Exposition of the Whole Bible

¥. 16. And I heard a man’s voice between the

banks of Ulai, &c.] Near to which Daniel was, fet me upright; he jogged him out of his fleep,

¥. 2. ahd it feemed to him as if tlie appeatance of the man was in the midft of the river, betweeri the banks of it, from whence the voice came; or between the arms of it, it bending and winding about; or rather between Shufhan and the river; or between the prophet and that: this voice was the voice of the perfon.that appeared as a man in the preceding verfe: which called, and faid, Gabriel; the voice was loud, audible and commanding; even to an angel, one of great note, Gabrie!, the man of God, the mighty one; and fhows, that the perfon that made this appearance, and {poke iri this authoritative way, was the Lord, and head of angels, even of all principalities and power, at whofe beck and command they are: make this man to underftand the vifion; the above vifion of the ram, he-goat, and little horn; give him a full ex-. planation of it; tell him what the feveral figures mean, reprefented in it; that he may have a clear underftanding of all things contained in it: the faints and people of God are fometimes inftructed by angels, and particularly the prophets of old were; and which was more common in the times of the former difpenfation, than now; for God has not put in fubjection to angels the world to come, or the gofpel-difpenfation, Heb, ii. 5.

¥.17. So be came near where I ftood, &c.] The angel immediately obeyed the divine perfon in human form, and came near the prophet, in order to inftruét him, and carry on a familiar converfa-. tion with him: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face; not being able to bear the glory that attended him; and efpecially when he confidered him as the meffenger of a divine perfon fent to inftruct him, and being confcious of his own frailty and weaknefs: but he aid unto me, underftand, O fon of man; give attention in order to underftand the vifion, which the angel, by'a divine command, was about to give him the full meaning of; and which he could not fo well attend unto in his prefent circumftance' and pofture; and therefore fuggefts he fhould fhake off his fear, and ftand on his feet, and liften to what he was about to fay: he calls him, fon of man, a title only given to him and Ezekiel; and fo may be confidered as a mark of honour and refpect, as being one greatly beloved and honoured by the Lord; or to exprefs his tender regard to him, and accommodating himfelf to him, confidering he was a frail mortal man; or to put him in mind that he fhould fo confider himfelf, tho’ now among angels, and favoured with revelations of fecrets, that fo he might not be exalted with them above meafure: for at the time of the end fhall be the vifion; or rather, for a time is the end of the vifion'; ~ there is a fet, fixed and determined time, when the vifion fhall end, and have its full accomplifhment; namely, when the 2300 days are expired.

y. 18. Now as he was {peaking with me, &c.} Addreffing him in the above manner: J was in @ deep fleep on my face toward the ground, thro’ fear he. fell proftrate to the ground, and {wooned away, which iffued in a deep fleep; and fo was unfit to attend to the explanation of the vifion the angel was fent to give him; and which was not thro” indifferency to it, or neglect of it; but thro” human weaknefs, his nature not being able to bear up under fuch circumftances, which ftruck him with fuch fear and dread: but be touched me, and and took him, and raifed him up, and fet him on his feet; or, on bis flanding ™; which Ben Melech explains, as he was flanding at Jirft; and fo in a better pofture to attend to what was about to be revealed unto him.

¥. 19. And he faid, behold, I will make thee know, &c.] Or, make known unto thee"; what he knew not, even things future: particularly what /hall be in the laft end of the indignation, the indignation’

of God againft the people of J/rae/, in the fore affliction and perfecution of them by Antiochus, which he fuffered to be; here the angel fuggefts that that fhould not remain always, but fhould have an end; and he would inform the prophet what fhould be at the clofe; or rather, as No dius © renders it, what fhall be unto the lajfi end of the indignation, all that fhould come to pafs from the beginning of the Perfian monarchy, fignified by the ram, quite thro’ the Grecian monarchy, defigned by the 4e-goat, unto the end of the perfecution by Antiochus, for certain it is, the angel informed the prophet of more things than what concerned the laft part, and clofing icene of thefe forrowful times; even of all the above-faid things, which intervened between the fetting up of the Perfian monarchy, and the fufferings of the Jews in the times of Antiochus; and fo Aben Ezra interprets it, here ‘* is declared the wrath of God “* upon J/rae/ in the days of wicked Greece, and “ in the days of Antiochus, until the Ha/moneans <¢ cleanfed the temple:” for at the time appointed the end fhall be; the end of that indignation or affliction, and fo of this vifion or prophecy: there was a time appointed by God for the fulfilment of the whole; and when that time was come, all would be accomplifhed; the indignation wauld eeafe, and the perfecution be at an end.

¥. 20. The ram which thou faweft having two horns, &c.] Here begins the particular explanation of the above vifion, and of the firft thing which the prophet faw in it, a ram with two horns: which two horns, he fays, are the kings of Media and Perfia,; Darius the firft king was a Mede, and Cyrus that fucceeded him, or rather reigned with him, was a Perfian: or rather the ram with two horns fignifies the two kingdoms of the Medes and Perfians united in one monarchy, of which the ram was an emblem; fee the note on ¥. 3. for Darius and Cyrus were dead many years before the time of Alexander, and therefore ‘could not perfonally be the two horns of the ram broken by him; nor is it to be underftood of the kings of two different. families, as the one of Cyrus, and the other of Darius Hyfiafpes, in whofe fucceffors the Per/ian monarchy continued till deftroyed by Alexauder, as Theodoret.

¥. 21. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia, &c.] Including all the kings of it, from Alexander to the end of the Grecian monarchy; or rather the kingdom of Greece, which began in him, and continued until it was deftroyed by the Romans: this was fignified by the rough or hairy goat, efpecially when Alexander was at the head of it, for his ftrength and prowefs, his fwiftnefs in his marches over rocks and mountains, his majefty_ and grandeur, and alfo his luft. and uncleannefs; fee the note on ¥. 5: and the great born that is between bis eyes, is the firft king; this is Alexander, m yy by fuper ftare meum, Montanus, Gejerus; faper ftacionem meam, Michaelis.

who, tho’ he was not the firft king of Macedon, his father Philip, and others were kings before him; yet was the firft king of the Grecian monarchy,’ which took place on the Perfiaz monarchy being deftroyed by him,::

¥. 22, Now that being broken, &c.] That is, the great horn Alexander, the firft king of the Grecian monarchy; whofe death, either by drunkennefs, or by poifon, is here exprefied by being broken, The fenfe is, he being dead, or upon his death, whereas four fiood up for it; four horns rofe up in the room and ftead of the great one broken s fee ¥. 8. thefe fignified that four kingdoms foall fand up out of the nation, which were the kingdoms of Egypt, Afia, Macedonia and Syria, into which the Grecian monarchy was divided after the death of Alexander; and the firft kings of them were all of the Grecian or Macedonian nation, and not Egyptians, Armenians, Syrians, &c.. but not in his power, they did not rife and ftand up in the power and ftrength, in the grandeur and magnificence of Alexander; they were not equal, but greatly inferior to him, tho’ they were notable horns, or famous kingdoms, as in ¥. 8. Saadiab interprets it, not of his feed or offspring; thefe were not his fons that were the heads of thefe kingdoms, but his captains or generals.

¥. 23. And in the latter time of their kingdom, &c.] Toward the clofe of the kingdom of the four kings that divided Alexander's kingdom; for tho’ they were four diftinét kings, and had four feparate kingdoms, yet thefe all belonged to one kingdom or monarchy, the Grecian empire; and when that was decreafing, and coming into the hands of the Romans, there rofe up, ftood and flourifhed a while, king Autiochus, afterwards de- {cribed, who began to reign in the hundred and thirty-feventh year of the Seleucide, 1 Mac. i. 11. and above, a hundred and fixty-fix years before Chrift; and the fame year that he fet up the abomination of defolation in the temple at Feru/alem, as Mr. Mede’ has obferved, milius the Romaxz

‘ conful conquered Per/eus king of Macedon, whereby all Greece came into the hands of the Romans; fo that this king may be truly faid to arife and ftand in the latter part of the Grecian empire, when that was declining, and the Reman empire was taking place: when the tran/greffors are come to the full; many among the ews who apoftatized from their religion turned heathens, even fome of the priefts, when their number was completed, and they had filled up the meafure of their iniquities; fee 1 Mac. i, 12, (Sc. a king of fierce countenance, and under- Standing dark fentences, fhall fiand up; meaning Antiochus, as is generally agreed,’ both by Yewi s and

