SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:25
Sepas, pues, y entiendas, que desde la salida de la palabra para hacer volver el pueblo y edificar a Jerusalén, hasta el Mesías Príncipe, habrį siete semanas y sesenta y dos semanas, entre tanto se tornarį a edificar la plaza y el muro en angustia de tiempos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Daniel 9:25
Verse 25. From the going forth of the commandment 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 four thousand seven hundred and forty-sixth year of 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 Persia, (see Ezra vii. 9,) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. See the commission in Ezra, 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 hundred and thirty-four years, in all four hundred and 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 eighty- three, complete the four hundred and ninety 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-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. yxjw 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, which were instituted to signify his.
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.
Verse 25. axwm m "from the publication." One MS. of De Rossi's omits the m "from," and instead of either, one of my oldest MSS. has axwml "to the publication." hy¨m "Messiah." Nine MSS. read the word with the point sheva, which makes it read, in regimine, "the anointed of the prince." But this is evidently the effect of carelessness, or rather design.
h[b¨ "seven." Two MSS. add the conjunction w vau, "and." twnblw "and to build." One of mine omits the conjunction.
h[b¨ µy[b¨ "seven weeks." One of Kennicott's has hb¨ µy[b¨ "seventy years." µy[b¨w "and weeks." One of Kennicott's has [wb¨w and a week." µy¨¨ "sixty." A few add the conjunction w vau, "and sixty;" and another has h¨¨ "six;" and another µy[b¨ "seventy." Wherever this word signifies weeks, two of my oldest MSS. write it full µy[wb¨ . In one of my MSS. µy¨¨ µy[wb¨h are omitted in the text, but added by a later hand in the margin.
Åwrjw "and the ditch." One MS. has ry[h "the city." And for bjr "street," one of mine has bwjr of the same meaning, but more full.
qwxbw "and in straits," or anxiety. One MS. without and, as the Vulgate and Septuagint.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. Know, therefore, and understand , etc.] Take notice and observe, for the clearer understanding of these seventy weeks, and the events to be fulfilled in them, what will be further said concerning them, the beginning of them, their distinct periods, and what shall be accomplished in them: that from the time of the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem ; this commandment is the beginning of the seventy weeks or four hundred and ninety years, and from it they are to be reckoned; and which designs not the proclamation of Cyrus in the first year of his reign, which was only to rebuild the temple, and not the city of Jerusalem, ( Ezra 1:1-3), nor the decree of Darius Hystaspes, which also only regards the temple, and is only a confirmation of the decree of Cyrus, ( Ezra 6:1) and for the same reasons it cannot be the decree in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes; which only confirmed what his predecessors had granted concerning the temple, and provision for sacrifices, and exemption of the priests from toll, tribute, or custom, ( Ezra 7:7,13,24), but has not a word of building the wall and streets of Jerusalem, as that has, which was made in the twentieth year of his reign; and seems therefore to be the commandment or decree here referred to, ( Nehemiah 2:1,6-8), and this is the general epoch of the seventy weeks, and where the first seven begin; though Gussetius thinks that the word rbd does not signify any edict or decree, but a “thing”; and designs the thing itself, restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem; and that the following date is to be reckoned, not from any order to rebuild that city, but from the thing itself, from the moment when it first began to be rebuilt: and as singular is the notion of Tirinus f433 , who is of opinion that this is to be understood of the going out, or the end of the word; not whereby the holy city was ordered to be built, but when it was really built; and so begins the account from the dedication of the new city, in the twenty third year of Artaxerxes, ( Nehemiah 12:27). There are others who suppose that not any human word, decree, commandment, or order, is here meant, but a divine one; either the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, foretelling the seventy years’ captivity of the Jews, and their deliverance from it; and reckon these four hundred and ninety years from the destruction of the first temple, to the destruction of the second temple, as Jarchi, Saadiah, Jacchiades, and others; but between these two destructions was a course of six hundred and fifty six or six hundred and fifty seven years: others take the beginning of the seventy weeks to be from the going forth of the commandment to the angel, at the beginning of Daniel’s prayers, as Aben Ezra; and to end at the destruction of the second temple; but, for a like reason, this must be rejected as the other; since this space of time will outrun the seventy weeks near one hundred and twenty years: it is best therefore to interpret this of a royal edict, the order or