THE BOOK OF DANIEL
Lesson 8
Chapters 13-14
Susanna and the Judgement of Daniel and
Bel and the Dragon
Eternal Heavenly Father,
Throughout salvation history, You have sent righteous and wise men like
Daniel to keep Your people on the path to salvation. They admonish us as
individuals and as a covenant people when we fall into sin or become blind to
acts of sin in our lives or the life of the Body of Christ. So long as we
humbly repent our sins and offenses against You, Lord, You are faithful to
forgive us and receive us back into our loving covenant relationship with You.
Your angel assured Daniel that the grave would not be his permanent resting
place. Daniel saw the Christ when He descended to the dead to liberate Daniel
and all who believed in Him to eternal life. May we, like Daniel, also rise
for our reward from physical death and experience with Daniel our bodily
resurrection "at the end of days" when Christ returns. We pray in the name of
God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
+ + +
You shall have
no other gods to rival me. You shall not make yourself a carved likeness of
anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a
jealous God...
Exodus 20:2-5
You shall not give false evidence against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16
Chapters 13 and 14 are only preserved in the Greek and only found in the Greek Septuagint translation; however, many Biblical scholars suggest they were probably first composed in Aramaic, possibly even Hebrew, because both chapters contain several Semitisms that are present in the Greek translation. Aramaic was the language of the Babylonians that the Jews learned to speak during the seventy years of their captivity. It was the language they brought back to Judah in their return from exile, and the common language of the people in Jesus' time. The Jewish Tanakh and Protestant Bibles do not include Chapters 13 and 14 of the Book of Daniel in their canon of the Old Testament. In St. Jerome's Vulgate, and in versions that follow the Vulgate, Chapters 13 and 14 come at the end of the Book of Daniel, but the Septuagint places Chapter 13 at the beginning with Chapter 14 at the end of the book.
Most Biblical scholars designate Chapters 13 and 14 as the Appendix to the Book of Daniel:
Both chapters show Daniel's gift of Godly wisdom at work in his life and the lives of others, God's providential care of the righteous and judgment of the wicked, and the folly of idolatry. The stories in Chapters 13 and 14 have all the elements of folktales with a didactic purpose focusing on obedience to the Ten Commandments and ordinances of the Law even while living in pagan lands.
Chapter 13: Susanna and the Judgement of Daniel
A single witness will not suffice to convict anyone of
a crime or offense of any kind; whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two
witnesses or three is required to sustain the charge. If someone gives false
evidence against anyone, laying a charge of apostasy, both parties to this
dispute before Yahweh must appear before the priests and judges then in
office. The judges will make a careful inquiry, and if it turns out that the
witness is a liar and has made a false accusation against his brother, you must
treat the witness as he would have treated his brother. You must banish this
evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 19:15-21
Daniel 13:1-14 ~ The Righteous Susanna and the Wicked Plan of Two Jewish Elders
1 In Babylon
there lived a man named Joakim. 2 He
was married to a woman called Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great
beauty; and she was God-fearing, for 3 her
parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of
Moses. 4 Joakim
was a very rich man and had a garden by his house; he used to be visited by a
considerable number of the Jews, since he was held in greater respect than any
other man. 5 Two elderly men had
been selected from the people, that year, to act as judges. Of such the
Lord had said, "Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges
posing as guides to the people." 6 These
men were often at Joakim's house, and all who were engaged in litigation used
to come to them. 7 At midday, when
the people had gone away, Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden. 8 The two elders, who used to watch her every
day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to desire her. 9 They threw reason aside, making no effort to
turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the demands of virtue. 10 Both were inflamed by passion for her, but
they hid their desire from each other, 11 for
they were ashamed to admit the longing to sleep with her, 12 but they made sure of watching her every day.
13 One day, having parted with the
words, "Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday meal," they went off in
different directions, 14 only to retrace
their steps and find themselves face to face again. Obliged then to explain,
they admitted their desire and agreed to look for an opportunity of surprising
her alone.
Question: How does the narrative describe Susanna
in verses 1-4a?
Answer:
There are other heroines in the Bible also described as both beautiful and God-fearing:
Notice that Susanna is "God-fearing" (verse 2), referring to her devotion to God and obedience to His laws. The story mentions or alludes to God fifteen times:
Only the wicked elders fail to mention God which is, after all, the core of their problem. They were not at all concerned about their accountability to God (cf. verse 9).
