Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 38 – Question 41

Commentary on Daniel · Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 38 – Question 41

p. 30238. Quest. Of the vncertentie of the yeares of the Persian Monarchie, and of the Persian kings.

1. Concerning the continuance of the Persian Monarchie▪ the Hebrewes generally giuegive vntounto it not aboue 50. yeares: Tertullian an 107. yeares: Isidor. lib. 5. etymolog. an 180. Annius, Lucidus, Driedo, an 190. Dyonisius Halycar. lib. de Rom. Antiquit. 200. yeares, and somewhat aboue: Clemens Alex. lib. 1. stromat. 215. Severus Sulpit. lib. 2. sacr. histor. 250. Lyranus 230. so also M. Lively: Pererius 232. Iunius in his last edition, 201. but in the first he reckoneth for the whole time of the Persian Monarchie but an 129. yeares: Beroaldus whom H. Br. followeth, an 130. which seemeth to be the best computation for the reason before alleadged, namely, Nehemiahs age.

2. Now there is as great diuersitie in the seuerall raignes of the kings, Cyrus some thinke to hauehave raigned 30. yeares, as Cicero lib. 1. de diuinatio. Clemens lib. 1. stromat. Iustine, Eusebius: Sulpitius giueth vntounto him 31. Herodotus 29. Annius, Driedo, and Lucidus, 22. yeares, after Darius the Mede: Xenophon yeeldeth him but 7. yeares: Bullinger 16. the Hebrewes generally but three, namely in the Persian Monarchie; he might raigne before divers yeares in the kingdome of Persia: M. Lydyat aloweth to Cyrus 30. yeare ouer Persia, and 7. ouer the whole Monarchie: Cambyses raigned 8. yeares as some thinke, Herodotus, Eusebius, Bullinger: as some but 6. yeares, Iosephus lib. 11. antiquit: as some 9. yeares, Sulpitius: as others 19. yeares, Clemens Alexandrin, Iunius giueth vntounto Cyrus and Cambyses together but 9. yeares in his annotations, both in his first and last edition: M. Lydyat 17. yeares: Smerdes who vsurped the kingdome, fayning himselfe to be the brother of Cambyses, raigned but 7. moneths, as Herodotus, so also Lydyat 10 moneths as Theodoret: a whole yeare as Iosephus, Iunius. Darius the sonne of Hystaspis raigned 19. yeares, as Tertullian: 30. yeares as Orosius: 31. M. Lydyat: 46. yeares as Clemens Alexandrin. 36. yeares as Herodotus lib. 2. Sulpitius lib. 2. Eusebius: 12. yeares according to Ab. Ezra. Iunius in his first edition giueth him twentie yeares, 36. in his last: Xerxes is supposed to hauehave raigned 20. yeares, as Oecolampad. Lydyat. 21. as Diodorus, Sulpitius. Orosius: 26. as Clemens Alexandrin. lib. 1. stromat. 22. yeares, Iun. edition. 3. Artaxerxes Longimanus raigned 37. Melancthon ex Metasthene. Iun. edition. 1. 40. Pererius agreeing with the most historians, 44. as Bullinger: 46. as M. Lydyat. 40. yeares, Iun. edition. 3… Darius Nothus raigned 8. yeares, as Clemens Alexand. and H. Br. proleg. in Da…iel. 60. yeares, as Phylostratus, lib. 1. de vit. Apollon. 19. yeares according to Eusebius, Beda, Bullinger, M. Lydyat, with others. 18. yeares, Iun. edit. 1. 19. yeares Iun. edit. 3. Artaxerxes Mnemon raigned 40. Perer. Oecolampad. 43. as M. Lively, M. Lydyat, out of Diodorus Siculus. 62. yeares as Plutarke. 36. as Bullinger. 35. as Melancthon out of Metasth. 10. yeares, Iun. edit. 1. 3. yeares, edit. 3. Ochus raigned 3. yeares, as H. Br. in proleg. in Dan. 23. yeares according to Tertullian, and Diodorus Siculus, and Iun. edit. 3. 22. edit. 1. and M. Lydyat. 24. yeares as Sulpit. 26. yeares, as Eusebius, Beda, Melancthon, Bulling. Arses, or Arsanes the sonne of Ochus, raigned 1. yeare, according to Tertullian. 3. yeares, as Sulpit. Diodor. so also Iun. edit, 1. and 3. and M. Lydyat. 4. yeares, as Euseb. Beda. Darius the last, raigned 3. yeares, as Clemens. 4. yeares, as Sulpit. 5. yeares, as Iun. edit. 3. 6. yeares, as Euseb. Beda. 21. yeares, as Tertullian.

