μαρτυρίαν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις Ἰουδαίοις προτήνεγχεν, « Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε, λέγων᾽ Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας. Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, καὶ ἔστι θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν; ν Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Πέτρος ἐν Ἰουδαίοις δημηγορῶν, καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν προφητείαν εἰς μέσον παραγαγὼν, φησίν" ε Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς παρ᾽ (ὃ ὑμῶν τῶν οἶχοδομούντων, ὃς ἐγένετο εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας. » Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλός φησιν" ε« Ἐποιχοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. » Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι ""“ «θεμέλιον οὐδεὶς "7 δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν γχείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. ν Καὶ πάλιν". “ἔπινον, φησὶν, ἐκ πνευματικῇς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας, ἣ δὲ πέτρα ἣν ὁ Χριστός. ν Οὐκοῦν ὑπὸ Παλαιᾶς καὶ Νέας Διαθήκης "ὃ διδασκόμεθα τὸν Κύρον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν "᾽ πρητηγορεῦ[σ]θαι.1{ϑον. Οὗτος "Ὁ γὰρ ἐτμήθη ἀπὸ ὄρους ἄνευ χειρῶν, γεννηθεὶς ἐκ Παρθένου γαμιχῆῇς κοινωνίας χωρίς " οἷδε δὲ πολλάκις καὶ τὴν παρὰ φύσιν γέννησιν.λατομίαν ἢ θεία "" προσαγορεύειν Γραφή. Ἰουδαίους γὰρ Ἡσαΐας "5, τῆς παρὰ φύσιν γενομένης τῷ ἔλεγεν 3, εἰς νὴν στερεὰν πέτραν, ἐξ ἧ; ἐλατομήθητες. » Θὐχοῦν ὄρος μὲν ἡ Δαδιδικὴ φυλῇ,.1{θος δὲ ΄ ὁ Χριστὸς κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, οὐ κατὰ τὸν νόμον "" τῆς φύστως τμηθείς " οὗτος δὲ πάλαι σμικρὸ; μενος, δι᾽ ἣν περιέκειτο φύσιν, ἀθρόον ἐδείχθη ὄρος μέγιστον, πᾶσαν πληρώσας τὴν οἰκουμένην. « Ἐπληρώθη "Ὁ γὰρ ἡ σύμπασα " γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ καταχαλύψαι θαλάσσας.» Οὗτος πατάξει τὴν εἰκόνα ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας τοὺς ὀστραχίνους καὶ σιδηροῦς ᾿", τουτέστι, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην καταπαύσει βασιλείαν, φροῦδόν τε καὶ ἀφανῆ ποιήσει. Οὐ γὰρ ἑτέρα ταύτην διαδέξεται βσσιλεία 35,ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκείαν γυμνώσει, καὶ πᾶσι ταύτην ὑποδείξει" ἐχείνων δὲ τῶν βασιλειῶν ἁπασῶν καὶ αὐτὴν ἀφανιεῖ τὴν μνήμην κονιορτοῦ δίκην, ἐξ ἄλωνος μὲν τικτομένον, ὑπὸ δὲ εἰρηκὼς τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐπήγαγε" ἃς’, λζ΄, ε Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἐνύπνιον, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὑτοῦ ἐροῦμεν ἐνώπιον "3 τοῦ βασιλέως. Σὺ 8 βασιλεῦ, βασιλεὺς βασιλέων. ν» Οὐ κολακεύων τοῦτο κατὰ γὰρ πάντων τῶν ἐθναρχούντων, βασιλέων ὀνομαζομένων, εἶχε τὸ κράτος. « Σὺ, φησὶ, βασιλεῦ, βασιλεὺς 53 βασιλέων, ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ βασ:λείαν κραταιὰν καὶ ἰσχυρὰν 5 καὶ ἔντιμον ἔδωκεν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ. » Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ ἰσχύος, φησὶν, ἀνθρὼπίνης πάντων περιγεγένησα!, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον ἔχοντος βασιλείαν, ταύτην σοι δεδωχότο; τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὥστε τῶν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ὄντων ᾽" ἀνθρώπων ἡγεμονεύειν τε καὶ βασιλεύειν, ὅπου κατοικοῦσιν υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρῶπων. θηρία τε ἀγροῦ καὶ πετεινὰ οὐρανοῦ δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρέ σου, καὶ κατἐστησέ 85 σε χύριον πάντων. Καὶ θηρία μὲν καλεῖ τοὺς θηριωδέστερον ζῶντας βαρθάρους, πετεινὰ ἱὰ ποὺς συνέσει κεκοσμημένους, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων ὑπερτέρους, καὶ πτηνοὺς τὴν διάνοιαν. Τούτων, φησὶν, ἁπάντων ἀπέφηνέ σε βασιλέα. ε Σὺ τοίνυν εἰ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἡ χρυσῇ " » τουτέστιν, ἡ σὴ ᾽Ἶ βασιλεία. Οὔτε γὰρ περὶ τοῦ προσώπου λέγει, ἀλλὰ περὶ αὖτῆς τῆς βασιλείας. Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν αὖκαὶ μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνον Βαλτάσαρ. Εἰ δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ προσώπου ἔφη, ὅτι ε Σὺ εἶ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἡ χρυσῆ, ν» πῶς γοήσομεν τό" « πίσω σου ἀναστήσεται βασιλεία ἑτέρα ἥττων σου; » Οὔτε γὰρ τὴν τῶν υἱέων ᾿" αὖποῦ βασιλείαν μηνύει, ἀλλὰ τὴν Περσιχήν. Οὐχοὺν κεφαλὴ ἡ χρυσῆ οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ Ναδουχοδονόδορ, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ἡ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων, εἴτουν Βαδυλωνίων βασιλεία. ἥττων σου. ν Ἡ Περσικὴ" ἥττονα δὲ αὑτὴν καλεῖ, οὐκ ὡς ἀσθενεστέραν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς δευτέραν. ε Καὶ βασιλείᾳ τρίτη, ἵτις ξατὸν ὁ χαλκὸς, ἣ κυριεύσει πάτης τῆς τῆς. » Τὴν Μακχεδονιχὴν λέγει " ἐχυρίενος δὲ πάτης τῆς γῆς ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ Φιλίππον, ἐν δώδεκα ἔτεσι τῆς βασιλείας "5 πάντας ὑποτάξας ἀνθρώ». πους.

