33. they that understand--who know and keep the truth of God
(Isa 11:2).
instruct many--in their duty to God and the law, not to apostatize.
yet they shall fall--as Eleazar (2 Maccabees 6:18, &c.). They shall
be sorely persecuted, even to death
(Heb 11:35, 36, 37;
2 Maccabees 6, 7). Their enemies took advantage of the Sabbath
to slay them on the day when they would not fight. TREGELLES thinks, from comparison with
Da 11:35,
it is the people who "fall," not those of understanding.
But
Da 11:35
makes the latter "fall," not an unmeaning repetition; in
Da 11:33
they fall (die) by persecution; in
Da 11:35
they fall (spiritually) for a time by their own weakness.
flame--in caves, whither they had retired to keep the Sabbath.
Antiochus caused some to be roasted alive (2 Maccabees 7:3-5).
many days--rather, "certain days," as in
Da 8:27.
JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 12:7.6,7] tells us
the persecution lasted for three years (1 Maccabees 1:59; 4:54; 2
Maccabees 10:1-7).
JFB.
Painting of Alexander the Great and his horse Bucephalus
Daniel Resources
The Divided Kingdom
The
Northern Kingdom of Israel
The
Southern Kingdom of Judah
The Assyrian Captivity
The Babylonian Captivity
The Return From Babylon
The Prophets
The Messiah