The Meaning of Daniel 12:7 Explained

Daniel 12:7

KJV: And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

YLT: And I hear the one clothed in linen, who is upon the waters of the flood, and he doth lift up his right hand and his left unto the heavens, and sweareth by Him who is living to the age, that, 'After a time, times, and a half, and at the completion of the scattering of the power of the holy people, finished are all these.'

Darby: And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river; and he held up his right hand and his left hand unto the heavens, and swore by him that liveth for ever that it is for a time, times, and a half; and when the scattering of the power of the holy people shall be accomplished, all these things shall be finished.

ASV: And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I heard  the man  clothed  in linen,  which [was] upon  the waters  of the river,  when he held up  his right hand  and his left hand  unto heaven,  and sware  by him that liveth  for ever  that [it shall be] for a time,  times,  and an half;  and when he shall have accomplished  to scatter  the power  of the holy  people,  all these [things] shall be finished. 

What does Daniel 12:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The "man" above the river swore by the eternal God that what he was about to say was true. Normally people who swore by God lifted one hand to heaven (cf. Deuteronomy 32:40). This Person lifted both hands, thus stressing the truthfulness of what He was about to reveal.
"There must be a reason for the choice of the word translated stream. As already indicated, it is the common designation for the Nile river. Possibly, it is deliberately employed here to remind Dan. that just as the Lord had once stood over Egypt, the world-nation which was hostile to God"s people, so now does He stand over the world kingdom, represented symbolically by the Nile stream, actually the Tigris, ready again to deliver His people." [1]
The meaning of "time, times, and half a time" is quite clearly three and one-half years (cf. Daniel 7:25). [2]
"The word for "times" may originally have been intended as a dual (mo"adayim, "two years")." [3]
"Shattering" the power of "the holy people" refers to the terrible persecution of the Jews in the end times, previously revealed ( Daniel 11:36-45). This was good news for Daniel and his people. Even though the future enemy of the Jews would be in control for one week (seven years, Daniel 9:27), intense persecution would only be the Jews" lot for the last half of that period (cf. Zechariah 14:2-3).

Context Summary

Daniel 12:1-13 - Resurrection And Judgment
Michael was the guardian spirit of the Jewish people. When the time of trouble has reached its climax, whether in national or individual life, help is near.
The hope of resurrection, of the life beyond the darkness of their times, animated the hearts of the Chosen People. In the same way the Apostle Paul refers to it, 1 Corinthians 15:58. The national resurrection of Israel is without doubt included but the resurrection at the last, when that of the just shall precede that of the unjust by the millennium, is clearly the topic of these wonderful words. Daniel's prophecies were to be sealed, because their entire fulfillment was not to take place for many days. Three and a half probably stands for three and a half prophetic years, which, on the year-day system, gives 1260 days or years, and is therefore equivalent to the forty-two months of Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5. This is the time of the world-power, half the perfect number seven. The supremacy of the Gentile kingdoms is 2,500 years, of which the latter half has nearly expired, and the Chosen People will not much longer be scattered. It is an interesting fact that, calculated on the lunar measure, these concluding dates have-according to the calculations of the late Dr. Grattan Guinness-just expired. Let us go our way, watch and pray, and at last stand in our lot. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 12

1  Michael shall deliver Israel from their troubles
5  Daniel is informed of the times

What do the individual words in Daniel 12:7 mean?

and I heard - the man clothed in linen who [was] on above the waters of the river and when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever that [it shall be] for a time times and half [a time] and when has been completely shattered the power of the people holy shall be finished all these [things]
וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־ הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּעַל֮ לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹר֒ וַיָּ֨רֶם יְמִינ֤וֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ אֶל־ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם כִּי֩ לְמוֹעֵ֨ד מֽוֹעֲדִ֜ים וָחֵ֗צִי וּכְכַלּ֛וֹת נַפֵּ֥ץ יַד־ עַם־ קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּכְלֶ֥ינָה כָל־ אֵֽלֶּה

וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע  and  I  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְב֣וּשׁ  clothed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular construct
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
הַבַּדִּ֗ים  in  linen 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְמֵימֵ֣י  above  the  waters 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
הַיְאֹר֒  of  the  river 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְאֹר  
Sense: river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal.
וַיָּ֨רֶם  and  when  he  held  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
יְמִינ֤וֹ  his  right  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙  and  his  left  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׂמֹאל  
Sense: the left, the left hand, the left side.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע  and  swore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
בְּחֵ֣י  by  Him  who  lives 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הָעוֹלָ֑ם  forever 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
כִּי֩  that  [it  shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לְמוֹעֵ֨ד  for  a  time 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
מֽוֹעֲדִ֜ים  times 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
וָחֵ֗צִי  and  half  [a  time] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
וּכְכַלּ֛וֹת  and  when  has  been  completely 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
נַפֵּ֥ץ  shattered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: נָפַץ 
Sense: to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces.
יַד־  the  power 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַם־  of  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
תִּכְלֶ֥ינָה  shall  be  finished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
אֵֽלֶּה  these  [things] 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.