Now then if we lay the yeares of these Persian kings together, first the smallest numbers of their raigne, & then the greatest, it will appeare what great oddes there is in the account.

p. 303So then the difference betweene these two accounts is of an 182. yeares. By this it is euident, that there is small certentie to be had from forren stories concerning the Persian Monarchie, either for the names, number, or yeares of their kings: whereupon Burgensis thus concludeth, Historiae illorum temporum, praecip…e regum Persarum, & Medorum, sunt plenae diversitatibus & contradictionibus, &c. The histories of those times, specially of the Medes and Persians, are full of diuersities and contradictions, in so much that they onelyonly doe not varie in the continuance of some kings; but some histories also name some kings, that other histories make no mention of. To this purpose Paul. Burgens. addit. 3. in 9. Daniel. Now will we proceede to examine the seuerall opinions, before set downe, qu. 34.

39. Quest. That Daniels weekes doe signifie a certen definite number of yeares.

This may be prooued by sundrie reasons, against their opinion, who doe thinke, that in this number of Daniels weekes, there is not signified a precise tearme of yeares, but generally all that time, which should follow vntounto the comming of the Messiah. But that a certen and definite number of yeares is signified and intended by these 70. weekes, it may thus be shewed.

1. That number of yeares whose beginning and ende is expressed, must needes be a definite and certen number, beeing so bounded and limited: but the beginning and ende of this tearme is described: they take beginning at the going forth of the word, and they ende at the Messiah.

2. The manner of phrase declareth as much, 70. weekes are cut out, or determined: the Lord had as it were cut out, seuered, and appointed this time for the comming of the Messiah, to performe these things here prophesied.

3. That number is definite and certen, which is diuided into parts: but so is this whole number of 70. weekes: it is diuided into three parts, into 7. weekes, 62. weekes, and one weeke.

4. This number of 70. weekes answereth vntounto the tearme of 70. yeares, beeing that number multiplied 7. times: therefore as the one is certen, so is the other.

5. Further that time, which we are bid to obserue and marke, and to attend such things as fall out therein, must be a certen and definite time; for how els should it be obserued and marked: but such was this time here designed by Daniel, and the euents which followed it, as our Sauiour saith, Mar. 24. 15. When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the holy place, let him which readeth, consider it: But how could the euent of this prophesie be obserued and considered, if some certen direction were not giuen by the time to finde it out?

40. Quest. That Origens account can not stand, beginning the 70. weekes at Adam, and ending them in the destruction of Ierusalem.

1. Origen to make this account good, taketh eueryevery weeke for 70. yeares, to eueryevery day of the prophe…icall weeke allowing tenne yeares: but no where in the Scripture is a weeke so taken, but either for a weeke of daies, or for a weeke of yeares. 2. This whole summe according to his account, taking eueryevery weeke for 70. yeares, will amount to 4900. yeares: but the whole time from the first to the second Adam, is not much aboue 4000. yeares, not yet so much in some account: so that this time, according to Origens supputation, will exceede the time of the Messiah almost 900. yeares. 3. It is euident that these 70. weekes must beginne at such time, as the word went forth to build againe Ierusalem and the Temple; they must not then take beginning so long before. 4. Neither are they to be extended vntounto the destriction of Ierusalem, as shall be shewed, when we come to examine the seuerall opinions, for the ende of these 70. weekes.

41. Quest. That the 70. weekes must not beginne before the peoples returne out of captiuitie.

1. Hippolytus, as Hierome setteth downe his opinion in his Commentarie vponupon this place, beginneth the 70. weekes fiftie yeares before the dissoluing of the captiuitie, and endeth them in Christs natiuitie: but this opinion can not stand: for 1. the Angel sheweth, that these weekes must then beginne, when the people returned out of captiuitie. 2. from thence vntounto the Messiah are 490. yeares: but if we should beginne fiftie yeares before, the number will arise to 540. yeares. By the same reason may be confuted the opinion of Lyranus, p. 304Burgens. Galatinus, who beginne the 70. weekes at the 4. of Zedekiah, because then they say the promise was made from the Lord by Ieremie for the returne of the people: as is shewed before, quest. 34. for 1. by this reckoning there will be 70. yeares within fowre, all the time of the captiuitie, added to Daniels propheticall weekes. 2. if they will fetch the beginning from that word and promise, why may they not as well beginne an eleuen yeares before, when Ieremie in the 4. yeare of Iehoiakim shewed them of the captiuitie of 70. yeares, Ierem. 25. 1. 11? or yet they may beginne further off from that promise made concerning Cyrus, Isa. 45. that he should cause Ierusalem to be builded againe: from which time to the ende of Daniels weekes are aboue 700. yeares.

Likewise R. Salamons opinion is confuted by the same reasons: who beginneth the 70. weekes from the first destruction of the Temple in the 19. yeare of Nebuchadnezzer, and endeth them at the destruction of the citie: for 1. so there will be found aboue 50. yeares more then the 70. weekes from the destruction of the Temple vntounto the going forth of the commandement, to build againe Ierusalem. 2. seeing the Angel pitcheth the beginning at the going forth of the word to bring againe the people, and to build againe Ierusalem, it is absurd to set the beginning, when the people were carried into captiuitie, and the citie and Temple destroied.