Matthew Poole and continuators on Daniel 9:26

26 And after the threescore and two weeks , shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself , and the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary , and the end thereof shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined .

i. e. After the seven before, and after the sixty two that followed them which all make up sixty nine, referring the Angels seventy weeks, which is nothing though no week more be described, because it makes up the number a round number, after the Iewish manner of Calculation, and there might be some fragments in the particular reckoning, to make up the summe, or it might be finished in the 70th. week, and that was enough to call it 70 weeks, ver. 24.

Which word [non-Latin text not transcribed] signifies cutting off, or cutting down as a Tree, Isa. 44.14. Ier. 10.3. Secondly 'tis used for cutting off by capital punishment, Exod. 12.15. and 30.33, 38. Whether this be by the signal hand of God, or by the Magistrate, for some hainous offence, Lev. 18.29. and 20.17. Psal. 37.34. This foreshews that the death, of Christ should be as of a condemned Malefactor sentenced to death, and that justly. So did the Iews Christs executioners proclaim, that he died for blasphemy, and that he was a divelish Impostor, &c. Yea God himself charged sin, upon him and the curse, Isa. 53.4. 2 Cor. 5. ult. Gal. 3.13.

[non-Latin text not transcribed] Which being abrupt is variously rendred, and read. Some referring it to Christ and some to the people and others to both, and all with very probable conjectures, Psal. 22.6, 7. Isai. 53.3. i. e. not to him: There was none to succour him; or that they would none of him for their Messiah; they set him at nought and would not have him live, and therefore he would not own them for his people, but cast them off, for thus dying is expressed in short not to be. Thus Enoch, Gen. 5.24. Ioseph, Gen. 42.36. and Rachels Children, Ier. 31.15. Matth. 2.17, 18. But our English Translation seems to hit the truest sense, i. e. not for himself. He was innocent and guiltless, he dyed for others not for himself, but for our sakes and for our Salvation.

The Romans under the conduct of Titus Vespatianus. Some will include Christ his people here, whom he should chiefly gather out of the Roman Empire, should ruine that Church, and Polity and Worship.

God hath decreed to destroy that place and people, by the miseries and desolations of War, i. e. Sword, Famine, Sickness, Scattering. All this is signified by Shomemoth: also the prophaning of the Temple by Idols, which are called abominations that make desolate, this was done by the Greeks and Jews before, and the Romans at their siege, and after. Q[illegible: 1 letter]est. But some will query, why the Angel who was sent to comfort Daniel, should insert here this Tragical business of destruction and desolation, being beyond the space of seventy weeks? Answ. 1. That Daniel might be informed of the judgments of God upon that place and people, and the reasons of it viz. their rejecting and killing Christ. 2. That the spirit of Gods people should not fail, when these Tragedies were acted being foretold, thereby they were prepared and fortified against it, and to expect it, and not to be surprized by it when it came▪

Marginal references: Or, and shall have nothing.; Or, it shall be cut off by desolations.