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Heidegger's Bible Handbook: Daniel: Style and Clarity

6. The style is not the same everywhere. The perspicuity of the same is vindicated by Broughton.


Moreover, the style of the book is partly Hebrew, partly Chaldean, from Daniel 2:4 to 7:28. We touched upon the reason for the change in idiom above. But not a few assert the obscurity of the book, and attempt to render the reasons for it, both the variety of the history that is brought in, which requires an acquaintance with exotic Authors and a reconciliation of the historical discrepancies: and the frequency of hysteron proterons: and the perplexity of the Chronology: and the want of Chaldean, Greek, and Latin books, explaining the histories narrated by Daniel. Moreover, being about to vindicate the Holy Prophet from that conceived opinion of obscurity and difficulty, the Most Learned Broughton thus closes the preface concerning the perspicuity of Daniel: No knots, says he, remain, with a consideration of the throne of David, and the twin families, the fall of Solomon, the standing of Nathan remaining forever, and the overthrown Nations (long concealed for the sake of avoiding danger) revealed in the last speech; nothing is wanting for clarity, with the oppressors also known, and their Kings: finally, with the times and languages not unknown, little difficulty remains, that we might not promise to ourselves all things plain and open.

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