The Meaning of Daniel 9:25 Explained

Daniel 9:25

KJV: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

YLT: And thou dost know, and dost consider wisely, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem till Messiah the Leader is seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks: the broad place hath been built again, and the rampart, even in the distress of the times.

Darby: Know therefore and understand: From the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah, the Prince, are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street and the moat shall be built again, even in troublous times.

ASV: Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Know  therefore and understand,  [that] from the going forth  of the commandment  to restore  and to build  Jerusalem  unto the Messiah  the Prince  [shall be] seven  weeks,  and threescore  and two  weeks:  the street  shall be built  again,  and the wall,  even in troublous  times. 

What does Daniel 9:25 Mean?

Study Notes

from the going forth of the commandment
Three decrees concerning Jerusalem are recorded, that of Cyrus, B.C. 536 (Ussher), for the restoration of the "house of the Lord God of Israel" 2 Chronicles 36:22 ; 2 Chronicles 36:23 ; Ezra 1:1-3 that of Darius Ezekiel 6:3-8 B.C. 521-486), and that of Artaxerxes in his seventh year. Ezekiel 7:7 say, B.C. 458). Artaxerxes in his twentieth year, B.C. 444 (Hales, Jahn), 446 (A.V.), 454 (Ussher, Hengstenberg), gave permission for the rebuilding of the "city," i.e., "Jerusalem" Nehemiah 2:1-8 . The latter decree is, obviously, that from which the "seven weeks" (49 years) run, unless by "the commandment to restore," etc. is meant the divine decree Daniel 9:23 . In the present state of biblical chronology the date of the decree of Artaxerxes cannot be unanswerably fixed farther than to say that it was issued between 454 and 444 B.C. In either case we are brought to the time of Christ. Prophetic time is invariably so near as to give full warning, so indeterminate as to give no satisfaction to mere curiosity. (cf); Matthew 24:36 ; Acts 1:7 . The 434 years reckon, of course, from the end of the seven weeks so that the whole time from "the going forth of the commandment to restore," etc., "unto the Messiah" is sixty-nine weeks of years, or 483 years.

Verse Meaning

There are four decrees concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem that Scripture records. The first was Cyrus" decree to rebuild the temple in538 B.C. ( 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 6:2-5). The second was Darius I"s decree in512 B.C. confirming Cyrus" earlier one ( Ezra 6:1; Ezra 6:6-12). The third was Artaxerxes" decree in457 B.C. ( Ezra 7:11-26). [1] The fourth was Artaxerxes" decree authorizing Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem in444 B.C. ( Nehemiah 2:1-8). Chisholm suggested a fifth possibility, namely, that the decree in view was Jeremiah"s prophecy, sometime between597,586 B.C, that Jerusalem would be rebuilt ( Jeremiah 30:18). He took the seventy weeks as symbolic of completeness. [2]
The first two of these decrees authorized the rebuilding of the temple, and the third provided for animal sacrifices in the temple. Only the fourth one gave the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem, and it seems to be the one in view here. The Jews encountered opposition as they sought to rebuild and refortify their ancient capital, as the Book of Nehemiah records. The date444 B.C, then, probably marks the beginning of this490-year period.
Seven sevens plus sixty-two sevens equals483years. Gabriel predicted that after483years, Messiah would be cut off. Detailed chronological studies have been done that show that Jesus Christ"s death occurred then. If one calculates483years from444 B.C, one might conclude that the date for Messiah being cut off is A.D39. However, both the Jews and the Babylonians observed years of360 , rather than365 days per year. If one calculates the number of days involved in the Jewish and Babylonian calendar year, the year Messiah would be cut off comes out to A.D33with a365-day year, the modern Julian calendar year. One scholar, Sir Robert Anderson, calculated that the day Jesus entered Jerusalem in his triumphal entry was the last day of this long period. [3] The Triumphal Entry was significant because it was the last public event during Jesus" first advent that demonstrated a positive popular reaction to Him. After it, the nation of Israel rejected Him. Whether or not the chronology is that exact, almost all expositors agree that the death of Christ is in view and that it occurred at the end of the sixty-ninth week. J. Paul Tanner showed that there was a strong consensus among the early Church fathers that this passage is messianic, though they varied greatly in their understanding of the details. [4]
Even Young, a representative amillennialist, supported this basic chronology, though he held that the numbers (7,62) were symbolic, not literal numbers. [5] He believed the decree in Daniel 9:24 was Cyrus" decree of538 B.C, that the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D70 occurred toward the end of the70th week, and that the prince to come ( Daniel 9:26) was Titus.
What happened after49 years that justifies breaking this period of69 weeks into two parts? Perhaps it was the end of the Old Testament revelation through the writing prophets. Another, more probable view, is that it took seven weeks (49 years) to clear out all the debris from Jerusalem, and to restore it fully as a thriving city with streets and moat. [6]
"This perfectly describes the work of Nehemiah and under what difficult circumstances he performed his tasks." [7]
The reference to Jerusalem being rebuilt "with plaza and moat" (NASB), or "with streets and a trench" (NIV), has confused some readers, since Jerusalem never had a typical moat or trench around it. However, the valleys of Hinnom and Kidron, on Jerusalem"s east, south and west sides, resemble a moat or trench around most of the city. In heavy rains they did and still do carry water and function as a moat or trench.

