Daniel's prayer to God A. M. cir. 3466. B. C. cir. 538. OI. cir. LX. 3. Servii Tullii, R. Roman., cir. annum 41. Chaldeans; IN the first year a of Darius are near, and that are far off, A. M. cir. 3466. Ol. cir. LX. 3. B. C. cir. 538. Servii Tullii, the son of Ahasuerus, of the through all the countries whither seed of the Medes, which was thou hast driven them, because made king over the realm of the of their trespass that they have cir. annum 41. trespassed against thee. 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, е 4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. i 7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that a Chap. i. 21; v. 31; vi. 28.b Or, in which he, &c. c2 Chron. xxxvi. 21; Jer. xxv. 11, 12; xxix. 10.—d Neh. i. 4; chap. vi. 10; Jer. xxix. 12, 13; James iv. 8, 9, 10.- Exod. xx. 6; Deut. vii. 9; Neh. i. 5; ix. 32.- -f1 Kings viii. 47, 48; Neh. i. 6, 7; ix. 33, 34; Psa. cvi. 6; Isa. lxiv. 5, 6, 7; Jer. xiv. 7 ; ver. 15; Bar. i. 17, 18.- -82 Chron. xxxvi. 15, 16; ver. 10.- Neh. ix. 33; Bar. i. 15. Or, thou hast, &c. NOTES ON CHAP. IX. Verse 1. In the first year of Darius] This is the same Darius the Mede, spoken of before, who succeeded Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans. See chap. v. 31. Verse 2. I Daniel understood by books] The prophecy referred to here is found Jer. xxv. 12; xxix. 10. The people must have been satisfied of the Divine inspiration of Jeremiah, or his prophecies would not have been so speedily collected nor so carefully preserved. It appears that there was a copy of them then in Daniel's hands. Verse 3. I set my face-to seek by prayer] He found that the time of the promised deliverance could not be at any great distance; and as he saw nothing that indicated a speedy termination of their oppressive captivity, he was very much afflicted, and earnestly besought God to put a speedy end to it; and how earnestly he seeks, his own words show. He prayed, he supplicated, he fasted, he put sackcloth upon his 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10 m Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath Pconfirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: 4 for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.. 6. r * Ver. 7; Bar. i. 15. Neh. ix. 17; Psa. cxxx. 4, 7.- Ver. Isa. i. 4, 5, 6; Jer. viii. 5, 10.- Lev. xxvi. 14, &c.; Deut. xxvii. 15, &c.; xxviii. 15, &c.; xxix. 20, &c.; xxx. 17, 18; xxxi. 17, &c.; xxxii. 19, &c.; Lam. ii. 17.—P Zech. i. 6. Lam. i. 12; ii. 13; Ezek. v. 9; Amos iii. 2.- Lev. xxvi. 14, &c.; Deut. xxviii. 15; Lam. ii. 17. Isa. ix. 13; Jer. i. 30; v. 3; Hos. vii. 7, 10.- Heb. intreated we not the face of the, &c. body, and he put ashes upon his head. He uses that kind of prayer prescribed by Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple. See 1 Kings viii. 47, 48. Verse 4. Keeping the covenant] Fidelity and truth are characteristics of God. He had never yet broken his engagements to his followers, and was ever showing mercy to men. Verse 7. All Israel, that are near, and that are far off] He prays both for Judah and Israel. The latter were more dispersed, and had been much longer in captivity. Verse 9. Mercies and forgivenesses] From God's goodness flow God's mercies; from his mercies, forgivenesses. Verse 11. Therefore the curse is poured upon us] It is probable that he alludes here to the punishment of certain criminals by pouring melted metal upon them; therefore he uses the word tittach, it is poured out, like melted metal, for this is the proper meaning of the root nathach. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, anoint the Most Holy. "Jer. xxxi. 28; xliv. 27.- Neh. ix. 33; ver. 7.- Ver. 10. Exod. vi. 1, 6; xxxii. 11; 1 Kings viii. 51; Neh. i. 10. Jer. xxxii. 21.y Heb. made thee a name. Exod. xiv. 18; Neh. ix. 10; Jer. xxxii. 20. Ver. 5.1 Sam, xii. 7; Psa. xxxi. 1; lxxi. 2; Mic. vi. 4, 5.- - Ver. 20; Zech. viii. 3. d Exod. xx. 5. Lam. ir. 15, 16.— f Psa. xliv. 13, 14; lxxix. Num. vi. 25; Psa. lxvii. 1; lxxx. 3, 7, 19. Lam. v. Ver. 19; John xvi. 24. Isa. xxxvii. 17.— Exod. iii. 7; Psa. lxxx. 14, &c.- Jer. xxv. 29. Heb. whereupon thy name is called. 4.18. Verse 14. The Lord watched upon the evil] In consequence of our manifold rebellions he hath now watched for an opportunity to bring these calamities upon us. o Heb. cause to fall; Jer. xxxvi. 7.-P Psa. lxxix. 9, 10; cii. 15, 16. - Psa. xxxii. 5; Isa. lxv. 24. Chap. viii. 16. Heb. with weariness, or flight.- - Chap. viii. 18; x. 10, 16. 1 Kings xviii. 36.- Heb. to make thee skilful of understanding. w Heb. word. -x Chap. x. 12. Chap. x. 11, 19.—z Heb. a man of desires. a Matt. xxiv: 15.- b Or, to restrain. cOr, to seal up; Lam. iv. 22.- a Isa. liii. 10.11; Jer. xxiii. 5, 6; Heb. ix. 12; Rev. xiv. 6.phet.