kth'. e Hoi dialogismoi sou epi tēs koitēs son aneoēsan, ha 57 dei genesthai meta tauta. » Elogizou, phēsi, katakeimenos epi tēs klinēs, eite eis aei zēsę̄, eite tǭ nomǭ tōn anērōpōn hypo ton thanaton genēsę̄ " epethymeis de mathein kai ta mēpō 4 gegenēmena. Kai ho apokalyptōn mystēria egnōrise soi ha dei genestha!. Pantachou de ton hena kēryttei Theon, tēs polytheias echthalōn “' tēn planēn " eita kai tou oikeiou phronēmatos tēn metriotēta deiknysin. d, 4 Emoi gar, phēsin, ouk en sophią tę̄ ousę̄ en emoi para pantas tous zōntas, to mystērion touto apekalyphthē, all᾽ heneken tou tēn synkrisin tǭ basilei gnōrisai, kai hina gnǭs tous dialogismous tēs kardias sou.» Tautēs gar, phēsi, tēs apokchalypseiys tychon, ouk epeidē pantōn eimi tōn anthrōpōn ouphōteros, all᾽ hina sy mathę̄s ha mathein epethymtsas " emoi de diakonǭ tautēs echrēsato tē: gnōseōs, hōs oikeiǭ theraponti. elrchetai toinyn tēs exēgēseōs, kai legei 9 prōton auto to enypnion. la'-lg'. «Sy, basileu, etheōreis, ksi idou eikōn mia, pollē 1', hē eikōn megalē, kai hē opsis autēs, hyperpherēs hestōsa pro prosōpou sou, kai hē horasis autēs phobera. Eikōn, hēs hē kephalē chrysiou katharou, hai cheires 13, kai to stēthos, kai hoi brachiones autēs argyroi, kai koilia kai hoi mēroi chalkoi. Hai knēmai sidērai, hoi podes meros men ti sidērou “d, kai “keros Ho de ti ostrakinon. » Tettaras men hylas dia tōn proeirēmenōn esēmane, ton chryson, ton argyron, ton chalkon, ton sidēron " ostrakon gar" ou kat᾽ auto eipen, alla tǭ sidērǭ symmemigmenon. Dēloi de dia toutōn tas megistas te kai chathēlichōtatas basileias, hai tou pleistou tēs oikoumenēs echratē san allēlas diadexamenai. "Hot! men gar kai allai basileiai synestēsan, kai epi tou parontos de synestasi, dēlon esti" ou mēn tōn 15 pantōn ē tōn pleionōn “ē estin autas chratousas idein, all᾽ ē 11 henos, hē dyo A monon ethnōn. Degei toinyn prōtēn hapantōn gegenēsyai tēn tōn ᾿Assyriōn hēgemonian, hētis hautē 15 estin hē tōn Badylōniōn ᾿Assyrioi gar 75 houtoi kakeinoi " alla pote men en tę̄ Ninǭ, tę̄ par᾽ pote de en Badylōni 89, “Hoti de mia estin hē basileia toutōn kakeinōn, kai autos ho prophētēs martyrei" xrmēneuōn gar to enypnion, phēsin" e Hē kephalē hē chrysę̄ sy ei, basileu. » Kai ho makarios de Hieremias ho prophētēs phēsi " e Potērion chrysoun Badylōn en cheiri Kyriou, methyskon pasan tēn gēn. apo oinou d' autēs epiosan "3 ethnē -“ dia touto esaleuthēsan, kai aphnō epeses Badylōn, kai synetridē. » Ei de hetera hēn para tautēn hē tōn ᾿Assyriōn basileia tautēs presdytera, poian an tis hylēn autēn chaleseien : Diartyrei hos kai ho theiotatos Mōsēs d᾽ tauth᾽ houtōs echein " en gar tę̄ chosmogeneią peri tou Nedrōdous d᾽ eirēkōs, hoti gigas kynēgos d΄ henanti Kyriou, epēgage " « Kai egeneto hē archē d᾽ tēs basileias autou iiadylōn, Horech kai Chalanē. » Kai hoi exō de sygsi, kai mechri de tou paronto: ᾿Lssyrian 57 hautēn onomazousi Persai. Oukoun» hē men prōtē hylē, hētis estin ho chrysos, tēn ᾿Assyriōn kai Badylōnïiōn sēmainei basileian " kepha.1ēn de autēn onomazei, hōs prōtēn gegenēmenēn " hē deutera de, hētis estin ho argyros, hē Persōn esti kai Mēdōn. Kyros gar hekaterōthen hormōmenos, mētrothen men ek Mēdōn, patrothen de ek Persōn, katelysXs men ᾿Assyriōn 5, eitoun Badylōniōn, tēn basileian, metatetheoiche de tēn basileian 3" eis Persas. Stēthos de auton pros- Ōgoreuse kai brachionas, hina deixę̄ tēn pros dyo ethnē syngeneian " dia men gar tēs dexias to pa- «rǭōyn autou sēmainei genos, mētrǭon "9 de dia tēs euōnymon, hōn tēn synapheian to stēthos pepisteutai, tēn kardian echon tōn logismōn to tameion, logismǭ de kai ta gamicha teleitai symthdolaia. Ton de cha ïkon prosēgoreuse tēn Makchedonichēn basileian meta tēn Persichēn anaphaneisan, kai autēn homoiōs: ᾽! hapantōn kratēsasan. Koialian."" de autę̄ kai tous mērous apeneime, tēn te monarchian «tou ᾿Alexandrou dia tēs aoilias mēnyōn, kau dia tōn mērōn tēn meta tēn echeinou teleutēn gegenēmenēn" tēs basileias diairesin. Sidēron de tēn Rhōmaïkēn prosēgoreuse ba- sileian “ hautē de tēn Machedonichēn diedexato " ap. eneime de autę̄ tas chgēmas, hate dē peri to telos oupas tou pantos sōmatos, kai pherein hapan dynamenas ta sōma" tas de tōn podōn baseis, sidēra: men kai autas, ostrakǭ de anamemigmenas. Dia de toutou ouk heteran ainittetai basileian, alla tēn hautēn asthenesteran heautēs esomenēn, kai tę̄ tou st diaphoran anethtchen "", ou tēs timēs, alla tēs ischyos deiknys to diaphoron " tou men gar chrysou ho argyros steganōteros “ tou de argyron sterrhoteros "5 ho chalkos " ho de sidēros kai autou 55 tou chalkou pollǭ tǭ metrǭ steremniōteros. Hē diaphora toinyn ouk en tę̄ timę̄, all᾽ en tę̄ ischyï te kai dynamei. ᾿Anankaion de zētēsai, ti dēpote en eichone tōn hylōn toutōn etheasato tēn synthēkēn ᾿ ouden gar haplōs, oude matēn hypo tou Theou tōn holōn apokalyptetai. Hē eikōn schēmata, all᾽ ou pragmata, echei. Toioutos de ᾽ ho parōn bios, ouden echōn" diarkes, oude monimon " dio kai ho makarios Paulos edoa, hoti e« Paranei to schēma tou chosmouy toutou. » Kai allachou parainōn legei" « Mē syschēmatizesthe tǭ aiōni toutǭ. » Kai ho ma- B charios Dathid tēs anthrōpinēs euēmerias dielenchōn to mataion, phēsi - e Plēn ta sympanta mataiotēs, pas anthrōpos zōn. n» Mentoi ge en eikoni diaporeuetai anthrōpos, thēsaurizei, kai ou ginōskei tini synaxei auta. Epeidē toinyn kai ho parōn bios oxyrrhopous echei tas metathdolas (thnēta " gar hapanta ta horōmena, kai proacha:ra, kai epichēra '), kai hē eikōn de tōn men pragmatōn tēn energeian ouk echei, mona de ta schēmata deiknysi basileōn, kai archontōn, kai hypēkoōn, pros de toutois kai auto to schēma eudialyton echei" eikotōs ho tōn holōn Theos ton alazona ekeinon pa!:deusai boulētheis ᾽ basilea tēs anthrōpinēs ophryos to mataion, kai didaxai, hoti rhąastēn echei ta anthrōpina tēn metadolēn, eikona men hautǭ onar protithēsi, ta de tautēs moria merixei tais hylais, tas sychnas kai epallēlous didaskōn " tōn basileōn diadochas, kai peithōn hapantas, hōs hautos monos diēnekes echei to kratos, anarchon te kai ateleutēton, kai hapaxaplōs aiōnion tēn batileiąn. Toutois epagei ho makarios Daniēl ta loipa tou en- apo " orous aneu cheirōn, kai epataxe tēn eikona epi tous podas tous sidērous kai hostrachinyys, kai eleptynen autous eis telos, Tote eleptynthēsan eisapax ho sidēros 5, to ostrakon, ho chalkos, ho argyros, ho chrysos, kai egenonto hōsei koniortos apo alōnos therinēs, kai exēren auta to plēthos tou pneumatos, kai pas I topos ouk hēurethē en autois, kai ho lithas ho pataxas tēn eikona egeneto" eis oros mega, kai eplērōse pasan tēn gēn. » Toiauton" tou enypnion to telos" prosēkei de katōthen hēmas arxaąthai tēs hermēneias. Zētēsōmen toinyn proteron, tis lithos ᾽5 prosagoreuomenos, kai brachys proterēn "' phainomenos, hysteron edeichthē megistos, kai tēn oikoumenēn ekalypsen. Oukoun akousōmen hautou tou Theou dia ᾿Ēsaiou tou prophētou legontos " tithēmi en Siōn lithon polytelē, akrogōniaion, hentimon, eklekton "", eis ta themelia autēs, kai pas ho basileōn. " pisteuōn ep᾿ autǭ ou mē kataischynthę̄ "5, n ᾿Akou- sōmen de kai tou makariou Dchdid kai boōntos" «e Lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oichodombountes, houtos egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnias. n Tautēn de tēn martyrian kai autos ho Despotēs Christos en tois hierois Euangeliois Ioudaiois protēnenchen, « Ouk anegnōte, legōn᾽ Lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oikodomountes, houtos egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnias. Para Kyriou egeneto hautē, kai esti thaumastē en ophthalmois hēmōn? n Kai ho makarios de Petros en Ioudaiois dēmēgorōn, kai tou Kyriou tēn prophēteian eis meson paragagōn, phēsin" e Houtos estin ho lithos ho exouthenētheis par᾽ (ho hymōn tōn oichodomountōn, hos egeneto eis kephalēn gōnias. » Kai ho makarios de Paulos phēsin" e« Epoichodomēthentes epi tǭ themeliǭ tōn apostolōn kai prophētōn, ontos akrogōniaiou autou Iēsou Christou. » Kai allachou phēsi ""“ «themelion oudeis "7 dynatai theinai para ton ncheimenon, hos estin Iēsous Christos. n Kai palin". “epinon, phēsin, ek pneumatikę̄s akolouthousēs petras, hē de petra hēn ho Christos. n Oukoun hypo Palaias kai Neas Diathēkēs "ho didaskometha ton Kyron hēmōn Iēsoun Christon "᾽ prētēgoreu[s]thai.1{ϑon. Houtos "Ho gar etmēthē apo orous aneu cheirōn, gennētheis ek Parthenou gamichēę̄s koinōnias chōris " hoide de pollakis kai tēn para physin gennēsin.latomian ē theia "" prosagoreuein Graphē. Ioudaious gar Hēsaïas "5, tēs para physin genomenēs tǭ elegen 3, eis nēn sterean petran, ex hē? elatomēthētes. » Thychoun oros men hē Dadidikē phylę̄,.1{thos de ΄ ho Christos kata to anthrōpinon, ou kata ton nomon "" tēs phystōs tmētheis " houtos de palai smikro? menos, di᾽ hēn periekeito physin, athroon edeichthē oros megiston, pasan plērōsas tēn oikoumenēn. « Eplērōthē "Ho gar hē sympasa " gē tou gnōnai ton Kyrion, hōs hydōr poly katachalypsai thalassas.» Houtos pataxei tēn eikona epi tous podas tous ostrachinous kai sidērous ᾿", toutesti, kai tēn eschatēn katapausei basileian, phroudon te kai aphanē poiēsei. Ou gar hetera tautēn diadexetai bssileia 35,alla tēn oikeian gymnōsei, kai pasi tautēn hypodeixei" echeinōn de tōn basileiōn hapasōn kai autēn aphaniei tēn mnēmēn koniortou dikēn, ex alōnos men tiktomenon, hypo de eirēkōs tǭ basilei, epēgage" has’, lz΄, e Touto esti to enypnion, kai tēn synkrisin hautou eroumen enōpion "3 tou basileōs. Sy 8 basileu, basileus basileōn. n» Ou kolakeuōn touto kata gar pantōn tōn ethnarchountōn, basileōn onomazomenōn, eiche to kratos. « Sy, phēsi, basileu, basileus 53 basileōn, hǭ ho Theos tou ouranou bas:leian krataian kai ischyran 5 kai entimon edōken en panti topǭ. » Ou gar apo ischyos, phēsin, anthrōpinēs pantōn perigegenēsa!, alla tou Theou, tou tēn epouranion echontos basileian, tautēn soi dedōchoto? tēn exousian, hōste tōn en panti topǭ ontōn ᾽" anthrōpōn hēgemoneuein te kai basileuein, hopou katoikousin huioi tōn anthrōpōn. thēria te agrou kai peteina ouranou dedōken en tę̄ cheire sou, kai katestēse 85 se chyrion pantōn. Kai thēria men kalei tous thēriōdesteron zōntas bartharous, peteina hia pous synesei kekosmēmenous, kai tōn allōn anthrōpōn hyperterous, kai ptēnous tēn dianoian. Toutōn, phēsin, hapantōn apephēne se basilea. e Sy toinyn ei hē kephalē hē chrysę̄ " » toutestin, hē sē ᾽I basileia. Oute gar peri tou prosōpou legei, alla peri autēs tēs basileias. Kai gar meta tēn teleutēn aukai met᾽ ekeinon Baltasar. Ei de peri autou tou prosōpou ephē, hoti e Sy ei hē kephalē hē chrysē, n» pōs goēsomen to" « pisō sou anastēsetai basileia hetera hēttōn sou? » Oute gar tēn tōn huieōn ᾿" aupou basileian mēnyei, alla tēn Persichēn. Ouchoun kephalē hē chrysē ouk autos ho Nadouchodonodor, alla pasa hē tōn ᾿Assyriōn, eitoun Badylōniōn basileia. hēttōn sou. n Hē Persikē" hēttona de hautēn kalei, ouk hōs asthenesteran, all᾽ hōs deuteran. e Kai basileią tritē, hitis xaton ho chalkos, hē kyrieusei patēs tēs tēs. » Tēn Makchedonichēn legei " echyrienos de patēs tēs gēs ᾿Alexandros ho Philippon, en dōdeka etesi tēs basileias "5 pantas hypotaxas anthrō». pous.