4 Joakim was a
very rich man and had a garden by his house; he used to be visited by a considerable
number of the Jews, since he was held in greater respect than any other man. 5 Two elderly men had been selected from the
people, that year, to act as judges.
Susanna's home was the regular meeting place for judging
legal disputes by elders selected by the community. As is often the case in
Scripture, the narrative does not record the names of the wicked; only the
names of the righteous will be remembered.
5b Of such the
Lord had said, "Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges
posing as guides to the people."
It is not clear what is the Scripture passage in verse 5.
Perhaps verse 5 alludes to Jeremiah's condemnation of the false prophets/elders
in Babylon, by Yahweh's command, in a letter he sent to the communities there: But
all you exiles, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to Yahweh's
word! This is what Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says about Ahab son of
Kolaiah, and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I
shall hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon who will put them to
death before your very eyes. This curse, based on their fate, will be used by
all the exiles of Judah in Babylon: May Yahweh treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab,
roasted alive by the king of Babylon, because they have done a scandalous thing
in Israel, committing adultery with their neighbor's wives and speaking lying
words in my name without orders from me. I know all the same and am witness to
it, Yahweh declares (Jer 29:20-23). The condemnation in Jeremiah's letter
certainly fits the sins of the men who accuse Susanna.
Verses 6-12 describe the conditions in which the two
elders began to sin before they took any action.
Question: What did Jesus say about the sin of
lust in Matthew 5:28?
Answer: He said if a man even looks at a woman
lustfully, he is already guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.
9 They threw
reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the
demands of virtue.
"To Heaven" refers to turning to God; the men made no
effort to pray or consider the code of conduct under the Law of God concerning
virtue in sexual matters.
13 One day,
having parted with the words, "Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday
meal," they went off in different directions, 14 only to retrace their steps and find themselves face to face
again. Obliged then to explain, they admitted their desire and agreed to look
for an opportunity of surprising her alone.
The two wicked men, finding an accomplice in sin in each
other, decide to join forces in attacking Susanna.
Question: In addition to giving in to a weakness
of the flesh in the desire to take sexual advantage of a woman, what was their
greatest failing?
Answer: They failed in fearing the wrath of God
for committing such a wicked sin. If they truly believed in the power of God
over their lives and the lives of others, they would never have even
entertained such a crime.
Daniel 13:15-23 ~ The Wicked Elders Accost Susanna
15 So they waited
for a favorable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by
two young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden. 16 There was no one about except the two elders,
spying on her from their hiding place. 17 She
said to the servants, "Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door
while I bathe." 18 They did as they
were told, shutting the garden door and going back to the house by a side
entrance to fetch what she had asked for; they knew nothing about the elders,
for they had concealed themselves. 19 Hardly
were the maids gone than the two elders sprang up and rushed upon her. 20 "Look,"
they said, "the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so
give in and let us! 21 Refuse, and
we shall both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why
you sent your maids away." 22 Susanna
sighed. "I am trapped," she said, "whatever I do. If I agree, it means death
for me; if I resist, I cannot get away from you. 23 But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in
the eyes of the Lord."
20 "Look," they
said, "the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give
in and let us! 21 Refuse, and we
shall both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why
you sent your maids away."
The men mention the closed gate not because it will
protect them from discovery but to emphasize the hopelessness of Susanna's
situation.
Question: What threat do they wicked elders make
to try to force Susanna to give in to their demands, and why was she trapped?
See Lev 20:10; Dt 22:22.
Answer: If she refused them, they threaten to
accuse her of adultery for which death was the penalty under the Law of Moses.
Question: What two choices do they leave open to
Susanna? What Scripture passage does Susanna paraphrase that demonstrates she
studied the Scriptures? See 1 Chr 21:8-13. How does the Scripture reference
apply to her decision?
Answer: If she refuses them, they will accuse her
of adultery for which the penalty is death. However, if she gives in to them,
she will live, but she will be guilty of offending God by committing the sin of
adultery. They demand her body or her life! In desperation, she remembers King
David's dilemma in which God gave him the choice of three punishments. David
decided to submit himself to the mercy of God, and Susanna makes the same
decision. Rather than sin against the Law of God, she decides to face the
possibility of an unjust death.
Question: Susanna's logic in verses 22-23 is
reminiscent of the response of what Biblical hero who faced a similar test
concerning sexual purity? See Gen 39:7-10 and quote the significant verse.
Answer: When tempted by Potiphar's wife in Egypt,
Joseph refused her advances and answered, How could I do anything so wicked,
and sin against God?"
