Читать толкование: , Глава , стих . Толкователь — Иероним Стридонский блаженный

CONFUSIONS REGARDING THE NAME DARIUS. JEROME: This is the Darius who in cooperation with Cyrus conquered the Chaldeans and Babylonians. We are not to think of that other Darius in the second year of whose reign the temple was built (as Porphyry supposes in making out a late date for Daniel); nor are we to think of the Darius who was vanquished by Alexander, the king of the Macedonians. He therefore adds the name of his father and also refers to his victory, inasmuch as he was the first of the race of the Medes to overthrow the kingdom of the Chaldeans. He does this to avoid any mistake in the reading that might arise from the similarity of the name. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.1-2.

DANIEL AVOIDS CARELESSNESS. JEROME: Jeremiah had predicted seventy years for the desolation of the temple, at the end of which the people would again return to Judea and build the temple and the city of Jerusalem. However, this fact did not render Daniel careless but rather encouraged him to pray that God might through his supplications fulfill that which he had graciously promised. Thus he avoided the danger that carelessness might result in pride, and pride cause offense to the Lord. Accordingly we read in Genesis that prior to the deluge, 120 years were appointed for humankind to come to repentance; and as they refused to repent even within so long an interval of time as a hundred years, God did not wait for the remaining twenty years to be fulfilled but brought on the punishment earlier that he had threatened for a later time. So also Jeremiah is told, on account of the hardness of the heart of the Jewish people: “Pray not for this people, for I will not hearken to you.” Samuel also was told, “How long will you mourn over Saul? I also have rejected him.” And so it was with sackcloth and ashes that Daniel requested God to fulfill what he had promised, not because Daniel lacked faith concerning the future, but because he would rather avoid the danger that a feeling of security might produce carelessness, for carelessness in turn might produce an offense to God. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.2.

GOD’S PROMISES ARE TRUTHFUL. JEROME: It is not therefore the case that what God promises will come to pass without further ado, but rather he fulfills his promises toward those who keep his commandments. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.4.

GOD IS MERCIFUL AND JUST. JEROME: Concerning the same God of whom Daniel had previously said, “To you, O Lord, belongs justice,” he now says (since the Lord is not only just but also merciful): “To you belongs mercy.” He says this in order that he might call on the judge to show mercy, after his sentence has been imposed. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.8.

WE CAN TAKE ONLY A DROPLET OF GOD’S FURY. JEROME: That is, you have not poured out on us all your wrath, for we should not have been able to bear it, but you have poured forth a mere droplet of your fury, in order that we might return to you once we have been enmeshed in your snare. . . . In Deuteronomy, we read the curses and blessings of the Lord, which were afterwards uttered in Mount Gerizim and Ebal on the righteous and on the sinners. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.11.

THEY DID NOT TURN TO GOD. JEROME: Their stubbornness was so great that even in the midst of their toils they would not entreat God, and even if they had entreated him, it would not have been a genuine entreaty, because they had not turned back from their iniquities. Yet to consider the truth of God is equivalent to turning back from iniquity. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.13.

A SIGN OF DIVINE WATCHFULNESS. JEROME: Whenever we are rebuked because of our sins, God is keeping watch over us and visiting us with discipline. But whenever we are left alone by God and we do not suffer judgment but are unworthy of the Lord’s rebuke, then he is said to slumber. And so we read in the Psalms as well: “The Lord has risen up as one who was slumbering or as a man out of a drunken sleep.” For our wickedness and iniquity inflames God with wine, and whenever it is rebuked in our case, God is said to be keeping careful watch and to be rising up out of his drowsy sleep, in order that we who are drunken with sin may be made to pay careful heed to righteousness. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.14.

MEMORY OF DIVINE KINDNESS. JEROME: Daniel remembers God’s ancient kindness in order that he may appeal to him for a similar act of clemency. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 9.15.