Matthew Poole and continuators on Daniel 8:14

14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

i. e. That Angel unnamed; why did he speak to Daniel, and not to the Angel that asked him? because Daniel and the Church to which he related, and was to communicate the answer, was most concerned in it, and the Angel that asked the question did it upon their account.

This seems to many learned men a very difficult place, i. e. where to begin, and where to end these dayes. 1. Some explain it thus, a year contains 365 dayes; then 2300 make six years 3 months and 18 dayes, reckoning in 2 day[illegible: 1 letter] of the Leap-years gained, from the supernumerary hours and minutes. Now this time begins at Antiochus his first entrance into Iudaea, when he profaned the Priesthood, and takes in also his second coming in, when he interdicted their worship, set up an Idol in the Temple, and interrupted the daily Sacrifice. 2. Others count the 2300 days from the peoples revolt, which was procured by Menelaus, which began in the year 141, of the reign of the Seleucidae, 1 Mac. 1. but Antiochus did not act his impieties till the next year after, viz. 142, in the 6th Moneth and the 6th day; from whence if we reckon to the 25th day of the 9th Month of the year 148, there will fall out precisely six years, three months 18 dayes. 3. Others reckon a little otherwise, from the beginning of Antiochus his profanations, to his death: From 143 to 148, taking in both years to the number. For though Iudas Maccabe[illegible: 1 letter]s recovered the City and cleansed the Temple in 148, yet Antiochus was not dead till 149, till when the work was not finished. 4. Others make it to begin in the year of the Sele[illegible: 1 letter]cides 145, and to end anno 151, two years after Antiochus's death, for the abomination of desolation was set up in the moneth Chisleu, 1 Macc. 1.57. for not till two years after Antiochus's death was Nicanor overthrown with all his Army. Thus Iacob Capell, and L'Empereur. 5. Others reckon not dayes but Sacrifices (at two every day) and restrain the time to fewer years, out of Maccabees, Ioseph.

Marginal references: Heb. even[illegible: 1 letter]ng morning.; Heb. justified ▪