Daniel 13:24-43 ~ The Elders Accuse Susanna of
Adultery and Condemn Her to Death
24 She then cried
out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame
on her, 25 and one of them ran to
open the garden door. 26 The
household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance
to see what had happened to her. 27 Once
the elders had told their story, the servants were thoroughly taken aback,
since nothing of this sort had ever been said of Susanna. 28 Next day a meeting was held at the house of
her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, full of their wicked plea against
Susanna, to have her put to death. 29 They
addressed the company, "Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim."
She was sent for, 30 and came
accompanied by her parents, her children and all her relations. 31 Susanna was very graceful and beautiful to
look at; 32 she was veiled, so the
wretches made her unveil in order to feast their eyes on her beauty. 33 All her own people were weeping, and so were
all the others who saw her. 34 The two elders stood up, with all the people round
them, and laid their hands on her head. 35
Tearfully she turned her eyes to Heaven, her heart confident in God. 36 The elders then spoke, "While we were walking
by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived with two maids. She shut the
garden door and then dismissed the servants. 37 A young man, who had been hiding, went over to her and they
lay together. 38 From the end of
the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towards
them. 39 Though we saw them
together, we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened
the door and took to his heels. 40 We
did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was. 41 She refused to tell us. That is our evidence."
Since they were elders of the people and judges, the
assembly accepted their word: Susanna was condemned to death. 42 She
cried out as loud as she could, "Eternal God, you know all secrets and
everything before it happens; 43 you
know that they have given false evidence against me. And now I must die,
innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me!"
Notice that, in violation of the Law, the elders were not only acting as witnesses against Susanna but also as her judges. In addition, there was no cross-examination of their testimony as required in Deuteronomy 19:15-20.
34 The two elders
stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their hands on her head.
In verse 5, they unveiled Susanna to shame her; now they
laid their wicked hands upon her. It was the custom to lay hands on the
accused before pronouncing the sentence of death (see Lev 24:14). Once again,
the judicial procedure was not correctly carried out because the witnesses were
acting simultaneously as judges.
Since they were elders of the people and judges, the
assembly accepted their word: Susanna was condemned to death.
Question: Why were the two elders confident that
they could succeed with their wicked plan?
Answer: They believed that their position of
authority and power in the community would prevent anyone from questioning
their testimony. It is the same sin of pride and arrogance repeated by those
in positions of power down through the centuries to the present day. It was
the same arrogance of power that led the Sanhedrin to unfairly try and condemn
Jesus at His trial.
42 She cried out
as loud as she could, "Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before
it happens; 43 you know that they
have given false evidence against me. And now I must die, innocent as I am of
everything their malice has invented against me!"
In desperation, since the justice of men failed her,
Susanna cried out to God, professing her innocence.
Daniel 13:44-64 ~ Susanna Cries Out to Heaven, and God
Sends Daniel Defends Her
44 The Lord heard
her cry 45 and, as she was being
led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy called
Daniel 46 who began to shout, "I am
innocent of this woman's death!" 47 At
this all the people turned to him and asked, "What do you mean by that?" 48 Standing in the middle of the crowd, he
replied, "Are you so stupid, children of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of
Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth? 49 Go back to the scene of the trial: these men
have given false evidence against her." 50
All the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, "Come and
sit with us and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that
elders have." 51 Daniel said, "Keep
the men well apart from each other, for I want to question them." 52 When the men had been separated, Daniel had
one of them brought to him. "You have grown old in wickedness," he said, "and
now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you, 53 you with your unjust judgments, your
condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of the guilty, although the Lord
has said, You must not put the innocent and upright to death.' 54 Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tell
me what sort of tree you saw them lying under." He replied, "Under an acacia
tree." 55 Daniel said, "Indeed!
Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received from
him your sentence and will cut you in half." 56 He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said
to him, "Son of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your
heart astray! 57 This is how you
have been behaving with the daughters of Israel, and they have been too
frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach
your wickedness! 58 Now then, tell
me what sort of tree you surprised them under." He replied, "Under an aspen
tree." 59 Daniel said, "Indeed!
Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting with a sword to
rend you in half and destroy the pair of you." 60 Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the Savior of
those who trust in him. 61 And they
turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of
their own mouths. 62 As the Law of
Moses prescribes, they were given the same punishment as they had schemed to
inflict on their neighbor. They were put to death. And thus, that day, an
innocent life was saved. 63 Hilkiah
and his wife gave thanks to God for their daughter Susanna, and so did her
husband Joakim and all his relations, because she had been acquitted of
anything dishonorable. 64 From that day onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the
people.
