- Art thou:
- Though Daniel was one of the chief ministers of state, who did "the king's business" in the palace ("And I¹ Danielª fainted,ª° and was sickª° [certain] days;ª afterward I rose up,ª° and didª°¹ the king'sª business;ª and I was astonishedª° at¹ the vision,ª but none¹ understoodª° [it]." {Dan 8:27}), yet Belshazzar seems to have known nothing of him. This shews that he was a weak and vicious prince, who minded pleasure more than business, according to the character given him by historians. He appears to have left the care of public affairs to his mother, Nitocris, a lady celebrated for her wisdom, who evidently knew Daniel well, and probably constantly employed him in the government of the kingdom. "There isª a manª in thy kingdom,ª in whom¹ [is] the spiritª of the holyª gods;ª and in the daysª of thy fatherª lightª and understandingª and wisdom,ª like the wisdomª of the gods,ª was foundª° in him; whom the kingª Nebuchadnezzarª thy father,ª the king,ª [I say], thy father,ª madeª° masterª of the magicians,ª astrologers,ª Chaldeans,ª [and] soothsayers;ª°" {Dan 5:11} + "And Danielª continued¹ [even] unto¹ the firstª yearª of kingª Cyrus.ª" {Dan 1:21} + "Thenª the kingª made²° Daniel² a great man,ª°¹ and gaveª° him manyª greatª gifts,ª and made him rulerª° overª the wholeª provinceª of Babylon,ª and chiefª of the governorsª overª allª the wiseª [men] of Babylon.ª" {Dan 2:48} + "In the thirdª yearª of the reignª of kingª Belshazzarª a visionª appearedª° unto¹ me, [even unto] me¹ Daniel,ª after² that¹ which appearedª° unto¹ me at the first.ª" {Dan 8:1} + "And I¹ Danielª fainted,ª° and was sickª° [certain] days;ª afterward I rose up,ª° and didª°¹ the king'sª business;ª and I was astonishedª° at¹ the vision,ª but none¹ understoodª° [it]." {Dan 8:27}
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