Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 43
43. Quest. That Daniels 70. weekes must take beginning from the proclamation made by Cyrus for the returne of the people.
There remaine then onelyonly to be examined the opinions of the third sort of those, which beginne the account of the 70. weekes from Darius and Cyrus, who raigned together. Tertullian beginneth them from Darius, and endeth them in the ouerthrow of Ierusalem. Origen taketh the same beginning, but goeth no further then the natiuitie of Christs so also Melancthon in his first account. The Hebrewes, making the same beginning, doe extend the time to the last subuersion of Ierusalem by Adrian the Emperour. Clemens Alexandr. beginneth from Cyrus, and endeth in the subuersion of Ierusalem, lib. 1. stromat. Origen doth ende them too soone, and the rest extend them too farre: but touching the ende of these weekes more shall be said in the next question: but that all these doe take the beginning right of these weekes, from the edict of Cyrus, who raigned together with Darius the Mede, it may thus euidently be prooued.
1. First, when the seuentie yeares of captiuitie were expired, the 70. weekes of libertie immediatly beganne, as M. Calvin sheweth vponupon the 24. verse, Certum est quinquaginta annos & quinquaginta hebdomadas simul coniungi, the 70. yeares and 70. weekes are ioyned together. And this proposition is confirmed, Ier. 29. 10. Thus saith the Lord, After seuentie yeares be accomplished at Babel, I will visit you, and performe my good promise toward you, and cause you to returne to this place: But the 70. yeares were expired in the first yeare of Cyrus, 2. Chron. 36. 22. therefore then the 70. weekes beganne.
2. The 70. weekes beganne from the going forth of the word to cause the people to returne, v. 25. but in the first yeare of Cyrus the Edict came forth for the returne of the people, Ezr. 1. 1. then was the generall deliuerance of the people from captiuitie. Ergo.
3. Paulus Burgensis vrgeth this reason, that if the beginning of these weekes were suspended an hundred yeares to the raigne of Artaxerxes Longimanus, or after, then it would follow, that Daniel was ignorant when these weekes should beginne, and so consequently did not know the time of the comming of the Messiah: but it is not like, that so great a Prophet, hauing reuealed vntounto him the time of the comming of the Messiah, should be ignorant of it.
Pererius to this maketh a double answer. 1. that though Daniel hauehave a vision in generall of the Messiahs comming, yet he might be ignorant of the very time: as it was reuealed to Daniel, that one should rise vp to afflict the people of God most grieuously 2300. daies, chap. 8. yet he knew not the particular time. 2. It is like that it was reuealed to Daniel, when these 70. weekes should beginne, though it is not expressed in Scripture.
Contra. 1. There is not the like reason to know the particular time of Christs comming, and of Antichrist: there was more necessitie for the comfort of Gods people of the one, then of the other: neither was the time foretold of Antiochus comming, as here of Christs, but onelyonly how long his tyrannie should continue, when he was come. 2. Such vnwritten directions not expressed in Scripture, it is dangerous to imagine: it is true that Daniel knew the beginning of these weekes, and had thereto direction, and that here expressed in Scripture: other direction he had none, and not hauing other direction then here, he should hauehave continued ignorant of his owne prophesie, if he had not seene the accomplishment of it himselfe.
4. An other argument may be taken from the continuance of the Persian Monarchie: the most agree,That aboue an 130. veares can not be allowed to the Persian Mona…chie. that the kingdome of the Macedonians continued 300. yeares from the beginning of Alexanders raigne, and that thence to the passion of Christ the Romanes gouerned 60. yeares, so African. Lyr. Iunius counteth but 362. yeares in all: there remaineth then to make vp the summe of 490. an 130. yeares for the Persian Monarchie, and not aboue: the reason is this, because Nehemiah saw both the beginning and the ende of the Persian Monarchie: that he saw the ende, Iosephus Scalliger thus prooueth. 1. because Nehemiah in his storie maketh mention of the last Darius, whome Alexander ouercame, c. 12. 22. And that it was the last Darius is euident, because Iaddua the high Priest is there mentioned, who met Alexander. 2. Nehemiah was hindred in repairing the walls of the citie by one Samballat, c. 4. this Samballat afterward ayded Alexander, at the siege of Gaza with a band of souldiers, and died before Alexander had taken Gaza: so that Nehemiah and Samballat were both of the same time. 3. Nehemiah maketh mention, c. 13. 28. of one of the sonnes of Ioiada the high Priest, who was the sonne in law of Samballat the Horonite, whome Nehemiah chased away: this, as Iosephus sheweth, lib. 11. was Manasses the brother of Iaddua the high Priest, who married Nicaso the daughter of Samballat. 4. Nehemiah also maketh mention of the last Darius called Codomannus, Nehem. 12. Now that Nehemiah also saw the beginning, is euident, Ezr. 2. 2. where Nehemiah is named among those, which returned out of captiuitie, according to the edict of Cyrus.