Chriftian interpreters, and to whom thefe characters agree: he was hard of face, as it may be rendered; an impudent brazen-faced man, who had no fhame nor fear in him; regarded neither God nor man; committed the moft atrocious crimes, in the moft public manner; and particularly was daring and impudent in his blafphemy againft God, and the true religion, and it may alfo fignify that he was cruel, barbarous and inhuman, efpecially to the Jews, as his perfecution of them abundantly. proves: and his underfianding dark fentences, or riddles *, which he could both propofe and anfwer, fhews him to be fagacious and cunning, well verked in wicked craft and policy; he had the art of inveigling and deceiving men; it was by deceit and cunning ‘he got the kingdom from his nephew; and by the wicked art of perfuafion he was mafter of, he feduced many of the Fews to relinquifh their religion, and embrace heathenifm; and fo well fkilled he was in wicked politicks, that he could cover his own defigns, and penetrate into the fecrets of others; according to Facchiades, he was fkilful in the art of magic‘and aftrology. This is the little horn that was to rife out of one of the four horns or Kingdoms; as. Axtiochus did from that of Selewcus, and ftood and reigned above 12 ears. i y. 24. And his power fhall be mighty, but not by bis own power, &c.] He fhould poffefs a large kingdom, and that fhould be increafed by conquefts; but not in bis power *,. the power of Alexander, he * fhould not arrive to that greatnefs he did, as in ¥. 22. fo Facchiades: or, in bis own power'; for it was not fo much by his own courage and valour, by any heroic actions of Autiochus, he became fo great, as by craft and deceit: through {edition he procured the death of his father and elder brother; and by fraud got the kingdom from his nephew; and thro’ the perfidy of Menelaus and ‘fafon, the high-priefts of the ‘fews, and other apoftates, he obtained what dominion he had over the ews; and it was by the affiftance of Eumenes king of Pergamus, and his brother Attalus, that he kept ‘the kingdom he had ufurped, who ftood by him, in order to check the growing power of the Romans, and more efpecially it was by a power given him from above, or by the permiffion and providence of God, who fuftered him to be fo great, and to ‘prevail particularly over the Yews; becaufe of their fins, as Aben Ezra and Saadiah obferve, to chaftife them for them: fo his antitype, antichrift, became great and powerful, thro’ craft and policy, and by the help of the ten kings that gave their kingdoms to him: avd he fhall defirey wonderfully, or beyond all credit, countries, cities, towns, and their jnhabitants; he Mew fourfcore thoufand Fews in three days time, bound forty thoufand, and fold as many, 2 Maccab. v. 14. or, be fhall defiroy wonderful things"; the temple, and the wonderful things, the things of worth and value.in it, fo Saadiah and facchiades; he took away the veffels of the temple, the golden lamps, the ark, and table of gold, &c: and foall profper and praéiife, for a while do what he pleafed, none being able to oppofe and hinder him; fee ¥. 12: and shall deftroy the mighty, and the holy people; by the mighty may be meant the Egyptians, Parthians, and other nations he made war with; and by the holy people the ‘fews, who were fanctified and feparated from other people by the Lord, to be a peculiar people; among whom were his holy temple, his holy priefts, his hély word, ordinances, and worfhip; multitudes of thefe he deftroyed, as before obferved. ‘Facchiades interprets this of the fons of daron, the holy priefts of the Lord, whom he flew.

y. 25. And through his policy alfo be fhall caufe craft to profper in bis hand, &c.] His fchemes were laid in fuch deep policy, and he managed fo artfully and craftily in the execution of them, that he commonly fucceeded; as in getting the kingdom of Syria from his nephew; and under a pre- tence of peace and friendthip, and to defend Philometer king of Egypt, a minor, and by large promifes to the nobles of the land, made himfelf mafter of it; and by deceitful methods he prevailed in Fudea, fee ch. xi, 21, 23, 24: and he foall magnify himfelf in his heart, {well with pride, on account of fuccefs, thro’ his policy, craft, and cunning, and think himfelf above all mortals, and equal to.God himfelf; yea, as his antitype antichrift, exalt himfelf above all that is called God; fanfy that he could command the feas, weigh the mountains in fcales, and reach heaven itfelf, 2 Maccab. ix. 8: and by peace fhall deftroy many; under a pretence of peace enter into countries, and deftroy the inhabitants of them, as in Egypt and Judea; or by leagues and treaties of peace, outwitting thofe he made peace with; fo fome politick princes do themfelves more {ervice, and their enemies more hurt by treaties, than by battels: or, in peace”; when at peace with them, or while they are’in péace}and tranquillity; coming upon them unexpectedly, at an unawares, when they did not fo much as dream of war: be foall alfo fland up againft the prince of princes; not the high-prieft, as Grotius; nor. Michael,.as Aben Ezra; but God himfelf, as Saadiah and Facchiades; who is King of kings, and Lord of lords, the only potentate, to whom all the princes above and below are fubject; him Antiochus ftood up againit, when he profaned his temple at Yerufalem, torbid his worfhip, perfecuted and deftroyed his people, and fet up the image of Fupiter in his houfe: but be fhall be broken without hand alluding to his being a horn; it is expreffive of his death, and the manner of it; that he fhould not die by the hand of an enemy in battel, nor be affaffinated by the hand of a ruffian, but be cut off by the immediate hand of God. ‘acchiades fays, that by the providence of God he fell ill of a bad difeafe, and at the cry of one of his elephants, his chariot was over-turned, and he fell on the ground, and his bones were broken. Of his death, and the manner of it, fee 1 Maccab. vi. 8. 2 Maccab. ix. 5, 9. which was much like that of Herod's, Ads xii. 24. being ftricken with a violent diforder in his bowels; his body covered with worms; his flefh faked off, and emitted fuch a ftench, as was intolerable to. his army. ben Ezra fays, he fell from the roof of a houfe, and was broken, and died. ¥. 26. And the vifion of the evening and the morning which was told, is true, &c.] Thatis, of the 2300 evenings and mornings, or natural days; unto which time the daily facrifice was to ceafe, and the fanétuary and hoft trodden under foot; and then the fanctuary would be cleanfed. This account is ¢rve, and not only to be believed, but is clear and plain, and to be literally underftood of fo many days, or fuch a term of time exaétly, having no obfcurity in it: wherefore fhut thou up the vifion; the whole vifion of the ram and hegoat, and the little horn: the meaning is, that he’ fhould keep it to himfelf, and conceal it from men; not from his own people, for whofe fake it was given, but from the Chaldeans, whofe deftruction was near; and who would be fucceeded by the Perfians, who might be difgufted with this prophecy, fhould they fee it, it foretelling the deftruction of their empire: or this order was given ’ to t In fortitudine fua, Pagninus, Montanus; per virtutem fuam, o. panbyrs in pace, Calvin, Vatablus; in tranquillitate, to fuggeft to Daniel, that the fulfilment of it would be deferred fome time, during which it would not be fo eafy to be underftood, as when it was near accomplifhing and accomplifhed; and then prophecy and facts might be compared together: for it fhall be for many days, it were three hundred years or more, from the reign of Behazzar to the death of Antiochus, in which this vifion ends.

¥. 27. And I Daniel fainted and was fick certain days, &c.] Or, then I Daniel fainted *, after he had feen the vifion, and had thought upon it, and confidered the.affli€tions that were to come upon the people of God, and the condition the temple, and the worfhip of it, would be in; thele fo affeéted his mind, that he not only fainted away, and was ftruck with a kind of ftupor and amazement, but had a fit of illnefs upon him, which continued fome days; fuch a nearnefs and fympa-

HIS chapter contains a prayer of Daniel, and the anfwer to it. The time; occafion,

_and manner of his prayer, or circumftances of it, are obferved, ¥. 1, 2, 3. the parts of it, an addrefs unto God under various fuitable epithets and characters, y. 4. confeffion of fin, of his own, of the inhabitants of the land, kings, princes; and people, which are largely dwelt upon and exaggerated, ¥. 5—15. and petitions for mercy, y¥. 16, 17, 18, 19. then the anfwer follows; the time when it was ordered and given, and the perfon by whom it was fent, are exprefied, ¥. 20, 21, 22, 23. who delivered to him the vifion of the feventy weeks to be confidered by him; in which both the work of the Meffiah, and the time of his coming,

¥. 1. In the firft year of Darius the fon of Aba- Juerus, of the feed of the Medes, &c.] This is the fame with Darius the Median, that took the kingdom after the death of Belazzar; fo called, to diftinguifh him from Darius the Perfian,; and yet Porphyry has the face to affert, that this was Darius the Perfian, under whom the temple was built, that Daniel might appear to live later than he did: Abafuerus, whofe fon he was, is not he that was the hufband of Ejther, and was many years later than this; but the fame with Afyages king of the Medes, and who is called Abafuerus, Tobit xiv. 15. the father of Cyaxares, the fame with this Darius, who was uncle to Cyrus that conquered Babylon, and made him king of it, and of the whole empire; for this was not the firft year of his reign over Media, where he had reigned many years before, but over Chaldea, as follows: which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; by Cyrus his nephew; who having taken Babylon, and fettled his affairs, undertook a journey to Perfia, and made Media in his way; where he met with his-ancle Cyaxares, the fame with this Darius, and delivered the kingdom of Babylon to him, and married his daughter, with whom he had for her dowry the kingdom of Media, as Xenophon” relates. Now it was in the firft year of his reign over the Chaldeans, that Daniel had the following vifion of the feventy weeks; which, according to Bifhop Ufber * and Mr, Whifton *, was in the year of the Fulian laid fome days ill: and did the king’s bufinefs, by which it appears, that upon the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was as yet continued in the fer- — vice of the king of Babylon, tho’ perhaps not in the fame pofts as before, and was not a favourite at court, and fo much known as he had been; and alfo that he was not in reality at Shujban, when he had this vifion, but at Badylon: and I was aftonifbed at the vifion, at the things contained in it, which were of fo much importance, refpecting the kingdoms of the earth, efpecially the Perfan and thy there are between the foul and body: after— — ‘wards I rofe up; from the bed in which he had —

