Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 74
74. Quest. Who are meant by the people of the Prince to come, v. 26.
There are diuerse expositions of these words: 1. Some doe put the people in the accusatiue case, he shall destroy the citie and Sanctuarie, the people of the Prince to come. 2. Some doe make it the nominatiue, the people of the Prince to come shall destroy the citie, and of either of these interpretations there are diuerse kinds.
Of the first. 1. Some read thus, he shall destroy the citie with the captaine to come, Sept. but the word (with) is not in the originall. 2. Iunius thus interpreteth, he, that is, the Messiah, the Prince, shall destroy the people of the Prince, his owne people, which shall come, that is, which shall be then. So also M. Br. he shall destroy the people of the Prince, in the next generation. But 1. it should seeme not to be so proper a speach, he, that is (the Messiah the Prince) should destroy the people of the Prince, that is, his owne people: 2. and in the original there is no coniunction to couple them together: the words standing thus; and the citie and the Sanctuarie shall destroy the people, &c. but in this sense a coniunction must be supplied, and the people, &c. 3. and though the word nagid, prince, were before ioyned with Messiah, yet here beeing put alone, it is not necessarie so to vnderstand it of the Messiah. 4. neither were the Iewes then the people of the Messiah, whom they had reiected and crucified.
2. Of the second sort are these interpretations. 1. Polanus giueth this sense: the people of the Prince to come, that is, the Gentiles, who should become the people of Christ beeing conuerted to the Gospell, shall destroy the citie: But the Romanes were not at that time, when they sacked Ierusalem, conuerted to the faith of Christ, and so not his people.
2. M. Liuely by this word to come, vnderstandeth the strangers and commers which are opposite to inhabitants, as the word is vsed, Gen. 42. 5. the sonnes of Iacob came to buy food among those that came: so his meaning is, that the citie and Sanctuarie should be surprised by strangers and commers: but the word haba, to come, seemeth rather to be referred vntounto the time following, then to the condition of the people: though it be true, that Ierusalem was spoiled by forreners and strangers.
3. Some reade, the principall people of the Prince or captaine to come, Vatab. and he thinketh the destruction of the citie to be imputed vntounto the people rather then their captaine, because Titus would hauehave defended the Sanctuarie, from the spoile of the souldiers: but the word is nagid, which signifieth a Prince, not principall, and the other obseruation seemeth to be somewhat too neere and curious.
4. Oecolampadius by this captaine vnderstandeth Pompey the great, who tooke Ierusalem, and slew 12000. Iewes, and afterward Crassus robbed the Temple, and then Herod and Sosius made hauocke of the citie: But this captaine with his people, were to come after the Messiah was slaine, which was spoken of immediately before.
5. Wherefore by the Prince and people to come, are signified Vespasian and Titus his sonne, with the Romane armie, which should besiege the citie, and destroy both it and the Temple, as Bulling. Calv. Osiander doe well vnderstand it: so also Lyranus: and this is agreeable to that prediction of our Blessed Sauiour, Luk. 19. 43. The dayes shall come vponupon thee, when thine enemies shal cast a trench about thee, &c. and shall make thee euen with the ground, &c. here the destruction of the citie is ascribed to the enemies, not to the Messiah their Prince.
6. Hugo thinketh it may be applyed also to that destruction of the citie which was after this by the Emperour Elius Adrianus: But our Sauiour appointeth the time, when all this should be fulfilled, Matth. 24. 34. This generation shall not passe, till all these things be done: but the destruction by Adrianus was well nigh an 100. yeares after Christ spake those words, 60. yeares after the first ruine of the citie by Titus: it was therefore without the compasse of that generation.