The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible Daniel 2:46
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and
worshipped Daniel… Imagining there was something of divinity in
him, that he could so exactly tell him his dream, which was past and
gone; and give him the interpretation of it, respecting things to come,
which he concluded none but God could do; and therefore, after the
manner of the eastern people, threw himself prostrate to the earth,
with his face to it, and gave religious adoration to Daniel; for that
this cannot be understood of mere civil respect appears by his
following orders; and had he not thought that Daniel was something more
than a man, he, a proud monarch, would never have behaved in this
manner to him; but, being struck with amazement at the relation of the
dream, and the interpretation of it, he forgot what both he and Daniel
were; the one a mighty king, the other a mere man, a servant, yea, a
captive: this shows that he was not exasperated at the account of the
fall of his monarchy, as might have been expected, but was filled with
wonder at the revelation made:
and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto
him; rising from the ground, he gave orders to his servants about him,
some of whom might be the priests of Bel, that they would bring a
meat offering, and incense with it, and offer them to him as to a god;
but, though this was ordered, we do not read it was done; for it cannot
be thought that Daniel, who had scrupled eating the king's food, and
drinking his wine, lest he should be defiled, and afterwards chose
rather to be cast into a den of lions than to omit prayer to God, would
ever suffer such a piece of idolatrous worship to be paid to him; and
though he could not hinder the king's prostration and adoration, which
were very sudden; yet it is highly probable he reasoned with the king
upon it, and earnestly desired that no such undue honours should be
paid to him; declaring that this knowledge was not of himself, but of
God, to whom the glory ought to be given.
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