Grecian empires, and the ftate of his own people period 4174, and before Chrift 53%. Dean Prideaux » places it in the year 538; and Mr. Bedfords in the year 536. ¥. 2. In the firft year of his reign, &c.] Which was alfo the firft of Cyrus, who was partner with him in the kingdom; in which year ended the feventy years captivity of the Yews, and proclamation was made to have their liberty to go up to Ferufalem, and build the temple; Ezra i. 1, 2. reckoning from the third, or the beginning of the fourth, of Fehsiakim king.of Fudah, when the defolation of the land began, and Daniel himfelf was carried captive; and which was the firft year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, during whofe reign, and that of his fon, and fon’s fon, the Fezs were to be detained captives, Dan. i. 1. Fer. xxv. 1. and xxvii. 7. I Daniel underftood by books; the facred fcriptures, which, tho’ a prophet, he was not above reading; and tho’ a prime minifter of ftate, yet found time to look into thefe divine oracles; which he read, ftudied, thoroughly confidered, and well weighed in his mind; whereby he came to have knowledge of the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplifo feventy years in the defolations of Ferufalem, Daniel might poffibly have heard this prophecy of Jeremiah from his own’ mouth, before he went to Babylon; fince the firft intimation of it was in the firit year of Jebotakim, Fer. xxvii. 1, 7. and after this the prophecy might be fent to Babylon for the ufe of the captive Jews there; and indeed, a copy of all his prophecies — was no doubt brought thither at the laft captivity of ~ the people; fo that it is eafy to account for it, how

Daniel came by it; and it is plain it was now be; — fore him; for he ufes the very word mIIM defelations, which Feremiah does, ch. xxv. g, 11, the prophecy of the feventy years captivity, and of. deliverance from it at the expiration of that term,. ftands in ch. xxv. 12. and xxix. 10. which Danjef carefully read over, thoroughly confidered, and as he full well knew what was the epocha of them, orwhen they begun, he found that they were juft ready to expire; and this fet him to the work of prayer, as in the following verfes. is manifeft, that the law was not burnt, nor the fcriptures loft, in the Babylonifh captivity; fo that none none knew what were or would be done by. the Lord, as is falfely afferted in 4 Efdr. xiv. 21, Sc

¥. 3. And I fet my face unto the Lord God to feek by prayer and fupplications, &cc.] He fet apart fome time on purpoje for this fervice, diftinct from his ufual ftated times of prayer, as well as from his civil bufinefs and employment; and he not only fet his face toward Yeru/alem, as he ufed to do, ch. vi. 10. the more to affect his mind with the defolations the city and temple lay in; but towards the Lord God, the fovereign Lord of all, who does according to his will in heaven and in earth, the governor of the univerfe, the one true God, Father, Son, and Spirit: and this denotes the intenfenefs of his fpirit in prayer; the fixednefs of his heart; the ardour of his mind; the fervency of his foul; his holy confidence in God; the freedom and boldnefs he ufed in prayer, and his conftancy and continuance in it; which is a principal means, and a proper manner of feeking God. The Septuagint verfion, agreeable to the Hebrew text 4, renders it, fo feek prayer and fupplications, fuch as were fuitable and pertinent to the prefent cafe; moft beneficial and interefting to him and his people, and moft acceptable to the Lord: with faftiug, and fockcleih, ond afpes, as was ufual on extraordinary occafions, in times of public mourning; and this he did, to fhew his fenfe of the divine Being, and of his own unworthinefs to afk or receive any thing of him; his great humiliation for the fins of the people; and to diftinguifh this prayer of his from ordinary ones, and to affect his.own heart in it, with the fad condition his nation, city, and temple were in; and therefore abitained from food for a time, put fackcloth on his loins, and afhes on his head, or fat in them.

¥. 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, &c.] Not to idols, nor to angels or faints departed; but to the Lord God of heaven and earth, who is omnifcient, omnipotent, omniprefent, &?c, a God hearing and anfwering prayer; and to whom he directed his prayer, not only as the God of nature and providence, but as his own covenant-God and Father; thereby, encouraging his faith in him, and ufing his intereft with him: and made my confeffion, ot his own fins, and of the fins of his people; of the favours beftowed on him and them, of his juftice in afflicting them, and his mercy in appointing a time for their deliverance; of his own faith in him, love to him, and fubmiffion to his will: and faid, O Lord, the great and dreadful God; great in his being and perfections, and in all his works of ‘nature, providence, and grace; and dreadful in his threatnings and judgments, in his wrath and vengeance: or, to be feared; and reverenced by all meh, efpecially by his faints; and particularly when they draw near unto him, as Daniel now did} and that becaufe of his greatnefs and goodnefs: this Daniel obferves, to raife in his mind a proper awe and reverence of God, whofe prefence he was now approaching: teeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep bis commandments; faithful to his word of promife; large and liberal in the diftribution of his grace and mercy to fuch that love him fincerely and heartily; and as an evidence of it, obferve his precepts from a ferved by the prophet, to ericourage his own faith; and that of others, as to the fulfilment of the promife of their deliverance from captivity at the end of the feventy years; and to raife in his mind and theirs, love to God, who was thus merciful; and to fhew the obligations they lay under, in gratitude to keep his commandments. é; ¥. 5. We have finned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, &c.] Some think there is a gradation in thefe words; that they had committed fome fins thro’ error and ignorance; others thro’ infirmity and obliquity, or in the perverfenefs of their fpirits, and the crookednefs of their ways; and others wilfully and in malice, in the wickednefs of their hearts;, and others were open acts of hoftility againft God, cafting off his yoke, and refufing obedience to him, and obftinately perfifting therein. _ Faccbiades refers them to fins of actions, words, and thoughts; which they proudly and prefumptuoufly committed. This heap of phrafes feems to be ufed to take in all kind of fin committed by them, and rather to exaggerate than to extenuate them, and to confefs them with all their aggravated circumftances; and Daniel puts in himfelf among the body of the people, as being a member of it, and as well knowing he'was not without fin; and therefore willingly took his part in the blame of it, in confeffion of it, and confufion for it: even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments; both of a moral and pofitive nature, which were enjoined by the law of Mofes, as the rule of their conduct; but from this they fwerved.

¥. 6. Neither have we hearkened unto thy fervants the prophets, 8¢c.] To their explanations of the laws and judgments of God; to their admonitions, reproofs, and counfels; thefe they did not attentively liften to, nor give credit to them, nor yield obedience to them; but defpifed and rejected them, tho’ they were the true prophets and fervants of the Lord; fuch as Hofea, L/aiah, Feremiah, Exekiel, and others: which fpake in thy name; they came by the authority of God, being fent by him; they delivered their meffage in his name, being his ambaffadors; and which as it was an honour done to this people to have fuch men fent unto them, fo it was an aggravation of their fin that they fhewed no refpect to them; fince their words were not their own, but the Lord’s, which they fpake to all forts of perfons: 40 our kings; one after another, as to Ahaz, Manaffeh, Feboiakim, Fechoniah, and Zedekiab; kings of the houfe of David, and over the land of Fudah: our princes; princes of the blood, nobles, and courtiers: and our fathers; meaning not only their immediate anceftors, but their fubordinate rulers, civil magiftrates, judges or elders of the. people, as Facchiades interprets it: and to all the people of the land; of Judea, the common people, as diftinguifhed from perfons of rank and figure before expreffed, Thefe feveral perfons are named, partly to obferve how faithful the prophets were in delivering their meflage to all forts of perfons, high and low, not fearing the faces of any; and partly to fhew that none could plead ignorance, or excufe themfelves with that, fince all had had fufficient warning and inftruétion; as alfo to obferve, that the fin of re- principle of love, and with a view to his glory: refpect feems to be had to Exod. xx. 6. jecting the true prophets of the Lord was univerthis is ob-! fal among them, all were guilty of it.

te sry san ve), re extnencas meoreuyn n) denciss, Sept. ad querendum orationem & deprecationes, Monta-

7, O Lord, righteoufne/s belongeth unto thee, &c.}] It is effential to him, it is his nature, and appears in all his works; he is perfectly pure, holy and righteous; he is juft, and without iniquity; and there is no unrighteoufnefs in him, nor any to be charged upon him, on account of any thing done by him: punitive juftice belongs to him; nor is he to be complained of becaufe of his judgments, which are righteous altogether; nor had the prophet, or any of his countrymen, juft reafon to complain of the evils brought on them; the defolations of their land, city, and temple, and their captivity in a ftrange Jand; by all which no injuftice was done, nor. could they charge the Lord with any: and with him alfo is righteouinefs wrought out by his Son, to juftify finners that believe in him; he has accepted of it, and imputes it without works, But unto us confufion of face, as at this day; both on account of their fins, which ftared them in. the face, loaded their confciences. with guilt, and filled them with fhame; and on account of their punifhment, the miferable condition in which their country was, and they themfelves were at that day; which declared to all the world what - finners they had been, and what fins they had committed, which had brought this ruin upon them, and them into fuch fad circumftances: fo the men of Judah, and inhabitants of Ferufalem, or, man of Fudab * to every man of the tribes of Fudeh and Benjamin, who once dwelt in that land flowing with milk and honey, and now in a ftrange land for their fins; and to every inhabitant of that renowned city of Ferufalem, the metropolis of the nation, the feat of the kings of Fudab; yea, the city of the great king, where the temple ftood, and divine worfhip was performed, but now lay in ruins, through the iniquity of its inhabitants, and therefore had juft reafon to be afhamed: and unto all Ifrael that are near, and that are afar off, through all the countries whither thou baft driven them, becaufe of the tre[pafs that they have trefpaffed againft thee; fhame and confufion of face alfo belonged to the ten tribes of J/rae/; to fuch of them as were mixed with the ews in Badylon, or were in thofe parts of 4/yria that lay neareft to it; and to thofe that were at a greater diftance, in Media, Iberia, Colchis, and other places; yea, in all kingdoms and countries where they were difperfed for their trefpafs againft the Lord; particularly in worfhipping the calves at Dan and Bethel, and other acts of idolatry and impiety.

