Daniel Chapter 9 - NazareneSpace Blog

James Trimm’s Commentary to Daniel Chapter 9

9:1-2

1 In the first year of Daryavesh, the son of Achashverosh, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,
2 In the first year of his reign, I Daniel, meditated in the books, over the number of the years, whereof the word of YHWH came to Yirmeyah the prophet, that He would accomplish for the desolations of Yerushalayim seventy years.
(Dan. 9:1-2 HRV)

Daniel has been doing some Tanak study. He has been reading Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10. He has read about the 70 year exile.

The reason for a 70 year captivity had been that YHWH was punishing us for having forsaken the Torah. He punished us with the curses of Deuteronomy 28-29 and Leviticus 26 as the Torah had warned us. The key issue here was that of the violation of the Sabbath of the Land (Exodus 21:2; 23:11; Leviticus. 25:2, 20; 26:2, 34; Deuteronomy 15:1)

According to the Torah, if we as a people did not keep the sabbath of the land every seven years we would be cursed (Leviticus 26:34)

9:3

3 And I set my face unto the YHWH Elohim, to seek by prayer and supplications: with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.
(Dan. 9:3)

Masoretic Text has “Adonai” rather than YHWH here. This is one of 134 places where the Masoretic Text reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. Some Hebrew copies have “YHWH” here.

9:4

4 And I prayed unto YHWH my Elohim, and made confession, and said, O YHWH, the great and aweful El, who keeps covenant and mercy with them that love You and keep Your commandments,
(Dan. 9:4 HRV)

Masoretic Text: “Adonai” This is one of 134 places where the MT reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text.

9:5-19 Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel’s prayer in verses 5-19 is very similar to that of Baruch in Baruch 2:11-14. There of the 134 places in the Tanak where the Masorah indicates that the original reading was YHWH but that the scribes had replaced Adonai with YHWH, eight of these are in this prayer.

In this prayer, Daniel is very concerned. It has been 70 years and he wants to go home! He is a very old man by now. But he has worried because he knows his Torah. He knows that the Torah warns that if Israel still does not repent after the curse is enacted that Israel will have the punishment multiplied by seven (Lev. 26:18) Daniel is hoping that YHWH will not be enacting the next level punishment. For that would mean 70 * 7 or another 490 years!

9:5-7

5 We have sinned, and have dealt iniquitously, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, and have turned aside from Your commandments and from Your ordinances.
6 Neither have we hearkened unto Your servants the prophets, that spoke in Your Name: to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 Unto You, O YHWH, belongs righteousness: but unto us, confusion of face, as at this day. To the men of Y’hudah, and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and unto all Yisra’el, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither You have driven them: because they dealt treacherously with You.
(Dan. 9:5-7 HRV)

9:8-9

8 O YHWH, to us belongs confusion of face: to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
9 To YHWH our Elohim, belong compassions and forgivenesses, for we have rebelled against Him,
(Dan. 9:8-9 HRV)

In verse 9 the Masoretic Text has “Adonai” not YHWH. This is one of 134 places where the Masoretic Text reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text.

9:10

10 Neither have we hearkened to the voice of YHWH our Elohim, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
(Dan. 9:10 HRV)

laws, literally “Torahs” Moshe received two Torahs on Mount Sinai (see Lev. 26:46) the written Torah and the oral Torah.

9:11-15

11 Yes, all Yisra’el has transgressed Your Torah, and has turned aside, so as not to hearken to Your voice. And so, there has been poured out upon us, the curse and the oath that is written in the Torah of Moshe, the servant of Elohim, for we have sinned against Him.
12 And He has confirmed His word which He spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us: by bringing upon us a great evil, so that under the whole heaven, has not been done as has been done upon Yerushalayim.
13 As it is written in the Torah of Moshe, all this evil is come upon us: yet have we not entreated the favor of YHWH our Elohim, that we might turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in Your truth!
14 And so, YHWH has watched over the evil and brought it upon us, for YHWH our Elohim is righteous in all His works which He has done: and we have not hearkened to His voice.
15 And now, O YHWH our Elohim, that has brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and has gotten You renown, as at this day: we have sinned; we have done wickedly.
(Dan. 9:11-15 HRV)

In verse 15 the Masoretic Text has “Adonai” rather than “YHWH”. This is one of 134 places where the MT reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. Some Hebrew copies have “YHWH” here.

9:16

16 O YHWH, according to all Your righteousness, let Your anger and Your fury, I pray You, be turned away from Your city Yerushalayim–Your Set-Apart mountain. Because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Yerushalayim and Your people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
(Dan. 9:16 HRV)

The Masoretic Text has “Adonai” rather than YHWH. This is one of 134 places where the Masoretic Text reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. Some Hebrew copies have “YHWH” here however a copy found among the Dead Sea Scrolls has “Adonia” here.