44 The Lord heard
her cry 45 and, as she was being
led away to die, he roused the holy spirit
Question: In what two ways does God send His
Spirit to help Susanna?
Answer: The Spirit of God fills the boy Daniel
with the confidence and wisdom to intervene on Susanna's behalf, and His Spirit
moves the other elders and people to listen to Daniel.
"I am innocent of this woman's death!"
Daniel, whose name means "God has judged," responds to the situation by coming to Susanna's defense. His words recall Pontius Pilates' statement in Matthew 27:24 when the Jews forced him into condemning Jesus. Daniel was acting well within his rights according to the Law where whoever could show the innocence of a condemned person could approach and set out his reasons (Mishnah Sanhedrin, VI, 1-2).
52 When the men
had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. "You have grown old
in wickedness," he said, "and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken
you, 53 you with your unjust judgments,
your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of the guilty, although the
Lord has said, You must not put the innocent and upright to death.'"
He begins by accusing the first man of intentionally
violating God's commands concerning rendering justice to the people from Exodus 23:6-7. What Daniel says to one of the wicked elders reminds us that our
relationship with God must be one of constant repentance of sin and a turning
back to God. Unconfessed sin leads to greater sins, as Daniel says was the
case in the life of this man. For a second time, there is a reference to
Scripture when Daniel says, "the Lord has said, You must not put the
innocent and upright to death,'" a reference to Exodus 23:7 ~ Keep clear
of fraud. Do not cause the death of the innocent or upright, and do not acquit
the guilty. Both false accusations in death penalty cases and the sin of adultery
were capital offenses (Lev 20:10; Dt 2:23-27; 19:18-19).
Question: What accusation did Daniel make against
the first wicked elder in verse 56? See Lev 18:3-30; Gen 18:20; 19:24-25.
Answer: He accused the elder of behaving like the
wicked people of Canaan that God cast out of the land and the people of Sodom
who God destroyed because of the depth of their sins. He is not like the
descendants of Judah who God called as His holy people.
57 This is how
you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel, and they have been too
frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach
your wickedness!
In contrast to the two men who behave like Canaanites and
Sodomites in violating "the daughters of Israel," Susanna is "a daughter of
Judah" of the tribe of the great King David with whom God made an eternal
covenant (2 Sam 7:14-16; 23:5). In verses 54-58, Daniel proves the two men
were lying when they could not agree on the kind of tree under which Susanna's
act of adultery allegedly took place.
62 As the Law of
Moses prescribes, they were given the same punishment as they had schemed to
inflict on their neighbor. They were put to death. And thus, that day, an
innocent life was saved. 63 Hilkiah
and his wife gave thanks to God for their daughter Susanna, and so did her
husband Joakim and all his relations, because she had been acquitted of
anything dishonorable.
In the conflicting testimony of the two elders, they ironically
each provide the two witnesses needed to prove their fraud. The people turn
against them, and the wicked elders received a sentence of death according to
the Law of Moses in Deuteronomy 19:16-21 while the community and Susanna's
family gave thanks to God for her deliverance.
As God's representative, Daniel rendered judgment in a
garden against two sinners who planned to violate Susanna's body and God's
divine Law.
Question: When in the Bible was a judgment against
two sinners rendered in a garden setting for the first time, and who was the
judge? What is the significant connection?
Answer: God was the judge who rendered judgment on
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden for their sin of rebellion against His
command concerning eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It
is a reminder that all sin is an act of rebellion against God.
64 From that day
onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the people.
This statement is another example that this story is a
folktale. In the entire book, Daniel never interacts with any of his people
except the three other Jewish captives. Since he is a loyal servant of the
pagan king who forced his people out of their homeland and made them captives,
Daniel's people were more likely to consider him a traitor than a hero. It is,
of course, possible that because of Daniel's position as a chief minister of
the king that he was able to ease the hardships of his people. However, it was
probably only after their return from exile when the people read about Daniel's
loyal service and unwavering faith to His God while in service to pagan kings
that his people grew to revere him.
The problems with the story of Susanna and Daniel:
The first problem is with the physical setting of the story in Babylon.
If the setting of the story were in Judah before Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians,
it wouldn't have been a problem with Daniel as a young boy living in a Jewish community who comes to the rescue of a falsely accused woman.
Question: Why is the setting of the story in
Babylon a problem? See Dan 1:3-6.
