Daniel 7:5
And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a
bear
Another monarchy, and which succeeded the former, and rose up
upon the ruins of it, the Medo-Persian monarchy; and so the
Syriac version prefixes to this verse, by way of explanation,
``the kingdom of the Medes''
like to a bear, less generous and strong than the lion; more rough
and uncivil, but equally cruel and voracious; which describes the
Medes and Persians as a fierce and cruel people, and less polished,
and more uncivilized, than the Chaldeans; and answers to the silver
breasts and arms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream; see (
Isaiah 13:17 Isaiah 13:18 ) (
Jeremiah
51:27 Jeremiah
51:28 ) :
and it raised up itself on one
side;
either of the lion, the first beast it destroyed; or rather on one
side of itself, on the side of Persia; from whence Cyrus came, who
was the principal instrument of raising this empire to the pitch it
was brought unto. Some render it, "and it raised up one government"
F4; one empire out of many nations and
kingdoms it subdued:
and it had three ribs in the mouth of
it, between the teeth of it;
that is, three ribs covered with flesh, which, it was devouring;
the bear being very voracious, and a great flesh eater: these,
according to some, signify three kings that followed Darius the
Mede; Cyrus, Ahasuerus, and Darius; so Jarchi and Jacchiades; and,
according to Jerom, three kingdoms, the Babylonian, Median, and
Persian: but neither of these kings nor kingdoms can be said to be
in its mouth, and between its teeth, as ground and devoured by it,
unless the Babylonian; wherefore it is better interpreted by
others, as Theodoret, the three parts of the world it conquered,
westward, northward, and southward, (
Daniel 8:4 ) , though it
is best of all, with Sir Isaac Newton and Bishop Chandler, to
understand by them Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt; which countries were
ground and oppressed by the Medes and Persians, as the ribs of any
creature are ground in the mouth of a bear:
and they said
thus unto it, arise, devour much flesh;
which Jerom refers to Haman's orders to destroy the Jews in the
times of Ahasuerus; but it is much better applied by others to
Cyaxares or Darius sending for Cyrus to take upon him the command
of his army; and to the Hyrcanians, Gobryas, and others, inviting
him to avenge them on the Babylonians, promising to join and assist
him, as Xenophon
F5 relates: or rather this is to be
interpreted of the divine will, and of the conduct of Providence by
means of angels stirring up the spirit of Cyrus, and of the Medes
and Persians, to attack and subdue many nations, and particularly
the Babylonians, and fill themselves with their wealth and
substance; hence they are styled the Lord's sanctified, whom he
ordered and called to such service; see (
Isaiah 13:3 ) (
21:2 ) .