Nor does the supposition that the
one night in the den (of Dan. vi.) was increased to six, nor that the
detail of withholding the lions' usual food to sharpen their appetites
(in ?? only), were added for the purpose of heightening the effect, carry
much weight. The omission of Daniel's speech, with the detail[71] of the
angel closing the lions' mouths (vv. 21, 22), tells in the opposite
direction. It is no more necessary to reckon these two den episodes as
one event than our Lord's feeding of the four and five thousand, or his
healing of the centurion's servant and the nobleman's son.
RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL STATE.
RELIGIOUS.
A religious feeling, strong though misdirected, evidently existed both
in king and people, involving considerable expenditure on objects and
places of worship. It was not as to the propriety of worship in itself,
but of the object towards which it ought to be directed, that the
controversy arose.
Two sorts of worship were in vogue:--
(a) _Bel-worship._ As to the practice of this in Babylon no question
appears to be raised; he was the supreme god and guardian of Babylon.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238