Answer: Daniel was in Babylon as a boy; however,
he did not live in a Jewish community but at the royal palace of King
Nebuchadnezzar.
The next problem is the description of the Jewish community which gives every indication of being independent and self-governing with the right to execute its lawbreakers and with no pressures to abandon their religion to worship pagan gods. This condition is in sharp contrast to the stories in Daniel Chapters 1-6.
The third problem is Daniel's role in the trial and his first reaction to the elders. He accuses them of lying before he examines the evidence for or against their claims (verse 49). While it is possible that the Holy Spirit could have revealed the truth to Daniel, it was not according to the Law to condemn someone of what would be a death penalty offense (giving false evidence in a death penalty case) without proving the case first. Also, while Daniel as a boy could give evidence, an elder would have to act as judge in pronouncing Susannah innocent and condemning the lying elders to death.
Nevertheless, the story of Daniel and Susanna presents a lesson in the necessity of upholding God's commandment concerning giving false evidence in the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20 and the dire consequences for breaking that law.
Chapter 14: Bel
and the Dragon
The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither
to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God.
Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of "idols, [of] silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not
see." These empty idols make their worshippers empty: "Those who make them are
like them; so are all who trust in them." God, however, is the living God who
gives life and intervenes in history.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2112
(see Ps 115:4-5, 8; cf.
Is 44:9-20;
Jer 10:1-16;
Dan 14:1-30;
Bar 6;
Wis 13:1-15;
Josh 3:10;
Ps 42:3; etc.)
Chapter 14 presents two confrontational narratives:
The purpose of the two stories about Bel is to ridicule paganism. In both stories, Daniel risks his life to disprove the divinity of two revered Babylonian gods and to prove that Yahweh, God of Israel, is the only true God to whom he owes his worship, loyalty, and obedience.
Daniel 14:1-9 ~ King Cyrus and Daniel Debate the Power of the Pagan god Bel
1 When King
Astyages joined his ancestors, Cyrus of Persia succeeded him. 2 Daniel was very close to the king, who
respected him more than any of his other friends. 3 Now, in Babylon there was an idol called Bel,
to which twelve bushels of the finest flour, forty sheep and six measures of
wine were offered every day. 4 The
king venerated this idol and used to go and worship it every day. Daniel,
however, worshipped his own God. 5 "Why
do you not worship Bel?" the king asked Daniel. "I do not worship idols made by
human hand," Daniel replied, "I worship the living God who made heaven and
earth and who is lord over all living creatures." 6 "Do you not believe, then," said the king, "that
Bel is a living god? Can you not see how much he eats and drinks each day?" 7 Daniel laughed. "Your Majesty," he said, "do
not be taken in; he is clay inside, and bronze outside, and has never eaten or
drunk anything." 8 This made the
king angry; he summoned his priests, "Tell me who eats all this food," he said,
"or die. Prove to me that Bel really eats it, and I will have Daniel put to
death for blaspheming him." 9 Daniel
said to the king, "Let it be as you say."
Cyrus the Great built his empire by first conquering the Median Empire of his grandfather Astyages (r. 585 "550 BC). When Cyrus the Great became king of Media, he joined the Median and Persian Empires together under his rule. If the narratives in Chapters 13-14 take place in the first year King Cyrus conquered Persia (539 BC), Daniel is about 78 years old. If it is the third year of Cyrus (10:1), Daniel is about 80 years old and has remained in Persia after his people returned to Judah from exile in 539/8 BC.
Bel was the Babylonian manifestation of the Canaanite god Baal. The name Bel is from the Akkadian word "belu," meaning "lord" or "master" (the same meaning of the Canaanite word "baal"). However, the name in the Old Testament for this pagan god is usually Marduk (Is 46:1; Jer 50:2; 51:44). Bel was the chief god of the city of Babylon and the national god of Babylonia. Originally in the pantheon of Babylonian gods, he seems to have been a god of thunderstorms.
5 "Why do you not
worship Bel?" the king asked Daniel. "I do not worship idols made by human
hand," Daniel replied, "I worship the living God who made heaven and earth and
who is lord over all living creatures."
Observing that Daniel only worships his God, the king
asks him why he doesn't also worship the chief god of Babylon, a city Daniel
has lived in since his youth. Daniel makes a profession of faith in "the
living God" by two affirmations: one is about his God and the other about the
pagan god, Bel. First, he tells the king that his God created heaven and earth
and has sovereignty over all creatures of the earth, which includes the king.
6 "Do you not
believe, then," said the king, "that Bel is a living god? Can you not see how
much he eats and drinks each day?"
