Word Studies¶
Question¶
What do Daniel 8-9 and the 70 weeks establish (E/N), and how do the three readings (HIST/PRET/FUT) compare?
CRITICAL: chathak (H2852) — "cut off / determine"¶
Original: חָתַךְ (chathak) Transliteration: chathak Definition: Properly, to cut off; figuratively, to decree/determine. BLB Count: 1 (HAPAX LEGOMENON — occurs only in Dan 9:24) Parsing in Dan 9:24: nechtak — Niphal Perfect 3ms
Key Verse¶
Dan 9:24 — "Seventy weeks are determined [nechtak] upon thy people..."
Significance¶
This is the single most contested word in Daniel 8-9 interpretation: - HIST: Primary meaning "cut off" implies the 70 weeks are "cut off" FROM a larger period (the 2300 erev-boqer). The absence of preposition min does not negate the cutting-off sense, since Hebrew verbs of separation sometimes omit min when the context makes the source clear. - PRET: "Determined/decreed" is the figurative meaning — God decreed 70 weeks. No object of separation is stated, so "cut off from" is an interpretive addition. - FUT: Agrees with PRET on "determined" meaning. Additionally argues: (a) min ("from") is absent; (b) cognate languages (Aramaic, Syriac) favor "determine/decree"; (c) the text says "upon thy people," not "from the 2300."
Comparison with charats (H2782)¶
Daniel had charats (H2782, "determine/decide") available and used it: - Dan 9:26: neheretset shomemot — "desolations are determined" - Dan 9:27: ve-neheratsa — "that determined shall be poured" - Dan 11:36: ki neheratsa — "that which is determined shall be done"
If chathak meant only "determine," it would be synonymous with charats. The fact that Daniel used a different, hapax verb in 9:24 suggests the authorial intent is lexically distinct from charats. The primary/literal meaning "cut off" provides this distinction.
gabar (H1396) — "prevail / strengthen / confirm"¶
Original: גָבַר (gabar) Transliteration: gabar Definition: To be strong; by implication, to prevail, act insolently:—exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, strengthen, be valiant. BLB Count: 25
Key Verse¶
Dan 9:27 — "And he shall confirm [ve-higbir, Hiphil] the covenant with many for one week"
Concordance Profile¶
- "prevail": Gen 7:20 (waters prevailed), 1Sa 2:9 (wicked silent), Psa 65:3 (iniquities prevail)
- "mighty/strong": Various passages of military or personal strength
- "confirm" (KJV translation in Dan 9:27 only)
gabar berith vs karath berith¶
- karath berith = "cut a covenant" — the standard Hebrew idiom for making/initiating a new covenant (Gen 15:18; Exo 34:10; Jer 31:31)
- gabar berith = "make a covenant prevail/strengthen a covenant" — implies an EXISTING covenant is being strengthened or enforced, not a new one being initiated
- HIST reads this as Christ strengthening/confirming the existing Abrahamic/new covenant promises
- PRET reads this as Antiochus causing a Hellenistic assimilation covenant to prevail
- FUT reads this as the Antichrist making a political treaty (though karath would be more natural for new treaty)
NT Parallel: bebaioo (G950) in Rom 15:8¶
"Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm [bebaioo] the promises made unto the fathers"
Both gabar (Dan 9:27) and bebaioo (Rom 15:8) describe strengthening/confirming pre-existing promises rather than initiating new ones.
beriyth (H1285) — "covenant"¶
Original: בְּרִית (beriyth) Transliteration: beriyth Definition: From H1262 (in the sense of cutting); a compact (made by passing between pieces of flesh):—covenant, league. BLB Count: 284
Key collocations in Daniel¶
- Dan 9:4: shomer ha-beriyth — "keeping the covenant"
- Dan 9:27: ve-higbir beriyth — "shall confirm/strengthen the covenant"
- Dan 11:22: negiyd beriyth — "prince of the covenant"
- Dan 11:28,30,32: beriyth qodesh — "holy covenant"
mashiyach (H4899) — "anointed one / Messiah"¶
Original: מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyach) Transliteration: mashiyach Definition: From H4886; anointed; usually a consecrated person (king, priest, saint); specifically, the Messiah. BLB Count: 39
Semantic Range¶
- Kings: 1Sa 2:10,35; 24:6,10; 26:9,11,16,23; 2Sa 1:14,16; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1; Psa 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 89:38,51; 132:10,17; Lam 4:20; Hab 3:13
- Priests: Lev 4:3,5,16 (ha-kohen ha-mashiach — WITH article)
- Patriarchs: Psa 105:15; 1Ch 16:22 (mashiach — plural)
- Cyrus: Isa 45:1 (li-meshicho le-koresh — "to his anointed, to Cyrus")
- The Messiah: Dan 9:25,26 (mashiach nagiyd; mashiach yikkaret)
Article Question (PRET directive 13)¶
- Dan 9:25: mashiach nagiyd — WITHOUT article (construct chain)
- Dan 9:26: mashiach — WITHOUT article
- Lev 4:3: ha-kohen ha-mashiach — WITH article ("THE anointed priest")
- PRET argues per GKC 125b that anarthrous = "an anointed one" (indefinite), allowing identification with any anointed figure (Joshua, Onias III, etc.)
