DANIEL & ZECHARIAH - Free Bible Commentary

345 Pages·2005·2.63 MB·English

by  Dr. Bob Utley

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ........................................................................................................................... i

Brief Explanation About the Resources Used in the “You Can Understand
the Bible” Commentary Series ...........................................................................................ii
Abbreviations Used in This Commentary ........................................................................ iv
A Word From the Author: How This Commentary Can Help You ................................. vi
A Guide to Good Bible Reading: A Personal Search for Verifiable Truth .................... viii
Introduction to Daniel .................................................................................................1
Daniel 1 .....................................................................................................................17
Daniel 2 .....................................................................................................................27
Daniel 3 .....................................................................................................................43
Daniel 4 .....................................................................................................................51
Daniel 5 .....................................................................................................................75
Daniel 6 .....................................................................................................................84
Daniel 7 .....................................................................................................................92
Daniel 8 ...................................................................................................................112
Daniel 9 ...................................................................................................................125
Daniel 10 .................................................................................................................143
Daniel 11 .................................................................................................................154
Daniel 12 .................................................................................................................170
Introduction to Zechariah ........................................................................................181
Zechariah 1 .............................................................................................................185
Zechariah 2 .............................................................................................................201
Zechariah 3 .............................................................................................................210
Zechariah 4 .............................................................................................................218
Zechariah 5 .............................................................................................................225
Zechariah 6 .............................................................................................................230
Zechariah 7 .............................................................................................................240
Zechariah 8 .............................................................................................................246
Zechariah 9 .............................................................................................................254
Zechariah 10 ...........................................................................................................267
Zechariah 11 ...........................................................................................................280
Zechariah 12 ...........................................................................................................288
Zechariah 13 ...........................................................................................................295
Zechariah14 ............................................................................................................300
Appendix One: Brief Definitions of Hebrew Verbal Forms Which
Impact Exegesis .................................................................................308
Appendix Two: Introduction to Old Testament Prophecy ...........................................314
Appendix Three: Brief Historical Survey of the Powers of Mesopotamia ....................318
Appendix Four: Chart of the Entire Old Testament .....................................................325
SPECIAL TOPICS TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Age and the Age to Come, Dan. 2:28 ......................................................................36
Cornerstone, Dan. 2:34 ....................................................................................................38
The Names for Deity, Dan. 4:2 ........................................................................................54
Hebrew Poetry, Dan. 4:3 ..................................................................................................57
Holy, Dan. 4:8 ..................................................................................................................60
Jesus the Nazarene, Dan. 4:15 .........................................................................................63
Righteousness, Dan. 4:27 .................................................................................................67
Almsgiving, Dan. 4:27 .....................................................................................................69
Lions in the Old Testament, Dan. 7:4 ..............................................................................95
Fire, Dan. 7:10 ...............................................................................................................100
Degrees of Rewards and Punishment, Dan. 7:10 ...........................................................101
Boasting, Dan. 7:11 ........................................................................................................102
OT Titles of the Special Coming One, Dan. 7:13 ..........................................................105
Angels and the Demonic, Dan. 10:13 ............................................................................149
Where Are the Dead?, Dan. 12:2 ...................................................................................173
Matthew 27:9, Introduction to Zechariah......................................................................182
Predestination (Calvinism) vs. Human Free Will (Arminianism), Zech. 1:3 .............188
Repentance, Zech. 1:3 ....................................................................................................192
Glory, Zech. 2:5 .............................................................................................................203
Satan, Zech. 3:1 ..............................................................................................................212
The Trinity, Zech. 4:6 ....................................................................................................220
The Tension Between Old Covenant Prophetic Models and
New Covenant Apostolic Models, Zech. 6:12 ........................................................235
Covenant, Zech 6:15 ......................................................................................................238
Biblical Attitudes Toward Alcohol and Alcoholism, Zech. 10:7 ..................................273
Ransom/Redeem, Zech. 10:8 .........................................................................................275
Eleph (Thousand), Zech. 12:6 ........................................................................................292
This volume is dedicated
in memory of
two Board Members
of
Bible Lessons International
who recently
went to be with the Lord
T. M. (Red) Davis
and
Edwin L. Baker
both of these brothers
and their wives
Wilma Davis
and
Delores Baker
have been a great
blessing
and
encouragement
to this ministry.

