| The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9 |
This essay deals with the seventy weeks of Daniel 9: 24-27. However,only verses 25 and 26 are discussed here. My purpose is not to try to interpret whatDaniel was told, but to point out differences in the various versions. It would appear thateither there are a number of misinterpretations or there have been changes made to theoriginal text. If a reader uses one version only, he may consider that his version is rightwhile the others are wrong. Thus, he may see no problem. Someone looking at several versionswill see some differences and may chose one version to be better than the others. Followingthe translations of each of the versions, I shall make some comments on what appears.
| Versions Compared |
| AAT | An American Translation (Beck) | MNT | Moffatt New Translation |
| EBR | The Emphasized Bible | MRB | Modern Reader's Bible |
| EVD | English Version for the Deaf | NAB | New American Bible |
| GW | God's Word | NBV | New Berkeley Version |
| HBRV | Holy Bible, Revised Version | NCV | New Century Version |
| HSH | Holy Scriptures (Harkavy) | NIV | New International Version |
| JBK | Jerusalem Bible (Koren) | NRS | New Revised Standard Version |
| KJV | King James Version | NWT | New World Translation |
| KTC | Knox Translation | SGAT | An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed) |
| LB | Living Bible | SISR | The Scriptures (ISR) |
| LBP | Lamsa Bible | SSBE | Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition |
| LXX | The Septuagint | TEV | Today's English Version |
| Daniel9: 25, 26 |
| AAT | Learn, then, and see that from the coming of the message to restore andrebuild Jerusalem till the anointed Prince will be seven weeks and 62 weeks; it will be builtagain with wide streets and moats, but in a time of trouble. But after 62 weeks the Anointedwill be cut off and have nothing, and the troops of a prince who will come will destroy thecity and the holy place which will be finally overwhelmed as a flood till the end of the warthat is decreed with its destruction. |
| EBR | Thou must know then and understand: From the going forth of the word to restore and tobuild Jerusalem -- unto the Anointed One the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and sixty-twoweeks, -- the broadway and the wall [shall again be built], even in the end of times. And after sixty-two weeks shall the Anointed One be cut off and have nothing, -- and thecity and the sanctuary will one destroy with the Prince, and so will his own end come withan overwhelming flood, howbeit up to the full end of the war are decreed astounding things. |
| EVD | Learn these things, Daniel. Understand these things! From the time that the message wentout to go back and build Jerusalem again until the time for the chosen king to come will beseven weeks. Then Jerusalem will be rebuilt again. There will again be places for people tomeet together in Jerusalem. And there will be a ditch around the city to protect it. Jerusalemwill be built for 62 weeks. But there will be many troubles during that time. After 62 weeks,the chosen person will be killed. He will be gone. Then the people of the future leader willdestroy the city and the holy place. That end will come like a flood. War will continue untilthe end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed. |
| GW | Learn, then, and understand that from the time the command is given to restore andrebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes, seven sets of seven time periods andsixty-two sets of seven time periods will pass. Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt witha city square and a moat during the troubles of those times. But after sixty-two sets ofseven time periods, the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The city and the holyplace will be destroyed with the prince who is to come. His end will come with a flood untilthe end of the destructive war that has been determined. |
| HBRV | Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore andbuild Jerusalem unto the appointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks: and threescore andtwo weeks, it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times. And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall havenothing; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and thesanctuary; and his end shall be with a flood, even unto the end shall be war; desolationsare determined. |
| HSH | Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restoreand to build Jerusalem unto the anointed the prince shall be seven weeks: and duringthreescore and two weeks it shall be built again, with street and trench, even in troublesometimes. And after threescore and two weeks shall the anointed be cut off, and there shall benone to succeed him: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city andthe sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the wardesolations are determined. |
| JBK | Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restoreand build Yerushalayim until an appointed prince, shall be seven weeks: then for sixty twoweeks it shall be built again, with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after sixtytwo weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and none will be left to him; and the people ofa prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and his end shall be witha flood, and to the end of the war desolations are decreed. |
| KJV | Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restoreand to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore andtwo weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and thepeople of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the endthereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. |
