Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 17 – Question 19
Quest. 17 Why 70. weeks are said to be cut out or determined.
Whereas the Latine translator readeth, abbreuiatae sunt, 70. weekes are abbreuiated or shortened, this hath giuen occasion of some question. 1. Augustine epistol. 80. ad Hesychium, maketh mention how some thus interpreted those words of our Sauiour, Matth. 24. 22. that for the elects …ake those dayes should be shortened, that the dayes of persecution should be shorter then the naturall day of 24. houres: and thus as well might some suppose the weekes to be said to be shortened▪ like as we reade that in Iosuah and Hezekias time, the day was lengthened, and made longer then the natural day: But this cannot be the meaning, for it cannot be shewed, that during the space of those 70. weeke…, which make 490. yeares, or for almost two thousand yeare since, any day fell out shorter then the ordinarie course of the naturall day.
2. Augustine in the former place reporteth an other opinion of some, who thought that the time appointed for the comming of the Messiah, which God had purposed to hauehave prolonged, was at the instant prayers of the Prophets, and other of the elect shortened, and sooner accomplished: like as Augustine thinketh, that the time of 120. yeares set for the repentance of the old world, was cut short by 20. yeares.
But this interpretation cannot stand. 1. God by this meanes, if he had shortened the time, which he had appointed, should be mutable and changeable. 2. they must shew out of Scripture, that there was a longer time appointed for the comming of the Messiah, which the Lord abridged. 3. the time limited for the repentance of the old world, was not shortened: but whereas first mention is made of Noahs age of 500. yeares, Gen. 5. 32. and then the time of 120. yeares is prescribed, c. 6. 3. and yet Noah was but 600. yeare old, when he entred into the arke, Gen. 7. 6. it must be acknowledged that the limitation of that time is somewhat transposed, and that in order of time it was reuealed to Noah before he was 500. yeare old, but it is deferred to the 6. chapter, least the historie of the generation of the fathers should hauehave beene interrupted. See more hereof, Hexapl. in Genes. chap. 6. quest. 6.
3. A third opinion there is, which is ascribed to Iulius Africanus, Theodoret, Albertus, Beda, Rupertus, Carthusianus, Hug. Card. that here must be vnderstood the yeares of the moone, which containe but 354. dayes, eleuen dayes lesse then the yeare of the Sunne, which consisteth of 365. dayes: so that 70. weekes of such yeares of the Moone, that is, 490. yeares, are but equiualent to 475. yeares of the Sunne, Rupert. euerie weeke of the yeares of the Sunne exceeding a weeke of the yeares of the Moone by 77. dayes.
But Lyranus well refuteth this opinion by these two reasons. 1. because the Hebrewes vsed not to count by the yeares of the Moone, but by the full and iust yeares of the Sunne: otherwise where the Scripture setteth down the summes of yeares, as 430. of the soiourning of Israel in Egypt and Canaan, Exod. 12. 480. from the departure of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the Temple, 1. King. 6. 1. there should be no certaintie in these computations; but if the account should be made by the course of the Moone, there should be fewer yeares in these summes, then they are reckoned for. 2. Againe, whereas the Israelites kept their Passeouer, on the 14. day of the first Moone, if they should hauehave obserued the yeare of the moone, they should euerie yeare keepe the Passeouer, an 11. dayes sooner then other, and so in processe of time, they should hauehave obserued that feast euerie monethmonth thorough the yeare.
4. A fourth exposition is, that abbreuia…e hebdomadas, to abbreuiate or shorten the weekes, is all one, as paucas constiture, to appoint but fewe weekes: this time was but short in respect of other prophesies made concerning the Messiah, as that to Adam, Gen. 3. and to Abraham, Gen. 22. that in his seede all nations should be blessed: these prophesies were to be fulfilled many yeares after, but now there remayned but a fewe weekes for the accomplishment of this: In this sense the dayes are said to be shortened for the elects sake, Matth. 24. 22. that is, they should continue but a short time those dayes of affliction, Pererius. But we refuse this exposition also, because it is grounded vponupon a corrupt translation of the word chatach, which signifieth not to abbreuiate, but to cut out, and so consequently, to determine.
5. Barbinel a cauilling Rabbine, by the word chatach, which signifieth to cut, would hauehave signified the cutting afflictions, which the people of God should endure all this time: but all this tearme was not a time of affliction to the people of God: they had many prosperous dayes, and had some breathing time, after their returne out of captiuitie.
6. The word chatach then, is well interpreted here, determined, or prefixed, certainely appointed and decreed with God, praefinitae, defined, Vatab. decisae, cut out, Pagnin. Mon. Iun. Polan. and this further is well obserued by some, that here a verbe of the singular number is ioyned to a word of the plurall, 70. weekes is determined, to shewe, that euerie one of these weekes from the first to the last shall be particularly and precisely complete, Liuely.
Quest. 18. Why this tearme of 490. yeares is expressed by weeks.
1. The seuenth number was of great obseruation among the Iewes: the seuenth day, the seuenth yeare, the seuenth seuenth yeare, which was the Iubile in the 49. yeare, were all times of holy rest: therefore to signifie the great yeare of rest, and Iubile at the comming of the Messiah, when there should be a generall remission of the sinnes of the world, this time is reckoned by weekes, and by seuen times tenne weekes of yeares, which make 10. Iubilies: for tenne times 49. yeares, make iust 490. yeares, Polan. 2. An other reason is this, volebat conferre septuaginta hebdo…adas annorum cum septuaginta annis, the Angel would compare the seuentie weekes of yeares, with the 70. yeares of captiuitie, shewing that for 70. yeares of captiuitie, they should enioy seuen times 70. yeares of deliuerance: the Prophet then, confert Dei gratiam cum iudicio, doth compare the grace and merciemercy of God, with his iudgment, Calvin. 3. But in that the Angel speaketh simply of 70. weekes, not adding of dayes or yeares, therein is obserued the propheticall manner of speach, which is for the most part obscure and darke, as treating of mysticall and hid matters: whereas in historicall narrations an other kind of plaine and open speach and phrase is vsed.
Quest. 19. Why the Angel saith, vponupon thy people, and vponupon thine holy citie.
1. Hierome, whom the gloss. followeth, and Hugo Card. thus interpret; he calleth them the people of Daniel, not his people, because they were euill, as though God had reiected them: but this cannot be: for it beeing called an holy citie, must needes be Gods citie. 2. Tertullian. lib. cont. Iudaeos, and Theodoret vponupon this place, doe thinke that they are called Daniels, and not the Lords people, because of that great sinne, which they should commit, in putting the Messiah to death: but in this sense neither would Daniel acknowlege them to be his people. 3. Therefore they are rather called Daniels people, sanguine & affectu, they were his people both in the kindred of flesh and in affection, Pintus. they were his countrey-men, and beside he was carefull for them, Calv. Osiand. 4. Now, whereas it is said, vponupon thy people, some vnderstand, for the destruction, and finall ouerthrowe of the people and citie, Iun. annot. so also Hugo. super, notat oppressionem, this word vponupon noteth their oppression, who finally were destroyed by the Romanes: some giuegive this sense, within this time all these things shal come to passe, which belong vntounto the eternal saluatiō of the people, Osi. But both rather are signified; both the merciemercy, which should be offred vntounto this people, in taking away their sinnes by the comming of the Messiah, and the iudgement, which should befal them for their contempt & reiecting of the Messiah: for both these are afterward touched, the benefits, which the Messiah should bring vntounto them, vers. 24. and the calamiti, ewhich should be sent vponupon them, vers. 26. And both these Iunius in his commentarie ioyneth together.