The Prophet Daniel

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

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- Chapter 14 -

And so Daniel was living with the king, and he was honored above all his friends.(a)

Now there was an idol with the Babylonians named Bel. And each day there was expended on him twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.(b)

The king likewise worshipped him and went each day to adore him, but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him, “Why do you not adore Bel?”

And answering, he said to him, “Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth, and who holds power over all flesh.”

And the king said to him, “Does not Bel seem to you to be a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?”

Then Daniel said, smiling, “O king, do not make a mistake, for this one is clay on the inside and brass on the outside, and he has never eaten.”

And the king, being angry, called for his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who it is that has eaten these expenses, you will die.

But if you can show that Bel has eaten these, Daniel will die, because he has blasphemed against Bel.” And Daniel said to the king, “Let it be according to your word.”(c)

Now the priests of Bel were seventy, besides their wives, and little ones, and sons. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.(d)

And the priests of Bel said, “Behold, we are going out, and you, O king, set out the meats, and mix the wine, and close the door, and seal it with your ring.(e)

And when you have entered in the morning, if you have not found that Bel has consumed all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel will, who has lied against us.”

But they had no concern because they had made a secret entrance under the table, and they always went in through it and devoured those things.

And so it happened, after they had departed, that the king set the foods before Bel, and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them throughout the temple in the sight of the king, and, as they left, they shut the door, and after sealing it with the king’s ring, they departed.

But the priests entered by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their sons, and they ate and drank everything.

But the king arose at first light, and Daniel with him.

And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” And he answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”

And as soon as he had opened the door, the king stared at the table, and cried out with a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with you.”

And Daniel laughed, and he held back the king, so that he would not enter, and he said, “Look at the pavement, notice whose footsteps these are.”

And the king said, “I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children.” And the king was angry.

Then he apprehended the priests, and their wives, and their sons, and they showed him the secret doors through which they entered and consumed the things that were on the table.

Therefore, the king slaughtered them and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who overturned him and his temple.(f)

And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.(g)

And the king said to Daniel, “Behold, now you cannot say that this is not a living god; therefore, adore him.”

And Daniel said, “I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God. But that one is not a living god.

Therefore, you give me the power, O king, and I will execute this dragon without sword or club.” And the king said, “I give it to you.”

And so Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and cooked them together. And he made lumps and put them into the dragon’s mouth, and the dragon burst open. And he said, “Behold, this is what you worship.”

When the Babylonians had heard this, they were greatly indignant. And gathering together against the king, they said, “The king has become a Jew. He has destroyed Bel, he has executed the dragon, and he has slaughtered the priests.”(h)

And when they came to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, otherwise we will execute you and your house.”(i)

Thus the king saw that they pressured him vehemently, and so, being compelled by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them.

And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there for six days.(j)

Furthermore, in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep, but then they were not given to them, so that they would devour Daniel.

Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk, and he had cooked a small meal and had broken bread in a bowl, and he was going into the field, to bring it to the harvesters.(k)

And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Carry the meal that you have into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.”

And Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know the den.”

And the angel of the Lord seized him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, by the force of his spirit.

And Habakkuk shouted, saying, “Daniel, servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.”

And Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not abandoned those who love you.”

And Daniel arose and ate. And then the angel of the Lord immediately returned Habakkuk to his place.

And so, on the seventh day, the king came to mourn Daniel. And he came to the den, and gazed in, and behold, Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.

And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Great are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he pulled him out of the lions’ den.

Furthermore, those who had been the cause of his downfall, he hurled into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.

Then the king said, “Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel. For he is the Savior, working signs and miracles on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”(l)

Footnotes

(a)14:1 The king’s guest:It seems most probable, that the king here spoken of was Evilmerodach, the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar, and a great favourer of the Jews.(Challoner)

(b)14:2 Artabae is an Egyptian unit of measure equivalent to 3.5 Roman measures or about 7 gallons.(Conte)

(c)14:8 Fiat means “let it be” or “let it be done” or “may it be done.” The form of the word is subjunctive, present tense.(Conte)

(d)14:9 The word filiis literally means sons, but is sometimes used to refer to a group of children, including both boys and girls. The male term is used to denote both males and female, as in mankind (or man), or brethren, because men are intended by God to be leaders in the Church, the family, and society.(Conte)

(e)14:10 The wine is most likely mixed with water. The use of the term “mix the wine” might seem strange, but in ancient times they mixed wine with water. The alcohol purified the water and the water prevented the wine from too easily causing drunkenness.(Conte)

(f)14:21 The king “occidit,” that is, slaughtered them. He did not interfecit, put them to death by execution. In other words, the king did not give them a trial, nor send them to prison to await formal execution. He merely ordered their immediate deaths by his soldiers.(Conte)

(g)14:22 The word draco, dragon, can also mean snake. It most likely refers to some unusual type of animal kept by the Babylonians. This was not so unusual. The Roman leaders used to obtain and keep unusual animals from far off lands, including lions and other animals brought to Rome from Africa.(Conte)

(h)14:27 The dragon’s death was an execution by authority (interfecit), whereas the priests where killed where they stood.(Conte)

(i)14:28 An insurrection is threatened whereby the other leaders in the kingdom would rise up and take power, then put the king to death by a formal execution. They were not threatening merely to kill the king.(Conte)

(j)14:30 The den of lions:Daniel was twice cast into the den of lions; one under Darius the Mede, because he had transgressed the king’s edict, by praying three times a day: and another time under Evilmerodach by a sedition of the people. This time he remained six days in the lions’ den; the other time only one night.(Challoner)

(k)14:32 Habacuc:The same, as some think whose prophecy is found among the lesser prophets but others believe him to be different.(Challoner)

(l)14:42 The word mirabilia means wonders or miracles.(Conte)