| KTC | Be assured of this, and mark it well; a period of seven weeks must go by, and anotherperiod of sixty-two weeks, between the order to rebuild Jerusalem and the coming of theChrist to be your leader. Street and wall will be built again, though in times of distress;and then sixty-two weeks must pass before the Christ is done to death; the people willdisown him and have none of him. Then the army of an invading leader will destroy both cityand sanctuary, so that his taking away will mean utter destruction; only a ruin is to be leftwhen the war is ended. Footnote: The traditional account given in verses 24-27 is, that Daniel interpretsthe seventy years of Israel's captivity as seventy weeks of years, and that the periodscalled 'weeks' are periods of forty-nine years, four hundred and thirty-four years, andseven years respectively, four hundred and ninety in all. The order to rebuild Jerusalem is,quite naturally, identified with that given in Neh. 2, and dated 445 B.C. This would explainthe preoccupation with prophecies about 'the End' which characterizes the outlook of ourLord's contemporaries; Daniel's prophecy was to fall due within the course of that century.It must be admitted, however, that widely different views have been held about theapplication of the prophecy in detail. Modern commentators, who understand the whole passageas a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes, and the profanation of the Temple in B.C. 167, aredriven to very unconvincing explanations of the time-periods involved. Verse 27 is veryobscure, and the text seems to have suffered in transmission. |
| LB | Now listen! It will be forty-nine years plus 434 years from the time the command isgiven to rebuild Jerusalem, until the Anointed One comes! Jerusalem's streets and walls willbe rebuilt despite the perilous times. After this period of 434 years, the Anointed One will be killed, his kingdom stillunrealized ... and a king will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. Theywill be overwhelmed as with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time tothe very end. Footnote: These [seventy weeks] were not in uninterrupted sequence. This totals 483years, instead of the 490 years mentioned in verse 24, leaving seven years unaccounted for atthe time of Messiah's death. For their future fulfillment see verse 27 and the Revelation.Or, consider the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by Titus and the subsequent slaughterof 1,000,000 Jews during the following three and a half years as at least a partialfulfillment of this prophecy. |
| LBP | Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and buildJerusalem to the coming of the Messiah the king shall be seven times seven weeks, andsixty-two times seven weeks; the people shall return and build Jerusalem, its streets, andits broad ways at the end of the appointed times. After sixty-two times seven weeks, Messiah shall be slain, and the city shall be without aruler; and the holy city shall be destroyed together with the coming king; and the endthereof shall be a mass exile, and at the end of the war, desolations are determined. |
| LXX | And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for theanswer and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the prince there shall be seven weeks,and sixty-two weeks; and then the time shall return, and the street shall be built, and thewall, and the times shall be exhausted. And after the sixty-two weeks, the anointed one shall be destroyed, and there is no judgmentin him: and he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the prince that is coming: theyshall be cut off with a flood, and to the end of the war which is rapidly completed he shallappoint the city to desolation. |
| MNT | Know then, understand, that between the issue of the prophetic command to re-people andrebuild Jerusalem and the consecrating of a supreme high priest, seven weeks of years shallelapse; in the course of sixty-two weeks of years, it shall be rebuilt, with its square andstreets; finally after sixty-two weeks of years, the consecrated priest shall be cut off,leaving no successor; the city and the sanctuary shall be destroyed along with the consecratedpriest, and then ruin shall pour in with a flood of warfare to the very end. |
| MRB | Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore andto build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks: and threescoreand two weeks, and it shall be built again, with streets and moat, even in troublous times.And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall havenothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and thesanctuary; and his end shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolationsare determined. |
| NAB | Know and understand this: From the utterance of the word that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt Until one who is anointed and a leader, there shall be seven weeks. During sixty-two weeks it shall be rebuilt, With streets and trenches, in time of affliction. After sixty-two weeks an anointed shall be cut down when he does not possess the city; And the people of a leader who will come shall destroy the sanctuary. Then the end shall come like a torrent; until the end there shall be war, the desolation that is decreed. Footnote: From the utterance ... to be rebuilt: from the time of Jeremiah'sprophecy. One ... anointed and a leader: either Cyrus, who was called the anointed ofthe Lord to end the exile (Is. 45: 1), or the high priest Joshua who presided over therebuilding of the altar of sacrifice after the exile. (Ezr. 3: 2). Seven weeks:forty-nine years, an approximation of the time of the exile. During sixty-two weeks... rebuilt: a period of 434 years, roughly approximately the interval between therebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile and the beginning of the Seleucid persecution.An anointed: doubtless the high priest Orias III, murdered in 171 B.C., from which theauthor dates the beginning of the persecution. Orias was in exile when he was killed.A leader: IV. |
| NBV | Know and understand, then, that from the going forth of the message to restore andrebuild Jerusalem until the coming of a Prince, a Messiah, there are seven weeks andsixty-two weeks; in the seven weeks it will be in process of restoring and rebuilding withsquares and streets even in times of affliction; but after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall beslain, although there is nothing against Him. The people of a prince, who comes, shalldestroy the city and the sanctuary; its end shall come overwhelmingly and till the end thereshall be warfare; ruins that are determined. Footnote: This seems to refer to the Romans and the destruction of city and Temple,70 A.D. |
