Part I, Chapter 1, 2

The books of the Kings cite other authors, as the book of the Acts of Solomon, the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, and the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. The books of the Chronicles cite the book of Samuel the Seer, the book of Nathan the Prophet, and the book of Gad the Seer, for the Acts of David; the book of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the Seer, for the Acts of Solomon; the book of Shemajah the Prophet, and the book of Iddo the Seer concerning genealogies, for the Acts of Rehoboam and Abijah; the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel for the Acts of Asa, Joash, Amaziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah; the book of Hanani the Seer, for the Acts of Jehosaphat; and the visions of Isaiah for the Acts of Uzziah and Hezekiah. These books were therefore collected out of the historical writings of the ancient Seers and Prophets. And because the books of the Kings and Chronicles quote one another, they were written at one and the same time. And this time was after the return from the Babylonian captivity, because they bring down the history of Judah, and the genealogies of the Kings of Judah, and of the High Priests, to that captivity. The book of Ezra was originally a part of the book of Chronicles, and has been divided from it. For it begins with the two last verses of the books of Chronicles, and the first book of Esdras begins with the two last chapters of it. Ezra was therefore the compiler of the books of Kings and Chronicles, and brought down the history to his own time. He was a ready Scribe in the Law of God; and to assist him in this work Nehemias founded a library, and gathered together the Acts of the Kings and the Prophets, and of David, and the Epistles of the Kings concerning the holy gifts, 2 Maccab. ii. 13. By the Acts of David I understand here the two books of Samuel, or at least the second book. Out of the Acts of the Kings, written from time to time by the Prophets, he composed the books of the Kings of Judah and Israel, the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, and the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. And in doing this he joined those Acts together in due order of time, copying the very words of the authors, as is manifest from the fact that the books of the Kings and Chronicles frequently agree with one another in words for many sentences together. Where they agree in sense, there they agree in words also.

So the Prophecies of Isaiah, written at several times, he has collected into one body. And the like he did for those of Jeremiah, and the rest of the Prophets, down to the days of the second Temple. The book of Jonah is the history of Jonah written by another hand. The book of Daniel is a collection of papers written at several times. The six last chapters contain Prophecies written at several times by Daniel himself: the six first are a collection of historical papers written by others. The fourth chapter is a decree of Nebuchadnezzar. The first chapter was written after Daniel's death: for the author says that Daniel continued to the first year of Cyrus; that is, to his first year over the Persians and Medes, and his third year over Babylon. And, for the same reason, the fifth and sixth chapters were also written after his death. For they end with these words: So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Yet these words might have been added by the collector of the papers, whom I take to be Ezra.

The Psalms composed by Moses, David, and others seem to have been also collected by Ezra into one volume. I reckon him the collector, because in this collection I meet with Psalms as late as the Babylonian captivity, but with none later.

After these things Antiochus Epiphanes plundered the Temple, commanded the Jews to forsake the Law upon pain of death, and caused the sacred books to be burnt wherever they could be found: and in these troubles the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel was entirely lost. But upon recovering from this oppression, Judas Maccabaeus gathered together all those writings that were to be met with, 2 Maccab. ii. 14, and in reducing them into order, part of the Prophecies of Isaiah, or some other Prophet, have been added to the end of the Prophecies of Zechariah; and the book of Ezra has been separated from the book of Chronicles, and set together in two different orders; in one order in the book of Ezra, received into the Canon, and in another order in the first book of Esdras.

After the Roman captivity, the Jews, for preserving their traditions, put them in writing in their Talmud, and for preserving their scriptures, agreed upon an Edition, and pointed it, and counted the letters of every sort in every book: and by preserving only this Edition, the older variant readings, except what can be discovered by means of the Septuagint Version, are now lost; and such marginal notes, or other corruptions, as by the errors of the transcribers, before this Edition was made, had crept into the text, are now scarcely to be corrected.

The Jews before the Roman captivity distinguished the sacred books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa, or holy writings; and read only the Law and the Prophets in their Synagogues. And Christ and his Apostles laid the stress of religion upon the Law and the Prophets, Matt. vii. 12. xxii. 4. Luke xvi. 16, 29, 31. xxiv. 44. Acts xxiv. 14. xxvi. 22. Rom. iii. 21. By the Hagiographa they meant the historical books called Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, the book of Job, the Psalms, the books of Solomon, and the Lamentations. The Samaritans read only the Pentateuch: and when Jehosaphat sent men to teach in the cities, they had with them only the book of the Law; for the Prophecies now extant were not then written. And upon the return from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra read only the book of the Law to the people, from morning to noon on the first day of the seventh month; and from day to day in the feast of Tabernacles: for he had not yet collected the writings of the Prophets into the volume now extant; but instituted the reading of them after the collection was made. By reading the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogues, those books have been kept freer from corruption than the Hagiographa.