29. "Your thoughts upon your bed came up, about what must happen after these things." You were reasoning, he says, as you lay on your couch, whether you would live for ever or by the law of human beings come under death; and you desired to learn also what had not yet happened. "And he who reveals mysteries has made known to you what must happen." Everywhere he proclaims the one God, casting out the error of polytheism; then he shows also the modesty of his own mind. (30.) "For to me," he says, "this mystery was revealed not by any wisdom that is in me beyond all the living, but so that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you might know the thoughts of your heart." I received this revelation, he says, not because I am wiser than all human beings, but so that you might learn what you desired to learn; he used me as the minister of this knowledge, as his own servant. He then begins the explanation and first tells the dream itself.

31–33. "You, O king, were watching, and behold, a single image, a great one; the image was great and its appearance surpassing, standing before your face, and its appearance was fearful. It was an image whose head was of pure gold, its hands, chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of earthenware." By these words he indicated four materials, gold, silver, bronze and iron; the earthenware he did not mention by itself but mixed with the iron. By them he points to the greatest and most universal kingdoms, which ruled most of the world in succession to one another. That other kingdoms have existed, and exist at present, is plain; but one cannot see them ruling all or most nations, only one or two. He says, then, that the first of all was the empire of the Assyrians, which is the same as that of the Babylonians; for these and those alike are Assyrians, but [their kings reigned] sometimes in Nineveh, … sometimes in Babylon. That the kingdom of the one and of the other is one, the prophet himself also testifies; for in interpreting the dream he says: "You are the head of gold, O king." And blessed Jeremiah the prophet says: "Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, making all the earth drunk; the nations drank of her wine; therefore they were shaken, and suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered." If there had been another kingdom of the Assyrians besides this one and older than it, what material would one call it? The most divine Moses also testifies that this is so. In the account of the world's beginning, having said of Nimrod that he was a giant hunter before the Lord, he added: "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, Erech and Calneh." The outside writers too … and to this day the Persians call it Assyria. So the first material, the gold, signifies the kingdom of the Assyrians and Babylonians; and he calls it the head because it came first. The second, the silver, is that of the Persians and Medes. For Cyrus, who sprang from both, from the Medes on his mother's side and from the Persians on his father's, destroyed the kingdom of the Assyrians, that is, of the Babylonians, and transferred the kingdom to the Persians. He called it chest and arms to show the kinship with two nations: by the right arm he signifies his father's people, by the left his mother's; and their union is entrusted to the chest, which holds the heart, the storehouse of thoughts, and marriage contracts are concluded by thought. The bronze he called the Macedonian kingdom, which appeared after the Persian and likewise ruled over all. He assigned to it the belly and thighs, indicating by the belly the sole rule of Alexander and by the thighs the division of the kingdom that took place after his death. The iron he called the Roman kingdom, which succeeded the Macedonian. He assigned to it the legs, since they are at the end of the whole body and can bear the whole body; and the soles of the feet, also of iron but mixed with earthenware. By this he hints not at another kingdom but at the same kingdom, which will become weaker than itself, and … He set out the difference [of the materials], showing a difference not of value but of strength. Silver is firmer than gold, bronze is sturdier than silver, and iron is by far more solid even than bronze. The difference, then, is not in value but in strength and power. We must ask why he saw this combination of materials in an image; for nothing is revealed by the God of the universe idly or in vain. An image has shapes, not realities. Such is the present life, which has nothing lasting or permanent. That is why blessed Paul cried out: "The form of this world is passing away." And elsewhere, in exhortation, he says: "Do not be conformed to this age." And blessed David, refuting the vanity of human prosperity, says: "Surely all things are vanity, every man living. Yet man walks about in an image; he stores up treasure and does not know for whom he will gather it." The present life undergoes swift changes (for all visible things are mortal, short-lived and perishable); an image does not have the working of the realities but shows only the shapes of kings, rulers and subjects, and besides has a shape easily dissolved. Rightly, then, the God of the universe, wishing to teach that boastful king the vanity of human pride and that human affairs change very easily, sets before him an image in a dream and divides its parts among the materials, teaching the frequent successions of kings one after another, and persuading everyone that he alone has unending power and a kingdom without beginning or end, in a word, eternal. To this blessed Daniel adds the rest of the dream:

[34–35.] "… from a mountain without hands, and struck the image on its feet of iron and earthenware, and crushed them completely. Then the iron, the earthenware, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from a summer threshing floor, and the force of the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them; and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." Such is the end of the dream; but it is fitting for us to begin the interpretation from below. Let us ask first, then, who is called a stone, who appeared small at first and was afterwards shown to be very great and covered the world. Let us hear God himself saying through Isaiah the prophet: "[Behold,] I lay in Zion a costly stone, a cornerstone, precious, chosen, for its foundations, and everyone who believes in him shall not be put to shame." Let us hear also blessed David crying out: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner." The Master Christ himself brought forward this testimony to the Jews in the holy Gospels, saying: "Have you not read: The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" And blessed Peter, addressing the Jews and bringing forward the Lord's prophecy, says: "This is the stone that was despised by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner." And blessed Paul says: "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone." And elsewhere he says: "No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." And again: "They drank," he says, "from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ." So we are taught by the Old and the New Testament that our Lord Jesus Christ is called a stone. For he was cut from a mountain without hands, being born of a Virgin without marital union; and the divine Scripture often calls a birth contrary to nature a quarrying. For Isaiah said to the Jews, [reminding them] of the birth that took place contrary to nature: "[Look] to the solid rock from which you were hewn." The mountain, then, is the tribe of David, and the stone is Christ in his humanity, cut not according to the law of nature. He who was long [thought] small because of the nature he had put on was suddenly shown to be a very great mountain, filling the whole world. "For the whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas." He will strike the image on its feet of earthenware and iron: that is, he will bring the last kingdom to an end and make it vanish and disappear. No other kingdom will succeed it; he will reveal his own and show it to all, and of all those kingdoms he will blot out even the memory, like chaff that comes from the threshing floor and is [scattered] by [the wind] … Having said [this] to the king, he added:

36–37. "This is the dream, and we will tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are king of kings." Not as flattery … for he had power over all who ruled nations and were called kings. "You, O king," he says, "king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given a kingdom strong and mighty and honored in every place." It is not by human strength, he says, that you have prevailed over all, but because God, who has the heavenly kingdom, has given you this authority, to lead and to rule the people in every place, (38) wherever the sons of men dwell; the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven he has given into your hand, and made you lord of all. He calls beasts the barbarians who live more savagely, and birds those adorned with understanding, superior to other people and winged in mind. Of all these, he says, he has made you king. "You, then, are the head of gold," that is, your kingdom. For he is not speaking of the person but of the kingdom itself. For after his death … and after him Belshazzar. If he had said of the person himself, "You are the head of gold," how shall we understand "After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you"? For he does not indicate the kingdom of his sons but the Persian. The head of gold, then, is not Nebuchadnezzar himself but the whole kingdom of the Assyrians, that is, of the Babylonians. (39.) "[And after you shall arise another kingdom] inferior to you": the Persian. He calls it inferior not as weaker but as second. "And a third kingdom, which is the bronze, which shall rule over all the earth": he means the Macedonian; and Alexander son of Philip ruled over all the earth, having subjected all people in twelve years of his reign.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 2:29–39 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 51:7–8 (28:7-Jer LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 10:8–10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 39:5–6 (38:6-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 28:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 118:22 (117:22 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:42 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 4:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 2:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 51:1 (quotation, medium confidence) · Isa 11:9 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Daniel tells the dream of the statue of four metals and interprets them as the Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian and Roman kingdoms; the stone cut without hands is Christ, born of the Virgin, whose kingdom will end them all.

This long section (verses 29–39) holds several lemmas: Migne's verse numerals were lost in the OCR. New lemmas begin at verses 30, 31–33, 34–35, 36–37, 38 and 39.
Lines are lost in the OCR in several places: in the comment on Nineveh, on "the outside writers", at the start of the lemma of verses 34–35 ("You were watching until a stone was cut"), at the end of the comment on the stone, and after "For after his death" (probably his son Evil-merodach reigned). Gaps are marked "…" and bracketed words are supplied for sense.
The identification of the four kingdoms (Babylon–Assyria, Persia–Media, Macedonia, Rome) and of the stone with Christ is Theodoret's; translated as written.
"Firmer" renders στεγανώτερος (literally "closer, more compact").

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word βασιλείαν; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word διαίρεσιν; apparatus and Latin column read into the text; apparatus read into the text): οὗτος, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἐγνώρισε, χ, τ. λ. 5 Β ἐσχάτου. 46 τοῦτο --- ἐστιν. Βὶ τουτέστιν, ἃ νύκτωρ ἐθεάσω, βασιλεῦ, εἰκὼν ἐκείνη - μεγάλη καὶ ἡ πρόσοψις. [ ἴεγα Α, αυΐ ταχποι μα θοὶ ὄψις, 18. τῶν. 68. ἴῃ χῆ. Ὁ φησὶν ὅτι ἐμοὶ εὐχή. “515 ἡ ὅρασις. καῦτά ἐστιν. 57 Δ.Α εἰ Βτί. 46.) μηδέπω. τι πολλὴ --- ὄψις. Ὁ μεγάλη οι ον μεγάλη ρμοϑὶ ἐκείνη. Ἴν Β. τὸ γὰρ ὄστρακον. 78 1} ἑαυτό. ἐδβασ, -- ζῆθι. Π65. ἰπ (μη. “ εὐ- 15. αὶ σιδηροῦν, μέρος δέ τι ὀστράκου. → ; δι θ] 6 οι : « Εἰ Γαἱν ρυϊποίρί απὶ τοσηὶ οὖι5 Βα. → ; Ὁ [π|4 56 'ρ80 ἱππρ 6 ΟΠ. [τισι πὴ, οἱ (5128. [1] 6 → ; ἢ 68. ᾿η Β. 55 Β ἔπιον. 88. ἢ θεσπέσιος Μωῦσῆς. 33 κοιλ, Β ῥγϑιῃ. τήν, 9 γάρ, Β. οὐ καί. μετ. ὃ. τ. βασ. ἔχ Β βόχυν, Β ργβιῃ. ἦν. 5 Β ἐν ἀρχῇ. 81. οἷν. αὶ ρηθι. τον. "3. Β γενομένην. → ; Α οὗ ἀπετμήθη. δ ἀπό. Α ἐξ, 36 ἢ αὐτός. 1 καὶ ἐπίχ. 05. ἰη Β. 9 Τοιοῦτ. 1} Τοῦτο μὲν ἔστι. γ᾽ δὲ δαεϊι καί. 58 Β ἔχει. θνητά, Β ἴῃ πιλγξ. 3. βουλόμενος. ᾽ διδ, [πη Β ροπίιυγ Ἱ πᾶς. θὲς. ἰη Δ, → ; Ἰθηῖδ 6᾽ 05, εἰ Οπιμΐἷα. φοΐ ἐγ δ 'π ἰρδαμῃη, 20} → ; Α ργιρ δδηίθην δἱ οἰαιπδηΐθπν : ε 1.4 018, φασηι → ; θοπῖιο (δοίη! οδἱ ἰβίυ ἃ, οἱ 6δὶ ἡ γα 6 ἴῃ (νϊδίο ὅδϑι 5. ν Εἰ Δ} 9] : « Ευηδαιηδοίυϊη, ὁδί, απο 65: Οἰιγβίυβ 055 Ρ. Σ Αὁ → ; ργιριν. δέ, 57 οὐδ. Β ργάαπι. δὲ ἄλλον. "" διαθ. ἢσ. Β ἑρμηνεύει τὴν προφητείαν, οὕτω λέγων. 4. παρ᾽. Β ὑφ᾽. "4 φησί, Β Υρ' αφῆς. 3 Ἰησ. ᾽. Ἡσ, --- παιδογ. 112 οὐ Β Χρ. 31 ἡ θεία. 68. ἴῃ ύ: 18 τὴν βασιλείαν. 5" ἐνώπ. Β ἔμπροσθεν. 36. Β πᾶσα ἡ. 718 σιδ. καὶ ὀστρ. 89 σὺ --- βασιλέων. θ65. ἰπ Β. Ὁ. Τυπια116 Γὰχ 65568. Βεαδιίάβαυθ ἃστὶ οἱ νο αι! ἷα → ; ΒΟῸΝ) υἱ ᾿π}6 6 }}} 15, 56 ὦ υἱ βαουπάτϊμ. ε Εἰ (ογιί ατη ἔδγγυπι; ιδπιδ πιο πὶ δηΐπὶ ΓΟΓΓΙἢΣ σοιη μι ἐπε} ΐ ἀοηιαῦ!!, αἱ ἸμεΠἸοαγοῖ ομ δα δη 8π|, οἱ ογάΐϊπαπι, ἃς → .

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.29 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-29). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-29

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.40PG 81

μ΄. « Καὶ βασιλεία "" τετάρτη ἔσται "3 ἰσχυρὰ, ὡς ὁ σίδηρος" ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ὁ αἰδηρος λεπτύνει καὶ δαμάξει πάντα, οὕτως λεπτυνεῖ πάντα καὶ δαμάσει.» Τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν λέγει βασιλείαν, ἰσχυροτάτην μὲν γενομένην, καὶ πάντων, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τῶν ἐθνῶν περιγενομένην, δασμὸν δὲ καὶ φόρον παρὰ πάντων χομισαμένην. Τὸ γὰρ λεπευγνεῖ ἐπὶ τούτου τέθεικε, Ὁ τὸ δὲ δαμάσει " ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τε καὶ εὐταξίας, καὶ τῆς ἐννόμου πολιτείας. ᾿

m΄. « Kai basileia "" tetartē estai "3 ischyra, hōs ho sidēros" hon tropon gar ho aidēros leptynei kai damaxei panta, houtōs leptynei panta kai damasei.» Tēn Rhōmaïkēn legei basileian, ischyrotatēn men genomenēn, kai pantōn, hōs epos eipein, tōn ethnōn perigenomenēn, dasmon de kai phoron para pantōn chomisamenēn. To gar lepeugnei epi toutou tetheike, Ho to de damasei " epi tēs hypakoēs te kai eutaxias, kai tēs ennomou politeias. ᾿

40. "And a fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; for as iron crushes and subdues all things, so it shall crush and subdue all things." He means the Roman kingdom, which became very strong, prevailed over virtually all the nations, and received tribute and taxes from all. He used "shall crush" of this conquest, and "shall subdue" of obedience, good order and lawful government.

Dan 2:40 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The iron kingdom is Rome, which conquered nearly all nations and brought them under ordered government.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.40 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-40). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-40

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.41PG 81

μα΄. ε Καὶ ὅτι εἶδες τοὺς πόδας, καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους, μέρος μέν τι σιδήρου "", μέρος δέ τι ὀστράκου, βασιλεία ἄλλη "δ διῃρημένη ἔσται, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ῥίζης "5 τοῦ σιδήρου ἔσται ἐν αὐτῇ, ὃν τρόπον εἶδες τὸν σίδηρον ἀναμεμιγμένον τῷ ὀστράκῳ τῷ πῆλ'νῳ ""..» "Λλίην οὐ κατὰ τὸ " γένος εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῆς δυνάμεως. Εἰ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ γένος Α ἔλεγεν, ἄ.1.1η»ν εἶπεν ἂν αὐτὴν πέμπτην, ὥσπερ αὖ εἴρηκε τρίτην τε καὶ τετάρτην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀσθενέ στερα οἶδε τῆς σιδηρᾶς βασιλείας τὰ τέλη, τέθεικε διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Σφόὅρα γὰρ αὐτὴν ἰσχυροτάτην ἔδειξεν ἄνω " τοιαῦτα γὰρ αὐτῆς τὰ πρῶτα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐδὲ τὰ τελευταῖα αὐτῆς παντελῶς ἀσθενῆ ἔσεσθαι 5 λέγει. « ᾿Απὸ γὰρ τῆς ῥίζης, φησὶ, τοῦ σιδήρου ἕσται ἐν αὐτῇ, ὃν τρόπον εἶδες τὸν σίδηρον ἀναμεμιγμένον πῷ ὀστράκῳ τῷ πηλίνῳ δ΄ (μβ'.) Καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι τῶν ποδῶν, μέρος μέν τι σιδήρου 5, μέρος δέ τ' ὁστράκοῦ Ὦ,, Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἑρμηνείας προσδεῖται - αὐτὲς γὰρ ὁ Προφήτης ἑρμηνεύων, φησί" εὖ Μέρος τι τῆς βασιλείας ἔσται ἰσχυρὸν, καὶ ἀπ᾿ αὖτῆς ἔσται συντριδόμενον. » Τούτοις ἐπάγει"

ma΄. e Kai hoti eides tous podas, kai tous daktylous, meros men ti sidērou "", meros de ti ostrakou, basileia allē "d dię̄rēmenē estai, kai apo tēs rhizēs "5 tou sidērou estai en autę̄, hon tropon eides ton sidēron anamemigmenon tǭ ostrakǭ tǭ pēl'nǭ ""..» "Lliēn ou kata to " genos eipen, alla kata tēn poiotēta tēs dynameōs. Ei gar kata to genos A elegen, a.1.1ē»n eipen an autēn pemptēn, hōsper au eirēke tritēn te kai tetartēn. Epeidē de asthene stera oide tēs sidēras basileias ta telē, tetheike dia tēn astheneian, kai mala eikotōs. Sphoora gar autēn ischyrotatēn edeixen anō " toiauta gar autēs ta prōta. ᾿All᾽ homōs oude ta teleutaia autēs pantelōs asthenē esesthai 5 legei. « ᾿Apo gar tēs rhizēs, phēsi, tou sidērou hestai en autę̄, hon tropon eides ton sidēron anamemigmenon pǭ ostrakǭ tǭ pēlinǭ d΄ (mb'.) Kai hoi daktyloi tōn podōn, meros men ti sidērou 5, meros de t' hostrakou Ō,, Touto de oude tēs hēmeteras hermēneias prosdeitai - autes gar ho Prophētēs hermēneuōn, phēsi" eu Meros ti tēs basileias estai ischyron, kai ap᾿ autēs estai syntridomenon. » Toutois epagei"

41. "And since you saw the feet and the toes, partly of iron and partly of earthenware, it shall be another kingdom, divided, and some of the root of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with the clay earthenware." He said "another" not in kind but in the quality of its power. For if he had meant in kind, he would have called it "another, a fifth", just as he called the others third and fourth. But since he knows that the last stages of the iron kingdom are weaker, he wrote "another" because of the weakness, and very rightly; for above he showed it to be very strong, as its beginnings were. Yet he says that not even its last stages will be wholly weak. "For some of the root of the iron," he says, "shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with the clay earthenware. (42.) And the toes of the feet, partly of iron and partly of earthenware." This needs no interpretation of ours either, for the Prophet himself interprets it, saying: "Part of the kingdom will be strong, and part of it will be broken." To this he adds:

Dan 2:41–42 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The feet of iron mixed with clay are not a fifth kingdom but the Roman kingdom in a weaker final state, still partly strong.

The comment includes verse 42 (Migne's numeral in brackets).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus read into the text): 81: αὶ δὲ τοῦτο τέθεικεν; 35 βασ. )65. ἴῃ Β. ὃ ὅπου ἀνθρώπων. ἔχ Β τράχινον, μέρος δέ τι σιδηροῦν. Ἂ τό, 65. ἴῃ.Α οἱ Β ἰσχυρὰν καὶ κραταιάν. 3 σῇ, [)5. ἴῃ Β. τ βαᾳσ, Α ργηι. ἢ. 5 ἔστ. Α οἱ } ργθιι. ἥτις. ἰ 8. ὄντων, Β65. ἰη ἢ. 39. ἢ υἱῶν. “ τῆς. → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.41 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-41). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-41

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.43PG 81

μΥ΄. « Καὶ ὅτι εἶδες τὸν σίδηρον ἀναμεμιγμένον τῷ ὁστράκῳ τῷ πηλίνῳ δ", συμμιγεῖς ἔσονται ἐν σπέρματι ἀνθρώπων. ν Τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα δείκνυσιν, ὡς οὐκ ἑτέρα ἐστὶν αὐτὴ δ᾽ ἡ βασιλεία παρὰ τὸν σίδηρον, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ "6 αὐτὴ ἀσθενέστερον διαχειμένη, καὶ μέρος μὲν τι αὐτῆς ἰσχυρὸν, μέρος δὲ Τ᾽ ἀσθενές " συγγενείας δὲ ὅμως θεσμὸς συνάψει τὴν ἀσθενῆ μοῖραν τῇ ἰσχυρᾷ. Τὸ γὰρ, « Συμμιγεῖς ἔσονται ἐν σπέρματι ἀνθρώπων, » τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Ἐπιμιξία, φησὶ, τὶς ξσται καὶ ἐπιγαμία τούτων κἀκείνων, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἡ διχόνοια τὰ τῆς συγγενείας δίκαια διαφθερεῖ. Οὐκ ἔσονται γὰρ, φησὶ, προσχολλώμενοι οὗτος μετὰ τούτου, καθὼς ὁ σίδηρος οὐκ ἀναμίγνυται τῷ ὀστράκῳ. Ἥμεϊς μὲν οὖν δ οὕτω τὴν ἑρμηνείαν Κ τοῦ θεσπε- ε σίου Δανιὴλ νενοήκαμεν" προσήκει δὲ καὶ ἐνίων τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν ἡρμηνευχότων τὰς δόξας εἰς μέσον παραγαγεῖν " οὕτω γὰρ ἐναργέστερον ἡ ἀλήθεια δειχθῆσεται. Τινὲς τοίνυν τῶν συγγραφέων τὴν τετάρτην βασιλείαν, τουτέστι τὸν σίδηρον, ᾿Αλέξανδρον ἔφασαν εἶναι τὸν Μακεδόνα - τοὺς δὲ πόδας καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους τῶν πυδῶν ἐκ σιδήρου καὶ ὁστράκου συγχειμένους, τοὺς μετ᾽ αὑτὸν βασιλεύσαντας Μακεδόνας, Δημητρίους, τοὺς μὲν ἀσθενῶς, τοὺς δὲ λίαν ἀνδρικῶς χρατήσαντας, καὶ ἐπιγαμίαν δὲ ποιησαμένους καὶ τὴν ἀλλήλων “5 ἁἀσπασαμένους συγγένειαν. Ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι τὴν κεραλὴν τὴν χρυσῆν αὑτὸν ἔφη εἶναι τὸν Ναδουχοδονόσορ, τουτἐστι, τὴν τῶν Βαδυλωνίων, εἴτουν ᾿Ασσυρίων, βασι- λείαν διεδέξατο δὲ αὐτὴν ἡ Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων βασιλεία κατὰ ταυτόν" ὁ γὰρ Κῦρος ἐξ ἑκατέρου ἔθνους ἣν ὁρμώμενος, καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων κρατῶν, τῶν Βαδυλωνίων καταλύσας δ΄ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκράτησε "5 τῶν Περτῶν᾽ τὴν δὲ Περσῶν δευτέραν οὖσαν ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδὼν καταλύει, καὶ αὐτὸν ἔφη ὁ μακάριος: Δαν:ἢλ χυριεῦται πάσης τῆς γῆς. Ταύτην τὴν 5 βασιλείαν τρίτην" ὠνόμασεν" οὐδεμία δε αὖτὴν ἑτέρα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων διεδέξατο, Ἔδει "9 τοιγαροῦν δ᾽ αὐτοὺς πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, καὶ τῶν παραδηλωθέντων πραγμάτων συνιέναι, καὶ μαθεῖν, ὡς τρίτη ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν δ᾽ Μακεδόνων βασιλεία, τουτέστιν ὁ χαικός " τετάρτη δὲ ἣ Ῥωμαίων, του:ἐστιν ὁ σίδηρος Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὅλως ἀσαφέστερα "" αὖτοῖς ἔδοξεν εἶναι ἐκεῖνα, ἀπὸ γοῦν τοῦ τέλους ἔδει πᾶσαν διαγνῶναι τὴν πρόῤῥησιν " εὐθὺς γὰρ μετὰ τὸ. δεῖξαι τῆς σιδηρᾶς βασιλείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς χεὶ ὀστράκινον τέλος, ἐπήγαγε"