The king does not criticize Daniel's worship of his God,
but he does not understand how Daniel cannot believe that Bel is also a
"living god" since Bel consumes all the food and drink placed before his image
in his temple.
7 Daniel laughed.
"Your Majesty," he said, "do not be taken in; he is clay inside, and bronze
outside, and has never eaten or drunk anything."
Daniel dares to contradict the king by denying the image
eats and drinks. Verse 7 is Daniel's second affirmation concerning Bel who is
not a living thing but only an object made of clay and bronze.
8 This made the
king angry; he summoned his priests, "Tell me who eats all this food," he said,
"or die. Prove to me that Bel really eats it, and I will have Daniel put to
death for blaspheming him." 9 Daniel
said to the king, "Let it be as you say."
The king interprets Daniel's denial as a challenge and
calls the priests of Bel to prove the image is a "living god." If the priests
can provide proof that Bel lives, Daniel will die for his blasphemies against
the idol. Daniel boldly accepts the challenge.
Daniel 14:10-22 ~ The Test and Daniel's Victory
10 There were
seventy of these priests, to say nothing of their wives and children. The king
went to the temple of Bel, taking Daniel with him. 11 The priests of Bel said to him, "We shall now
go out, and you, Your Majesty, will lay out the meal and mix the wine and set
it out. Then, lock the door and seal it with your personal seal. If, when you
return in the morning, you do not find that everything has been eaten by Bel,
let us be put to death; otherwise let Daniel, that slanderer!" 12 They were thinking, hence their confidence, of
a secret entrance which they had made under the table, and by which they came
in regularly and took the offerings away. 13
When the priests had gone and the king had set out the food for Bel, 14 Daniel made his
servants bring ashes and spread them all over the temple floor, with no other
witness than the king. They then left the building, shut the door and, sealing
it with the king's seal, went away. 15 That night, as usual, the priests came with
their wives and children; they ate and drank everything. 16 The king was up very early the next morning,
and Daniel with him. 17 "Daniel,"
said the king, "are the seals intact?" "They are intact, Your Majesty," he
replied. 18 The king then opened
the door and, taking one look at the table, exclaimed, "You are great, O Bel!
There is no deception in you!" 19 But
Daniel laughed; and, restraining the king from going in any further, he said, "Look
at the floor and take note whose footmarks these are!" 20 "I can see the footmarks of men, of women and
of children," said the king, 21 and
angrily ordered the priests to be arrested, with their wives and children. They
then showed him the secret door through which they used to come and take what
was on the table. 22 The king had
them put to death and handed Bel over to Daniel who destroyed both the idol and
its temple.
The test the priests of Bel suggested involved:
Mixing wine for the god either means mixing water with wine to dilute it, a common practice in the ancient world, or mixing spices into the wine to improve the flavor (2 Macc 15:30; Is 5:22). The priests agree that they will forfeit their lives if any food or drink remains in the morning, and, if there is no food left in the morning, they have proved Bel lives, and Daniel will die.
Question: Why were the priests of Bel so confident
in offering their lives if the food was not consumed by the morning? See verse 12.
Answer: They had a secret entrance into the temple
under the altar table.
Such deceptions did take place in many pagan temples, as attested to by Fathers of the Church like St. John Chrysostom (Homily on Peter and Helicon) and the account of a similar incident at the Temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus in a play by the Greek playwright Aristophanes (Plutus iii.2).
14 Daniel made
his servants bring ashes and spread them all over the temple floor, with no other
witness than the king. They then left the building, shut the door and, sealing
it with the king's seal, went away.
Before they close and seal the door, Daniel takes the
precaution of laying down a carpet of ash across the floor of the temple.
15 That night, as
usual, the priests came with their wives and children; they ate and drank
everything. 16 The king was up very
early the next morning, and Daniel with him. 17 "Daniel," said the king, "are the seals intact?" "They are
intact, Your Majesty," he replied. 18 The
king then opened the door and, taking one look at the table, exclaimed, "You
are great, O Bel! There is no deception in you!"
That night the priests and their families came into the
temple from their secret entrance to eat and drink all the food. The next
morning, opening the sealed door and seeing the food missing, convinced the
king that Bel had indeed consumed the food and was a "living god."
19 But Daniel
laughed; and, restraining the king from going in any further, he said, "Look at
the floor and take note whose footmarks these are!" 20 "I can see the footmarks of men, of women and
of children," said the king, 21 and
angrily ordered the priests to be arrested, with their wives and children. They
then showed him the secret door through which they used to come and take what
was on the table. 22 The king had
them put to death and handed Bel over to Daniel who destroyed both the idol and
its temple.