In the infancy of the nation of Israel, when God had given them a Law, and made a covenant with them to be their God if they would keep his commandments, he sent Prophets to reclaim them, as often as they revolted to the worship of other Gods: and upon their returning to him, they sometimes renewed the covenant which they had broken. These Prophets he continued to send until the days of Ezra: but after their Prophecies were read in the Synagogues, those Prophecies were thought sufficient. For if the people would not hear Moses and the old Prophets, they would hear no new ones, not even though they should rise from the dead. At length, when a new truth was to be preached to the Gentiles, namely, that Jesus was the Christ, God sent new Prophets and Teachers: but after their writings were also received and read in the Synagogues of the Christians, Prophecy ceased a second time. We have Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles, and the words of Christ himself; and if we will not hear them, we shall be more inexcusable than the Jews. For the Prophets and Apostles have foretold that, as Israel often revolted and broke the covenant, and upon repentance renewed it, so there should be a falling away among the Christians soon after the days of the Apostles; and that in the latter days God would destroy the impenitent revolters, and make a new covenant with his people. And giving ear to the Prophets is a fundamental mark of the true Church. For God has so ordered the Prophecies that in the latter days the wise may understand, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, Dan. xii. 9, 10. The authority of Emperors, Kings, and Princes is human. The authority of Councils, Synods, Bishops, and Presbyters is human. The authority of the Prophets is divine, and comprehends the sum of religion, reckoning Moses and the Apostles among the Prophets; and if an Angel from Heaven should preach any other gospel than what they have delivered, let him be accursed. Their writings contain the covenant between God and his people, with instructions for keeping this covenant; examples of God's judgments upon those who break it: and predictions of things to come. While the people of God keep the covenant, they continue to be his people: when they break it they cease to be his people or church, and become the Synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not. And no power on earth is authorized to alter this covenant.

The predictions of things to come relate to the state of the Church in all ages: and among the old Prophets, Daniel is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood: and therefore in those things which relate to the last times, he must be made the key to the rest.

Notes to Chap. I.

1 2 Chron. xxxiii. 5, 6, 7.

2 2 Chron. xxxiv.

3 2 Chron. xii. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9. & xv. 3, 5, 6.

4 2 Chron. xiv. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12.

5 2 Chron. xv. 3, 12, 13, 16, 18.

6 2 Kings xvii. 27, 28, 32, 33.

7 2 Kings xvii. 34, 41.

8 Gen. xxxvi. 31.

The books of the Kings name other authors: the book of the Acts of Solomon, the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, and the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. The books of the Chronicles name the book of Samuel the Seer, the book of Nathan the Prophet, and the book of Gad the Seer for the Acts of David; the book of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the Seer for the Acts of Solomon; the book of Shemajah the Prophet, and the book of Iddo the Seer on genealogies, for the Acts of Rehoboam and Abijah; the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel for the Acts of Asa, Joash, Amaziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah; the book of Hanani the Seer for the Acts of Jehosaphat; and the visions of Isaiah for the Acts of Uzziah and Hezekiah. These books were therefore gathered from the historical writings of the ancient Seers and Prophets. Because the books of the Kings and Chronicles quote each other, they were written at the same time. And that time was after the return from the Babylonian captivity, since they carry the history of Judah, and the genealogies of the Kings of Judah and of the High Priests, down to that captivity. The book of Ezra was originally part of the book of the Chronicles, and was later split off from it. It begins with the last two verses of the books of Chronicles, and the first book of Esdras begins with the last two chapters of it. So Ezra was the compiler of the books of Kings and Chronicles, and he carried the history down to his own time. He was a ready Scribe in the Law of God. To help him with this work, Nehemias founded a library and gathered together the Acts of the Kings and the Prophets, and of David, and the Epistles of the Kings, about the holy gifts, 2 Maccab. ii. 13. By the Acts of David I mean here the two books of Samuel, or at least the second book. Out of the Acts of the Kings, written from time to time by the Prophets, he put together the books of the Kings of Judah and Israel, the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, and the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. In doing this he joined those Acts together in the proper order of time, copying the very words of the authors. We can see this because the books of the Kings and Chronicles often agree word for word for many sentences at a time. Where they agree in sense, they agree in words too.

In the same way, he gathered the Prophecies of Isaiah, written at different times, into one body. He did the same for those of Jeremiah and the rest of the Prophets, down to the days of the second Temple. The book of Jonah is the history of Jonah written by another hand. The book of Daniel is a collection of papers written at different times. The last six chapters hold Prophecies written at several times by Daniel himself; the first six are a collection of historical papers written by others. The fourth chapter is a decree of Nebuchadnezzar. The first chapter was written after Daniel's death, because the author says that Daniel continued to the first year of Cyrus; that is, to his first year over the Persians and Medes, and his third year over Babylon. For the same reason, the fifth and sixth chapters were also written after his death, since they end with these words: "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian." Still, the collector of the papers may have added these words, and I take that collector to be Ezra.