mY΄. « Kai hoti eides ton sidēron anamemigmenon tǭ hostrakǭ tǭ pēlinǭ d", symmigeis esontai en spermati anthrōpōn. n Touto de malista deiknysin, hōs ouk hetera estin autē d᾽ hē basileia para ton sidēron, all᾽ hē "6 autē asthenesteron diacheimenē, kai meros men ti autēs ischyron, meros de T᾽ asthenes " syngeneias de homōs thesmos synapsei tēn asthenē moiran tę̄ ischyrą. To gar, « Symmigeis esontai en spermati anthrōpōn, » touto dēloi. Epimixia, phēsi, tis xstai kai epigamia toutōn kakeinōn, all᾽ homōs hē dichonoia ta tēs syngeneias dikaia diaphtherei. Ouk esontai gar, phēsi, proschollōmenoi houtos meta toutou, kathōs ho sidēros ouk anamignytai tǭ ostrakǭ. Hēmeïs men oun d houtō tēn hermēneian K tou thespe- e siou Daniēl nenoēkamen" prosēkei de kai eniōn tōn pro hēmōn hērmēneuchotōn tas doxas eis meson paragagein " houtō gar enargesteron hē alētheia deichthēsetai. Tines toinyn tōn syngrapheōn tēn tetartēn basileian, toutesti ton sidēron, ᾿Alexandron ephasan einai ton Makedona - tous de podas kai tous daktylous tōn pydōn ek sidērou kai hostrakou syncheimenous, tous met᾽ hauton basileusantas Makedonas, Dēmētrious, tous men asthenōs, tous de lian andrikōs chratēsantas, kai epigamian de poiēsamenous kai tēn allēlōn “5 haaspasamenous syngeneian. Edei de autous synidein, prōton men hoti tēn keralēn tēn chrysēn hauton ephē einai ton Nadouchodonosor, toutesti, tēn tōn Badylōniōn, eitoun ᾿Assyriōn, basi- leian diedexato de autēn hē Persōn kai Mēdōn basileia kata tauton" ho gar Kyros ex hekaterou ethnous hēn hormōmenos, kai toutōn kakeinōn kratōn, tōn Badylōniōn katalysas d΄ tēn basileian ekratēse "5 tōn Pertōn᾽ tēn de Persōn deuteran ousan ᾿Alexandros ho Makedōn katalyei, kai auton ephē ho makarios: Dan:ēl chyrieutai pasēs tēs gēs. Tautēn tēn 5 basileian tritēn" ōnomasen" oudemia de autēn hetera, all᾽ hē tōn Rhōmaiōn diedexato, Edei "9 toigaroun d᾽ autous prōton men ek tou arithmou, kai tōn paradēlōthentōn pragmatōn synienai, kai mathein, hōs tritē estin hē tōn d᾽ Makedonōn basileia, toutestin ho chaikos " tetartē de hē Rhōmaiōn, tou:estin ho sidēros Ei de kai holōs asaphestera "" autois edoxen einai ekeina, apo goun tou telous edei pasan diagnōnai tēn prorrhēsin " euthys gar meta to. deixai tēs sidēras basileias to asthenes chei ostrakinon telos, epēgage"

43. "And since you saw the iron mixed with the clay earthenware, they will be mixed in the seed of men." This shows most of all that this kingdom is not another besides the iron, but the same in a weaker condition, part of it strong and part weak; and yet a bond of kinship will join the weak portion to the strong. That is what "They will be mixed in the seed of men" shows. There will be, he says, some mingling and intermarriage between these and those, but discord will destroy the claims of kinship. "For they will not cling," he says, "one to the other, just as iron does not mix with earthenware." This, then, is how we have understood the interpretation of the inspired Daniel. But it is fitting also to bring forward the opinions of some who interpreted it before us; for so the truth will be shown more clearly. Some writers, then, have said that the fourth kingdom, the iron, is Alexander the Macedonian, and that the feet and the toes made of iron and earthenware are the Macedonians who reigned after him, the Demetriuses, some of whom ruled weakly and others very valiantly, who also intermarried and embraced kinship with one another. But they should have noticed, first, that he said the head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar himself, that is, the kingdom of the Babylonians or Assyrians; and that the kingdom of the Persians and Medes succeeded it as one, for Cyrus sprang from both nations and ruled both, and when he had destroyed the kingdom of the Babylonians he ruled the Persians. The Persian kingdom, the second, Alexander the Macedonian destroyed, and blessed Daniel said of him that he would rule over all the earth. This kingdom he named the third; and no other succeeded it but that of the Romans. They should therefore have understood first from the numbering, and from the events indicated, and learned that the third kingdom is that of the Macedonians, that is, the bronze, and the fourth that of the Romans, that is, the iron. And even if those points seemed to them altogether too obscure, they should at least have recognized the whole prophecy from its end; for immediately after showing the weak, earthenware end of the iron kingdom, he added:

Dan 2:43 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:38–39 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The mixing of iron and clay means intermarriage within one weakened kingdom; Theodoret rejects interpreters who made the iron Alexander and the feet his Macedonian successors.

Theodoret does not name the earlier interpreters who took the fourth kingdom to be Alexander's; the view is found in Porphyry and in some Christian writers.
"The Demetriuses": the Seleucid and Macedonian kings of that name; the OCR may have lost a second name after it.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word βασιλείαν; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word τουτέστι; apparatus and Latin column read into the text): δ} ον : ἰδίαν ἴῃ πῆς φ96πιοηἴ 4} ἀν] ηἱ Ὁ 4 η160}}8 ἔπ πίοπος ἰπ πηδύϊην αἰ άποδν : (4. “ δε ἶπὶ αν πεῖ 5 → ; Β φυΐάθπιν πὸ → ; αὖ. Ὀ65. ἴη Β. 59 Β ἀσθενῇ παυτ. δ τῷ πηλ. )65. ἰπ Δ, ὅδ στ, αὖτ. ἢ αὕτη. 5 τὴν ἐρμ.. ἢ Π ρον ιν Ῥοϑι Δανιήλ, 0 καὶ τ, ἀλλ΄, δι πῷ πτλι Εκ ἢ ὅς ἢ Ὅον, 3 σιδηροῦν. ὅδ ὁστράκινον. ἴω. ΒΒ. δ δέ, Β αὐ4. τί. 88 οὖν. [)ὺ5.. ὄν Εν ἃ εαρρῖ. δ᾽ κατὶ Β ρησ, γάρ. κ᾽ Βὲ ἐχρά- [ἀγτοὶ σοφεΐ ἐμ} ἢ θὰ δὲ Ποι 6 ἤμποια, πο ΓΕΙ ποία, Οοπιρίηπδὶ οἱ νϑη ἢ] 411 οπμΐα ἴσνη, Δι Γα πὶ, » οἱ δά πἢ} 1} πὸ Θὰ ργοῦϑυβ τϑάϊρεῖ : Α → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.43 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-43). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-43

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-interpretatio-danielem-2-43) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.44PG 81