- HIST counter: in a construct chain (mashiach nagiyd), Hebrew grammar does NOT require the article on the nomen regens even when the reference is definite. The definiteness of the entire construct chain is determined by the nomen rectum (nagiyd). Compare: ben-adam ("son of man") in Dan 7:13 — universally understood as definite despite lacking the article.
nagiyd (H5057) — "prince / ruler / leader"¶
Original: נָגִיד (nagiyd) Transliteration: nagiyd Definition: From H5046; a commander, civil/military/religious; captain, chief, governor, leader, noble, prince, ruler. BLB Count: 44
Key construct chains in Daniel 9¶
- mashiach nagiyd (9:25): "anointed prince" — HIST: Christ; PRET: Joshua/Jeshua; FUT: Christ (but with eschatological gap)
- nagiyd habba (9:26): "the prince who is coming" — HIST: Roman power/Titus; PRET: Antiochus IV; FUT: future Antichrist
- negiyd beriyth (11:22): "prince of the covenant" — HIST: Christ; PRET: Onias III
Syntactic distinction (FUT argument)¶
FUT notes that mashiach nagiyd (9:25) uses the construct chain (Messiah-Prince as unified figure), while nagiyd habba (9:26) uses an articular participle (THE prince, THE coming one). These are syntactically distinct, supporting identification of two different figures.
tsadaq (H6663) — "be right / be vindicated"¶
Original: צָדַק (tsadaq) Transliteration: tsadaq Definition: A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense):—cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just(-ice, -ify), (be turn to) righteous(-ness). BLB Count: 41
Key Verse — nitsdaq (Dan 8:14)¶
"Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed [nitsdaq]."
Parsing: Niphal Perfect 3ms — passive voice, forensic sense: "be vindicated, be declared right."
LXX Mapping (Critical Evidence)¶
| Greek | Count | PMI Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1344 dikaioo | 21 | 26.99 | "to justify, declare righteous" |
| G1342 dikaios | 22 | 17.16 | "just, righteous" |
| G273 amemptos | 4 | 12.17 | "blameless" |
| G2919 krino | 8 | 10.49 | "to judge" |
Finding: The LXX consistently maps tsadaq to dikaioo/dikaios (forensic justification), NEVER to katharizo (ritual cleansing). The KJV "cleansed" follows Theodotion's katharisthesetai, which is a translation choice, not a reflection of the Hebrew root.
Other occurrences with "righteous"¶
Gen 38:26, Psa 19:9, Job 4:17, Job 9:2, Job 15:14, Job 25:4
tsedeq (H6664) — "righteousness"¶
Original: צֶדֶק (tsedeq) Transliteration: tsedeq Definition: From H6663; the right (natural, moral, legal); equity or prosperity. BLB Count: 116
Key Verse¶
Dan 9:24 — "to bring in everlasting righteousness [tsedeq olamim]"
Root Connection: tsadaq (8:14) -> tsedeq (9:24)¶
Both share the tsadaq root (ts-d-q). The "everlasting righteousness" (tsedeq olamim) of Dan 9:24 is the positive counterpart to the forensic vindication (nitsdaq) of Dan 8:14. The sanctuary is "vindicated" (8:14) and "everlasting righteousness" is "brought in" (9:24) — both describing the same divine act from different angles.
mar'eh (H4758) — "appearance / vision"¶
Original: מַרְאֶה (mar'eh) Transliteration: mar'eh Definition: From H7200; a view (the act of seeing); an appearance (the thing seen), whether real (a shape) or mental (a vision). BLB Count: 103
Daniel Distribution¶
| Verse | Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 8:16 | "make this man to understand the vision [ha-mar'eh]" | Gabriel's commission |
| 8:26 | "the vision [u-mar'eh] of the evening and the morning... is true" | erev-boqer specifically |
| 8:27 | "I was astonished at the vision [ha-mar'eh], but none understood" | Daniel's failure |
| 9:23 | "understand the matter, and consider the vision [ba-mar'eh]" | Gabriel's resumption |
| 10:1 | "had understanding of the vision [ba-mar'eh]" | Completion |
Usage Pattern¶
mar'eh consistently refers to the SPECIFIC auditory revelation — the 2300 erev-boqer (8:14,26) and the 70-weeks explanation (9:23). It is NOT used for the broader symbolic vision of the ram and goat.