commandment of a king of Persia to rebuild Jerusalem; and it seems correct to reckon the number given, either from the seventh, or rather from the twentieth, of Artaxerxes Longimanus before mentioned; and either these reckonings, as Bishop Chandler observes, are sufficient for our purpose, to show the completion of the prophecy in Christ: “the commencement of the weeks (as he remarks) must be either from the seventh of Artaxerxes, which falls on 457 B.C. or from the twentieth of Artaxerxes; (add to 457 B.C., twenty six years after Christ, which is the number that four hundred and eighty three years, or sixty nine weeks, exceeds four hundred and fifty seven years); and you are brought to the beginning of John the Baptist’s preaching up the advent of the Messiah; add seven years or one week to the former, and you come to the thirty third year of A.D. which was the year of Jesus Christ’s death or else compute four hundred and ninety years, the whole seventy weeks, from the seventh of Artaxerxes, by subtracting four hundred and fifty seven years (the space of time between that year and the beginning of A.D.) from four hundred and ninety, and there remains thirty three, the year of our Lord’s death. Let the twentieth of Artaxerxes be the date of the seventy weeks, which is 455 B.C. and reckon sixty nine weeks of Chaldean years; seventy Chaldee years being equal to sixty nine Julian; and so four hundred and seventy eight Julian years making four hundred and eighty three Chaldee years, and they end in the thirty third year after Christ, or the passover following f435 ”; the several particulars into which these seventy weeks are divided: unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks ; by whom is meant, not Cyrus, as Jarchi and Jacchiades; who, though called Messiah or anointed, ( Isaiah 44:28 45:1), cannot be intended; for this prince was to be cut off after seven, and sixty two weeks, or four hundred and eighty three years; whereas Cyrus died ages before this, and even died before the expiration of the seven weeks, or forty nine years; nor Joshua the high priest, or Zerubbabel, as Ben Gersom and others nor Nehemiah as Aben Ezra; nor Artaxerxes, which R. Azariah thinks probable; for to none of these will this character agree, which denotes some eminent person known by this name; nor the work ascribed to him, ( Daniel 9:24), nor can it be said of either of them that they were cut off, and much less at such a period as is here fixed: it is right to interpret it of the promised and expected Saviour, whom the Psalmist David had frequently spoken of under the name of the Messiah, and as a King and Prince; (see Psalm 2:2,6,12 18:50 89:27,51 132:17) and who is David, the Prince Ezekiel before this had prophesied of, ( Ezekiel 34:24 37:25), and is the same with the Prince of peace in the famous prophecy of him in ( Isaiah 9:6). The Syriac version, though not a literal one, gives the true sense of the passage, rendering it, “unto the coming of the King Messiah;” unto which there were to be seven, and sixty two weeks, or sixty nine weeks, which make four hundred and eighty three years; and these being understood of eastern years, used by the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Persians, consisting of three hundred and sixty days, reckoning thirty days to a month, and twelve months to a year, there were just four hundred and eighty three of these from the twentieth year of Artaxerxes to the thirty third of the vulgar era of Christ, and the nineteenth of Tiberius Caesar, in which he suffered. Sir Isaac Newton thinks the seven weeks unto Messiah, which he detaches from the sixty two, respects the second coming of Christ, when he shall come as a Prince, and destroy antichrist, and that it takes in the compass of a jubilee; but when it will begin and end he does not pretend to say; but the true reason of the sixty nine weeks being divided into seven, and sixty two, is on account of the particular and distinct events assigned to each period, as follows: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times ; that is, within the space of seven weeks, or forty nine years, reckoning from the twentieth of Artaxerxes; when the Jews had a grant to rebuild their city and wall, and were furnished with materials for it; and which was done in very troublesome times; Nehemiah, and the Jews with him, met with much trouble from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, while they were setting up the wall of the city, and filling the streets with ranges of houses, Nehemiah chapters four and five for which the space of seven weeks, or forty nine years, were cut out and appointed; and that this event belongs solely to this period is clear from the Messiah’s coming being appropriated to the period of the sixty two weeks; which leaves this entirely where it is fixed.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Daniel considers the time of the captivity. (Dan. 9:1-3) His confessio of sin, and prayer. (Dan. 9:4-19) The revelation concerning the comin of the Messiah. (Dan. 9:20-27)
Dan. 9:1-3 Daniel learned from the books of the prophets, especiall from Jeremiah, that the desolation of Jerusalem would continue sevent years, which were drawing to a close. God's promises are to encourag our prayers, not to make them needless; and when we see the performanc of them approaching, we should more earnestly plead them with God.