μδ'. « Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέρχις τῶν βασιλέων "7 ἐχείγων. » Τουτέστι, τοῦ ὁστρακίνου καὶ τοῦ σιδηροῦ “ τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν ἐχόντων, καὶ τὴν μετ᾽ 55 ἀλλήλων συγγένειαν ἀσπασαμένων, ὁμόνοιαν δὲ μηδὲ ἐκ τῆς συγ- « ᾿Αναστήσει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ βασιλείαν, ἧτι: Β εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας οὐ διαφθαρήσεται, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ λαῷ ἑτέρῳ οὐκ ὑπολειφθήσεται. Λεπτυνεῖ καὶ λιχμήσει πάσας τὰς βασιλείας, καὶ αὐτὴ στήσεται 9 εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. (με'.) Ὃν τρόπον εἶδες, ὅτι ἐτμήθη 1! ἀπὸ ὄρους λίθος ἄνευ χειρῶν, καὶ ἐλέπτυνε τὸ ὄστρακον, καὶ τὸν σίδηρον, τὸν χαλκὸν, τὸν ἄργυρον, τὸν χρυσόν. » Ταῦτα δὲ ἀντικρὺς δείκνυσι τῶν μὲν παρόντων πραγμάτων τὸ τέλος, τῆς δὲ τῶν οὐρὰνῦν βασιλείας τὸ ἀτελεύτητον. Τῆς γὰρ σιδηρᾶς βασιλείας ἀσθενῶς 1" διατεθείσης, καὶ τοῦ ὀστράκου τὴν ἐπιμιἄνευ χειρῶν, καὶ λεπτυνεῖ τὸ ὅὄστραχον, τὸν σίδηρον καὶ 15 τὸν χαλκὸν, τὸν ἄργυρον, τὸν χρυσὲν, » καὶ φροῦδα ποιήσει παντελῶς, καὶ ἀδιάδοχον, καὶ αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀπέραντον βασιλείαν τοῖς ἀξίοις παρέξει. ας Εἰς γὰρ τοὺς αἰῶνας, φησὶν, οὐ διαφθαρήσεται, καὶ λαῷ ἑτέρῳ οὐκ ὑπολειφθήσετας" καὶ λεπτυνεῖ, καὶ δαμάσει πάτας τὰς βατιλείας, καὶ αὐτὴ στήσεται εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. » Εἰ δέ τις ξυγομαχεΐξ, καὶ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχειν Ἶ" οὐ βούλεται, δειξάτω τί τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων 15 αἰώνιον, ποία δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βασιλεία τέλος οὐ λήψεται, Εὔηθες γὰρ καὶ λίαν ἀνόητον, συντέλειαν μὲν ἀναμένειν τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος, βασιλείαν δὲ τινα λέγειν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀτελεύτητον ἔσεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς συνδοκεῖ διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων τὴν δοθησομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ βασιλείαν τοῖς ἀξίοις σημαίνεσθαι, οὐκ ἄρα τὴν Μαχεδονιχὴν βασιλείαν ὠνόμασε σίδηρον" οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκείνης κρατούσης ὁ παρὼν βίος ἐδέξατο τέλος, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ Ῥωμαϊκὴ τὴν Μαχεδονιχὴν καταλύσασα χατέχε: τῇς οἰκουμένης τοὺς οἴακας. Εἰ δέ φασι τὴν προτέραν τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίαν διὰ τούτιυν τῶν λόγων σημαίνεσθαι, δειξάτωσαν χαταλυθεῖσαν τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγενομίαν εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφάνειαν. Πᾶν γὰρ τοὐναντίον ἔστιν εὑρεῖν 75, χρατυνθεῖσαν αὐτὴν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ χαταλυθεῖσαν ἅμα τῇ τὸν Σωτῆρος γεννήσει. Αὐγούστου γὰρ βασιλεύοντος ὁ Δεσποτιχὸς ἐγένετο 77 τόκος, Ὃς δεύτερος μὲν ἐδακ᾽ σἔλευσε, πάντα; δὲ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν. ἀνθρώπους Α ὑπηκόους ἐποιήσατο, ἀπεγράψατό τὸ πᾶπαν τὴν εἰχουμένην κατὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων φωνὴν, καὶ δασμὸν φέρειν ἐνομοθέτησεν, Ὑπ’ ἐχείνου δὲ ἡ Ῥωμαίων κρατυνθεῖσα βασιλεία μέχρι καὶ νῦν διήρκεσεν. Οὐκοῦν εἰ 15 ἡ προτέρα γέννησις τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν οὐ κατέλυσε, λείπεται ποίνυν αὑτοῦ τὴν δευτέραν νοεῖν 1" ἐπιφάνειαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἤδη πρότερον τμηθεὶς λίθος ἄνευ χειρῶν, καὶ 39 γενόμενος εἰς ὅρος μέγα, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην χαλύψας, οὗτος " ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ παρουσίᾳ πατάξει τὴν εἰκόνα ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας τοὺς ὀστραχίνους, τουτέστιν,. ἂν αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει τῆς σιδηρᾶς φανήσεται βασιλείας, ἀσθενοῦς ἤδη γεγενημένης " καὶ πάσας μὲν καταλύσει τὰς ἡγεμονίας, καὶ λήθῃ τινὶ παραδώσει, τὴν δὲ αἰώνιον 5 αὑτοῦ βασιλείαν τοῖς ἀξίοις παρέξει. Ταῦθ᾽ Β οὕτως ἑρμηνεύσας ὁ Δανιὴλ ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγεν" « Ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας ἐγνώρισε τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα. Καὶ ἀληθινὸν τὸ ἐνύπνιον, καὶ πιστὴ ἡ σύγκρισις αὐτοῦ. » “Ἄξιον δὲ θαυμάσαι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων περὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους κηδεμονίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς δυσσεθδείᾳ συζῶντας τῆς οἱκείας προμηθείας γυμνοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους πάσης ἐπιμελείας ἀξιοζ, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει τοῦτον τὸν βάρδαρον, καὶ θηριώδη, καὶ δυσσεδῇ οὐ ἐτημέλητον, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τῶν ἀποκαλύψεων τῆς εὐκληρίας τοῦ παρόντος βίου δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐπέκηρον, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῆς τὸ ὀξύῤῥοπον, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν μόνιμον τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης εὐημερίας, ἀλλὰ δίκην ἀνθῶν ἣ κρίνων μαραίνεται ἣ δ" σδέν- Καὶ ἰκανὰ δ᾽ ταῦτα ἦν τὴν ἀλαζονικὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τετυφωμένην ὀφρὺν καταλῦσαι, καὶ πεῖσαι φρονεῖν ἀνθρώπινα, καὶ ἀναμένειν καὶ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ βασιλείας 55 τὸ τέλο:. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν διὰ τούτων αὐτοῦ ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ἔπειτα τῇ λήθῃ ποῦ ἐνυπνίου ἐλέγχει τὴν τῶν μάγων καὶ Χαλδαίων ψευδολογίαν " δείκνυσι δὲ τὴν τῶν οἰκείων θεραπόντων ἀλήθειαν, καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν θεραπόντων σοφίας τὴν θείαν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν παραδηλοῖ, καὶ εἰς προσκύνησιν ἕλκει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας, μᾶλλον δὲ τοὺς τὴν παρὰ πάντων ἀπαιτοῦντας προσκύνησιν τοὺς ἁγίους αὑτοῦ θεράποντας προσκυνεῖν ἀναγκάζει. Καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἢ ἱστορία διδάσκει.