| NCV | Learn and understand these things. A command will come to rebuild Jerusalem. The timefrom this command until the appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundredthirty-four years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench filled with wateraround it, but it will be built in times of trouble. After the four hundred thirty-four yearsthe appointed leader will be killed; he will have nothing. The people of the leader who is tocome will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of the city will come like a flood,and war will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed. |
| NIV | Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem,until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. Aftersixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of theruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:War will continue unto the end, and desolations have been decreed. |
| NRS | Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore andrebuild Jerusalem until the time of an appointed prince, there shall be seven weeks; and forsixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time. Afterthe sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troopsof the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall comewith a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. |
| NWT | And you should know and have the insight [that] from the going forth of [the] word torestore and to rebuild Jerusalem until [Messiah] the Leader, there will be seven weeks, alsosixty-two weeks. She will return be actually rebuilt with a public square and moat, but inthe straits of times. And after sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off, with nothing for himself. And the city and the holy place the people of a leader that is coming will bring to theirruin. And the end of it will be by the flood. And until [the] end there will be war; what isdecided upon is desolations. |
| SGAT | Learn, therefore, and understand: From the going forth of the wordto restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Till there comes a prince, ananointed one, there will be seven weeks; Then for sixty-two weeks it shallstay rebuilt, with its squares and streets; And at the end of the times,after sixty-two weeks, The anointed one shall be cutoff, leaving none to succeed him, The city and the sanctuary shallbe destroyed along with the prince, And the end shall come in aflood, with war raging to the end; ... . |
| SISR | "Know, then, and understand: from the going forth of the command to restore and buildYerushalayim until Messiah the Prince is seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be builtagain, with streets and a trench, but in times of affliction. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and have naught. And people of acoming prince shall destroy the city and the set-apart place. And the end of it is with aflood. And wastes are decreed, and fighting until the end." |
| SSBE | Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore andto build Jerusalem to the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven sevens, and sixty-twosevens: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times. And afterthe sixty-two sevens shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and thepeople of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and at theend of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end there shall be war; desolations aredetermined. |
| TEV | Note this and understand it: From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalemuntil God's chosen leader comes, seven times seven years will pass. Jerusalem will berebuilt with streets and strong defences , and will stand for seven times sixty-two years,but this will be a time of troubles. And at the end of that time God's chosen leader willbe killed unjustly. The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of apowerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which Godhas prepared. Footnote: Anointed One, Or "Messiah." |
| Commentary |
There is little that is consistent in all the versions. It appears that thetranslators had difficulty with this passage. Some versions state specifically that this isa prophecy in regard to the coming and the death of the Messiah. Others are not clear on whothe person is. Jewish versions do not accept that the Messiah is involved here. However, allstate that someone, a prince or anointed one, is to come.
The time element is not clear. Why it is seven weeks and sixty-two weeks isnot clear. The Jewish versions see a division of time while the Christian versions add thetwo time periods together.
The time is measured from the date that the order was given for Jerusalemto be rebuilt. Most set this with Nehemiah. However, one version sets it much earlier at thetime of Jeremiah. If the seven weeks and the sixty-two weeks are combined, the fulfillmentdate would come in the first half of the first century A.D. If only the seven weeks areconsidered, the time of fulfillment would be much earlier.
The time of the coming of conquerors who destroy Jerusalem is at the end ofthis period. History states that it was 70 A.D. when the Roman army destroyed the city. Thatleaves an unexplained interval of at least thirty years. There is a discrepancy of figuresinvolved in the interpretation.
Some versions state that a wall was built around the city. Others state thatit was a moat that was constructed. Which was it? The Book of Nehemiah states that a wallwas built. Maps show a wall, but not a moat or trench. The Hebrew word used to describe whatit was can mean wall or trench, or a number of other words. Some versions mention streetsand a square as well.
Some versions imply a long period of rebuilding, while others state that thecity will remain built for sixty-two weeks. Or does the period of sixty-two weeks applysolely to the time of the coming of the anointed one?
How long is the destruction to go on? Is it until the city has beendestroyed, or will there be destruction beyond that of the city? Some versions are not clearon this.
Which version, if any, has translated this passage correctly? There seemsto be differences of opinion on what Daniel has reported. To some readers, the answer mayappear to be obvious. However, can one be really sure of what the actual meaning of themessage is?