i
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF THE TECHNICAL RESOURCES
USED IN THE “YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE”
OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY SERIES
I. Lexical
There are several excellent lexicons available for ancient Hebrew.
A. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S. R. Dirver, and
Charles A. Briggs. It is based on the German lexicon by William Gesenius. It is known
by the abbreviation BDB.
B. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by Ludwig Koehler and Walter
Baumgartner, translated by M. E. J. Richardson. It is known by the abbreviation KB.
C. A concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by William L. Holladay and
is based on the above German lexicon.
D. A new five volume theological word study entitled The New International Dictionary of
Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, edited by Willem A. Van Gemeren. It is known by
the abbreviation NIDOTTE.
Where there is significant lexical variety I have shown several English translations (NASB,
NKJV, NRSV, TEV, NJB) from both “word-for-word” and “dynamic equivalent” translations (cf.
Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 28-44).
II. Grammatical
The grammatical identification is usually based on John Joseph Owens’ Analytical Key to the
Old Testament in four volumes. This is cross checked with Benjamin Davidson’s Analytical
Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament.
Another helpful resource for grammatical and syntactical features which is used in most of the
OT volumes of “You Can Understand the Bible” Series is “The Helps for Translators Series” from
the United Bible Societies. They are entitled “A Handbook on ___________.”
III. Textual
I am committed to the inspiration of the consonantal Hebrew text (not the Masoretic vowel
points and comments). As in all hand-copied, ancient texts there are some questionable passages.
This is usually because of
A. hapax legomenon (words used only once in the Hebrew OT)
B. idiomatic terms (words and phrases whose literal meanings have been lost)
C. historical uncertainties (our lack of information about the ancient world)
D. the poly-semitic semantic field of Hebrew’s limited vocabulary
E. problems associated with later scribes hand-copying ancient Hebrew texts
F. Hebrew scribes trained in Egypt who felt free to update the texts they copied to make them
complete and understandable to their day (NIDOTTE pp. 52-54).
There are several sources of Hebrew words and texts outside the Masoretic textual tradition.
A. The Samaritan Pentateuch
B. The Dead Sea Scrolls
C. Some later coins, letters, and ostraca (broken pieces of unfired pottery used for writing)
But for the most part, there are no manuscript families in the OT like those in the Greek
NT manuscripts. For a good brief article on the textual reliability of the Masoretic Text (A.D.
900's) see “The Reliability of the Old Testament Text” by Bruce K. Waltke in the NIDOTTE,
vol. 1, pp. 51-67.
ii
The Hebrew text used is Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia from the German Bible Society, 1997,
which is based on the Leningrad Codex (A.D. 1009). From time to time the ancient versions (Greek
Septuagint, Aramaic Targums, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate) are consulted if the Hebrew is
ambiguous or obviously confused.
iii
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS COMMENTARY
AB Anchor Bible Commentaries, ed. William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 vols.), ed. David Noel Freedman
AKOT Analytical Key to the Old Testament by John Joseph Owens
ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts, James B. Pritchard
BDB A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by F. Brown, S. R. Driver and
C. A. Briggs
IDB The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (4 vols.), ed. George A. Buttrick
ISBE International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (5 vols.), ed. James Orr
JB Jerusalem Bible
JPSOA The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation (The
Jewish Publication Society of America)
KB The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by Ludwig Koehler and Walter
Baumgartner
LAM The Holy Bible From Ancient Eastern Manuscripts (the Peshitta) by George M. Lamsa
LXX Septuagint (Greek-English) by Zondervan, 1970
MOF A New Translation of the Bible by James Moffatt
MT Masoretic Hebrew Text
NAB New American Bible Text
NASB New American Standard Bible
NEB New English Bible
NET NET Bible: New English Translation, Second Beta Edition
NRSV New Revised Standard Bible
NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (5 vols.), ed.
Willem A. VanGemeren
NIV New International Version
iv
NJB New Jerusalem Bible
OTPG Old Testament Passing Guide by Todd S. Beall, William A. Banks and Colin Smith
REB Revised English Bible
RSV Revised Standard Version
SEPT The Septuagint (Greek-English) by Zondervan, 1970
TEV Today’s English Version from United Bible Societies
YLT Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible by Robert Young
ZPBE Zondervan Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia (5 vols.), ed. Merrill C. Tenney
v
A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR: HOW CAN THIS COMMENTARY HELP YOU?
Biblical interpretation is a rational and spiritual process that attempts to understand an ancient
inspired writer in such a way that the message from God may be understood and applied in our day.
The spiritual process is crucial but difficult to define. It does involve a yieldedness and openness to
God. There must be a hunger (1) for Him, (2) to know Him, and (3) to serve Him. This process
involves prayer, confession and the willingness for lifestyle change. The Spirit is crucial in the
interpretive process, but why sincere, godly Christians understand the Bible differently is a mystery.
The rational process is easier to describe. We must be consistent and fair to the text and not be
