Heb. lekalle’ from the root kela’, “to restrain.” The passage may have reference to the restraining power that God would exercise upon the forces of evil during the period allotted to the Jews. However, some 40 Hebrew manuscripts read lekalleh, a form clearly from kalah, “to bring a completion.” If kalah is the root, then the passage evidently refers to the fact that within this period the Jews would fill the cup of their iniquity. God had suffered long with the Israelites. He had given them many opportunities, but they continually disappointed Him (see pp. 32, 33).

 This phrase may be parallel in meaning to the one preceding it, “to finish the transgression.” Some expositors note that the word here translated “sins” (Heb. chaṭṭa’oth, orchaṭṭa’th, according to some manuscripts and the Masoretes) may mean either “sins” or “sin offerings.” Of the 290 occurrences in the OT chaṭṭa’th has the meaning “sin” 155 times, and “sin offering” 135 times. If “sin offerings” is the intended meaning, the following interpretation is suggested: When Christ on Calvary became the antitype of the sacrificial offerings of the sanctuary, it was no longer necessary for the sinner to bring his sin offering (see John 1:29). However, the plural form chaṭṭa’oth almost invariably describes sins and only once, unless this be an exception also, denotes sin offerings (Neh. 10:33).

 Heb. kaphar, generally translated “to make atonement” (see Ex. 30:10; Lev. 4:20; etc.). By His vicarious sacrifice on Calvary Christ provided reconciliation for all who accept His sacrifice.

Christ did not come to earth simply to provide for the blotting out of sin. He came to reconcile man to God. He came so that it might be possible to impute and to impart His righteousness to the penitent sinner. When men accept Him, He bestows on them the robe of His righteousness, and they stand in God’s presence as though they had never sinned (see SC 62). God loves repentant, believing souls as He loves His only Son, and for Christ’s sake accepts them into His family. By His life, death, and resurrection, Christ has made everlasting righteousness available to every child of Adam who, in simple faith, is willing to accept it.

Here evidently not in the sense of “shutting up,” but of “confirming,” or “ratifying.” The fulfillment of the predictions connected with the first coming of the Messiah at the time specified in the prophecy gives assurance that the other features of the prophecy, notably the 2300 prophetic days, will be as precisely fulfilled.

 Heb. qodesh qodashim, “something most holy,” or, “someone most holy.” The Hebrew phrase is applied to the altar (Ex. 29:37; 40:10), other vessels and furniture pertaining to the tabernacle (Ex. 30:29), the holy perfume (Ex. 30:36), specified meat offerings (Lev. 2:3, 10; 6:17; 10:12), trespass offerings (Lev. 7:1, 6), the shewbread (Lev. 24:5-9), devoted things (Lev. 27:28), the holy district (Num. 18:10; Eze. 43:12), and the most holy place of the sanctuary (Ex. 26:33, 34). The phrase is nowhere applied to persons, unless, as some suggest, it is so applied in the text under consideration and in 1 Chron. 23:13. The latter text may be translated, “Aaron was separated to anoint him a most holy one,” although it may also be rendered as in the KJV. Jewish expositors and many Christian commentators have held that the Messiah is referred to.

 In view of the fact that the Hebrew phrase cannot elsewhere be shown to refer definitely to a person, and in view of the fact that the heavenly sanctuary is under discussion in the larger aspects of the vision (see on Dan. 8:14), it is reasonable to conclude that Daniel is here speaking of the anointing of the heavenly sanctuary prior to the time of Christ’s inauguration as high priest.

The 490 years applied especially to the Jewish nation.

 Heb. chathak, a word occurring only here in the Bible. It occurs in post-Biblical Hebrew with the meaning “to cut,” “to cut off,” “to determine,” “to decree.” The LXX has krinō, “to decide,” “to judge,” etc. Theodotion’s version has suntemnō, “to shorten,” “to abbreviate,” etc., which meaning is reflected in the Vulgate reading abbreviare. The exact shade of meaning here intended must be determined from the context. In view of the fact that ch. 9 is an exposition of the unexplained portion of the vision of ch. 8 (see on ch. 9:3, 21-23), and inasmuch as the unexplained portion had to do with the 2300 days, it is logical to conclude that the 70 weeks, or 490 years, were to be “cut off” from that longer period. Furthermore, in the absence of contrary evidence, it may be assumed that the 70 weeks would be cut off from the beginning of that period. Viewed in the light of these observations, the translation of chathak as “to cut” seems singularly appropriate. In so far as the 490 years were especially assigned to the Jews with respect to their role as God’s chosen people, the translations “determine” and “decree” are also appropriate to the context.

This expression seems to be a rather abrupt introduction, but the angel had come for the specific purpose of causing Daniel to understand the vision. He immediately began to explain.

 The word here translated “week,” shabua‘, describes a period of seven consecutive days (see Gen. 29:27; Deut. 16:9; Dan. 10:2). In the pseudepigraphical Book of Jubilees, as well as in the Mishnah, shabua‘ is used to denote a period of seven years. Here, evidently, weeks of years are intended rather than weeks of days, for in ch. 10:2, 3 when Daniel wishes to specify that the “weeks” there referred to are seven-day weeks he explicitly says, “weeks of days” (Heb.; KJV, “full weeks”). Seventy weeks of years would be 490 literal years, without (here) applying the day-year principle (see on Dan. 7:25).