chazon (H2377) — "vision / revelation"¶
Original: חָזוֹן (chazon) Transliteration: chazon Definition: From H2372; a sight (mentally), a dream, revelation, oracle. BLB Count: 35
Daniel Distribution¶
| Verse | Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 8:1 | "a vision [chazon] appeared unto me" | The entire symbolic vision |
| 8:2 | "I saw in a vision [chazon]" | The ram-goat narrative |
| 8:13 | "How long shall be the vision [he-chazon]" | The whole vision complex |
| 8:15 | "had seen the vision [he-chazon]" | Daniel seeking meaning |
| 8:17 | "at the time of the end shall be the vision [he-chazon]" | Time scope of the vision |
| 8:26 | "shut thou up the vision [he-chazon]" | Seal the broader vision |
| 9:24 | "seal up the vision [chazon] and prophecy" | One of six purposes |
| 10:14 | "the vision [he-chazon] is for many days" | Duration |
| 11:14 | "to establish the vision [chazon]" | Fulfillment |
Usage Pattern¶
chazon refers to the BROADER symbolic vision — the entire ram, goat, and horn sequence, including its temporal scope ("time of the end," "many days"). The chazon is to be "sealed up" (8:26) while the mar'eh is to be "understood" (8:16, 9:23).
The mar'eh/chazon Distinction (Significance)¶
- In 8:26, BOTH terms appear in the SAME verse: "the vision [mar'eh] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision [chazon]; for it shall be for many days."
- The mar'eh of the erev-boqer is declared "true" (emeth) — it is a specific, reliable communication.
- The chazon (broader vision) is to be "shut up" — sealed for future fulfillment.
- When Gabriel returns in 9:23, he says "consider the mar'eh" — resuming the unfulfilled commission from 8:16 (haben...et ha-mar'eh).
- PRET counter-argument: mar'eh in 9:23 could be forward-referential (pointing to the 70-weeks vision about to be given), not back-referential to 8:14-26.
biyn (H995) — "understand / discern"¶
Original: בִּין (biyn) Transliteration: biyn Definition: A primitive root; to separate mentally, distinguish, understand. BLB Count: 170
The Five-Stage biyn Chain in Daniel 8-10¶
| Stage | Verse | Hebrew Form | Parsing | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. COMMISSION | 8:16 | haben | Hiphil Impv ms | "make understand!" |
| 2. FAILURE | 8:27 | ein mebiyn | Hiphil Ptcp ms | "none understanding" |
| 3. STUDY | 9:2 | binoti | Qal Perf 1cs | "I understood" |
| 4. RESUMPTION | 9:22-23 | va-yaben; binah; vehaven | Hiphil Wayyiqtol; noun; Hiphil Impv | "he informed; understanding; understand!" |
| 5. COMPLETION | 10:1 | biyn...u-binah | Qal Perf 3ms; noun | "he understood...understanding" |
The haben+mar'eh Inclusio¶
- 8:16: haben la-hallaz et ha-mar'eh — "make this one understand THE VISION"
- 9:23: vehaven ba-mar'eh — "understand THE VISION"
Same verb form (Hiphil of biyn), same object (mar'eh with article). Gabriel's commission in 8:16 is explicitly resumed in 9:23. The 70-weeks revelation (9:24-27) is the explanation of the mar'eh that Daniel failed to understand in 8:27.
pesha (H6588) — "transgression / rebellion"¶
Original: פֶּשַׁע (pesha) Transliteration: pesha Definition: From H6586; a revolt (national, moral, religious):—rebellion, sin, transgression. BLB Count: 93 Key verse: Dan 9:24 — "to finish the transgression [ha-pesha]"
chattat (H2403) — "sin / sin offering"¶
Original: חַטָּאת (chattat) Transliteration: chattat Definition: From H2398; an offence and its penalty/sacrifice/expiation. BLB Count: 296 (116x "sin offering," 96x "sin") Key verse: Dan 9:24 — "to make an end of sins [chattat]"
avon (H5771) — "iniquity"¶
Original: עָוֹן (avon) Transliteration: avon Definition: From H5753; perversity, moral evil, iniquity. BLB Count: 230 Key verse: Dan 9:24 — "to make reconciliation for iniquity [avon]"
The DOA Triad: pesha + chattat + avon¶
These three terms appear together in exactly ONE other OT passage besides Dan 9:24:
Lev 16:21 — "confess over him all the iniquities [avonot] of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions [pish'ehem] in all their sins [chatotam]"
This is the Day of Atonement scapegoat confession. The precise three-term formula (pesha + chattat + avon) links Dan 9:24 directly to the Day of Atonement ritual, supporting the interpretation that the six purposes describe the ultimate/antitypical Day of Atonement.