md'. « Kai en tais hēmerchis tōn basileōn "7 echeigōn. » Toutesti, tou hostrakinou kai tou sidērou “ tēn epimixian echontōn, kai tēn met᾽ 55 allēlōn syngeneian aspasamenōn, homonoian de mēde ek tēs syg- « ᾿Anastēsei ho Theos tou ouranou basileian, hēti: B eis tous aiōnas ou diaphtharēsetai, kai hē basileia autou laǭ heterǭ ouk hypoleiphthēsetai. Leptynei kai lichmēsei pasas tas basileias, kai autē stēsetai 9 eis tous aiōnas. (me'.) Hon tropon eides, hoti etmēthē 1! apo orous lithos aneu cheirōn, kai eleptyne to ostrakon, kai ton sidēron, ton chalkon, ton argyron, ton chryson. » Tauta de antikrys deiknysi tōn men parontōn pragmatōn to telos, tēs de tōn ouranyn basileias to ateleutēton. Tēs gar sidēras basileias asthenōs 1" diatetheisēs, kai tou ostrakou tēn epimianeu cheirōn, kai leptynei to hoostrachon, ton sidēron kai 15 ton chalkon, ton argyron, ton chrysen, » kai phrouda poiēsei pantelōs, kai adiadochon, kai aiōnion, kai aperanton basileian tois axiois parexei. as Eis gar tous aiōnas, phēsin, ou diaphtharēsetai, kai laǭ heterǭ ouk hypoleiphthēsetas" kai leptynei, kai damasei patas tas batileias, kai autē stēsetai eis tous aiōnas. » Ei de tis xygomacheïx, kai tauth᾽ houtōs echein I" ou bouletai, deixatō ti tōn anthrōpinōn 15 aiōnion, poia de tōn anthrōpōn basileia telos ou lēpsetai, Euēthes gar kai lian anoēton, synteleian men anamenein tou parontos aiōnos, basileian de tina legein kata ton paronta bion ateleutēton esesthai. Ei de kai autois syndokei dia toutōn tōn logōn tēn dothēsomenēn hypo tou theou basileian tois axiois sēmainesthai, ouk ara tēn Machedonichēn basileian ōnomase sidēron" oude gar ekeinēs kratousēs ho parōn bios edexato telos, all᾽ hē Rhōmaïkē tēn Machedonichēn katalysasa chateche: tę̄s oikoumenēs tous oiakas. Ei de phasi tēn proteran tou Kyriou parousian dia toutiyn tōn logōn sēmainesthai, deixatōsan chatalytheisan tēn tōn Rhōmaiōn hēgenomian euthys meta tēn tou Sōtēros hēmōn epiphaneian. Pan gar tounantion estin heurein 75, chratyntheisan autēn, all᾽ ou chatalytheisan hama tę̄ ton Sōtēros gennēsei. Augoustou gar basileuontos ho Despotichos egeneto 77 tokos, Hos deuteros men edak᾽ seleuse, panta? de hōs epos eipein. anthrōpous A hypēkoous epoiēsato, apegrapsato to papan tēn eichoumenēn kata tēn tōn Euangeliōn phōnēn, kai dasmon pherein enomothetēsen, Hyp’ echeinou de hē Rhōmaiōn kratyntheisa basileia mechri kai nyn diērkesen. Oukoun ei 15 hē protera gennēsis tou Kyriou tēn Rhōmaiōn hēgemonian ou katelyse, leipetai poinyn hautou tēn deuteran noein 1" epiphaneian. Ho gar ēdē proteron tmētheis lithos aneu cheirōn, kai 39 genomenos eis horos mega, kai tēn oikoumenēn chalypsas, houtos " en tę̄ deuterą parousią pataxei tēn eikona epi tous podas tous ostrachinous, toutestin,. an autǭ tǭ telei tēs sidēras phanēsetai basileias, asthenous ēdē gegenēmenēs " kai pasas men katalysei tas hēgemonias, kai lēthę̄ tini paradōsei, tēn de aiōnion 5 hautou basileian tois axiois parexei. Tauth᾽ B houtōs hermēneusas ho Daniēl anankaiōs epēgagen" « Ho theos ho megas egnōrise tǭ basilei, ha dei genesthai meta tauta. Kai alēthinon to enypnion, kai pistē hē synkrisis autou. » “Axion de thaumasai tēn tou Theou tōn holōn peri pantas anthrōpous kēdemonian. Oude gar tous dyssethdeią syzōntas tēs hoikeias promētheias gymnoi, alla kai toutous pasēs epimeleias axioz, hōsper amelei touton ton bardaron, kai thēriōdē, kai dyssedę̄ ou etēmelēton, alla prōton men dia tōn apokalypseōn tēs euklērias tou parontos biou deiknysin autǭ to epekēron, kai tēs basileias autēs to oxyrrhopon, kai hoti ouden monimon tēs anthrōpinēs euēmerias, alla dikēn anthōn hē krinōn marainetai hē d" sden- Kai ikana d᾽ tauta ēn tēn alazonikēn autou kai tetyphōmenēn ophryn katalysai, kai peisai phronein anthrōpina, kai anamenein kai tēs zōēs kai basileias 55 to telo:. Prōton men oun dia toutōn autou poieitai tēn epimeleian, epeita tę̄ lēthę̄ pou enypniou elenchei tēn tōn magōn kai Chaldaiōn pseudologian " deiknysi de tēn tōn oikeiōn therapontōn alētheian, kai dia tēs tōn therapontōn sophias tēn theian autou dynamin paradēloi, kai eis proskynēsin helkei tēn heautou tous agnoountas, mallon de tous tēn para pantōn apaitountas proskynēsin tous hagious hautou therapontas proskynein anankazei. Kai touto hēmas ē historia didaskei.

44. "And in the days of those kings": that is, of the earthenware and iron ones, who have intermingled and embraced kinship with one another, yet [have] no concord even from the kinship … "the God of heaven will raise up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and his kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush and winnow all the kingdoms, and it will stand for ever. (45.) Just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain without hands, and it crushed the earthenware, the iron, the bronze, the silver and the gold." These words plainly show the end of present things and the endlessness of the kingdom of heaven. For when the iron kingdom is in a weak condition and has the mixture of earthenware, [the stone cut] without hands "will crush the earthenware, the iron and the bronze, the silver and the gold," will make them vanish altogether, and will grant to the worthy a kingdom without successor, eternal and without limit. "For it will never be destroyed," he says, "and will not be left to another people; and it will crush and subdue all the kingdoms, and it will stand for ever." If anyone is contentious and will not have it so, let him show what human thing is eternal, or what kingdom of human beings will not come to an end. For it is foolish and quite senseless to expect the consummation of the present age and yet to say that some kingdom in this present life will be endless. And if they too agree that these words signify the kingdom to be given by God to the worthy, then he did not call the Macedonian kingdom iron; for the present life did not come to its end while that kingdom ruled, but the Roman kingdom destroyed the Macedonian and holds the helm of the world. And if they say that these words signify the Lord's first coming, let them show that the empire of the Romans was destroyed immediately after the appearing of our Savior. One can find exactly the opposite: it was strengthened, not destroyed, at the time of the Savior's birth. For the Master's birth took place in the reign of Augustus, who was the second to reign [as emperor] and who made virtually all people his subjects, registered the whole world, as the Gospels say, and made a law that tribute be paid. Strengthened by him, the kingdom of the Romans has lasted until now. If, then, the Lord's first birth did not destroy the empire of the Romans, it remains to understand his second appearing. The stone already cut long ago without hands, which became a great mountain and covered the world, will at the second coming strike the image on its feet of earthenware: that is, he will appear at the very end of the iron kingdom, when it has already become weak; he will destroy all the empires and give them over to oblivion, and grant his eternal kingdom to the worthy. Having interpreted it in this way, Daniel necessarily added: "The great God has made known to the king what must happen after these things. And the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy." It is worth marveling at the care of the God of the universe for all people. He does not strip even those who live in impiety of his providence but deems them too worthy of all care, just as he did not leave this barbarous, savage and impious man uncared for. First, through the revelations, he shows him how perishable is the good fortune of the present life and how swiftly kingship itself turns, and that nothing in human prosperity lasts, but like flowers or lilies it withers and is quenched. This was enough to destroy his boastful and conceited pride, to persuade him to think human thoughts, and to look for the end both of his life and of his kingship. First, then, he cares for him in this way; then by the forgetting of the dream he exposes the lies of the magi and Chaldeans, shows the truthfulness of his own servants, through the wisdom of his servants points to his own divine power, and draws to his worship those who did not know him; or rather, he compels those who demand worship from everyone to worship his holy servants. And the history teaches us this.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 2:44–45 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 2:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 2:34–35 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 40:6–8 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The everlasting kingdom that crushes the statue is Christ's kingdom at his second coming, not at his first, since Rome grew stronger under Augustus; God cared even for the impious king by humbling his pride.

The comment includes verse 45 (Migne's numeral in brackets).
Lines are lost in the OCR after "no concord even from the kinship" and after "has the mixture of earthenware"; bracketed words are supplied for sense.
"The second to reign": Augustus, counted as the second emperor after Julius Caesar; the word is partly lost in the OCR.
Theodoret's opponents here are again those who make the fourth kingdom Macedonian (see 2.43).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word σβέννυται; apparatus read into the text, splitting the word ἐβασίλευσε): Βτοίνυν πρῶτον αὐτούς. “ τῶν. Π65. 'ι ἢ. ὁαστράχου καὶ τοῦ σιδήρου. 53 Β μέν. ἀσθενέστερον. 73 καί, [)65. ιν Π.. γένητα:. Ἴ9.Α εἱ Β ἀναστήσεται. 7: τὸ 8 ταῦτα ἔχειν οὕτως. “1 α βασιλειῶν. 45. Β τῶν τοῦ ἰδεῖν. 7 Β γε- 96 Β σαφέστερα. → ; δ 6 0}} : « [)6115 πᾶ σπι5 ἐπα ἰ σαν Γασὶ 401 → ; ς 46, οἵ νυτσι. → .

Topics: Christology, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.44 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-44). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-44

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.