John Calvin Commentary Daniel 4:19

"Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries." — Daniel 4:19 (ASV)

Here Daniel relates how he was in some sense astonished. I refer this to the sorrow which the holy Prophet had endured from that horrible punishment which God had shown under a figure.

Nor should it seem surprising for Daniel to be grievously afflicted on account of the calamity of the king of Babylon. Although he was a cruel tyrant and had harassed and all but destroyed God's Church, yet since he was under his sway, he was bound to pray for him.

But God had clearly taught the Jews this by means of Jeremiah: Pray ye for the prosperous state of Babylon, because your peace shall be in it (Jeremiah 29:7). At the close of seventy years it was lawful for the pious worshippers of God to beg Him to free them; but until the time predicted by the Prophet had elapsed, it was not lawful either to indulge in hatred against the king, or to invoke God's wrath upon him.

They knew him to be the executor of God's just vengeance, and also to be their sovereign and lawful ruler. Since Daniel was treated kindly by the king when by the rights of warfare he was dragged into exile, he should be faithful to his own king, although he exercised tyranny against the people of God.

This was the reason why he suffered so much sorrow from that sad oracle. Others think he was in an ecstasy, but this seems to fit better because he does not simply speak of being astonished, but even disturbed and terrified in his thoughts. Meanwhile, we must remark how variously the Prophets were affected when God used them in denouncing His approaching judgments.

Whenever God appointed His Prophets the heralds of severe calamities, they were affected in two ways: on the one side, they condoled with those miserable men whose destruction they saw at hand, and still they boldly announced what had been divinely commanded. Thus, their sorrow never hindered them from discharging their duty freely and consistently.

In Daniel's case, we see both these feelings. The sympathy, then, was right in his condoling with his king and being silent for about an hour. And when the king commands him to be of good courage and not to be disturbed, we have here depicted the security of those who do not apprehend the wrath of God.

The Prophet is terrified, and yet he is free from all evil, for God does not threaten him. Indeed, the very punishment which he sees prepared for the king afforded the hope of future deliverance.

Why then is he frightened? It is because the faithful, though God spares them and shows Himself merciful and gracious, cannot view His judgments without fear. They acknowledge themselves subject to similar penalties if God did not treat them with indulgence.

Besides this, they never put off human affections, and so pity takes possession of them when they see the ungodly punished or even subject to impending wrath. For these two reasons, they suffer sorrow and pain.

But the ungodly, even when God openly addresses and threatens them, are not moved. They remain stupefied, or openly deride His power and treat His threats as fictional, until they feel them seriously. Such is the example which the Prophet sets before us in the king of Babylon.

Belteshazzar, he says, let not your thoughts disturb you; let not the dream and its interpretation frighten you. Yet Daniel was afraid for his sake. But, as I have already said, while the faithful are afraid though they feel God to be gracious, yet the ungodly sleep in their security, and are unmoved and unterrified by any threats.

Daniel adds the cause of his grief: O my lord, he says, may the dream be for your enemies, and its interpretation for your enemies! Here Daniel explains why he was so astonished: because he wished so horrible a punishment to be turned away from the person of the king. Although he might deservedly have detested him, yet he reverenced the power divinely assigned to him.

Let us learn, therefore, from the Prophet's example, to pray for blessings on our enemies who desire to destroy us, and especially to pray for tyrants if it pleases God to subject us to their will. Although they are unworthy of any of the feelings of humanity, yet we must modestly bear their yoke, because they could not be our governors without God's permission.

We must do so not only because of wrath, as Paul admonishes us, but for conscience' sake (Romans 13:5); otherwise, we would not only rebel against them, but against God Himself. But, on the other hand, Daniel shows the impossibility of his being changed or softened by any sentiment of pity, and thus turned from his intended course: