Grammar Analysis: Daniel 12:7, 12:11-12¶
Scope¶
Three apocalyptic time-marker clauses that close the book of Daniel:
- Dan 12:7 — "a time, times, and a half" (לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי) — the oath-formula duration of the persecuting power's dominion.
- Dan 12:11 — "1,290 days" (יָמִים אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים) — the span measured from the removal of the תָּמִיד and setting up of the שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם.
- Dan 12:12 — "1,335 days" (יָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה) — the blessing-span for the one who waits and attains.
This analysis is context-neutral: it describes the grammar, syntax, and lexical data from the parsing tools and documents all major interpretive positions without endorsement.
Daniel 12:7¶
Text¶
Hebrew: וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּעַל֮ לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹר֒ וַיָּ֨רֶם יְמִינ֤וֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם כִּי֩ לְמוֹעֵ֨ד מוֹעֲדִ֜ים וָחֵ֗צִי וּכְכַלּ֛וֹת נַפֵּ֥ץ יַד־עַם־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּכְלֶ֥ינָה כָל־אֵֽלֶּה׃
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."
Word-by-Word Parsing (from hebrew_parser.py)¶
| # | Hebrew | Lemma | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וָ | ו | Conj | and |
| 2 | אֶשְׁמַע | שׁמע | Verb.Qal.Wayq.1s | I heard |
| 3 | אֶת | את | Prep | \<object marker> |
| 4 | הָאִישׁ | אישׁ | Noun.ms.Abs + Art | the man |
| 5 | לְבוּשׁ | לבושׁ | Adj.ms.Cst | clothed |
| 6 | הַבַּדִּים | בד | Noun.mp.Abs + Art | the linen-cloths |
| 7 | אֲשֶׁר | אשׁר | Rel.conj | who/which |
| 8 | מִמַּעַל | מעל | Prep + Noun.s.Abs | from above |
| 9 | לְמֵימֵי | מים | Prep + Noun.mp.Cst | to/over the waters of |
| 10 | הַיְאֹר | יאר | Noun.ms.Abs + Art | the river |
| 11 | וַיָּרֶם | רום | Verb.Hiphil.Wayq.3ms | and he raised/lifted up |
| 12 | יְמִינוֹ | ימין | Noun.fs.Abs + 3ms suf | his right hand |
| 13 | וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ | שׂמאל | Noun.ms.Abs + 3ms suf | and his left |
| 14 | אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם | שׁמים | Prep + Noun.mp.Abs | to the heavens |
| 15 | וַיִּשָּׁבַע | שׁבע | Verb.Niphal.Wayq.3ms | and he swore |
| 16 | בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם | חי + עולם | Prep + Adj.ms.Cst + Noun.ms.Abs | by the-living-of the-eternity |
| 17 | כִּי | כי | Conj | that |
| 18 | לְמוֹעֵד | מועד | Prep + Noun.ms.Abs | for an appointed-time |
| 19 | מוֹעֲדִים | מועד | Noun.mp.Abs | appointed-times |
| 20 | וָחֵצִי | חצי | Conj + Noun.ms.Abs | and a half |
| 21 | וּכְכַלּוֹת | כלה | Conj + Prep + Verb.Piel.InfCon | and at the completing of |
| 22 | נַפֵּץ | נפץ | Verb.Piel.InfCon | to shatter |
| 23 | יַד־עַם־קֹדֶשׁ | יד / עם / קדשׁ | Noun.s.Cst + Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.ms.Abs | the-hand-of the-people-of holiness (3-link construct chain) |
| 24 | תִּכְלֶינָה | כלה | Verb.Qal.Impf.3fp | they(fem.pl.) shall be finished |
| 25 | כָּל־אֵלֶּה | כל + אלה | Noun.ms.Cst + DemPron.p | all these |
Clause Structure (from hebrew_parser.py --clause)¶
| # | Clause Type | Domain | Text (translit.) | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way0 (wayyiqtol) | Narrative | wāʾešmaʿ ʾet-hāʾîš lǝbûš habaddîm | "And I (Daniel) heard the man clothed in linen" |
| 2 | NmCl (verbless/relative) | Narrative | ʾăšer mimmaʿal lǝmêmê hayǝʾōr | "who [was] above the waters of the river" |
| 3 | Way0 | Narrative | wayyāreim yǝmînô ûśǝmōʾlô ʾel-haššāmayim | "and he lifted his right and his left to heaven" |
| 4 | Way0 | Narrative | wayyiššābaʿ bǝḥê hāʿôlām | "and he swore by the-living of eternity" |
| 5 | NmCl (content of oath) | Narrative | kî lǝmôʿēd môʿădîm wāḥēṣî | "that [it shall be] for an appointed-time, appointed-times, and a half" |
| 6 | WxYX (waw + X + yiqtol) | Discourse | ûtikleynâ kol-ʾēlleh | "and all these shall come to a conclusion" |
| 7 | InfC | Discourse | kǝkallôt | "as/when (the) completing" |
| 8 | InfC | Discourse | nappēṣ yad-ʿam-qōdeš | "of shattering the hand of the holy people" |
The oath itself (clause 5) is a verbless nominal clause introduced by כִּי, with the prepositional phrase לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי functioning as the Time constituent (predicate of duration). Supplied copular force: "[it will be] for a time…".