¥. 8. O Lord, to us belongeth confufion of face, &c.].. Which is repeated, to fhew how much the - mind of the prophet was affected with it, and to fix a fenfe of it in the minds of others; as well as to fuggeft, that he wanted words fully to exprefs that fhame that every one ought to take to themfelves; and alfo in order to introduce what follows, and that to obferve that all ranks and degrees of men were concerned in it: ¢o our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, becaufe we have finned againft thee; thefe had each of them finned againft the Lord, by not hearkening to his prophets, who reproved them for their fins, and warned them of their danger, ¥. 6. and therefore had reafon to be afhamed of them before him; as well as to obferve the low eftate in which the royal family, princes, elders, and people in Babylon were, being expofed to fhame and reproach before all the world.

deliehts in; it is abundant, and he is plenteou: ° oe 4. a Ph yy vor it; the fountain of mercy is with him, and numerous are the ftreams which flow from it, called he multitude of his tender mercies, ail temporal favours’ fpring from hence, and fo do all ipiritual ble the jure mercies of ‘David; and particularly th forgivenels of fin, which is the Lord’s prerogative, and is according to the tender mercies of God, and the riches. of his grace; and is of all fir and of all forts of finners; he doth abundz pardon all that apply to him for it, and forgiv all trefpafies 5 fee Pf cxxx. 4, 7: tho’ we have rea belled againft bim; there is mercy with the Lord; and forgivenefs with him, even for rebellious ones; which is an exaggeration and illuftration of his. pardoning grace and mercy: or, for we bave ned againft him *, fo that; it is a plain cafe that he is merciful, and has forgiven our iniquities, fince he. has fpared us, and not deftroyed us, and now is about to put an end to our captivity, according to his. promife; and if he had not mercy on us; and did: not forgive our fins, we muft perith in them, and there would be no hope of’ falvation for us., ies y.10. Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, 8c.) Speaking in the law, and by his. prophets; for what was {poken there, and by them, fhould have been confidered, not asthe word of - man, but as the word of God, and fhould have been attended to and obeyed; for defpifing that and them, was interpreted a defpifing the Lord, and refufing to hearken to him, and obey his voice; which was a fin highly provoking to him, and refented by him: 40 walk in bis laws, which he Jet before us by bis fervants the prophets; by Mofes and others for it fees ‘to include the fyitem of laws which were delivered. by Mo/es, and were many; ~ and the dottrines of the prophets, which were explications and enforcements of them: and thefe the Lord fet before them by both, as a rule to walkby, and a path to walk in; and not to do this was very finful in them, and greatly difpleafing’ to him. 4 ae} y. 11. Yea, all Irael have tranfgreffed thy law, &c.] Even God’s profeffing people, on whom he had beftowed diftinguithing favours and bleffings, and gave them fuch a law as no other people had, and yet they tranfgrefied it; not a few, or the greateft part only, but the whole body of them: and indeed, there is no man that lives without fin,. or the tran{greffion of the law, in thought, - word, or deed, no not a.juft man scuttle tranfgreffed the law in a very hainous manner, both the firft as well as the fecond table of it, commit- — ting idolatry, and all manner of impiety, in they continued: even Ly departing, that they might not obey thy voice; by departing from the law, an the precepts of it; from God and his worfhip; from the temple of God, and the fervice of it; jai from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: it feems to have fome refpect to the feparation of the ten tribes under Feroboam, who fet up the calves at

Dan and Bethel, that the people might ‘not sbey the voice of the Lord, in going to worfhtp at the folemn feafts in Ferufalem: therefore the curfe is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in 1 law of Mofes the fervant.of God; that is, the juf

¥. 9. To the Lord.our Ged belong mercies and. giveneffes, 8ec.]. Mercy is his nature, and what he punifhment of their fins was inflicted on them; or the curfe the law threatened the tranfereflors of it with, was come upon them in its large extent, and overflowed them like a flood; which God {wore he would bring upon them, if they tranferefied his law; or which they by an’ oath imprecated and pronounced upon themfelves, fhould they not hearken to it, but tranforefs and difobey it: decaufe we have finned againft him; and therefore this curfe was not a caufelefs one; fin, the tranfereffion of the law, was the caufe of it. 3 yt. 12. And be bath confirmed bis words which be fpake apainft as, &c.] That is; he hath thade good his threatenings of.wtath- and vengeanee,- in cafe of difobedience to his law: czd againft our judges that judged us kings, and inferior governors, that ruled over them, who perverted juftice, and did not execute righteous judgment; and againift them the Lord performed what he threatened: by dringing upon us a great evil; the defolation of the whole land, the deftruction of Feru/alem; the death of many by the fword, fatiine, and peftilence, and the captivity of the reft; all which was a great punifhment confidered in itfelf, but when compared with their, offences,, was lefs than they deferved: for under the whole heaven hath not been done, as hath been done upon Ferufalem; its walls broken down, its houfes burnt with fire, even. the palaces of the king and nobles, arid the temple of the Lord itfelf; and all its inhabitants deftroyed, difperfed, or carried captive; fee Lam. i. 12. Ezek. V. 9, 10.

¥. 13. As it is written in the law of Mofes, all this evil is come upon us, &cc.| As it is there threathed it fhould, and as it is there foretold it would come upon them, fo it has; even the felf-fame things, in the fame manner, and with the fame circamftances, as there foretold; which is a proof of the omnifcience, omnipotefice, and faithfulnefs of God, and an evidence of the truth of divine ré- velation; fee Lev. xxvi. Deut. xxviii: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, during the feventy years captivity, they might have prayed, and doubtlefs did, in a lifelefs, formal manner; but not fincerely and heartily, in faith and with fervericy, under a fenfe of fin, with confeffion of ir, and true repentance for it, and: fo as to forfake it, as follows: that we might turn from our iniquitzes; for fince they did not pray againft fin, and intreat the Lord to enable them to turn from it, and forfake it, but continued in a courfe of difobedience, their prayer was not reckoned prayer: and underftand thy truth, either the truth and faithfulnefs of God, in fulfilling both his promifes and his threatnings; or his law, which is truth, as Facchiades interprets it; for had they prayed aright, they would have had an underftanding given them of divine truths, both with refpeét to doétrine and pay of which they were ignorant, as prayerefs perfons ufually are.

y¥. 14. Therefore bath the Lord watched upon the _ evil, and brought it upon us, &c.|) The evil of punifhment; he watched the fit and proper time to bring it Upon them; indeed, he watches over the evil of fin, to bring upon. men the evil of chaftifement or punifhment, od xiv. 16. but the latter ig here meant; fee Yer. xxxi. 28. and xliv. 27. the word ufed has the fignification of haftening; and {0 Farcbi and Saadiah explain it, be bath haftened *:

3*§ the almond-tree, as the latter obferves, has its namé from hence, becaufe it prevents other trees, and is | quicker in putting out its bloffom than they, Yer. 1. 14, 12. and fo this may denote the purity of the Lord; his difplicency at fih; his ftrict juflice in punifhing it; and his diligence and activity in executing judgment for it, which flumbers not, as fome imagine: for the Lord our God is righteous in all bis works which be doth; the prophet is all along careful to clear God from any imputation of in- ° Juftice in any of his works, even in his ftrange work, punitive juftice; thd’ he watches over the evil to bring it, yet he is righteous in fo doing; no charge of unrighteoufhefs is to be exhibited againft him on this account: for we' obey not bis voice, neither in his word, nor in his providences; neither by his prophets, nor by his judgments; and being guilty of the evil of fault, it was but | juft they fiould bear the évil of punifhment.

