The Book of Daniel (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC)
Overview
The book of Daniel was written as resistance literature, to strengthen and console loyal Jews of the second century BC who had to endure religious, economic, and social oppression at the hands of Antiochus I. The inspiring stories in which Daniel and his companions Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survive the ordeals of the lions’ den and the fiery furnace dramatize for believers of all time the ultimate test of faith—the willingness to risk one’s life for one’s beliefs.
The book of Daniel also includes the famous incident of “the handwriting on the wall” and recounts the four vivid dream-visions or apocalypses which, through symbols and signs, offered interpretations of history and predictions of future deliverance.
Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. Di Lella have revealed the profound religious and human dimensions of the Daniel stories. They present Daniel as a colorful and dramatic hero unique in biblical literature—an enduring symbol of hope and salvation for all men and women of faith who must suffer for their beliefs.
- Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
- Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
- Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
- Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature
- Daniel and His Companions at the Court of Nebuchadnezzar (1:1–21)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Composite Statue (2:1–49)
- Worship of the Golden Image (3:1–30)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s Insanity (3:31–4:34)
- Belshazzar’s Feast (5:1–6:1)
- Daniel in the Lions’ Den (6:2–29)
- Vision of the Four Beasts and the Man (7:1–28)
- Vision of the Ram and the He-Goat (8:1–27)
- Revelation of the Seventy Weeks of Years (9:1–27)
- The Final Revelation (10:1–12:13)
Top Highlights
“IX. REVELATION OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF YEARS (9:1–27)” (Page 238)
“Whether Daniel in these stories represents a historical figure or a legendary literary creation cannot be determined with certainty. In a Jewish composition, however, the absence of a genealogy, contrary to custom, gives probability to the suggestion that the characters of Daniel and his pious companions are legendary.” (Page 8)
“God is, however, also the merciful and just Judge of all men and women; he punishes the wicked and rewards the upright (Dan 12:1–3).” (Page 106)
“Yet there are certain features in the book which seem to point to one author or at most two for the whole work. Every section of the book lays special emphasis on the belief that the God of Israel is master and guide of human history; that he knows the future and reveals its secrets to his chosen ones; and that under his rule the kingdom of his holy people will ultimately supplant the pagan empires of the world. In some parts of the book there are also literary links that join one section to another; for example, ch. 7 with ch. 2, ch. 6 with ch. 3, and ch. 5 with ch. 4. These features, however, do not necessarily prove that a single author is responsible for the whole book.” (Page 9)
“This book is unique among all the books of the Bible, Old and New Testament, in that each of these sections forms a distinct unit separable from the rest. Any one of the ten sections could have existed independently of any of the others and would have been virtually as intelligible, or unintelligible, as it now stands in the Book of Daniel. Or put differently, any one or more of the sections could have been lost, and the remaining sections would not have suffered in any significant way at all. Superficially, the book seems to be a collection of once isolated miniworks brought together by some unknown editor or redactor who despite his work as compiler could hardly claim the title of author of the whole book.” (Page 9)
Louis F. Hartman was professor of Semitic languages at The Catholic University of America.
Alexander A. Di Lella is professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America.