Key Grammatical Features — Dan 12:7¶
1. לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי — the "time, times, half" formula¶
Parsing & morphology:
- מוֹעֵד (G4150 / lemma מועד) — Noun.ms.Abs, singular "appointed time/season/feast" (from יעד "appoint"). Same lemma as Gen 1:14 (luminaries for מוֹעֲדִים "seasons"); Lev 23:2, 4, 37 (cultic "appointed feasts"); Dan 8:19 "the appointed time of the end" (מוֹעֵד קֵץ); Dan 11:27, 29, 35; Hab 2:3.
- מוֹעֲדִים — Noun.mp.Abs, masculine plural of the same lemma מועד. Because the head noun מועד is masculine (-îm plural), the plural form cannot be grammatically forced to mean exactly "two"; the regular masculine plural of מועד is -îm, and Hebrew never formed a distinct dual for מועד in the MT. (Contrast nouns that do have a morphologically marked dual, e.g., יוֹמַיִם "two days," שְׁנָתַיִם "two years," יָדַיִם "two hands".)
- וָחֵצִי — Conj + Noun.ms.Abs, "and a half." חֵצִי (lemma חצי, from חצה "divide") regularly means "half" in a fractional sense: Exod 24:6; 25:10, 17; Num 12:12; 1 Kgs 3:25.
The number-of-"times" question (morphological catalog):
The plural מוֹעֲדִים is morphologically indefinite as to count — any number ≥ 2. The tradition has settled on the value "2 times" because:
- (a) The Aramaic parallel in Dan 7:25 reads עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן. The middle form עִדָּנִין in Biblical Aramaic ends in -în (emphatic pl. ending), and some grammarians (e.g., Rosenthal, Grammar of Biblical Aramaic §48) identify -în on עִדָּנִין in this verse as a dual inherited from Northwest-Semitic duals — i.e., "two periods." This reading is widely adopted but not uncontested; other grammarians treat -în as the ordinary Aramaic m.pl. ending (same termination as yomîn "days," malkîn "kings"), in which case the plural is simply ≥ 2.
- (b) The Revelation 12:14 Greek rendering καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ uses καιρούς (acc. m. pl.), which in itself is likewise indefinite as to number (≥ 2) but in Koine has no productive dual.
- (c) The arithmetic correspondence (1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 "times" ≈ 1260 days of Rev 11:3; 12:6 ≈ 42 months of Rev 11:2; 13:5 at 30 days/month) has functioned as the interpretive anchor that fixes מוֹעֲדִים at "two"; the fixing is exegetical/numerical, not purely morphological.
Translation implications: Most English versions render "time, times, and half a time" preserving the indeterminacy (KJV, ESV, NASB, NIV, NRSV). The LXX-Theodotion reads καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ — same construction, inheriting the same ambiguity. The Old Greek renders εἰς καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ with the matching form.
Semantic range of מוֹעֵד:
| Nuance | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed cultic season/feast | Lev 23:2, 4, 37 | sacred calendar |
| Divinely fixed eschatological time | Dan 8:19; 11:27, 29, 35; Hab 2:3 | vision-context technical use |
| Meeting/place | Exod 27:21 אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד | "tent of meeting" |
| Astronomical season | Gen 1:14 | sun/moon fix מוֹעֲדִים |
In Dan 8:19 מוֹעֵד קֵץ ("the appointed time of the end") and 11:27, 29, 35 the lemma is clearly technical-apocalyptic — the divinely-set time-point. In 12:7 the unit-sense ("a period whose length is itself a מוֹעֵד") is imported.