9:17

17 Now therefore, O our Elohim, hearken unto the prayer of Your servant, and to his supplications: and cause Your face to shine, upon Your sanctuary that is desolate, for YHWH’s sake.
(Dan. 9:17 HRV)

The Masoretic Text has “Adonai” This is one of 134 places where the MT reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. Some Hebrew copies have “YHWH” here.

9:18-19

18 O my Elohim, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and behold our desolations, and the city upon which Your Name is called. For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great compassions.
19 O YHWH, hear O YHWH, forgive O YHWH; attend and do. Defer not, for Your own sake, O my Elohim: because Your Name is called upon Your city, and Your people.
(Dan. 9:18-19 HRV)

In all three instances of YHWH is verse 19 the Masoretic Text has“Adonai” There are three of 134 places where the Masoretic Text reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. Some Hebrew copies have “YHWH” in these three instances.

Dan. 9:20-24

20 And while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Yisra’el, and presenting my supplication before YHWH my Elohim, for the Set- Apart mountain of my Elohim;
21 Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gavri’el, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, approached close to me, about the time of the evening offering.
22 And he made me to understand: and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to make you skillful of understanding.
23 At the beginning of your supplications, a word went forth, and I am come to declare it. For you are greatly beloved: therefore look into the word, and understand the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people, and upon your Set-Apart city: to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Set-Apart.
(Dan. 9:20-24 HRV)

Daniel has been praying for chesed (mercy, undo favor) but the messenger sent to him is Gavri’el. (Severity, Judgment, Strength of El). The sefirot of Chesed and Gevurah are opposing qualities of Elohim on the Tree of Life. So while Daniel has been hoping for chesed, he receives a message of gevurah. Daniel learns that there will indeed be at least another 490 years of curses for Israel. The “weeks” here are not seven DAYS but seven YEARS. In fact the Hebrew word here actually just means “seven [somethings]”

Dan. 9:25

25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word, to restore and to build Yerushalayim unto Messiah, a prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. It shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times.
(Daniel 9:25 HRV)

Daniel 9 reveals the time of the Messiah’s coming.

The first century Jewish historian Josephus writes concerning the prophet Daniel:

We believe that Daniel conversed with God; for he did not only prophecy of future events, as did the other prophets, but also determined the time of their accomplishment.
(Josephus; Antiquities 10:11:7)

And we read in the Talmud concerning the Targums:

The Targum of the Prophets was composed by Jonathon ben Uzziel under the guidance of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi… and a Bat Kol (voice from heaven) came forth and exclaimed, “Who is this that has revealed My secrets to mankind?”… He further sought to reveal by a Targum the inner meaning of the Ketuvim, but a bat kol went forth and said, “Enough!”. What was the reason?– Because the date of the Messiah is foretold in it.
(Babylonian Talmud; b.Megillah 3a)

The Melchizadek Document (11Q13) in the Dead Sea Scrolls understands Dan. 9:25-26 as a timedable for the death of Messiah. (See Appendix at the bottom of this page.

The only prophetic book of the Ketuvim is Daniel and this is also a book of the Ketuvim for which no Targum was ever made.

Seven “weeks” here would be 49 years (a Jubilee cycle) plus theeescore and two weeks (3*20+2=62) is 69 “weeks” or 483 years.

But remember we are not counting years here but actual sabbath year cycles which are specific seven year blocks. In other words this is actually a count of how many sabbath year cycle blocks fall between these two points in time.

Our starting point is “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” which is Ezra 7:11-16 and gives us a start date of 457 BCE. Between that date and the Messiah 69 sabbath year cycle blocks would fall.

This places the coming or death of Messiah sometime between 25 and 32 C.E.

9:26

26 And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of a prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined.
(Dan. 9:26 HRV)

Messiah is cut off after the 62 “weeks” which follow the seven weeks. This elaboration allows us to see that the division of these two blocks (the seven weeks and the 62 weeks) was to show that after the 7 weeks “the street shall be built again, and the wall” but the Messiah would not come until after the 62 week block following that.

The Messiah would be “cut off” at that time. This is an idiom meaning that he would be executed. He would not be executed for himself, but for others. Then the people of a prince destroy Jerusalem after that time. The Melchizadek Document (11Q13) identifies the cutting off, or execution, of thie Messiah in Dan. 9:26 with the death of the Servant in Isaiah 53, who is also cut off, but not for himself. (See 11Q13 appended to the bottom of this page).

the people of a prince refers to Titus and his army and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.. Titus would later become the Caesar of the Roman Empire. He is a type of the Anti-Messiah (Armilus)

Dan. 9:27

27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many, for one week. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And upon the wing of detestable things, shall be that which causes appallment, and that, until the extermination wholly determined, be poured out upon that which causes appallment.
(Daniel 9:27 HRV)

there were 490 years or 70 “weeks” but we have so far covered only 483 (or 69 “weeks”).