The Psalms written by Moses, David, and others also seem to have been gathered into one volume by Ezra. I count him the collector, because in this collection I find Psalms as late as the Babylonian captivity, but none later.

After these things Antiochus Epiphanes looted the Temple, ordered the Jews to abandon the Law on pain of death, and had the sacred books burned wherever they could be found. In these troubles the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel was lost entirely. But after coming through this oppression, Judas Maccabæus gathered together all the writings that could be found, 2 Maccab. ii. 14, and in putting them in order, part of the Prophecies of Isaiah, or of some other Prophet, was added to the end of the Prophecies of Zechariah. The book of Ezra was split off from the book of Chronicles and set in two different orders: one order in the book of Ezra, which was received into the Canon, and another order in the first book of Esdras.

After the Roman captivity, the Jews wrote their traditions down in their Talmud in order to preserve them. To preserve their scriptures, they agreed on one Edition, added the vowel points to it, and counted the letters of every kind in every book. Because only this Edition was kept, the older variant readings are now lost, except for what can be found by means of the Septuagint Version. And the marginal notes, and other corruptions, that had crept into the text through the errors of the transcribers before this Edition was made, are now hardly to be corrected.

Before the Roman captivity, the Jews divided the sacred books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa, or holy writings, and in their Synagogues they read only the Law and the Prophets. Christ and his Apostles made the religion rest on the Law and the Prophets, Matt. vii. 12. xxii. 4. Luke xvi. 16, 29, 31. xxiv. 44. Acts xxiv. 14. xxvi. 22. Rom. iii. 21. By the Hagiographa they meant the historical books called Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, the book of Job, the Psalms, the books of Solomon, and the Lamentations. The Samaritans read only the Pentateuch. When Jehosaphat sent men to teach in the cities, they carried with them only the book of the Law, because the Prophecies we now have were not yet written. And after the return from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra read only the book of the Law to the people, from morning to noon on the first day of the seventh month, and then from day to day through the feast of Tabernacles. He had not yet gathered the writings of the Prophets into the volume we now have; he set up their reading only after the collection was made. Because the Law and the Prophets were read in the Synagogues, those books have been kept freer from corruption than the Hagiographa.

When the nation of Israel was young, God gave them a Law and made a covenant with them: he would be their God if they kept his commandments. Whenever they turned to other Gods, he sent Prophets to bring them back, and when they returned to him they sometimes renewed the covenant they had broken. He kept sending these Prophets until the days of Ezra. But once the Prophecies were read in the Synagogues, those Prophecies were thought to be enough. If the people would not listen to Moses and the old Prophets, they would listen to no new ones, not even if they should rise from the dead. At length, when a new truth was to be preached to the Gentiles, namely that Jesus was the Christ, God sent new Prophets and Teachers. But once their writings were also received and read in the Synagogues of the Christians, Prophecy ceased a second time. We have Moses, the Prophets, and Apostles, and the words of Christ himself, and if we will not listen to them, we will be more without excuse than the Jews. For the Prophets and Apostles foretold that, just as Israel often revolted and broke the covenant and renewed it after repenting, so there would be a falling away among the Christians soon after the days of the Apostles, and that in the latter days God would destroy the unrepentant rebels and make a new covenant with his people. And listening to the Prophets is a basic mark of the true Church. For God has ordered the Prophecies so that in the latter days the wise may understand, but the wicked will do wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, Dan. xii. 9, 10. The authority of Emperors, Kings, and Princes is human. The authority of Councils, Synods, Bishops, and Presbyters is human. The authority of the Prophets is divine, and it takes in the whole of religion, counting Moses and the Apostles among the Prophets; and if an Angel from Heaven preaches any other gospel than what they have delivered, let him be accursed. Their writings hold the covenant between God and his people, with instructions for keeping this covenant, examples of God's judgments on those who break it, and predictions of things to come. While the people of God keep the covenant, they go on being his people. When they break it, they stop being his people or church and become the Synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not. And no power on earth has the right to change this covenant.

The predictions of things to come concern the state of the Church in every age. Among the old Prophets, Daniel is the clearest in order of time and the easiest to understand. So for the things that relate to the last times, he must be made the key to the rest.

Notes to Chap. I.

1 2 Chron. xxxiii. 5, 6, 7.

2 2 Chron. xxxiv.

3 2 Chron. xii. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9. & xv. 3, 5, 6.

4 2 Chron. xiv. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12.

5 2 Chron. xv. 3, 12, 13, 16, 18.

6 2 Kings xvii. 27, 28, 32, 33.

7 2 Kings xvii. 34, 41.

8 Gen. xxxvi. 31.