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181
THE HISTORY OF BEL AND THE DRAGON.
ANALYSIS.
| vv. | |
| 1, 2. | Introduces Cyrus and Daniel. |
| 3. | How Bel was worshipped by the Babylonians. |
| 4–7. | Discussion as to Bel’s worship6161In each case it is not clear from the text that the ‘worship’ consisted in anything else than supplying food. between the King and Daniel. |
| 8, 9. | The King enquires of Bel’s priests, and says that they or Daniel must die. |
| 10–14. | The test agreed upon to prove whether Bel partook of the offerings or no. |
| 15–22. | Decided in the negative by discovery of the Priests’ trick, who are slain and their idol destroyed. |
| 23. | Introduces the other object of worship, the Dragon. |
| 24–27. | Conversation as to its divinity between the King and Daniel, who, with the former’s permission, ingeniously slays it. |
| 28, 29. | Anger of the Babylonians with them both. |
| 30–32. | They cause Daniel to be cast into the lions’ den. |
| 33–40. | He is miraculously saved by Habakkuk. |
| 40, 42. | The King acknowledges the Lord, sets Daniel free, and delivers his persecutors to the fate intended for the prophet. |
N.B.—It is unaccountable why the ‘heading’ in A. V. begins with v. 19. Cf. Sus. for a similar peculiarity.
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