Verse 19 oddly suggests that Daniel ridiculed the king by
laughing at him. It is an action that is most uncharacteristic of the Daniel
we know from interactions between Daniel and the pagan kings in earlier
chapters. Then, he revealed the deception of the priests to the king who
forced them to show him the secret door. The result was that the king ordered
what the priests' suggested in verse 11, and they and their families were
executed. Daniel's victory resulted in the destruction of the idol and its
temple; however, there is no historical record concerning the destruction of
the temple of Bel in Babylon during this time.
Daniel and the Dragon
The New Jerusalem Bible uses the word "dragon" as the translation of the Greek word drakon. Some translators prefer "snake" (the common Greek word for snake is ophis) since, as they point out, there were no "dragons." But it depends on what the ancients saw as a "dragon." It was common for kings to receive gifts of exotic animals from remote parts of their empires. There were no crocodiles in Mesopotamia. Cyrus's "dragon" could have been a huge crocodile or some other kind of dragon-like animal that the people of Babylon revered. This story is the last confrontation narrative in the Book of Daniel.
Daniel 14:23-30 ~ Daniel Kills the Dragon
23 There was a great dragon
which the Babylonians worshipped too. 24 The king said to
Daniel, Are you going to tell me that this is made of bronze? Look, it is
alive; it eats and drinks; you cannot deny that this is a living god; worship
it, then.' 25 Daniel replied, "I will worship the Lord my
God; he is the living God. With your permission, Your Majesty, without using
either sword or club, I shall kill this dragon." 26 "You
have my permission," said the king. 27 Whereupon, Daniel
took some pitch, some fat and some hair and boiled them up together, rolled the
mixture into balls and fed them to the dragon; the dragon swallowed them and
burst. Daniel said, Now look at the sort of thing you worship!' 28
The Babylonians were furious when they heard about this and rose against
the king. "The king has turned Jew," they said, "he has allowed Bel to be
overthrown, and the dragon to be killed, and he has put the priests to death." 29
So they went to the king and said, "Hand Daniel over to us or else we
shall kill you and your family." 30 They pressed him so
hard that the king found himself forced to hand Daniel over to them.
Continuing their debate concerning Yahweh being the only "living god," the king points out that the dragon that the people of the city worship is a living creature. Once again, Daniel offers a test. If he can kill the dragon without using a weapon, it cannot be a god. The king gave his permission, and Daniel fed the beast a concoction of boiled pitch, fat, and hair. The Fathers of the Church and some modern scholars suggest that within the ball of pitch, fat, and hair Daniel concealed sharp objects like spikes of metal or nails that tore apart the beast's innards and caused its death.
According to the account, when the Babylonian people heard their dragon-god was dead, they blamed the king for its demise as well as for the destruction of the Bel image and temple. When they threaten the king and his family, he turned Daniel over to the angry mob.
Daniel 14:31-42 ~ Daniel in Another Lion Pit
31 They threw
Daniel into the lion pit, and there he stayed for six days. 32 In the pit were seven lions, which were given
two human bodies and two sheep every day; but for this period they were not
given anything, to make sure they would eat Daniel. 33 Now, the prophet Habakkuk was in Judaea: he
had been making a stew and breaking up bread into a basket. He was on his way
to the fields, taking this to the harvesters, 34 when the angel of the Lord spoke to him, "Take the meal you
are carrying to Babylon, and give it to Daniel in the lion pit." 35 "Lord," replied Habakkuk, "I have not even
seen Babylon and know nothing about this pit." 36 The angel of the Lord took hold of his head and carried him
off by the hair to Babylon where, with a great blast of his breath, he set
Habakkuk down on the edge of the pit. 37 "Daniel,
Daniel," Habakkuk shouted, "take the meal that God has sent you." 38 And Daniel said, "You have kept me in mind, O
God; you have not deserted those who love you." 39 Rising to his feet, he ate the meal, while the angel of God
carried Habakkuk back in a moment to his own country. 40 On the seventh day, the king came to lament
over Daniel; on reaching the pit he looked inside, and there sat Daniel. 41 "You are great, O Lord, God of Daniel," he
exclaimed, "there is no god but you!" 42 He
then had Daniel released from the pit and the plotters of Daniel's ruin thrown
in instead, where they were instantly eaten before his eyes.