influenced by our personal, cultural or denominational biases. We are all historically conditioned.
None of us are objective, neutral interpreters. This commentary offers a careful rational process
containing four interpretive principles structured to help us attempt to overcome our biases.
First Principle
The first principle is to note the historical setting in which a biblical book was written and the
particular historical occasion for its authorship. The original author had a purpose, a message to
communicate. The text cannot mean something to us that it never meant to the original, ancient,
inspired author. His intent—not our historical, emotional, cultural, personal or denominational need—is
the key. Application is an integral partner to interpretation, but proper interpretation must always
precede application. It must be reiterated that every biblical text has one and only one meaning. This
meaning is what the original biblical author intended through the Spirit's leadership to communicate to
his day. This one meaning may have many possible applications to different cultures and situations.
These applications must be linked to the central truth of the original author. For this reason, this study
guide commentary is designed to provide a brief introduction to each book of the Bible.
Second Principle
The second principle is to identify the literary units. Every biblical book is a unified document.
Interpreters have no right to isolate one aspect of truth by excluding others. Therefore, we must strive
to understand the purpose of the whole biblical book before we interpret the individual literary units.
The individual parts—chapters, paragraphs, or verses—cannot mean what the whole unit does not mean.
Interpretation must move from a deductive approach of the whole to an inductive approach to the parts.
Therefore, this study guide commentary is designed to help the student analyze the structure of each
literary unit by paragraphs. Paragraph and chapter divisions are not inspired, but they do aid us in
identifying thought units.
Interpreting at a paragraph level—not sentence, clause, phrase or word level—is the key in
following the biblical author’s intended meaning. Paragraphs are based on a unified topic, often called
the theme or topical sentence. Every word, phrase, clause, and sentence in the paragraph relates
somehow to this unified theme. They limit it, expand it, explain it, and/or question it. A real key to
proper interpretation is to follow the original author's thought on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis
through the individual literary units that make up the biblical book. This study guide commentary is
designed to help the student do that by comparing the paragraphing of modern English translations.
These translations have been selected because they employ different translation theories:
A. The United Bible Society's Greek text is the revised fourth edition (UBS4). This text was
paragraphed by modern textual scholars.
vi
B. The New King James Version (NKJV) is a word-for-word literal translation based on the Greek
manuscript tradition known as the Textus Receptus. Its paragraph divisions are longer than the
other translations. These longer units help the student to see the unified topics.
C. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a modified word-for-word translation. It forms
a mid point between NKJV and NJB. Its paragraph divisions are quite helpful in identifying
subjects.
D. The Today's English Version (TEV) is a dynamic equivalent translation published by the
United Bible Society. It attempts to translate the Bible in such a way that a modern English
reader or speaker can understand the meaning of the Greek text. Often, especially in the
Gospels, it divides paragraphs by speaker rather than by subject, in the same way as the NIV.
For the interpreter's purposes, this is not helpful. It is interesting to note that both the UBS4 and
TEV are published by the same entity, yet their paragraphing differs.
E. The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) is a dynamic equivalent translation based on a French
Catholic translation. It is very helpful in comparing the paragraphing from a European
perspective.
6. The printed text is the 1995 Updated New American Standard Bible (NASB), which is a word
for word translation. The verse by verse comments follow this text.
Third Principle
The third principle is to read the Bible in different translations in order to grasp the widest possible
range of meaning (semantic field) that biblical words or phrases may have. Often a Greek phrase or
word can be understood in several ways. These different translations bring out these options and help to
identify and explain the Greek manuscript variations. These do not affect doctrine, but they do help us
to try to get back to the original text penned by an inspired ancient writer.
Fourth Principle
The fourth principle is to note the literary genre. Original inspired authors chose to record their
messages in different forms (e.g. historical narrative, historical drama, poetry, prophecy, gospel
[parable], letter, apocalyptic). These different forms have special keys to interpretation (see Gordon Fee
and Doug Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth or Robert Stein, Playing by the Rules).
This commentary offers a quick way for the student to check his interpretations. It is not meant to
be definitive, but rather informative and thought-provoking. Often, other possible interpretations help
us not be so parochial, dogmatic, and denominational. Interpreters need to have a larger range of
interpretive options to recognize how ambiguous the ancient text can be. It is shocking how little
agreement there is among Christians who claim the Bible as their source of truth.
These principles have helped me to overcome much of my historical conditioning by forcing me to
struggle with the ancient text. My hope is that it will be a blessing to you as well.
Bob Utley
East Texas Baptist University
June 27, 1996
vii