¥. 15. And now, O Lord our God, &c.] The Lord.of the whole earth in general, the fovereign ruler ‘of the univerfe, and the God of J/rael in a | fpecial dnd peculiar manner; which is uféd to encourage faith in prayer, and carries in it a tacit argument of plea with God to be heard, in what he was about to fay in behalf of J/rael; and to,; which purpofe alfo is the following’ defcription of God, from aff ancient benefit he had granted to that people: thar baff brought thy people forth out of the land.of Egypt ‘with a mighty hand, which tho’ it may be confidered'ag an ageravation of their ‘fin, that after this they fhould behave fo wickedly, as to be carried captive for their fins, out of the land they were brought into; yet it feems to be mentioned, to put the Lord in mind of his former favours to them, and of his promife, that he would bring them out of Babylon, as he had brought them out of Egypt, Fer. xvi. 14, 15. and xxiii. 7, 8? and has gotten thee renown, as at this day, by the many wonders wrought in Egyp/, and at the Redfea, when J/rael was brought from thence;. as particularly by flaying the firft-born of Egypf, dividing the waters of the fea, and deftroying the Egyptians init, as Saadiah obferves; the memory and fame of which continued to that day, and will continue throughout all ages: and the prophet fuggefts, that he would alfo get a name or renown in the world, and among his people, fhould he deliver them from their prefent captivity; but for this they had nothing to plead, but his promife and mercy; for as for them, they were obliged to confefs themfelves finners, and unworthy of fuch a favour; we have finned, we have done wickedly; the prophet knows not how to leave off confeffing fin; there had been fo much committed, and there was fo much need of confeffing it.

¥. 16. O Lord, according to ail thy righteoufne/s, &c.] Or righteoufneffes‘; which he had been ufed to exercife in the world, in all ages of it; either in punifhing wicked men according to their deferts, to which refpeét may be had. here; fince turning away wrath from his people, would iffte in turning it upon their enemies, which would be in righteous judgement: or.in fulfilling his promifes; and fo it fignifies his faithfulnefs, of which there had been, fo many inftances in times paft, and gave encouragement to believe the performance of thofe /not yet accomplifhed: or this may be underftood of his goodnefs and kindnefs, which is fometimes meant meant by his righteoufnefs, fee P/- xxxi. 1. and exliii. 1. and fo the Septuagint and Arabic verfions render it, ia all thy mercy, and Yacchiades paraphrafes the words thus, ‘¢ O Lord, according to all the multitude of thy righteoufnefs, and of thy ** kindnefs, which thou doft in the world:” J defeech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from the city Ferufalem, the city of the great king, which he chofe for his refidence, in which the temple was, and where he was worfhipped; and the prophet earneftly intreats, that the marks of divine difpleafure, which were upon it, might be removed; that the punifhments or judgments inflicted, as the effects of the anger and wrath of God, might ceafe, and the city be rebuilt, and reftored to its former glory: thy holy mountain, the temple, devoted to the worfhip and fervice of God; or mount Moriah, on which it ftood: becaufe for our Jins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Ferufalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us; their neighbours, the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Tyrians, and Philiftines; who rejoiced at their deftruction, and jeered at them and their religion, and fcoffingly faid, where were their temple of which they boafted, and their God in whom they trufted? the caufe of all this is owned to be their own fins, and the fins of their anceftors, which they their pofterity continued in; and therefore don’t lay the fault wholly upon them, but take the blame to themfelves.

¥. 17. Now therefore, O our God, &c.| This being our miferable cafe, and the feventy years captivity being at an end, and thou {till our covenant-God, whom we profefs and worfhip: ear the prayer of thy fervant, and his fupplications, which he had put up in an humble manner, confifting of various petitions for grace and mercy before exprefied: and caufe thy face to fhine upon thy fanctuary that is defolate, the temple; its walls demo- Jifhed, its altars thrown down, and the whole in ruins; a melancholy fcene! the Lord fuffering thefe things, feemed to frown upon it, and upon his people, that ufed to ferve him there; wherefore it is intreated, that he would fmile upon it again, and upon them, and caufe it to be rebuilt, and his worfhip reftored in it: and this is afked for the Lord’s fake; that is, for Chrift’s fake, who is Lord of all, efpecially of his chofen people, by creation, redemption, and marriage, as well as by their own confent and profeffion; and for whole fake, and in whofe name, all requefts are to be made to God, he being the only Mediator between God and man; and for the fake of whofe blood, righteoufnefs, and mediation, all the bleflings of goodnefs are given unto men; and who alfo was Lord and proprietor of the temple, and was to come into it, as well as,was the antitype of it.

¥. 18. O my God, incline thine ear, and bear, &c.] The petitions now put up, for Chrift’s fake: open thine eyes, and behold our defolations, the city and temple an heap of rubbifh, and the whole land torfaken of its inhabitants, and lying wafte and uncultivated, or however at moft pofleffed by enemies; and things being thus, it feemed as if the Lord fhut his eyes to them, and therefore is defired to open them, and look with pity and compaffion on the cafe of his people, and deliver them out of all their troubles: and the city which is called by thy name; or, on which thy name is called*; as Ferufalem was, being called the city of our God, the city of the great king, P/- xlviii. 1, 2. and in which alfo his name was called upon, both by the inhabitants of it in their private houfes, and by the priefts, and Levites, and others, in the temple, which ftood in it: for we do not prefent our fupplications before thee; or, caufe them to fall before thee, expreffing the humble and lowly manner in which they prefented their petitions to God, and refpecting the gefture they ufed in prayer, bowing themfelves to the ground, and falling proftrate upon it; and as was the cuftom of the eaftern people when they fupplicated their princes: and this Daniel, in the name of his people, did; not, fays he, for our righteoufneffes, but for thy great mercies; not pleading their good works and righteous aétions, and the merits of them, which had none in them, and were no other than as filthy rags, and could not recommend them to God, or be ufed as a plea and argument to obtain any good thing from him; but throwing themfelves upon the abundant grace and mercy of God in Chrift, mercy they pleaded, and not merit; and made mention of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, and not their own; as all good men, who are truly fenfible of themfelves, and of the grace of God, will do.. é

¥. 19. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, 8c.] That is, hear the prayers and fupplications that have been prefented, and forgive the fins that have been ° confefied; fhew both, by removing prefent calamities, and reftoring to former profperity and privileges: O Lord hearken and do; not only liften to what has been faid, and give an anfwer by fpeaking, but work falvation and deliverance: defer not for thine cwn fake, O my God; thefe words feem to be directed to Chrift the Son of God, and who is the true God, and the God of his people; who is three times in this verfe before called Adonai, for whofe fake prayer and fupplication were made, ¥. 17, and here again, for his own fake, he is intreated not to defer the fulfilment of the promife of delivering the Yews from their captivity in Babylon, the feventy years being now up, or juft expiring; and alfo that he would not defer his own coming for the redemption of his people, which no doubt Daniel had in his mind, and was wifhing and waiting for: for thy city, and thy people are called by thy name, Ferufalem, the city of the great king, Chrift, and a type of his church and people, who are alfo called by his name, and call upon him. ¥. 20. And whilt I was {peaking and praying, &c.] Speaking to God in prayer; for it feems his prayer was vocal, and not mental only: and con- Seljing my fin, and the fin of my people Ifrael; Daniel, tho’ fo holy and good a man, was not without fin, and thought it his duty to confefs it before the Lord; and which he did in the firft place, and then the fin of his people; which is the way to fucceed with the Lord for the application of pardoning grace, and the enjoyment of other mercies and bleffings: and prefenting my fupplication

before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of

my God; for the temple, and the fervice of God in it; which was the firft and principal thing that lay upon the heart of the prophet, and he was moft importunate and folicitous for. z

&c.] Which is repeated, that it finifhed it, or got off of his knees, an Oe night be ob- — ferved, that while he was in prayeh ana he had marys Tones MOP) “WIN faper quam invocatum eft nomen tuum, Vatablus, Pagninus, Calvin; fuper qua nomen tuum.

nuncupatum eit, Cocceius, fent him; fee J/, Ixv. 24: even the mon Gabriel, whom I had feenin the vifion at the beginning; either at the beginning of Be/hazzar’s reign, in the third year of it, ch. viii. 1. or rather defore, as the Syriac verfion renders it; before this time, in the vifion of the ram and he-goat,. ch. viii. 16. when he faw this angel Gadriel that appeared in an human form, and he knew this to be his name, by a man’s voice calling him by it; and now he knew him to be the fame. angel.by his appearance and voice; at the fight.of whom he does not feem to be terrified, as before, having had free converfation with him, and being made acquainted by him with many fecrets; and no doubt inwardly rejoiced to fee him again, as hoping and believing he had fomething to communicate to him: deing cau/fed to fly fwiftly; having an order from the Lord, and being ftrengthened by him to make quick difpatch to Daniel, which is fignified by flying fwiftly; and for which reafon angels are reprefented as having wings, to denote their celerity and quick difpatch of bufinefs: or flying with wearinefs ™, as fome render it; he made fuch hafte as to be weary with it; as he appeared in the form of a man, he looked like one out of breath, and panting for it, occafioned by his fwift flight; and which exprefles the hafte he made, according to his orders, and his eagernefs to bring to Daniel the welcome tidings. of the coming of the Meffiah, and the time of it, which angels defired to look into: touched me about the time of the evening-oblation,; the time of offering the evening-facrifice; which, tho’ not now offered, the altar being deftroyed, and the Lord’s people in a foreign land; yet the time was obferved by them, and which was the time of prayer, being about the ninth hour of the day, or three o’clock in the afternoon; fee 47s iii. 1. and x. 3. as. the time of the morning-facrifice was another hour of prayer; at which time very likely Daniel began, and continued till now, fince he was fafting, y. 3. and this was the time when Chrift the antitype of the daily facrifice was offered up; of the time of whofe coming, fufferings and death, the angel here brings an account:. and, in order to excite the attention of Daniel to it, touched him; for he being on his knees, and intent in prayer, might not at firft obferve him; and therefore gives him a gentle touch, to let him know he was prefent, and had fomething to fay to him; and to fuggeft to him to break off his prayer, to which he had brought an an{wer, as well as to lift him up, and encourage familiarity with him.