- - Psalm xlv. 7; Luke i. ix. 11. e Isa. liii. Heb. pro35; John i. 41; Hebrews most important prophecy, and has given rise to a variety of opinions relative to the proper mode of explanation; but the chief difficulty, if not the only one, is to find out the time from which these seventy weeks Verse 17. And cause thy face to shine] Give us should be dated. What is here said by the angel is proof that thou art reconciled to us. not a direct answer to Daniel's prayer. He prays to know when the seventy weeks of the captivity are to end. Gabriel shows him that there are seventy weeks determined relative to a redemption from another sort of captivity, which shall commence with the going forth of the edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, and shall terminate with the death of Messiah the Prince, and the total abolition of the Jewish sacrifices. In the four following verses he enters into the parti| culars of this most important determination, and leaves them with Daniel for his comfort, who has left them to the Church of God for the confirmation of its faith, and a testimony to the truth of Divine revelation. Verse 24, Seventy weeks are determined] This is a They contain the fullest confirmation of Christianity, Verse 19. Thy city and thy people are called by thy name.] The holy city, the city of the great King. I think it scarcely possible for any serious man to read these impressive and pleading words without feeling a measure of the prophet's earnestness. Verse 21. The man Gabriel] Or the angel Gabriel, who had appeared to me as a man. wish is the same here as person-the person Gabriel. Being caused to fly swiftly] God hears with delight such earnest, humble, urgent prayers; and sends the speediest answer. Gabriel himself was ordered on this occasion to make more than usual speed. The seventy weeks A. M. cir. 3466. B. C. cir. 538. ol. eir. LX. 3. Servii Tullii, 25 h Know therefore and un-seven weeks, and threescore A. M. cir. 3466. derstand, that from the going and two weeks: the street forth of the commandment to shall be built again, and the restore and to build Jerusalem the Messiah m the Prince shall be Ol. cir. LX. 3. unto n wall, times. P even a in troublous cir. annum 41. and a complete refutation of the Jewish cavils and four thousand seven hundred and forty-sixth year of blasphemies on this subject.. Of all the writers I have consulted on this most noble prophecy, Dean Prideaux appears to me the most clear and satisfactory. I shall therefore follow his method in my explanation, and often borrow his words. Seventy weeks are determined-The Jews had Sabbatic years, Lev. xxv. 8, by which their years were divided into weeks of years, as in this important prophecy, each week containing seven years. The seventy weeks therefore here spoken of amount to four hundred and ninety years. In ver. 24 there are six events mentioned which should be the consequences of the incarnation of our Lord: I. To finish ( lechalle, to restrain) the transgression; which was effected by the preaching of the Gospel, and pouring out of the Holy Ghost among men. II. To make an end of sins; rather non on ulehathem chalaoth, “to make an end of sin-offerings," which our Lord did when he offered his spotless soul and body on the cross once for all. II. To make reconciliation ( ulechapper, " to make atonement or expiation") for iniquity; which he did by the once offering up of himself. IV. To bring in everlasting righteousness, ophy py tsedek olamim, that is, "the righteousness, or righteous ONE, of ages;" that person who had been the object of the faith of mankind, and the subject of the predictions of the prophets through all the ages of the world. the Julian period. Four hundred and ninety years, reckoned back from the above year, leads us directly to the month Nisan in the four thousand two hundred and fifty-sixth year of the same period; the very month and year in which Ezra had his commission from Artaxerxes Longimanus, king of Egypt, (see Ezra vii. 9,) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. See the commission in Ezra, chap. vii. 11-26, and Prideaux's Connexions, vol. ii. p. 380. The above seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, are divided, in ver. 25, into three distinct periods, to each of which particular events are assigned. The three periods are,— I. Seven weeks, that is, forty-nine-years. II. Sixty-two weeks, that is, four hundred and thirty-four years. III. One week, that is, seven years. To the first period of seven weeks the restoration and repairing of Jerusalem are referred; and so long were Ezra and Nehemiah employed in restoring the sacred constitutions and civil establishments of the Jews, for this work lasted forty-nine years after the commission was given by Artaxerxes. From the above seven weeks the second period of sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and thirty-four years more, commences, at the end of which the prophecy says, Messiah the Prince should come, that is, seven weeks, or forty-nine years, should be allowed for the restoration of the Jewish state; from which time till