2. The Oath Formula — wayyiššābaʿ bǝḥê hāʿôlām + כִּי¶
Parsing: וַיִּשָּׁבַע (Verb.Niphal.Wayq.3ms, from שׁבע "swear"). Niphal of שׁבע is the regular form for "swear an oath" (Gen 21:23–24, 31; 24:7, 9; 25:33; Exod 13:19; Deut 6:13; Isa 45:23; Jer 12:16; ~185× in MT). See Niphal Stem for the passive/middle/reflexive semantics; with שׁבע the Niphal is fossilized as the standard "take an oath" middle.
The oath formula structure:
- בְּ + חֵי + הָעוֹלָם — "by the-living-of the-eternity" = "by Him who lives forever." חַי is an adjective here in construct (Adj.ms.Cst), forming a construct chain with הָעוֹלָם. Idiomatic oath-by-the-life-of (Gen 42:15 חֵי פַרְעֹה; Num 14:21, 28 חַי־אָנִי YHWH-oath form; 1 Sam 17:55; 25:26; 2 Sam 15:21).
- כִּי (clause 5) — post-oath conjunction introducing the content of the oath. When following an oath formula, כִּי functions as the declarative "that" (not causal "because"): Gen 22:16–17 בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי … כִּי בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ; 1 Sam 14:39; 20:3; 26:16; 1 Kgs 2:23; Isa 45:23.
Solemnity markers stacked in 12:7:
- Two hands raised to heaven (normally oaths raise one hand — Gen 14:22; Deut 32:40; Ezek 20:5–6, 15; Rev 10:5). The two-hand lift in Dan 12:7 is unique in the MT and intensifies the solemnity.
- Oath sworn by the eternal Living One (חֵי הָעוֹלָם) — maximum swearing-formula.
- Content introduced by כִּי — direct quote of the sworn duration.
The effect: the time-period stated is divinely sealed by double-intensified oath, not merely reported.
3. וּכְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד־עַם־קֹדֶשׁ — Temporal Infinitival Construction¶
Parsing: וּ (conj) + כְ (Prep "when/as") + כַלּוֹת (Verb.Piel.InfCon from כלה "complete, finish") + נַפֵּץ (Verb.Piel.InfCon from נפץ "shatter"; appears as the construct/governed object of כַלּוֹת).
Construction: כ + infinitive-construct is a temporal clause — "when/as X is happening" (GKC §114e, JM §166l). Functionally equivalent to a subordinate temporal clause "when the shattering of the holy-people's hand is completed."
Stacked construct chain (yad-ʿam-qōdeš): Three links — "hand of people of holiness" = "the hand/power of the holy people." This is a rare three-noun construct chain; parallel to Dan 8:25 שַׂר שָׂרִים "prince of princes" (two-link) and extended patterns like Gen 9:25 עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים (two-link superlative).
Piel stem choice:
- כַלָּה (Piel of כלה) = transitive/factitive "bring to completion, finish off" (contrast Qal כָּלָה "come to an end" — as in v.24 תִּכְלֶינָה).
- נַפֵּץ (Piel of נפץ) = intensive/factitive "shatter, dash in pieces." Parallel נפץ Piel in Ps 2:9 (though HMT reads Qal there), Jer 13:14; 51:20–23; 48:12.
The Piel pair builds a completed-action temporal frame for v.24 תִּכְלֶינָה כָל־אֵלֶּה (Qal impf. 3fp "all these shall come to an end"). The 3fp agreement is with the feminine-plural understanding of the preceding אֵלֶּה ("these things/events" as a set — fem.pl. agreement with the collective).
The כ + InfCon governs the end-bracket of the 3.5 time-units: The oath links two events — (1) the duration: מוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי; (2) the terminus: כְּכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד־עַם־קֹדֶשׁ. Both clauses are apposed to explain when "all these" will be finished.
4. תִּכְלֶינָה — Qal Impf. 3fp Feminine-Plural Subject Agreement¶
Parsing: Verb.Qal.Impf.3fp from כלה ("come to an end, be completed"). The 3fp is the rare feminine-plural yiqtol termination (-nâ), the standard paradigmatic 3fp/2fp form (GKC §47k).
Subject agreement: כָּל־אֵלֶּה — "all these [things]." אֵלֶּה is common-gender demonstrative plural; the 3fp verb agreement here treats the collective set-of-events (implicit: הַפְּלָאוֹת of v.6, "the wonders") as fem.pl. Note that v.6 asks קֵץ הַפְּלָאוֹת ("end of the wonders"; פְּלָאוֹת is fem.pl.), and the 3fp verb in v.7 agrees with that antecedent.