Dan. 9:4-19 In every prayer we must make confession, not only of the sins we have been guilty of, but of our faith in God, and dependenc upon him, our sorrow for sin, and our resolutions against it. It mus be our confession, the language of our convictions. Here is Daniel' humble, serious, devout address to God; in which he gives glory to his as a God to be feared, and as a God to be trusted. We should, in prayer, look both at God's greatness and his goodness, his majesty an mercy. Here is a penitent confession of sin, the cause of the trouble the people for so many years groaned under. All who would find merc must thus confess their sins. Here is a self-abasing acknowledgment of the righteousness of God; and it is evermore the way of true penitent thus to justify God. Afflictions are sent to bring men to turn from their sins, and to understand God's truth. Here is a believing appea to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousnes belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not onl forgiveness, but forgivenesses. Here are pleaded the reproach God' people was under, and the ruins God's sanctuary was in. Sin is reproach to any people, especially to God's people. The desolations of the sanctuary are grief to all the saints. Here is an earnest reques to God to restore the poor captive Jews to their former enjoyments. Lord, hearken and do. Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do do that for us which none else can do; and defer not. Here are severa pleas and arguments to enforce the petitions. Do it for the Lor Christ's sake; Christ is the Lord of all. And for his sake God cause his face to shine upon sinners when they repent, and turn to him. I all our prayers this must be our plea, we must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The humble, fervent, believin earnestness of this prayer should ever be followed by us.
Dan. 9:20-27 An answer was immediately sent to Daniel's prayer, and it is a very memorable one. We cannot now expect that God should sen answers to our prayers by angels, but if we pray with fervency for tha which God has promised, we may by faith take the promise as a immediate answer to the prayer; for He is faithful that has promised Daniel had a far greater and more glorious redemption discovered to him, which God would work out for his church in the latter days. Thos who would be acquainted with Christ and his grace, must be much in prayer. The evening offering was a type of the great sacrifice Chris was to offer in the evening of the world: in virtue of that sacrific Daniel's prayer was accepted; and for the sake of that, this glorious discovery of redeeming love was made to him. We have, in verses 24-27 one of the most remarkable prophecies of Christ, of his coming and his salvation. It shows that the Jews are guilty of most obstinat unbelief, in expecting another Messiah, so long after the tim expressly fixed for his coming. The seventy weeks mean a day for year, or 490 years. About the end of this period a sacrifice would be offered, making full atonement for sin, and bringing in everlastin righteousness for the complete justification of every believer. The the Jews, in the crucifixion of Jesus, would commit that crime by whic the measure of their guilt would be filled up, and troubles would com upon their nation. All blessings bestowed on sinful man come throug Christ's atoning sacrifice, who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Here is our way of access to the throne of grace, and of our entrance to heaven. This seals the su of prophecy, and confirms the covenant with many; and while we rejoic in the blessings of salvation, we should remember what they cost the Redeemer. How can those escape who neglect so great salvation __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ותדע 3045 ותשׂכל 7919 מן 4480 מצא 4161 דבר 1697 להשׁיב 7725 ולבנות 1129 ירושׁלם 3389 עד 5704 משׁיח 4899 נגיד 5057 שׁבעים 7620 שׁבעה 7651 ושׁבעים 7620 שׁשׁים 8346 ושׁנים 8147 תשׁוב 7725 ונבנתה 1129 רחוב 7339 וחרוץ 2742 ובצוק 6695 העתים׃ 6256