the public entrance of the Messiah on the work of the ministry should be sixty-two weeks, or four hunV. To seal up (ni velachtom, “to finish or com-dred and thirty-four years, in all four hundred and plete") the vision and prophecy; that is, to put an end to the necessity of any farther revelations, by completing the canon of Scripture, and fulfilling the prophecies which related to his person, sacrifice, and the glory that should follow. VI. And to anoint the Most Holy, pp kodesh kodashim, "the Holy of holies." n'mashach, to anoint, (from which comes w♫ mashiach, the Messiah, the anointed one,) signifies in general, to consecrate or appoint to some special office. Here it means the consecration or appointment of our blessed Lord, the Holy One of Israel, to be the Prophet, Priest, and King of mankind. eighty-three years. From the coming of our Lord, the third period is to be dated, viz., "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week," that is, seven years, ver. 27. This confirmation of the covenant must take in the ministry of John the Baptist with that of our Lord, comprehending the term of seven years, during the whole of which he might be well said to confirm or ratify the new covenant with mankind. Our Lord says, "The law was until John;" but from his first public preaching the kingdom of God, or Gospel dispensation, commenced. These seven years, added to the four hundred and Verse 25. From the going forth of the command-eighty-three, complete the four hundred and ninety ment to restore and to build Jerusalem] The foregoing events being all accomplished by Jesus Christ, they of course determine the prophecy to him. And if we reckon back four hundred and ninety years, we shall find the time of the going forth of this command. Most learned men agree that the death of Christ happened at the passover in the month Nisan, in the years, or seventy prophetic weeks; so that the whole of this prophecy, from the times and corresponding events, has been fulfilled to the very letter. Some imagine that the half of the last seven years is to be referred to the total destruction of the Jews by Titus, when the daily sacrifice for ever ceased to be offered; and that the intermediate space of thirty u Isa. liii. 8; Mark ix. 12; Luke xxiv. 26, 46.- 1 Pet. ii. 21; iii. 18.- Or, and shall have nothing; John xiv. 30.- Or, and [the Jews] they shall be no more his people; chap. xi. 17, or, and the Prince's [Messiah's, ver. 25] future people.- Matt. xxii. Luke xix. 44. Matt. xxiv. 2.- y Matt. xxiv. 6, 14. Isa. viii. 7, 8; chap. xi. 10, 22; Nah. i. 8. 7. seven years, from our Lord's death till the destruction of the city, is passed over as being of no account in | relation to the prophecy, and that it was on this account that the last seven years are divided. But Dean Prideaux thinks that the whole refers to our Lord's preaching connected with that of the Baptist. vachatsi, says he, signifies in the half part of the week; that is, in the latter three years and a half in which he exercised himself in the public ministry, he caused, by the sacrifice of himself, all other sacrifices and oblations to cease, nify his.. 27 And he shall confirm covenant with d many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, spreading of fabominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. e and for the over a Or, it shall be cut off by desolations.- -b Or, a.c Isa. xlii. 6; lv. 3; Jer. xxxi. 31; Ezek. xvi. 60, 61, 62.- d Isa. liii. 11; Matt. xxvi. 28; Rom. v. 15, 19; Heb. ix. 28.- Or, and upon the battlements shall be the idols of the desolator. f Matt. xxiv. 15; Mark xiii. 14; Luke xxi. 20. See Isa. x. 22, 23; xxviii. 22; chap. xi. 36; Luke xxi. 24; Rom, xi. 26.—h Or, upon the desolator. The Septuagint, Και επι το ιερον βδέλυγμα των spημwswv, “And upon the temple there shall be the abomination of desolation." The Arabic, “And upon the sanctuary there shall be the abomination of ruin." The above reading is celebrated by J. D. Michaelis, Epist. De Ebdom. Dan., p. 120: Vix insignius exemplum reperiri posse autumem, ostensuro in codicibus Hebræis latere lectiones dignissimas quæ eruantur, &c. "A more illustrious example can, I think, hardly which were instituted to sig-be found, to show that various readings lie hid in Hebrew MSS., which are most worthy of being exhibited." Vid. Bib. Heb. KENNICOTT, Dis. Gen. In the latter parts of ver. 26 and 27 we find the THIRD PART of this great prophecy, which refers to what should be done after the completion of these seventy weeks. I have only to add that this mode of reckoning years and periods by weeks is not solely Jewish. Macrobius, in his book on Scipio's dream, has these remarkable words: Sed a sexta usque ad septimam septimanam fit quidem diminutio, sed occulta, et quæ detrimentum suum aperta defectione non prodat: ideo nonnullarum rerumpublicarum hic mos est, ut post sextam ad militiam nemo cogatur; Somn. Scip., lib. i. c. vi., in fine. "From the sixth to the seventh week, there is a diminution of strength; but it is hidden, and does not manifest itself by any outward defect. Hence it was the custom in some republics not to oblige a Verse 27. And for the overspreading of abominations man to go to the wars after the sixth week, i. e., after he shall make it desolate] This clause is remarkably | forty-two years of age." Verse 26. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary] By the "prince" Titus, the son of Vespasian, is plainly intended; and the people of that prince" are no other than the Romans, who, according to the prophecy, destroyed the sanctuary, vpn hakkodesh, the holy place or temple, and, as a flood, swept away all, till the total destruction of that obstinate people finished the war. -kenmaph shikkutsim mesho כנף שקוצים משמם .obscure Having now gone through the whole of this immem, "And upon the wing of abominations causing portant prophecy, and given that interpretation which amazement." This is a literal translation of the place; but still there is no determinate sense. A Hebrew MS., written in the thirteenth century, has preserved a very remarkable reading here, which frees the place from all embarrassment. Instead of the above ובהיכל יהיה שיקוץ reading, this valuable MS. has ubeheychal yihyey shikkuts; that is, "And in the the original seemed best to warrant, I shall next proceed to notice the principal various readings found in the Collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, with those from my own MSS., which the reader may collate with the words of the common printed text. Various readings relative 'DANIEL. to the seventy weeks. Verse 27. -text I have inserted Houbigant's dots, or marks of dis | והעיר והקדש ישחית עם נגיד הבא וקצו בשטף. tinction between the different members of the verses. VARIOUS READINGS. ועד קץ מלחמה נחרצת שממות : weeks written full, so as to שבועים שבעים .24 Verse והגביר ברית לרבים שבוע אחד. והצי השבוע ישבית זבח ומנחה. ועל כנף שקוצים משמם. -Seventy-one of Kennicott's, and one of De Ros שבעים ועד כלה ונחרצה תתך על שומם : Of the whole passage Houbigant gives the following translation: Verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and the city of thy sanctuary : That sin may be restrained, and transgressions have an end; That iniquity may be expiated, and an everlasting That visions and prophecies may be sealed up, and the Verse 25. Know therefore and understand : prevent mistakes, in thirteen of Kennicott's, four of si's, have Dyay "weeks, weeks, weeks;" that is, 66 to restrain." "to consume," is the read- "and to seal up." Forty-three of Kennicott's, twelve of De Rossi's, and one of my own, have more ולחתום to make an end. One reads * ולהתם full. From the edict which shall be promulgated, to return times. .and so in the next instance ,שלמים Thence, to the Prince Messiah, there shall be sixtytwo weeks. Verse 26. And after sixty-two weeks the Messiah shall be slain, and have no justice. Afterwards he shall waste the city and the sanctuary, by the prince that is to come. And his end shall be in straits; and to the end of the war desolation is appointed. Verse 27. And for one week he shall confirm a covenant with many; And in the middle of the week he shall abrogate sacrifice and offering; And in the temple there shall be the abomination of desolation, Until the ruin which is decreed rush on after the desolation. In this translation there are some peculiarities. Instead of "the street shall be built again, and the wall," ver. 25, he translates an (with the prefix beth instead of 1 vau in the latter word,)" it shall be fully (the city and all its walls) rebuilt with anxiety." Instead of "but not for himself," he translates, “Nor shall justice be done him;" supposing that "justice" was originally in the verse. Instead of "the people of the prince," ver. 26, he translates "by the prince," using Dy im as a preposition, instead of by am," the people." " and the prophet." The conjunction is omitted "and understand." One of my MSS. has owni. Verse 25. of De Rossi's omits the "from," and instead of "Messiah." Nine MSS. read the word with the Instead of "and for the overspreading," he trans-p" and in straits," or anxiety. One MS. without lates in the temple;" following the Septuagint, xa, εTI To ispov. This rendering is at least as good as ours but see the marginal readings here, and the preceding notes. Houbigant contends also that the arrangement of the several members in these passages is confused. He proposes one alteration, which is important, viz., From the promulgation of the decree to rebuild Jeru-p" and its end." salem shall be seven weeks; and unto Messiah the prince, sixty-two weeks. All these alterations he vindicates in his notes at the end of this chapter. In the הקדש One MS. omits the conjunction and; one omits the following pp "the end;" reading thus: "and unto the war. But a more singular reading is that of one of my own MSS |