Lexical doublet: Root כלה occurs in both Piel InfCon (כַלּוֹת, "to complete") and Qal Impf. (תִּכְלֶינָה, "shall come to an end") in the same verse — deliberate paronomasia framing the duration.
Daniel 12:11¶
Text¶
Hebrew: וּמֵעֵת֙ הוּסַ֣ר הַתָּמִ֔יד וְלָתֵ֖ת שִׁקּ֣וּץ שֹׁמֵ֑ם יָמִ֕ים אֶ֖לֶף מָאתַ֥יִם וְתִשְׁעִֽים׃
KJV: "And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days."
Word-by-Word Parsing¶
| # | Hebrew | Lemma | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וּ | ו | Conj | and |
| 2 | מֵ | מן | Prep | from |
| 3 | עֵת | עת | Noun.s.Cst | time-of |
| 4 | הוּסַר | סור | Verb.Hophal.Perf.3ms | (it/he) was removed / caused-to-turn-aside |
| 5 | הַתָּמִיד | תמיד | Noun.ms.Abs + Art | the Continual (daily) |
| 6 | וְ | ו | Conj | and |
| 7 | לָ | ל | Prep | to/for |
| 8 | תֵת | נתן | Verb.Qal.InfCon | (the) giving/setting |
| 9 | שִׁקּוּץ | שׁקוץ | Noun.ms.Abs | abomination / detested-thing |
| 10 | שֹׁמֵם | שׁמם | Verb.Qal.Ptcp.ms.Abs | desolating / causing-desolation |
| 11 | יָמִים | יום | Noun.mp.Abs | days |
| 12 | אֶלֶף | אלף | Noun.s.Abs | thousand |
| 13 | מָאתַיִם | מאה | Noun.fd.Abs | two-hundred (dual of מֵאָה) |
| 14 | וְ | ו | Conj | and |
| 15 | תִשְׁעִים | תשׁע | Noun.mp.Abs | ninety |
Clause Structure¶
| # | Clause Type | Text | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prep + Cst-chain (Time phrase) | וּמֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד | "and from the time (of) (it-was-)removed the-Continual" |
| 2 | Coord. InfC phrase | וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם | "and (from) the giving (of) an-abomination that-desolates" |
| 3 | NmCl (verbless predicate of duration) | יָמִים אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים | "[there shall be] days, 1,000, 200, and 90" |
Key Grammatical Features — Dan 12:11¶
1. מֵעֵת הוּסַר — "from the time [of] was-removed" (Relative Asyndeton / Construct-before-Finite-Verb)¶
The construction עֵת + finite verb (Hophal 3ms הוּסַר) without explicit relative אֲשֶׁר is a construct-before-finite-verb (or equivalently, headless relative introduced by an implicit "that/when"):
- עֵת ("time") is parsed Noun.s.Cst (construct), despite being followed by a finite verb. GKC §130d and JM §129q catalog the Hebrew construction whereby a noun (esp. a time-noun like עֵת, יוֹם, שָׁנָה) is in construct with a following verbal clause treated as a quasi-nominal rection.
- Parallels: Gen 2:4 בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת — "in the day of (God's) making"; Exod 6:28 בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר יהוה — "in the day (when) YHWH spoke"; 1 Sam 25:15 כָּל־יְמֵי הִתְהַלַּכְנוּ — "all the days (that) we walked about"; Ps 4:8 מֵעֵת דְּגָנָם — "from (the) time (of) their grain."
- Semantic effect: "from [the] time [when] the Continual was removed."
2. הוּסַר — Hophal Perfect 3ms of סור¶
Parsing: Verb.Hophal (causative-passive of the Hiphil of סור). The Hiphil הֵסִיר = "cause to depart / remove / take away"; the Hophal הוּסַר = passive thereof, "be caused-to-depart / be removed / be taken away."
Stem significance: - The Hophal (rare stem, ~400× total in MT) is the passive of the Hiphil — it identifies an external agent without naming one. This is the Hebrew structural equivalent of the Greek "divine passive" or the Latin passive of agency-suppression. The agent of the removal is syntactically unspecified. - Cross-reference: Niphal Stem for related passive semantics. The Hophal of סור elsewhere: 2 Sam 20:12 (Hophal); Dan 11:31 הוּסַר (identical form — deliberate linkage between 11:31 and 12:11); Isa 17:1 (Hophal of מוּסָר). - Daniel 11:31 ‖ Daniel 12:11 lexical bracket: Both verses use the identical Hophal form הוּסַר + subject הַתָּמִיד, marking Dan 12:11 as a resumption / quantification of the Dan 11:31 event rather than an independent prediction.
