Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 42
42. Quest. That the 70. weekes doe not beginne in the raignes of the other kings of Persia after Cyrus.
1. From the second, or 20. yeare of Darius Hystaspis the 70. weekes cannot beginne. 1. for we doe not read of any decree made by that Darius for the reedifying of the Temple and citie: it is Darius Longimanus in whose 2. yeare the worke of the house of God went forward, who is mentioned Ezr. 4. 24. As it may be thus gathered: there are named in that chapter, v. 6, 7. two kings of the Persians after Cyrus, Assuerus and Artashasht: then after them followed Darius: But Darius the sonne of Hystaspis, was the third king of Persia. 2. In Darius decree, mentioned Ezr. 6. there is no speach of building the citie, but of the Temple onelyonly: here the Angel speaketh of the going forth of the word to build Ierusalem. Perer.
2. Neither can the computation beginne from Xerxes the 4. king of Persia, by whom Iosephus thinketh first Ezra to hauehave beene sent, and afterward Nehemiah, who is called Artaxerxes, Ezra. 7. and Nehem. 2. for Xerxes is held by the most to hauehave raigned but 20. yeares, onelyonly Clemens affoardeth him 26. yeares: but mention is made of the 32. yeare of this Artaxerxes, Nehem. 5. 14.
3. Neither can their computation stand, which beginne at the 7. yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus, when Ezra was sent with the kings letters to Ierusalem: for, Sulpitius well obserueth, Ezram nihil super reficienda vrbe fecisse comperio, &c. I doe not finde, that Ezra did any thing in repayring of the citie, his greatest care seemeth to hauehave bin to reforme the corrupt manners of the people, &c. And whereas the king doth furnish him with siluer and gold, that was rather employed for the sacrifices, and seruice of the Temple, then for the building thereof. Bullinger setteth downe diuerse reasons to confirme his opinion, as 1. he prooueth that Ezra was sent to Ierusalem by Artaxerxes. 2. that Nehemiah liuing vntounto Alexanders time, as appeareth by the names of Iaddua and Samballat, who liued in Alexanders raigne, was sent by this Artaxerxes, not by Darius Hystaspis, for then he should exceede an 194. yeares. 3. the commission giuen vntounto Ezra, c. 7. 23. thou Ezra, &c. set iudges and arbiters which may iudge the people, &c. agreeth with the Angels speach here: the going out of the word, &c. 4. the time agreeth, from the 7. of Artaxeres to the death of Christ, are found iust 490. yeares.
Contra. 1. The first is graunted, beeing euident out of the Scripture, but that is nothing to the purpose. 2. It is also confessed that this was Artaxerxes Longimanus, not Darius Hystaspis: that reason then is impertinent. 3. Ezra his commission sheweth, that he was to reforme the manners of the people, and to set them in order, not to build the citie or Temple, and therefore it was not the going forth of the word, here spoken of, which was to build Ierusalem. 4. It can not be shewed, that this agreeth with the iust computation of the 490. yeares: for therein lieth the question.
4. Pererius with others, as namely M. Lydyat. lib. de emendat. temp. ann. mund. 3553. would hauehave the 70. weekes beginne from the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus, by whome Nehemiah was sent to repaire the citie, Nehem. 2. 8. which agreeth to the going forth of the word (here spoken of) to build Ierusalem: And for the which enterprise Nehemiah is commended, Ecclus. 49.
Contra. 1. Nehemiah did not first build the citie, and lay the foundations of the walls, which was done long before in the raigne of an other Artaxerxes, Ezr. 4. 12. which is held to be Cambyses: he onelyonly viewed and repaired the breaches of the citie, Nehem. 2. 15. there is mention made both of gates and walls before his comming. 2. The Temple was builded and finished before the 20. yeare of Longimaniu, namely in the sixt yeare of his raig…: but it is not like that the building of the Temple, beeing the most speciall thing which the people of God longed after, should be excluded out of the compasse of the 70. weekes.
5. Their opinion also may be refelled, who count the beginning of these 70. weekes from the 2. yeare of Darius Nothus, when by the commandement of the king the building of the house went forward, and was finished in the sixt yeare, Ezr. 6. 15. from thence to the destruction of Ierusalem, are found iust 490. yeares: the particulars whereof Polanus thus gathereth: from the 2. of Darius Nothus to the death of Alexander, are yeares 99. from thence to the destruction of Ierusalem, 391. which make 490. yeares.
Contra. 1. In the place giuen in instance, Ezr. 6. 14. it is said, they builded and finished the house, by the appointment of God, and by the commandement of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artashasht king of Persia: seeing then, that all these gaue commandement for the building of the Temple, from which of them rather must the account beginne, then from the first? for they onelyonly finished the worke of the Temple now: it could not be begunne and made an ende of in foure yeares. 2. Neither is his computation of yeares certaine and agreed vponupon: for some beginne to account from the 3. yeare of Darius Nothus, M. Lively, p. 216. Iunius reckoneth but 98. yeares from the 2. of Nothus to the death of Alexander: further in this reckoning, counting 70. yeares from the birth of Christ, to the destruction of the citie, 33. and an halfe to his passion, and 36. with an halfe afterward, he leaueth in the summe of 391. from Alexanders death 321. yeares for the kingdome of the Greekes and Macchabees, vntounto the 30. yeare of Herod: but others allow not so much: Melancthon not much aboue 300. yeares, counting them thus: from Alexanders death to the beginning of the Macchabees 146. yeares, from thence to Herod 127. yeares, then in the 30. yeare of Herod was Christ borne: Oecolampadius thus maketh vp the reckoning, an 160. yeares from Alexanders death to the Macchabees, thence to Herod an 127. and 30. yeares of Herod to Christ: the whole summe is 317. Others recken 300. yeares from the beginning of Alexanders raigne vntounto the raigne of the Roman Empire after Cleopatra her 22. yeares, and from thence to the death of Christ 60. yeares: so Africanus, as Lyranus citeth him, and H. Br. in his proleg. in Dan. Therefore the computation of Polanus is not so certaine to be builded vponupon.
6. Concerning the last opinion of Apollinaris, who beginneth to count the 70. weekes at the birth of Christ, it neede no long refutation: for then there went forth no word for the building of the citie: and there must be 7. weekes and 62. weekes before the Messiah; so that he beginneth Daniels weekes, where they almost ende.