y¥. 22. And he informed me, and talked with me, &c.] He informed him by talking with him, of the will of God, to reftore the captivity of his people, to rebuild Ferufalem and the temple, and of the coming of the Meffiah: or, be caufed me to attend", and talked with me, he excited his attention to what he had to fay, and caufed him to advert to his difcourfe, in order to underftand it: and faid, O Daniel, I am now come forth; jult now come from heaven, from the prefence of God, and by his order: to give thee feill and underftanding, or, to inftruG thee in underftanding °; to teach thee the knowledge, and give thee the underftanding of fectet things, which otherwife could not be known; fuch as particularly the time of the coming of Chrift; which the angels themfelves knew not, till it was revealed; and being made acquainted with it, one of them is employed to make it known to Daniel; who is the only prophet that fixes the exact time of it, and was favoured with this divine and heavenly fkill of knowing it, and of being the publither of it to others. te

¥. 23. At the beginning of thy fupplications, &c.] As foon as ever he began to pray. This circum- {tance fhows how ready the Lord is to hear the prayers of his people; and yet it was not owing to the prayers of the prophet, and to any intrinfic virtue or merit in them, that the Lord did what he afterwards declares fhould be done; and befides, more is revealed and promifed than Daniel afked for: the commandment came forth, either the ordet from the Lord to the angel, difpatching him on this errand to the prophet, to acquaint him with his mind and will; or the proclamation of Cyrus, to let the people of the ews go free, and go up to Ferujalem to build their city and temple, pub-, lifhed that morning, juft about the time Damiel began to pray, the feventy years captivity being completely finifhed; fee ¥.25: and I am come to Joew thee: for thou art greatly beloved; or, art de- Sires ®, all defire, exceedingly defired; very lovely; amiable and delightful in the fight of God, and all good men: or, that thou art greatly beloved *; thus the angel came from God, out of heaven, to fhew it to him, to make it appear that he was highly, in the favour of God, in that he made known his fecréts to him: therefore underftand the matter; or word'; attend to the word; advert to the form of fpeaking ufed, and labour to get the knowledge of it: and confider the vifion’; this vi-~ fion,.as Faphet; the following vifion or prophecy of the féventy weeks; think of it well, as being 2 matter of great importance and confequence.

¥. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy boly city; &c.\ Or, concerning thy people, and concerning thy holy city’; that is, fuch a fpace of time is fixed upon; cut out', as the word fignifies; or appointed of God for the accomplifhment of certain events, relative to the temporal good of the city and people of the Fews; as the rebuilding of their city and temple; the continuance of them as a people, and of their city; the coming of the Meffiah to them, to obtain fpi-, ritual bleflings for them, and for all the people of God; who alfo were Deniel’s people and city in a fpiritual fenfe, to which he belonged; and likewife what was relative to the utter ruin and deftruction of the Yews as a people, and of their city: and this {pace of /eventy weeks is not to be underftood of weeks of days; which is too fhort atime for the fulfilment of fo many events as are mentioned; nor were they fulfilled within fuch a fpace of time; but of weeks of years, and make up four hundred and ninety years; within which time; beginning from a date after-mentioned, all the things prophefied of were accomplifhed; and this way of reckoning of years by days is not unufual in the facred writings; fee Gen. xxix. 27. Lev. xxv. 8. Ezek.

fo fome in Vatablus; cum laffitudine; as

Ezek. iv. 4, 5. Rev. xii. 6. and xiii. 5. The verb ufed is fingular, and joined with the noun plural, fhews that every week was cut out and *appointed for fome event or another; and the word, as it fignifies to cut, aptly exprefles the divifion or fection of thefe weeks into: diftiné periods, as 7, 62, 1. The firft events mentioned are fpiritual ones, and are not afcribed to any particular period; but are what fhould be done within’ this compafs of time in general, and were done toward the clofe of it; and are firft obferved, becaufe of the préateft importance, and are as follow: fo finifh the tranferefion; not the tranfgreffion of Adam, or original’ fin, which, tho’ took away by Chrift from his people, yet not from all men; nor the actual tranigreffion of man in general, which never more abounded than in the age in which Chrift lived;

but rather the tranfgreffions of his people he under. took to fatisfy for, and which were laid on him, and’ bore by him, and carried away, fo as not to be feen more, or to have no damning power over them. The word ufed fignifies to refrain *: now, tho’ fin greatly abounded, both among Hews and Gentiles, in the age of the Meffiah; yet there never was an age in which greater reftraints were laid on it, than in-this, by the miniftry of Yobnu the Bap- “iffy and of Chrift in Fudea, and by the apoftles in the Gestile world: and to make an end of fins; fo that they fhall be no more, but put away and abolifhed by the facrifice and fatisfaction of Chrift for them, as to guilt and punifhment; fo that thofe, for whofe fins fatisfaction is made, no charge can be brought againft them, nor the curfe of the law reach them, nor any fentence of it be executed, or any punifhment inflicted on them; but are entirely and completely faved from all their fins, and the fad effets of them. Our vetfion follows the marginal reading; but the textual writing is, fo [eal up fins”; which is expreflive of the pardon of them procured by Chrift; for things fealed are’

hid’ and: covered, and fo are fins forgiven, Py. XXxii. 1: and to make reconciliation for iniquity, to expiate it, and make atonement for it; which was miade by the facrifice of Chrift, by his fufferings and death; whereby the law and juftice of God were fully fatisfied, full reparation being made for the injury done by fin; and this was made for all kind of fin, -expreffed here by feveral words; and for all the fins, iniquities and tranfgreffions of the Lord’s people; to do which was the grand end of Chrift’s coming into the world; fee Hed. ii. 17: and to bring in everlafiing righteoufne/s; which is true only of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, by which the law is magnified and made honourable, juftice fatisfied, and all that believe in him juftified from all their fins: this Chrift by his obedience, fufférings and death has wrought out, and brought into the world; and which phrafe defigns, not the -manifeftation of it in the gofpel; nor the act of imputation of it, which is Jehovah the Fathet’s act;

nor the application of it, which is by the Spirit of God, but Chrift’s agtual working of it out by obsjing the precept, and bearing the penalty of the law: and this may be truly called everlafting, or the righteoufne/s of ages *, of ages paft; the righteoufneis by which the faints in all ages from the beginning of the world are juftified; and which endures, and will endure throughout all ages, to

DEOL. the juftification' of all that believe;: it is a rol righteoufnefs that will never wear’ out 5. its v to juftify will ever continue, being perfect; it will — anfwer for the juftified ones in a time-to come, and has eternal! life conneéted with it: aad: to feal the vifion and prophecy; not to fhut’ it up out fight; rather to fet a mark om it, by which it might be: more clearly known; bur to confummate and fulfil it-:' all prophecy is fealed”

Chrift, and by him; he is the fur and’-fu of it the'vifions and prophecies* of’ the’ Old Te. ftament relate to him, and’ have their’ accomplith« ment in him; fome relate to his perfon’and office s, others to’ his coming’ into the world, the time, place, and manner of it; others to the-great work of redemption and falvation he eartie about; | others to his miracles, fufferings: and! death; a the glory that fhould follow; all which have been fulfilled: or, to feal up the vifion and prophet”, the prophets were until ‘Zohn, and’ ‘then to ‘ceafe; and have ceafed ever fince the times'of Jefus; there has been no! propket among the Fews, aad, felves do not deny'it; Chrift is come} thé aft and great prophet of all, with a full revelation” of the divine will, and no other is to be: eee at that pretend to fet’ up a new’ fehéeme: of ibow either as’ to do€rine of worfhip, thro’ pretended vifion or prophecy, are‘ to: be diftezarded 2 wid ta anoint the Moft Holy; not literally the’ moft holy place'in the temple; but figuratively, either hea= ven itfelf, anointed, perfumed: and* Pak se for‘ his people by the Meffiah’s‘afcenfion’ thithers ‘and” entrance into’ it; or rather’ moft- holy’ perfonsy tie church’ and people of God, typified! by the fanc+ tuary, the temple of God!; and in'a’tomparative fenfé are moft holy, and abfolutely” ‘fol'as' wafhed? in the blood of Chrift, clothed-with his ‘rightéoufs nefs, and" fanétified’ by his’ Spirit’; and’ by whor’ they are anointed, fome in an’ extraordinary; and! other's in an ordinary way, and’ all by the! ace-ot Chrift: or it may be beft of all to-underftand this* of the Meffiah, as Aben’ Ezra,’ and others‘ do's who’ is holy in his perfon, in both: his’ natures: hurman’

and divine; and holy in the execution of it; equal-in holinefs* to the Father and’ the Spirit; "fuperior in it to’ angels and' men, who have all their holinef&S from hin) and by whom they are fanétified s and~ of whom the fanctuary er temple was» a types and. who was anointed with the Fioly’Ghoft as many ak his incarnation, baptifm, and-afcenfior sales and Abarbinel owns it may be: interpreted! of the Meffiah, who may be’ called® the “holy o becaufe he is holier than all’ other’ / y. 25. Know therefore, and underftand, Praed notice and obferve, for the clearer underft of thele“feventy weeks, and the events’ to” be ful filled in them, what’ will be further ‘faid concerning them, the beginning of them, their diftin& and what fhall be accomplithed i in them ¢ fre the time of the going forth of the commandment roftore and to build Ferufelem; this: commandment”

is'the beginning of the ba ites Ae us and from it they are to be recko defigns not the proclamation of ‘Cyst A year of his reign, which was only to rebuild a temple, and not the city of Feru/alem, Ezra i. t-