3. הַתָּמִיד — Substantivized Adjective "the Continual"¶
Parsing: Noun.ms.Abs + Art (lemma תמיד, gloss "continuity"). Originally an adverb ("continually, regularly"), תָּמִיד is substantivized with the article in Daniel's apocalyptic vocabulary (Dan 8:11, 12, 13; 11:31; 12:11) to denote the continually-offered cultic provision.
The crux: The word lacks an explicit complement (no עוֹלָה, no זֶבַח). KJV and most English versions bracket "[sacrifice]" — the bracket is not in the Hebrew. The noun is elliptical and the referent of the ellipsis is interpretively contested (see word study temid if present).
Candidate supplied referents in the tradition:
| Supplied noun | Meaning | Supporting passages |
|---|---|---|
| עֹלָה / תָּמִיד עֹלַת | "continual burnt-offering" (daily tamid lamb) | Exod 29:38–42; Num 28:3–8 |
| זֶבַח | "continual sacrifice" | generic |
| מִנְחָה | "continual grain-offering" | Num 4:16 |
| עֲבֹדָה | "continual service / temple ministry" | whole cultus-as-system |
| Christ's heavenly-sanctuary ministry (historicist) | truth of continual mediation | symbolic |
All five readings are grammatically possible. The grammar supplies only "the Continual"; the referent is supplied by interpretive framework.
4. וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם — Infinitival "Setting up the Abomination that Desolates"¶
Parsing: - וְלָתֵת — Conj + Prep ל + Verb.Qal.InfCon of נתן ("give"). Here נתן carries the sense "set up / install / place" (Deut 14:26; 1 Kgs 2:24). - שִׁקּוּץ — Noun.ms.Abs, "detestable thing / abomination" (from שׁקץ "abhor"). Appears ~28× in MT; often paired with idols or ritually detested objects (Deut 29:17 [Eng 16]; 1 Kgs 11:5, 7; Jer 4:1; Ezek 5:11; Hos 9:10). - שֹׁמֵם — Verb.Qal.Ptcp.ms.Abs of שׁמם ("be desolate/appalled"). As an active participle modifying שִׁקּוּץ, it is the substantivized/attributive-participle construction "abomination [that is] desolating / that causes desolation." The Qal of שׁמם is sometimes stative/intransitive ("be appalled, be desolate"), sometimes transitive-active ("cause desolation"); the participle absorbs both senses.
Linked forms of the phrase in Daniel: - Dan 9:27 — שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם (plural noun + Poel participle, "abominations of a desolator / on wing of abominations one-who-desolates") - Dan 11:31 — הַשִּׁקּוּץ מְשׁוֹמֵם (sg. + Poel participle + definite article) - Dan 12:11 — שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם (sg. + Qal participle — the lightest form) - 1 Macc 1:54 — βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως (Antiochene precedent) - LXX-Theodotion of Daniel renders all three with τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως - Mat 24:15 ‖ Mk 13:14 cite this phrase explicitly (τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως); see mat-24-15-mk-13-14-abomination.
The ל + InfCon parallel to the preceding finite verb: The Hebrew parallels two events — (a) מֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד ("from-the-time was-removed the-Continual") and (b) וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם ("and to-set-up the-abomination that-desolates"). The ל + InfCon in (b) coordinates with the מֵ in (a) — "from [the time of] X, and [from the time] of Y." Both events jointly anchor the start-point of the 1,290-day count.
5. יָמִים אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים — The Numeral Phrase¶
Parsing & syntax: - יָמִים (Noun.mp.Abs "days") — heads the numeral phrase; placed first in the counted-noun construction (an exegetically significant word-order choice). - אֶלֶף — "thousand" (Noun.s.Abs). - מָאתַיִם — Noun.fd.Abs; "two-hundred" is the dual of מֵאָה ("hundred"). This is a morphologically marked true dual: מֵאָה → מָאתַיִם is one of Hebrew's surviving dual formations (cf. שְׁנָתַיִם "two years," יוֹמַיִם "two days"). The form is unambiguously "exactly two hundred" — not a plural-with-indefinite-count. - וְתִשְׁעִים — "and ninety" (tens-pl. formation).
Total: 1,000 + 200 + 90 = 1,290 days.