Daniel's previous experience in a lion pit was in 6:17-25. In that event, Daniel was in the pit for a day, but in this episode, he remains in the pit for six days. It was common for Near Eastern kings to keep lions. They were usually kept for the sport of lion hunts and to execute criminals. Daniel's enemies wanted to ensure that Daniel didn't survive this time; therefore, the seven lions did not receive food for the six days.
33 Now, the
prophet Habakkuk was in Judaea: he had been making a stew and breaking up bread
into a basket. He was on his way to the fields, taking this to the harvesters, 34 when the angel of the Lord spoke to him,
"Take the meal you are carrying to Babylon, and give it to Daniel in the lion
pit." 35 "Lord," replied Habakkuk, "I
have not even seen Babylon and know nothing about this pit." 36 The angel of the Lord took hold of his head
and carried him off by the hair to Babylon where, with a great blast of his
breath, he set Habakkuk down on the edge of the pit. 37 "Daniel, Daniel," Habakkuk shouted, "take the
meal that God has sent you."
In a bizarre turn of events, according to the account,
Yahweh supernaturally brings the prophet Habakkuk from Judah to take a meal to
Daniel in the lion pit. Is this the same Habakkuk who is the author of the
Book of Habakkuk, the eighth book of the minor prophets, and a contemporary of
Jeremiah who lived in pre-exile Jerusalem over seventy years earlier? It seems
unlikely.
38 And Daniel
said, "You have kept me in mind, O God; you have not deserted those who love
you." 39 Rising to his feet, he ate
the meal, while the angel of God carried Habakkuk back in a moment to his own
country.
Daniel received the meal and praised God for not
forgetting him while Habakkuk returns supernaturally, just as he came, to
Judah.
40 On the seventh
day, the king came to lament over Daniel; on reaching the pit he looked inside,
and there sat Daniel. 41 "You are
great, O Lord, God of Daniel," he exclaimed, "there is no god but you!" 42 He then had Daniel released from the pit and
the plotters of Daniel's ruin thrown in instead, where they were instantly
eaten before his eyes.
On the significant "seventh day" (a number symbolizing
fulfillment and completion) the sorrowful king came to the pit where he
found Daniel still alive. Oddly, there is no mention of Daniel's previous lion
pit experience. The king gives credit to Daniel's God for his salvation and
executes the men who plotted Daniel's death.
The problems with the two stories in Chapter 14:
The personality of Daniel in Chapter 14 is not like the Daniel
in the other stories in which he has a relationship with pagan kings. In the
other stories, Daniel is deferential and humble. In the two stories in Chapter
14, he is bold to the point of being confrontational and disrespectful, even
laughing at the king; something a subject of a great king would never do. Also,
for a king who is supposed to be very fond of Daniel, Cyrus seems to have very
little concern for Daniel's life. And despite their displeasure, the citizens
of Babylon would never have threatened the life of Cyrus the Great or his
family as they did in the story of the dragon because he commanded an army of
Persians loyal to him that could have destroyed the city.
The Book of Daniel is an enduring symbol of hope and salvation for all men and women of faith who suffer for their beliefs. Daniel's example of enduring faith and obedience continues to serve as a lesson for all God's people in this earthly exile. We are all encouraged to refuse to abandon belief in the One True God, even if we suffer for doing so, because, as the Book of Daniel tells us, God is the Master of human history, and He will intervene to protect and sustain His covenant people to bring about His will in these final days of humanity. The Book of Daniel provides a lesson of hope for all God's covenant people living in hostile environments, encouraging them to maintain their faith in the Lord and to continue their obedience to His commands because, as Jesus promised, "I am with you until the end of time" (Mt 28:20).
Question for reflection or group discussion:
What are the two major themes of the Book of Daniel?
Answer: The two themes of this book are Daniel's faithfulness to
God no matter what the risk, and God's sovereignty over the lives of all
peoples on earth and their nations. From Daniel's decision not to eat the
King's food (Dan 1:8-16), to his refusal to pray to an earthly king (Dan 6:4-24),
Daniel put this entire trust in Yahweh and offered God the opportunity to
display His power on Daniel's behalf. The other theme concerns God's sovereign
control over the affairs of world history. Nations like the Babylonians,
Persians, Greeks, and Romans will come and go on the stage of world history,
but God established His eternal Kingdom through His Messiah, the "Anointed One"
who will rule over His Covenant people forever (Dan 2:44).
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2018 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references: (*indicated Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
14:1-30 (CCC 2112*-2114)