This is because the big test of our trust in YHWH is the Sabbath of the land. This is where Israel SHOWS our trust in YHWH by trusting him to provide. The curse would not end until we reinstitute the sabbath of the land (2 Chronicles 36:21).

So YHWH in his infinite mercy would send the Messiah seven years BEFORE the 490 years would end to call us to repent and return to Torah in time to re-institute the sabbath of the land BEFORE the 490 years are over. (See Commentary on Isaiah 60:22)

The curse will not end until we as a people repent and show that by re-instituting the sabbath of the land. When we do that we will finally kick off the last seven years of the curse we have lived with all of this time.

Some interpreters have wrongly interpreted this verse as describing the death of Messiah in the middle of the week (Wednesday), however we can see from the entire prophecy (verses 25-27) that “week” in context here, is a “week” of years, or seven years.

Here we have the seven year “tribulation” in which the anti-Messiah (Armilus) makes a covenant of peace, but 3 1/2 years into this “week” he commits the abomination of desolation (See commentary to Matthew 24:15). Thus we have two 3 1/2 year periods. This final 3 1/2 year period is referenced several times in the Scriptures describing the last days.

The Melchizedek Document (11Q13)
Translated by James Scott Trimm

And concerning what Scripture says:

“In this year of Jubilee you shall return,
everyone of you, to your property”
(Lev. 25:13)

And what is also written:

“And this is the manner of the remission; every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because Elohim’s remission has been proclaimed”
(Deut.15:2)

The interpretation is that it applies to the Last Days and concerns the captives,
just as Isaiah said:

“To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives”
(Isa. 61:1)

(…) just as (…) and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, for (… Melchizedek) ,
who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the
Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins. He shall proclaim
this decree in the first week of the jubilee period that follows nine jubilee
periods.

Then the “Day of Atonement” shall follow after the tenth jubilee period, when he shall atone for all the Sons of Light, and the people who are allotted to Melchizedek. (…) upon them (…) For this is the time decreed for the “Year of Melchizedek’s favor“, and by his might he will judge Elohim’s holy ones and so establish a righteous kingdom, …as it is written about him [Melchizedek] in the Songs of David:

“Elohim has taken his place in the council of EL;
in the midst of the ELOHIM he holds judgment”
(Ps. 82:1)

Scripture also says about him [Melchizedek]:

“Over it take your seat in the highest heaven;
EL will judge the peoples”
(Ps. 7:7-8)

Concerning what scripture says:

“How long will you judge unjustly,
and show partiality with the wicked?
Selah”
(Ps. 82;2)

The interpretation applies to Belial and the spirits predestined to him, because all of them have rebelled, turning from Elohim’s precepts and so becoming utterly wicked. Therefore Melchizedek will thoroughly prosecute the vengeance required by Elohim’s statutes. Also, he will deliver all the captives from the power of Belial, and from the power of all the spirits destined to him. Allied with him will be all the “righteous Elohim” (Isa. 61;3).

(The …) is that whi(ch …all) the Elohim. The visitation is the Day of Salvation that He has decreed through Isaiah the prophet concerning all the captives, inasmuch as Scripture says:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion “Your Elohim reigns”.
(Isa. 52:7)

This scriptures interpretation: “the mountains” are the prophets, they who were sent to proclaim Elohim’s truth and to prophesy to all Israel. “The messengers” is the Anointed (Messiah) of the spirit, of whom Daniel spoke:
“After the sixty-two weeks, a Messiah shall be cut off” (Dan. 9;26)

The “messenger who brings good news, who announces Salvation” is the one of whom it is written:

“to proclaim the year of the YHWH’s favor,
the day of the vengeance of our Elohim;
to comfort all who mourn”
(Isa. 61;2)

This scripture’s interpretation: he is to instruct them about all the periods of history for eternity (… and in the statutes) of the truth. (…) (…. dominion) that passes from Belial and returns to the Sons of Light (….) (…) by the judgment of Elohim, just as t is written concerning him: “who says to Zion “Your Elohim reigns” (Isa. 52;7)

“Zion” is the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who uphold the covenant and turn from walking in the way of the people. “Your Elohim” is Melchizedek, who will deliver them from the power of Belial.

Concerning what scripture says:

“Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud;
in the seventh month . . . “
(Lev. 25;9)

— the rest of the document has not survived–