Counted-noun word order in Hebrew numerals:
In BH, numerals ≥ 100 almost always precede the counted noun (Gen 5:5 תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, "nine hundred years"; Num 1:46 שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים). The counted-noun-first word order of Dan 12:11 (יָמִים אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים) is unusual. The same pattern recurs in 12:12 (יָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת …). Possible functions: - Topicalization/focus — "as for days: 1,290" — foregrounding duration as the predicated measure. - Cardinal-appositive apposition — nominal clause "[they are] days, [namely] 1,290." - Rhetorical count-down form — apocalyptic numerological emphasis (cf. the parallel 12:12 pattern, and the exact-day counts in Dan 8:14 ʿereḇ bōqer 2,300).
Note that Dan 8:14 (עַד עֶרֶב בֹּקֶר אַלְפַּיִם וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת, "until evening-morning 2,300") uses the dual אַלְפַּיִם for "two thousand" — another marked numerical dual in Daniel's apocalyptic arithmetic. See dan-8-14.
Daniel 12:12¶
Text¶
Hebrew: אַשְׁרֵ֥י הַֽמְחַכֶּ֖ה וְיַגִּ֑יעַ לְיָמִ֕ים אֶ֕לֶף שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃
KJV: "Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."
Word-by-Word Parsing¶
| # | Hebrew | Lemma | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אַשְׁרֵי | אשׁר | Noun.mp.Cst | happinesses-of / blessings-of |
| 2 | הַ | ה | Art | the |
| 3 | מְחַכֶּה | חכה | Verb.Piel.Ptcp.ms.Abs | one-waiting / who waits |
| 4 | וְ | ו | Conj | and |
| 5 | יַגִּיעַ | נגע | Verb.Hiphil.Impf.3ms | he shall arrive / reach / attain |
| 6 | לְ | ל | Prep | to |
| 7 | יָמִים | יום | Noun.mp.Abs | days |
| 8 | אֶלֶף | אלף | Noun.s.Abs | thousand |
| 9 | שְׁלֹשׁ | שׁלשׁ | Noun.s.Cst | three(-hundreds) |
| 10 | מֵאוֹת | מאה | Noun.fp.Abs | hundreds |
| 11 | שְׁלֹשִׁים | שׁלשׁ | Noun.mp.Abs | thirty (tens-form) |
| 12 | וַחֲמִשָּׁה | חמשׁ | Conj + Noun.fs.Abs | and five |
Clause Structure¶
| # | Clause Type | Text | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NmCl (beatitude formula) | אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה | "blessed (is) the one waiting" |
| 2 | WeYiqtol (coordinated prospective) | וְיַגִּיעַ לְיָמִים … | "and he reaches/attains to 1,335 days" |
Key Grammatical Features — Dan 12:12¶
1. אַשְׁרֵי + Substantivized Participle — The Beatitude Formula¶
Parsing: אַשְׁרֵי is a masculine-plural construct noun (plurale tantum in cst form) from the root אשׁר ("to bless, pronounce happy"). Morphologically frozen as a beatitude formula: "[the] happinesses-of [the one who] …" = "how blessed is the one who …!" GKC §124f catalogs it as an exclamatory construct-plural (similar to כֹּהֲנֵי יהוה "priests of YHWH" structurally, but exclamatory-fossilized).
Pattern parallels:
| Reference | Text |
|---|---|
| Ps 1:1 | אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר… "Blessed (is) the-man who…" |
| Ps 32:1–2 | אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי־פֶּשַׁע; אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם… |
| Ps 84:5, 6, 13 | threefold אַשְׁרֵי |
| Ps 112:1; 119:1–2; 128:1 | wisdom-torah beatitude |
| Prov 8:32, 34 | wisdom personified |
| Isa 30:18 | אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חוֹכֵי לוֹ ("blessed are all who wait for Him") — closest lexical parallel to Dan 12:12 (חוֹכֵי is Qal ptcp. of חכה) |
| Dan 12:12 | אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה (Piel ptcp.) |
The formula takes either an אֲשֶׁר + finite-verb relative clause (Ps 1:1) or a substantivized participle (Dan 12:12) as its complement.
Participle: הַמְחַכֶּה — Verb.Piel.Ptcp.ms.Abs of חכה ("wait, tarry, long for"). חכה is a Piel-only / near-Piel-only verb in BH (~14× total; most forms Piel). Piel adds intensive/durative coloring: "one who eagerly/persistently waits."
