In A.D. 634 Damascus was conquered by the growing Mohammedan
power. In A.D. 1516 it fell under the dominion of the Turks, its present
rulers. It is now the largest city in Asiatic Turkey. Christianity has again
found a firm footing within its walls.
- DAMNATION in Romans 13:2, means “condemnation,” which comes on
those who withstand God’s ordinance of magistracy. This sentence of
condemnation comes not from the magistrate, but from God, whose
authority is thus resisted.
In 1 Corinthians 11:29 (R.V., “judgment”) this word means condemnation,
in the sense of exposure to severe temporal judgements from God, as the
following verse explains.
In Romans 14:23 the word “damned” means “condemned” by one’s own
conscience, as well as by the Word of God. The apostle shows here that
many things which are lawful are not expedient; and that in using our
Christian liberty the question should not simply be, Is this course I follow
lawful? but also, Can I follow it without doing injury to the spiritual
interests of a brother in Christ? He that “doubteth”, i.e., is not clear in his
conscience as to “meats”, will violate his conscience “if he eat,” and in
eating is condemned; and thus one ought not so to use his liberty as to lead
one who is “weak” to bring upon himself this condemnation.
- DAN a judge. (1.) The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah,
Rachel’s maid (Genesis 30:6, “God hath judged me”, Hebrews dananni).
The blessing pronounced on him by his father was, “Dan shall judge his
people” (49:16), probably in allusion to the judgeship of Samson, who was
of the tribe of Daniel
The tribe of Dan had their place in the march through the wilderness on the
north side of the tabernacle (Numbers 2:25, 31; 10:25). It was the last of
the tribes to receive a portion in the Land of Promise. Its position and
extent are described in Joshua 19:40-48.
The territory of Dan extended from the west of that of Ephraim and
Benjamin to the sea. It was a small territory, but was very fertile. It
included in it, among others, the cities of Lydda, Ekron, and Joppa, which
formed its northern boundary. But this district was too limited. “Squeezed
into the narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, its energies were
great beyond its numbers.” Being pressed by the Amorites and the