Two answers are here made. 1. that it might be an other Nehemiah beside him, who was sent to repaire Ierusalem in the 20. yeare of king Artaxerxes. 2. the historie may be transposed: for Nehemiah went not vp then, but 64. yeares after, Genevens. annotat. Ezra, 2. 2. 3. And it is further answered, that the Samballat mentioned by Nehemiah, c. 12. might be an other of that name: or Iosephus might mistake the time wherein Samballat liued: and whereas Nehemiah speaketh of Iaddua, he onelyonly sheweth that at that time, when he writ that booke, Iaddua was borne heire to the Priesthood: to this purpose M. Lydyat in his booke de emendat. tempor. ann. 3485. set forth this yeare, 609.
Contra. 1. To imagine two Nehemiahs (as they likewise say that Mordecai there named was an other beside Mordecai in the dayes of Esther) vnlesse some Scripture might be shewed for it, is all one, as if they should make two of Moses, Dauids, Salomons, or Zorobabels name. 2. whereas the words stand thus, these are they, &c. which came with Zerubbabel, Ieshuaeh, Nehemiah, Ezr. 2. 2. what a disorder were this in the storie, these beeing named together, to put off Nehemiahs comming so many yeares after. And beside, this doubt is remooued, Nehem. 7. 5. where Nehemiah saith, I found a booke of the genealogie of them which came vp at the first, and found it written there, &c. they which came vp with Zerubbabel, Ieshuah, Nehemiah: all these were captaines and chiefe men, with whome the people returned at the first: Nehemiah then was one of the captaines, that went vp first out of the captiuitie. 3. To the other answers it may be also thus replied: that Samballat mentioned by Nehemiah, is the same that assisted Alexander: for he is said to hauehave had one of Ioiada his sonnes (which was Manasses the brother of Iaddua) to his sonne in law, Nehem. 13. 28. And Iosephus is not deceiued in casting Samballat into this time, for Nehemiah doth the same: neither was Iaddua at this time onelyonly borne, for he is counted among the high Priests: and if Manasses his younger brother at this time were married, then Iaddua could not be so young, as onelyonly to be then borne.
Thus then Nehemiah beeing found to hauehave liued from the beginning of the Persian Monarchie to the ende, may be supposed to hauehave beene about an 150. yeares of age, or somewhat more: he may be thought to hauehave beene 20. or 25. at the returne out of captiuitie, and liued after an 130. the whole time of the Persian Monarchie, which Nehemiahs age will not suffer to be extended much further.
And it neede not seeme straunge, that Nehemiah might be an 150. yeare old: for many yeares after this, in the time of Claudius Cesar, one T. Fullonius of Bononia, was found to be an 150. yeare old: and many other are recorded by Plinie in his 7. booke, c. 48, 49, 50. which in diuers countries liued betweene an 100. and 150. yeares.
5. This also is an other manifest proofe, that the Persian Monarchie could not exceede much an 130. yeares, because in the 6. yeare of Darius, when the house of God was finished, there were some then aliue which had seene the former house: as the Prophet Hagge saith, Who is he among you, that saw this house in her first glorie, and how doe you see it now? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? If now there were an 106. yeares runne since Cyrus first, as Iunius in his annotations vponupon that place in the last edition obserueth, they must hauehave beene aboue an 180. yeares old,lib. 6. de e…end. which then liuing had seene the first Temple. Iosephus Scalliger taketh these words spoken by way of wishing in this sense; O that any were aliue which had seene the former Temple, he would take this as nothing to that: But the Prophet speaketh vntounto them in the second person, is it not in your eyes? that is, yours which did know the other Temple: and so Lyranus well expoundeth. Therefore from Cyrus vntounto this second of Darius, might be some 40. yeares and odde: and so some at the age of an 130. or thereabout, might hauehave knowne the first Temple standing: and after this there might remaine some 80. yeares of the Persian Monarchie.