2. וְיַגִּיעַ — WeYiqtol (Hiphil) "and he shall reach"¶
Parsing: Verb.Hiphil.Impf.3ms of נגע ("touch, reach, arrive at"). Prefixed by weaw conjunctive + prefixed yiqtol. In this context the form is a weyiqtol (waw + yiqtol), not a weqatal. Functionally the weyiqtol coordinates with the substantivized-participle subject: "(the one) waiting, and-he-reaches."
Hiphil of נגע semantics: - Qal נגע = "touch, strike." - Hiphil הִגִּיעַ = causative or ingressive "cause to touch / reach / attain to / arrive at." With לְ + goal: "attain to (a time/place/number)" — Est 2:12, 15; 4:14; 8:17; 9:1; 1 Sam 14:9; 2 Sam 20:13. - In Dan 12:12 the goal is לְיָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה — attaining the 1,335-day terminus.
Subject continuity: The subject of וְיַגִּיעַ is the participle-phrase הַמְחַכֶּה. Hebrew participle-plus-weyiqtol chains regularly maintain subject identity (cf. Jer 17:7 אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיהוה — subject continues under waw). The force is "blessed is the one who waits and (who) attains."
Alternative parsing (minority): Some grammarians (e.g., Montgomery, ICC Daniel) read וְיַגִּיעַ as a jussive-like optative ("may he reach"). The consonantal form is identical; the masoretic vocalization supports the simple imperfect. Either reading preserves the same lexical content.
3. לְיָמִים אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה — The 1,335 Numeral¶
Parsing & arithmetic: - לְיָמִים — Prep ל + Noun.mp.Abs "to/as-far-as days." Goal of יַגִּיעַ. - אֶלֶף — 1,000. - שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת — "three (of) hundreds" = 300. שְׁלֹשׁ is in construct; מֵאוֹת is f.pl. of מֵאָה. Standard BH numerical construct chain (contrast the dual מָאתַיִם in v.11). - שְׁלֹשִׁים — tens-formation of שׁלשׁ = 30. - וַחֲמִשָּׁה — "and five" (f.sg. form because counted unit "day" is masculine, triggering chiastic-gender agreement: masculine noun → feminine-form cardinal 3–10, a BH rule — GKC §97a, JM §100d).
Total: 1,000 + 300 + 30 + 5 = 1,335 days.
Difference from v.11: 1,335 − 1,290 = 45 days. The grammar itself does not explain the 45-day gap; the text simply pairs two terminus-counts from the same start-point.
Word-order parallel to v.11: Same counted-noun-first pattern (יָמִים אֶלֶף…). The pairing is deliberate and structural.
Cross-Verse Syntactic & Lexical Links¶
1. Triple Time-Formula Bracket (Dan 12:7, 12:11, 12:12)¶
| Verse | Formula | Morphology |
|---|---|---|
| 12:7 | לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי | noun + m.pl. + "half" — indefinite plural |
| 12:11 | אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים | 1000 + dual 200 + 90 — exact cardinal |
| 12:12 | אֶלֶף שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה | 1000 + 300 + 30 + 5 — exact cardinal |
The shift from indeterminate "time, times, and half" (v.7) to two exact day-counts (vv.11–12) is a deliberate rhetorical move from oath-language (formulaic) to calendrical specification (numerical).
2. "Daily Removed" (הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד) Links Dan 11:31 ‖ 12:11¶
Exact formulaic identity: - Dan 11:31 — וְהֵסִירוּ הַתָּמִיד (Hiphil 3mp perfect + object) "and they shall remove the Continual" - Dan 12:11 — מֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד (Hophal 3ms perfect passive) "from-the-time the Continual was-removed"
Stem shift (Hiphil active in 11:31 → Hophal passive in 12:11) reframes the same event from agent-focused (11:31: "they shall remove") to consequence-focused (12:11: "was-removed"). The Hophal agent-suppression allows theological framing of the act as a consequential fact-on-the-ground regardless of the human agent.
3. Greek Retrieval in NT¶
- Rev 12:14 καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ ≈ Dan 12:7 MT מוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי ≈ Dan 7:25 Aramaic עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן. See Rev 11-12 time markers.
- Mat 24:15 ‖ Mk 13:14 τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως ≈ Dan 12:11 שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם (also Dan 9:27; 11:31). See mat-24-15-mk-13-14-abomination.
- Dan 7:25 ‖ 12:7 linkage: both have the self-same time-time-half formula (Aramaic / Hebrew). See dan-7-25-26.