Context Summary

Daniel 9:16-27 - Renewed Favor In God's Own Time
Daniel 9:17-19 have in them a tone of anguish which reminds us of our Lord's words as to the violence which takes the kingdom of heaven by force. God loves to see us in dead earnest. It is not long but strong prayers that prevail with Him. He sometimes seems to deny us, that He may draw us out in supplication. Notice the response to such prayer. Before it was spoken, it was granted, Daniel 9:23. Before Daniel called, he was answered, and while he was yet speaking, he was heard. Pray on! God is more eager to hear and to bless us than we are to pray. Even now the divine answer is hastening towards thee, swifter than the speed of the morning beams across the vault of space. While we are speaking in prayer, nay, before the beginning of our supplication, the angel is sent out, and he is made to fly very swiftly. Six purposes were to be effected within 490 years from a specified date. Some refer these to final Jewish restoration, but for this the last week of the seventy has to be separated from the rest and postponed till "the end of the age." It is more natural to understand the passage as describing here Christ's finished work, and thus we avoid impairing the definiteness of the prophecy by indefinitely prolonging it. "The prince that shall come" seems to refer to the Roman emperor, Vespasian, whose people destroyed Jerusalem. But many think that Daniel 9:27 refers to a future compact between Antichrist and the Jews, previous to their conversion. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 9

1  Daniel, considering the time of the captivity,
3  makes confession of sins,
16  and prays for the restoration of Jerusalem
20  Gabriel informs him of the seventy weeks

What do the individual words in Daniel 9:25 mean?

Therefore Know and understand [That] from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince [There shall be] weeks seven and weeks sixty and two again and shall be built the street and the wall and Even in troublesome times
וְתֵדַ֨ע וְתַשְׂכֵּ֜ל מִן־ מֹצָ֣א דָבָ֗ר לְהָשִׁיב֙ וְלִבְנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עַד־ מָשִׁ֣יחַ נָגִ֔יד שָׁבֻעִ֖ים שִׁבְעָ֑ה וְשָׁבֻעִ֞ים שִׁשִּׁ֣ים וּשְׁנַ֗יִם תָּשׁוּב֙ וְנִבְנְתָה֙ רְח֣וֹב וְחָר֔וּץ וּבְצ֖וֹק הָעִתִּֽים

וְתֵדַ֨ע  Therefore  Know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְתַשְׂכֵּ֜ל  and  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
מִן־  [That]  from 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
מֹצָ֣א  the  going  forth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹוצָא  
Sense: act or place of going out or forth, issue, export, source, spring.
דָבָ֗ר  of  the  command 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
לְהָשִׁיב֙  to  restore 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְלִבְנ֤וֹת  and  build 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
עַד־  Until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
מָשִׁ֣יחַ  Messiah 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מָשִׁיחַ  
Sense: anointed, anointed one.
נָגִ֔יד  the  Prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָגִיד  
Sense: leader, ruler, captain, prince.
שָׁבֻעִ֖ים  [There  shall  be]  weeks 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁבוּעַ 
Sense: seven, period of seven (days or years), heptad, week.
שִׁבְעָ֑ה  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
וְשָׁבֻעִ֞ים  and  weeks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁבוּעַ 
Sense: seven, period of seven (days or years), heptad, week.
שִׁשִּׁ֣ים  sixty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁשִּׁים  
Sense: sixty, three score.
וּשְׁנַ֗יִם  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
תָּשׁוּב֙  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְנִבְנְתָה֙  and  shall  be  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
רְח֣וֹב  the  street 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רְחֹב  
Sense: broad or open place or plaza.
וְחָר֔וּץ  and  the  wall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָרוּץ 
Sense: sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent.
וּבְצ֖וֹק  and  Even  in  troublesome 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֹוק 
Sense: constraint, distress, strait.
הָעִתִּֽים  times 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.