2, 3. nor the decree of Darius Tifaloes, which — fanétified and fet apart to his* office alfo only regards the temple, and is only a confirmation of the decree of Cyrus, Ezra vi. and forthe fame reafons it cannot be the decree in the feventh- year of the reign of Artaxerxes; which only confirmed what his predeceffors had granted concerning the temple, and provifion for facrifices, and exemption of the priefts from toll, tribute, or cuitom, Ezra vii. 7, 13, 31. but has not a word of building the wall and ftreets of Ferufalem, as that has, which was made in the twentieth year of his reign; and feems therefore to be the commandment or decree here referred to, Ned. ii. r, 6, 7, 8. and this is the general epoch of the feventy weeks, and where the firft feven begin; tho’ Guffetius * thinks, that the word 4° does not fignify any edict or decree, but a thing; and defigns the thing itfelf, reftoring and rebuilding Ferufalem; and that the following date is to be reckoned, not from any order to rebuild that city, but from the thing itfelf, from the moment when it firft began to be rebuilt: and as fingular is the notion of Tirinus °, who is of opinion, that this is to be underftood of the going out, or the end of the word; not whereby the holy city was ordered to be built, but when it was really built; and fo begins the account from the dedication of the new city, in the twenty-third year of Artaxerxes, Neb. xii. 27. There are others who fuppofe, that not any human word, decree, commandment or order is here meant, but a divine one; either the word of the Lord to Feremiah, foretelling the feventy years captivity of the Fews, and their deliverance from it; and reckon thefe 490 years: from the deftruétion of the firft temple, to the deftruétion of the fecond temple, as Yarchi, Saadiah, Facchiades, and others; but between thetfe two deftructions was a courfe of 656 or 657 years: others take the beginning of the feventy weeks to be from the going forth of the commandment to the angel, at the beginning of Daniel’s prayers, as Aben Ezra; and to end at the deftruction of the fecond temple; but for a like reafon, this mut be rejected as the other; fince this fpace of time will out-run the feventy weeks near one hundred and twenty years: it is beft therefore to interpret this ' of a royal edict, the order or commandment of a_ king of Perfia to rebuild Ferufalem, and it feems righteft to reckon the number given, either from the feventh, or rather from the twentieth of - taxerxes Longimanus before-mentioned; and either of thefe reckonings, as Bifhop Chandler * obferves, are fufficient for our purpofe, to fhew the completion of the prophecy in Chrift: ‘* the commence- |

*¢ ment of the weeks (as he remarks) muft be

s¢ either from the feventh of Artaxerxes, which fallson the 457th year before 4. D. or from

the twentieth of Artaxerxes; (add to 457 years

<¢ the number that 483 years, or 69 weeks exceeds

457 years) and you are brought to thé beginning of Fobn the Baptij’s preaching up the advent of the Meffiah; add feven years or one week: to the former, and you come to the 33d year of 4. D. which was the year of Jefus Chrift’s

«© feventy weeks, from the feventh of Artaxerxes,

“ by fubftracting 457 years (the {pace of time be-

«‘ tween that yéar, and the beginning of 4. D.):

before Chrift, 26 years after Chrift, which is'

from 490, and there remains 33, the year of our Lord’s death. Let the 20th of Artaxerxes be the date of the 70 weeks, which is the 445th year before 4. D. and reckon 69 weeks of Chaldean years 5 70 Chaldee years being equal to 69 Fulian, and fo 478 Fulian years making 483 Chaldee years, and they end in the 33d year after Chrift, or the paffover following ‘;” the feveral

particulars into which thefe 70 weeks are divided: unto the Meffiab the prince, fhall be feven weeks, and threefcore and two weeks; by whom is meant, not Cyrus, as Farchi and Facchiades; who, tho’ called Meffiah or anointed, J/ xliv. 28. and xlv. 1. cannot be intended; for this prince was to be cut off after feven, and 62 weeks, or 483 years; whereas Cyrus died ages before this, and even died before the expiration of the feven weeks, or 49 years; nor Fofhuab the high-prieft, or Zerubbabel, as Beu Gerfom, and others; nor Nebemiah, as Aben Ezra, nor Artaxerxes, which R. Azariah * thinks probable, for to none of thefe will this character agree, which denotes fome eminent perfon known by this name; nor the work afcribed to him, ¥, 24. nor can it be faid of either of them, that they were cut off, and much lefs at fuch a period as is here fixed: it is right to interpret it of the promifed and expected Saviour, whom the Pfalmift David had frequently fpoken of under the name of the Meffiah, and as a king and prince; fee Pf. ii. 2, 6, 12. and Xvill. 50. and Ixxxix. 27, 51. and cxxxii. 17. and who is David, the prince Ezekiel before this had prophefied of, Ezek. xxxiv. 24. and xxxvii. 25. and is the fame with the prince of peace in the famous prophecy of him in Jf ix. 6. The Syriac verfion, tho’ not a literal one, gives the true fenfe of the paffage, rendring it, “¢ unto the coming ** of the king Mefliah;” unto which there were to be feven, and 62 weeks, or 69 weeks, which make 483 years; and thefe being underftood of eaftern years, ufed by the Eeyptidns, Chaldeans, and Perfians, confifting of 360 days, reckoning 30 days to a.month, and 12 months toa year, there were juft 483 of thefe from the 2oth year of drtaxerxes to the 33d of the vulgar era of Chrilt, and the roth of Tiberius Cefar in which he fuffered. Sir Jfaac Newton * thinks the {even weeks unto Meffiah, which he detaches from the fixtytwo, refpects the fecond coming of Chrift, when he fhall come as a prince, and deftroy antichrift, and that it takes in the compafs of a jubilee; but when it will begin and end he does not pretend to fay; but the true reafon of the 69 weeks being divided into feven, and 62, is on account of the particular and diftin& events affigned to each period, 2s follows: she ftreet fhall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times; that is, within the fpace of feven weeks or 49 years, reckoning from the 20th of Artaxerwes; when the Fews had a grant to rebuild their city and wall, and were furnifhed with materials for it; and which was done in very troublefome times; Nebemiah and the Fews with him met with much trouble from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gefoem the Arabian, whilft they were fetting up the wall of the city, and filling the ftreets with ranges of houfes, Neb. iv. and vi. for which the fpace of feven weeks or 49 years were cut out and appointed; and that this event belongs

© Anfwer to the Grounds and Reafons, &c.

4 See thefe feventy weeks more largely confidered, in a Treatife of mine, concerning the prophecies

. 139. Pe ee Old Teftament refpecting the Meffiah, &c, p. 64—78..

tongs folely to this period is clear from the Meffiah’s coming being appropriated to the period of the 62 weeks; which leaves this entirely where it is fixed.

¥. 26. And after threefcore and two weeks, &c.] To be reckoned from the end of the feven weeks or. 49 years, which added to them make 483 years: foall Meffia be cut off, but not for himfelf, by whom is defigned the fame with Meffiah the prince in y. 25. not Oxias the high-prieft, as a late writer * would have it, an upright perfon, and of great holinefs, taken off by an unjuft death, Gace he was dead many years before the expiration of thefe weeks: nor Hyrcanus the high-prieft flain by Herod, as Eufebius® thinks; in whom the fucceffion of the ancient priefts terminated, and with whom the prieftly unétion perifhed; which indeed bids fairer than the former; but he was not a perfon of fo much note as to be pointed at in fuch a prophecy, befides the priefthood continued much longer: nor is king Agrippa intended, as Yarchi and Abarbinel, who, ‘they fay, was the laft king of the Fews, and was flain by Ve/pafian at the deftruétion of Ferufalem; which is not true; he was not properly king of the Fews, having only Galilee for his jurifdiction; was not flain by Ve/pafian, was a confederate of the Romans, lived fome years after the deftruction of the city, and at laft died in peace; but Jefus the true Meffiah is intended, with whom the character, dates and death, and the manner of it, entirely agree: now to his death were to be 483 years; which years ended, as we have obferved, in the 33d year of the vulgar era of Chrift, and the 19th of Tzderius; when Jefus the true Meffiah was cut off in a judicial way; not for any fins of his own, but for the fins of his people, to make fatisfaction for them, and to obtain their redemption and falvation; fee Jf lui. 8: or, be is not, as Farchi, no more in the land of the living, is dead, fee Fer. xxxi. 15. or there is, or will be, none for him, or with him', to help and affift him in his great work, J/. Ixiii. 5. The Vulgate Latin verfion is, they fhall not be his people; the Fews rejecting him, fhall have a Loammi upon them, and be no more the people of God. Guffetius « better renders it, be hath not, or he has nothing, fo Cocceius; all things were wanted by him, that is, by Chrift; he had neither riches, nor cloaths, nor any to ftand by him, or to accompany him: and the people of the prince that fhall come, fhall deftroy the city, and the fanéiuary; that is, the people of the Romans, under Ve/pafian their prince, emperor and general, fhould in a little time after the cutting off of the Meffiah, enter into the land of Fudea, and deftroy the city of Ferufalem, and the temple that ftood in it; tho’ fome underftand this of Meffiah the prince that fhould come in his power, and in a way of judgment upon the Fewi/d nation, and deftroy them for their rejection of him; whofe people the Komans would be, and under whofe direction, and by whofe orders all thefe judgments fhould be brought upon the Fews; but many of the Fewi/h writers themfelves interpret:it of Ve/pafian, as Aben Ezra, JFarchi, Abarbinel, and Facchiades: and the end thereof foall be with a flood; the end of the city and the land, and carry all before it. It denotes the number, power, and irrefiftible force of the enemy, and the fad devaftation made by them: aad wnle the end of the war defolations are determined, from the beginning of the war by the Romans with the Fews, to the end of it, there would be nothing | but continual defolations; a dreadful havock and ruin every where; and all’ this appointed and de+ termined by the Lord, as a juift pu A their fins.

