This is where the genealogy of Matthew ends with Abraham. Luke continued further back. He said that Judah was the son of Jacob (τοῦ Ἰακὼβ), who had 12 sons with 4 different women, that become the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob was the son of Isaac (τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ), the son of Abraham (τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ), who was the son of Terah (τοῦ Θάρα), the son of Nahor (τοῦ Ναχὼρ). Throughout the Torah, there was a continual reference to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These 3 generations were key to Hebrew and Jewish history. Their stories can be found in the book of Genesis, chapters 12-35. Remember that Abraham had a son with his wife’s maid, Hagar, who was called Ishmael. However, both were sent away. Jacob had a twin brother named Esau, whom he tricked out of his father’s inheritance. Terah and Nahor can be found in 1 Chronicles, chapter 1:26, and Genesis, chapter 11:24-32. Nahor was the name of Abram’s grandfather and his brother. Abram, appeared to be the oldest, took a wife named Sarai, who was barren. Later it will be revealed that Sarai is his half-sister, since Terah had a concubine. They all lived at Ur in the Chaldeans, probably in northwest Mesopotamia. Terah took his son Abram and his wife, Sarai, and his grandson Lot, and left Ur and went to Canaan. However, they settled in a place that had the same name as his dead son, Haran. This may have been part of a huge migration in the early second millennium, about 2000 years before the common Christian era.
Chaldeans
The accusations against his Jewish appointees (Dan 3:12-3:12)
“‘There are certain Jews
Whom you have appointed
Over the affairs
Of the province
Of Babylon,
Shadrach,
Meshach,
Abednego.
These pay no heed
To you.
O king!
They do not serve
Your gods.
They do not worship
The golden statue
That you have set up.’”
These Chaldeans were more specific. They accused the 3 companions of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were in charge of the provinces of Babylon, of not listening to the king. They were not serving the gods of Babylon. They even did not worship the golden statue that the King had set up. Thus, these Babylonian officials, although Jewish, were not following the king’s orders.
The accusations against the Jews (Dan 3:8-3:11)
“Therefore,
At this time,
Certain Chaldeans
Came forward.
They denounced
The Jews.
They said
To King Nebuchadnezzar.
‘O king!
Live forever!
You!
O king!
Have made a decree
That everyone
Who hears
The sound of the horn,
The pipe,
The lyre,
The trigon,
The harp,
The drum,
The entire musical ensemble,
Shall fall down!
They shall worship
The golden statue.
Whoever does not
Fall down,
Who does not
Worship,
Shall be thrown
Into a furnace
Of a blazing fire.’”
Certain Chaldeans went to King Nebuchadnezzar to denounce the Jews. They reminded him that he had sent out a decree that everyone who heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, the drum, or any musical instrument should fall down and worship this golden statue. Anyone who failed to do so, would be thrown into a fiery furnace.
The king wants to destroy all the wise men of Babylon (Dan 2:12-2:12)
“Because of this,
The king flew into
A violent rage.
He commanded
That all the wise men
Of Babylon
Be destroyed.”
Wow, friendly old King Nebuchadnezzar was furious with the response of these Chaldeans. He commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be killed, all because of an uninterpreted dream.
The impossible task (Dan 2:10-2:11)
“The Chaldeans answered
The king.
‘There is not a man
On earth
Who can reveal
What the king demanded.
In fact,
No king,
However great
Or powerful,
Has ever asked
Such a thing
Of any magician,
Or enchanter
Or Chaldean.
The thing
That the king is asking
is difficult.
No one can reveal it
To the king,
Except the gods,
Whose dwelling
Is not with mortals.’”
The Chaldeans responded that this was an impossible task. No one could reveal what the king dreamt. In fact, no king anywhere, no matter how great and powerful, ever asked for such a request from his royal court. Only the many gods in their extra-terrestrial setting might know the answer. Certainly, no mortals would be able to respond to this impossible request.
The king insists that they should know the dream (Dan 2:8-2:9)
“The king answered.
‘I know with certainty
That you are trying
To gain time.
You see
That I have firmly
Decreed it.
If you do not
Tell me the dream
There is but one verdict
For you.
You have agreed
To speak lying words
To me.
You have agreed
To speak misleading words
To me,
Until things take a turn.
Therefore,
Tell me the dream!
Then I shall know
That you can give me
Its interpretation.’”
The king would not budge. He responded to the Chaldeans that they were only trying to gain time. They had to tell him the dream first. Otherwise, they might come up with some lying and misleading words. He wanted them to tell him his dream or else they would die. Then, after they explained the dream, he might be willing to accept their interpretation.
They wanted to know the dream first (Dan 2:7-2:7)
“They answered
A second time.
‘Let the king
First tell
His servants
The dream.
Then we can give
its interpretation.’”
The Chaldeans were insistent. They told the king again that they were perfectly willing to interpret the dream, but they had to know the dream in order to interpret it.
The king explained the consequences of their interpretation (Dan 2:5-2:6)
“The king answered
The Chaldeans.
‘This is a public decree.
If you do not tell me
Both the dream
With its interpretation,
You shall be torn
Limb from limb.
Your houses
Shall be laid in ruins.
But if you do tell me
The dream,
With its interpretation,
You shall receive
From me
Gifts,
Rewards,
Great honor.
Therefore,
Tell me the dream!
Tell me its interpretation.’”
The king responded to the Chaldeans with a public decree. If they were unable to tell him both the dream and its interpretation, they would be torn limb from limb. Their houses would be ruined also. However, if they were able to tell him both the dream and its interpretation, they would receive great gifts, rewards, and great honor. This was their challenge. The easier part might be interpreting the dream, but knowing the dream seemed almost impossible.
The mute persons at the temple for Bel (Bar 6:40-6:41)
“Besides,
Even the Chaldeans themselves
Dishonor these gods.
When they see
Someone who cannot speak,
They bring Bel.
They pray to Bel
That the mute
May speak,
As though Bel
Were able
To understand.
Yet they themselves
Cannot perceive this.
They abandon them.
They have no sense.”
The Chaldeans dishonored their own gods. Whenever they saw a mute person, they would bring the god Bel to them. Then they would pray to Bel to make him speak, as if this false god could understand. But then they would leave him or her there with Bel with no response, because these worshipers of Bel had no sense themselves. Bel was the term used for the Babylonian god Marduk, or Lord. It also was used for many gods in the region. This may have been the start of the use of Lord for the God of Israel, Yahweh.
The flight and capture of King Zedekiah (Jer 52:8-25:9)
“But the army
Of the Chaldeans
Pursued the king.
They overtook
King Zedekiah
In the plains
Of Jericho.
All his army
Was scattered.
They had deserted him.
Then they captured
The king.
They brought him up
To the king of Babylon,
At Riblah,
In the land of Hamath.
He passed sentence on him.”
This is pretty much the same as in 2 Kings, chapter 25. The Chaldeans caught them in the plains of Jericho, about 5 miles from Jerusalem. In 2 Kings, chapter 25, the Judean troops scattered and deserted the king as here, but in the earlier Jeremiah story, there was no mention of that. They then brought the king to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in Hamath, north of Jerusalem, almost on the Syrian border. The Babylonian king then passed sentence on him.