kaphar (H3722) — "atone / cover / reconcile"¶
Original: כָּפַר (kaphar) Transliteration: kaphar Definition: To cover (with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate, condone, placate, cancel:—atonement, cleanse, forgive, purge, reconcile. BLB Count: 102 (71x "atonement") Key verse: Dan 9:24 — "to make reconciliation [le-kapper] for iniquity"
mashach (H4886) — "anoint"¶
Original: מָשַׁח (mashach) Transliteration: mashach Definition: To rub with oil, anoint; by implication, to consecrate. BLB Count: 69 Key verse: Dan 9:24 — "to anoint [limshoch] the most Holy [qodesh qodashim]" Significance: The verb root from which mashiyach (Messiah) derives. "Anoint the most Holy" — HIST reads this as Christ's anointing at baptism (Acts 10:38) or the consecration of the heavenly sanctuary; FUT as the consecration of a future millennial temple; PRET as a generic consecration.
qodesh (H6944) — "holiness / holy / sanctuary"¶
Original: קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh) Transliteration: qodesh BLB Count: 468 Key construct: qodesh qodashim = "holy of holies / most holy" in Dan 9:24 Significance: This double-qodesh construct typically refers to the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary (Exo 26:33-34) or most holy things/persons. In Dan 9:24 it could refer to: (a) the Messiah's anointing, (b) the heavenly sanctuary's consecration, (c) the altar/temple rededication.
shiqquts (H8251) — "abomination / detestable thing"¶
Original: שִׁקּוּץ (shiqquts) Transliteration: shiqquts Definition: From H8262; disgusting, filthy, especially idolatrous; an idol. BLB Count: 28
Daniel Occurrences (Triple shiqquts meshomem)¶
| Verse | Hebrew | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 9:27 | al kenap shiqqutsim meshomem | "upon the wing of abominations, one making desolate" |
| Dan 11:31 | ha-shiqquts meshomem | "the abomination that maketh desolate" |
| Dan 12:11 | shiqquts shomem | "the abomination that maketh desolate" |
All three use the same root H8251 + Polel/Qal participle of H8074 (shamem). PRET argues: since Dan 11:31 is near-universally identified with Antiochus's 167 BC temple desecration, the identical vocabulary in 9:27 points to the same referent. HIST counters: the same formula can describe typologically related but temporally distinct events (original + antitype).
shamem (H8074) — "desolate / appall"¶
Original: שָׁמֵם (shamem) Transliteration: shamem Definition: To stun, devastate, stupefy; make amazed, astonished; desolate, destroy. BLB Count: 92 Daniel occurrences: 8:13, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11
shabua (H7620) — "week / period of seven"¶
Original: שָׁבוּעַ (shabua) Transliteration: shabua Definition: Literally "sevened," a week (of days or years). BLB Count: 20
Key Evidence for Year-Weeks¶
- Gen 29:27-28: "Fulfil her week [shabua]" = seven YEARS of service (not seven days)
- Dan 10:2-3: "three full weeks" — but adds yamim (days): shabuim yamim = "weeks of days." The addition of yamim in 10:2-3 disambiguates as literal day-weeks, implying that without yamim (as in 9:24), the default is year-weeks.
- Dan 9:24: shabuim shibim = "seventy sevens" — no yamim qualifier
- 2 Chr 36:21: 70 sabbath-years x 7 = 490 years = the same 490-year span as 70 year-weeks
bdelygma (G946) — "abomination"¶
Original: βδέλυγμα (bdelygma) Transliteration: bdelygma Definition: From G948; a detestation, especially idolatry:—abomination. BLB Count: 6 Grammatical gender: NEUTER
Key Verses¶
- Matt 24:15: to bdelygma tes eremoseos — with hestos (neuter participle, standard agreement)
- Mark 13:14: to bdelygma tes eremoseos — with hestekota (MASCULINE participle, constructio ad sensum)
The masculine participle in Mark 13:14 indicates the author (or Jesus) understood the "abomination" as a PERSONAL agent — someone who "stands where he ought not," not merely a thing placed in the temple.
bebaioo (G950) — "confirm / establish"¶
Original: βεβαιόω (bebaioo) Transliteration: bebaioo Definition: From G949; to stabilitate, confirm, establish. BLB Count: 8
Key Verse¶
Rom 15:8 — "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm [bebaioo] the promises made unto the fathers"
Parallel to gabar (H1396)¶
Both bebaioo (NT) and gabar (OT) describe STRENGTHENING pre-existing commitments, not initiating new ones. If Dan 9:27 "He shall confirm the covenant" describes the Messiah, then Rom 15:8 provides the NT theological framework: Christ confirms (establishes, makes firm) the covenant promises to the patriarchs.