¥. 27. And he ‘foall confirm the covenant elite many for one week, &c.| Sixty-nine of the feventy weeks being accounted for, and the feveral events obferved to be fulfilled in them; the angel proceeds to take notice of the remaining ome week, or feven years, and what fhould be done within’ that fpace of time: a covenant fhould be confirmed with many; which is not to be underftood of the Meffiah’s confirming the covenant of grace with many, or on account of all his people, by fulfilling the conditions of it; and by his blood and facrifice, thro’ which all the blefiings of it come to them; for this is not for one week only, but for ever: but this is to be interpreted of the Romar: people, fpoken of in the latter part of the preceding verfe; who, in order to accomplith their defign to deftroy the city and temple of Ferufalenny, made peace with many nations, entered into cove+ nant and alliance with them, particularly the Medes; Parthians and Armenians, for the fpace of one week or feven years; as it appears they did at the beginning of this week!: and in the midft of the week he foall caufe the facrifice and the oblation to ceafes the daily facrifice of the Fews, and all their other offerings; and which was literally fulfilled im tbe half part ™ of this week, as it may be rendered towards the clofe of the latter half of it, when the city of Ferufalem being clofely befieged by Titus, what thro’ the clofenefs of the fiege, the divifions of the people, and the want both of time and men, and beatts ta offer, the daily facrifice ceafed, as Fofepbus * fays, to the great grief of the peoples. nor have the ‘ews ever fice the deftruction of their city and temple offered any facrifice, efteemingyit unlawful fo to do ina ftrange land: and at» the fame time, in the fame half part of the week; for the overfpreading of abominations, be foall make it defolate; that is, the Roman people fhall make the land of ‘Fudea defolate, for the overfpreading of their abominations or idolatries in it. The words may be rendered, as by fome, upow the wing, the battlements of the temple, hall be the abominations, or idols of the defolator, or of bim that makes defo~ late°; fo Bifhop Lisyd; meaning either the en= figns of the Roman army, which had upon theni the images of their gods or emperors; and being fet up in the holy place, and facrificed to,: nothing could be a greater abomination to the Jews; of elfe the blood of the zealots flain on thefe battle ments, by which the holy place was polluted; fee Matt. xxiv. 15. Luke xxi. 20: even until the con- Jummation, and that determined foall be poured upon the defolate, that is, either thefe abominations thall continue in the place where they are fet, until the utter deftruction of the city and temple; or the de- temple, and of the whole nation fhould be by the Roman army, which, like a flood, would overfpread folation made there fhould continue until the confummation of God’s wrath and vengeance upon

* Daw Easpw 425 my wins Pieaon, Geet them; until the whole he has determined is poured out on this defolate people; and which continues unto this day, and will till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, Luke xxi. 24. Some, as Bifhop Liayd, render it, upon the defolator”; meaning the Romans, and the fenfe they take to be is, that this vengeance fhall continue upon the Fews until it is turned upon the head of thofe who have made them defolate: now this one week, according to the fenfe given, muft begin in the 63d year of the vulgar era of Chrift, about 30 years after the expiration of the 69 weeks; fince it eds in the 7oth year of the fame zra, in which was the deftruction of Ferufalem, the grand event affigned to it in this famous prophecy; when it might have been expected it fhould have begun at the end of the 69 weeks, ‘and run on in a direét line from them. The true reafon of its being thus feparated from them, is,

HIS chapter is an introduction to the prophecies contained in the two following chapters; and begins with an account of Danie/’s mourning and fafting, preparatory to the vifion he had, ¥. 1, 2, 3. and ofthe appearance of Chrift to him, with the time and place of it; who is defcribed by his clothing, and the feveral parts of his body, which were very glorious, he appearing in an human form, y¥. 4, 5, 6. then follows an account of the effects it had upon him, y. 7, 8, 9. and of what encouragement and ftrength he received from him by words and touches, to liften to what he faid; and to expect a difcovery and an underftanding of things of moment and importance, which fhould be in future times, ¥. 10—21.

xy. 1. In the third year of Cyrus king of Perfia, &c.] Not of his being king of Perfa only, but of the Medo-Perfian empire, after he had fubdued the Babylonian empire, and annexed it to his dominions; and this is not to be reckoned from the time of his taking Babylon, and putting the government of it into the hands of his uncle Darius, with whom he jointly reigned, but from the time of his uncle’s death, when he was fole monarch:

of the whole empire: he reigned thirty years, as Cicero', from a Perfian writer, relates; which is to be reckoned from the time of his being appointed. by his uncle commander in chief of the Perfian and Median armies; for from his taking of Babylon to his death were but nine years; and fo many years the canon of Péolemy afligns to his reign, taking in the two years he reigned with his uncle; for from his being fole monarch, after the death of Cyaxares, or Darius the Mede his uncle, were but feven years; which, according to Xenophon *, is the whole of his reign, who reckons it from thence; and it was in the third of thefe that Daniel had the vifions contained in this and the two following chapters; which, according to Bifhop Ufber *, and Dean Prideaux *, was in the year of the Fulian period 4180, and before Chrift 534. Mr. Bedford ” places it in the year 533: how long Daniel lived after this is not certain, very pro- the long-fuffering and forbearance of God to the people of the Fews, who gave them, as to the old world, {pace to repent; but his grace and goodnefs being flighted, thingy began to work at the beginning of this week towards their final ruin, which, in the clofe of it, was fully accomplifhed: from the whole of this prophecy it clearly appears, that the Meffiah muft be come many hundred years ago. The Yews are fenfible of the force of this reafoning; fo that to terrify perfons from confidering this prophecy, they denounce the following curfe, let them burft, or their bones rot, that compute the times %, R. Nehemiah, who lived. about fifty years before the coming of Chrift, declared the time of the Meffiah, as fignified by Daniel, could not be protracted longer than thofe fifty years". The Fews-alfo fay, the world is divided into fix parts, and the laft part is from Daniel to the Meffiah *.

bably he died quickly after, fince he muft ‘be in a very advanced age; for the third year of Cyrus being the feventy-third of his captivity, as Dean Prideaux * obferves; and if he was eighteen years of age, as that learned man thinks is the leaft that can be fuppofed at the time of his carrying into Babylon, he muft have been in the ninety-firft year of his age at this time; or if he was but fifteen years of age at that time, which is the opinion of Aben Ezra on ch. i. 4. he muft be in the third year of Cyrus eighty-eight years of age. The Dutch annotators obferve, that Daniel lived in the court of Babylon above feventy -feven years, which will carry his:age to a greater length ftill. ‘farchi on Dan. i. 21. afferts Daniel to be the fame with Ha tach. in Efth. iv. 5.-and. fo the Targum on that place, who lived in the times of Abafuerus, fuppoled to be Xerwes: now between the third of Cyrus, and the beginning of Xerwes’s reign, is mentioned a {pace of feventy-one years, which added to the leaft number eighty-eight before given, will make Daziel now to be one hundred and fifty-nine years old, when 4hafuerus or Xerxes began his reign; which is not only an age unfit for fuch bufinefs atach was employed in; but agrees not with the period in which Daniel lived, when it was not ufual for men to live fo long, and muft be exploded as fabulous: @ thing was revealed unto Daniel; a fecret, which he otherwife could never have known; and which was a fingular favour to him, and fhewed him to bea friend of God, a favourite of his; and this refpected the Perfian and Grecian monarchies; the feveral kings of Egypt and Syria, and what fhould befal them; and the times of Autiochus, and the troubles the ews would have thro’ him: (whofe name was called Beltefoazzar), a name given him by the prince of the eunuchs; fee ch. i, 7: and the thing was true; wasnot a falfe vifion, a mere fanfy of the brain, an empty conjecture, a delufion of the mind, like the divination and. foothfaying of the Gentiles, but a real thing, that was fure and certain, and would be fulfilled, and. might be depended upon: dut the time appointed was long; ere the whole would be accomplifhed; for it reached