4. Day-for-Year Principle (Grammar-Neutral Catalogue)¶
The question whether the "days" of 12:11–12 are literal 24-hour days or prophetic-day = year units is exegetical / hermeneutical, not grammatical. The grammar of יָמִים ("days") is ordinary plural of יוֹם and neither mandates nor excludes a symbolic transformation. Positions documented:
| Position | Treatment of יָמִים | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Preterist / Antiochene | Literal days | ~3½ years of persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes (168–165 BCE); 1,290 ≈ Dec 168 BCE to Dec 164 BCE; 1,335 adds 45 days |
| Futurist / dispensational | Literal days | Tribulation-period count during final 3½-year Great Tribulation |
| Historicist / year-day | Prophetic day = solar year | 1,260-year, 1,290-year, and 1,335-year spans; Num 14:34 + Ezek 4:6 as principle |
| Symbolic-idealist | Symbolic indefinite | Durational symbol of suffering, not a calendar count |
The grammar supplies יָמִים ("days"), plural, ordinary lemma. The interpretive transform is not grammatical but hermeneutical.
Cross-References¶
Grammar Library¶
- Niphal Stem — background on וַיִּשָּׁבַע (Niphal wayyiqtol of שׁבע in the oath formula).
- Waw Conjunction — polyfunctional waw in וָחֵצִי, וְלָתֵת, וְיַגִּיעַ.
- WX-QATAL Circumstantial Clause — comparable waw + non-verb + qatal construction (not present here but useful contrast with the waw+yiqtol pattern of 12:12).
Passage Analyses¶
- Daniel 7:25-26 — Aramaic parallel עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן; little-horn persecution clock.
- Daniel 8:14 — 2,300 ʿereḇ bōqer; dual אַלְפַּיִם parallel.
- Daniel 8:23-25 — little-horn interpretation oracle.
- Daniel 11:36-37 — self-exalting king; הֵסִירוּ הַתָּמִיד foreshadow.
- Revelation 11-12 Time Markers — 42 months / 1,260 days / time-times-half in Greek; direct descendant of Dan 12:7.
- Matthew 24:15 ‖ Mark 13:14 — NT citation of שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם.
- Revelation 13:1-10 — 42-month beast reign; ἐδόθη divine-passive framework.
Interpretive Schools (Context-Neutral Catalogue)¶
All grammatical points above are compatible with: - Antiochene / preterist: 1,290/1,335 literal days spanning the 168–164 BCE desolation/restoration of the Jerusalem temple. - Futurist / dispensational: 1,290/1,335 literal days in a future 3½-year Great Tribulation. - Historicist / year-day: 1,290/1,335 years measuring the papal/Islamic/ecclesiastical desolation period, variously dated (e.g., 508/538 CE to 1798/1843/1844 CE in Adventist historicism). - Symbolic / idealist: non-calendrical duration symbols.
The grammar neither forces nor forbids any of these readings; each is compatible with the Hebrew as parsed.
Summary Grammatical Inventory¶
| Feature | Verse | Form | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayyiqtol narrative chain | 12:7 | וָאֶשְׁמַע, וַיָּרֶם, וַיִּשָּׁבַע | 1cs + 3ms + 3ms Niphal swear |
| Oath-formula + כִּי content | 12:7 | נִשְׁבַּע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם כִּי | declarative כִּי after oath |
| 3-link construct chain | 12:7 | יַד־עַם־קֹדֶשׁ | nested genitives |
| כ + Piel InfCon (temporal) | 12:7 | כְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ | temporal subord. |
| Qal Impf. 3fp | 12:7 | תִּכְלֶינָה | rare fem.pl. ending -nâ |
| Cst-noun + finite verb | 12:11 | מֵעֵת הוּסַר | headless relative |
| Hophal perfect | 12:11 | הוּסַר | agent-suppressing passive |
| ל + InfCon (coord. event) | 12:11 | וְלָתֵת | "and (from) the setting-up" |
| Qal ptcp. attributive | 12:11 | שֹׁמֵם | "(that) desolates" modifying שִׁקּוּץ |
| Marked dual numeral | 12:11 | מָאתַיִם | exact 200 (not indefinite) |
| Beatitude formula | 12:12 | אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה | cst-pl noun + subst. ptcp. |
| Piel participle of חכה | 12:12 | הַמְחַכֶּה | intensive "one waiting" |
| Weyiqtol subject-continuity | 12:12 | וְיַגִּיעַ | participial subject continues |
| Hiphil of נגע + לְ goal | 12:12 | יַגִּיעַ לְיָמִים | "attain to days" |
| Counted-noun first order | 12:11, 12:12 | יָמִים אֶלֶף… | marked topicalization |