6. And this further may be an other euident argument, that the Persian Monarchie continued not aboue an 130. yeares or thereabout: because Nehem. 12. 26. there are nine seuerall men expressed by name, which liued in the daies of Ioiakim sonne of Ieshuah, who was high Priest in the… returne from Babylon, and continued vntounto the end of Nehemiah: now Ioiakim succeeded his father Ieshuah in the Priesthood, in the 45. yeare after their returne, as Bullinger noteth in his tables: 2. tabul. 2. These were the chiefe of the Leuites all this while: they could not be vnderunder 25. yeares olde in Ioiakims time, for before the Leuites ministred not: now if the Persian Monarchie continued 200. yeares, or aboue, they must be supposed to be very neare 200. yeares old.
Thus it hath beene sufficiently prooued I trust, that it is most agreeable to Scripture, to begin Daniel … from the edict of Cyrus: wherein we hauehave the consent of Tertullian, Origen, Clem. Alexand. among the auncient writers; and of Melancth. Calv. Beroald. Pint. H. T…. of the new …the difference onelyonly betweene them is, in that some begin from Darius, some from Cyrus Pi…us from the time of the reuealing of this vision, which he vnderstandeth to be the going forth of the word: But the oddes is not great, onelyonly in a yeare or two in the most, in their opinion, which make the raigne of Darius the Mede, and Cyrus diuers. But if it … that they raigned ioyntly together, as is prooued before, 2. qu. vponupon this chapter … there is no ….
But against this computation of the 70. weekes from the first of Cyrus, it will be obiected thus. 1. that edict, because it was void and tooke no place (for the worke was hindred all the daies of Cyrus Ezr: 4. 3. notwithstanding his former edict) is not to be accounted for the beginning of these weekes. 2. Cyrus edict was onelyonly to build the Lord an house, Ezr. 1. 2. but this word, the going out whereof the Angel speaketh of, was to build Ierusalem: thus obiecteth Pererius against the opinion of Clemens Alexandr, so also M. Lydyat reasoneth in ann. 3553. 3. Lyranus alleadgeth this reason against it out of Africanus, that if the account beginne from Cyrus, there will be found an 100. yeares more then the 70. weekes to the passion of Christ: which he counteth thus: The Persian Monarchie continued 230. yeares, the kingdome of the Macodonians or Grecians 300. th…nce to the death of Christ, the Romanes ruled 60. yeares: all make 590. yeares.
Contra. 1. Though Cyrus decree did not at the first take place altogether, yet because they by vertue of that decree laid the foundation of the Temple in the 2. yeare, Ezr. 2. 10. though the worke were interrupted, from thence the reckoning must beginne: and the rather, for that this decree of Cyrus was the ground of Darius edict renewed afterward, Ezr. 6. yea the Angel foresheweth here as much, in diuiding 7. weekes from the rest, that the building of the citie and Temple should be interrupted 49. yeares, and should be finished in a troublesome time, v. 25.
2. Though Cyrus edict specially intended the building of the Lords house, yet they had libertie giuen them there withall to reedifie the walls and citie, as is euident, Ezr. 4. 12. for otherwise the prophesie of Isai concerning Cyrus, had not beene fulfilled, c. 54. 28. He saith to Cyrus, thou art my shepheard, and he shall performe all my desire, saying also to Ierusalem, thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, thy foundations shall be surely laid.
3. That the Persian Monarchie continued not 230. yeares, is prooued before: so that this obiection is soone answered. And if Lyranus thinketh that from Cyrus to Christs passion 590. yeares expired, how then can he make his own account afterward good, counting from the 4. of Zedekiah, 52. yeares before Cyrus, as he casteth it, to the passion of Christ, but 490. yeares in all?
Thus the beginning of Daniels 70. weekes beeing knowne, it remaineth that we come to examine the diuers opinions for the ende, and determining of them: as they are before propounded, qu. 34. But first, because we will at once make an ende of the questions & doubts of the Persian Monarchie, three other matters shall here be briefly touched. 1. vnderunder which of the Persian kings Mordecai liued. 2. what king it was by whome the Edict was renewed to build the Temple. 3. which Artaxerxes it was, by whome in the 20. of his yeare Nehemiah was sent.