1. Michael … the great prince] i.e. the patron-angel of Israel (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21).

stand up] as champion and defender (Daniel 11:1; cf. Daniel 10:13). Hitherto the power of the ‘prince’ of Greece has been unchecked: now Michael interposes, for his people’s final deliverance.

standeth for] i.e. protects (Esther 8:11; Esther 9:16).

a time of trouble] The expression seems borrowed from Jeremiah 30:7 (where also Israel is spoken of as ‘saved from it’).

such as never was since, &c.] cf. Exodus 9:18; Exodus 9:24, Joel 2:2, Mark 13:19 ("" Matthew 24:21).

shall be delivered] The period of deliverance here spoken of is the same as the period of redemption described in Daniel 7:18; Daniel 7:26-27, Daniel 9:24.

written in the book] viz. of life, the register of the living: in Psalm 69:28 (cf. Psalm 87:6, Exodus 32:32) applied to the register of living members of the Theocratic community, which God is represented as keeping. Here, however, the expression is used, not of those living in the present life, but of those destined to share in the glorious life of the end; it is the register of the citizens of the Messianic kingdom’ (Hitz.), including both those who enter it while yet living, and those (Daniel 12:2) who enter it after their resurrection. Cf. Isaiah 4:3, where those who are worthy to survive the approaching judgement are described as ‘written down unto life [i.e. a glorified, but still earthly life] in Jerusalem.’ The same figure occurs in Enoch xlvii. 3 (‘the books of the living were opened before Him’), cviii. 3 (the names of the wicked ‘will be blotted out of the book of life, and out of the books of the holy ones’); and, applied in a Christian sense, in Php 4:3, Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:27; cf. Luke 10:20, Hebrews 12:23, Enoch civ. 1 (‘your names are written before the glory of the Great One’).

Daniel 12:1-3. There should be no break here: Daniel 12:1-4 forms the concluding part of the angel’s revelation to Daniel; and what is described in Daniel 12:1-3 forms the immediate sequel of the fall of Antiochus. The overthrow of the world-power is pictured by the author as accompanied by a season of trial—perhaps political convulsions—out of which, however, the faithful among God’s people are delivered; a resurrection of Israelites follows; and the age of bliss then begins for the righteous.

2. The resurrection. The doctrine of a future life is not fully developed in the O.T.; it is nascent; and the stages in its growth are clearly distinguishable. The idea of a resurrection appears first, though in a national, not in an individual sense, in Hosea 6:2 : it appears next, also in a national sense (see Davidson’s note, p. 267), in Ezekiel’s famous vision of the Valley of dry bones (xxxvii. 1–14): the resurrection of individuals appears first in the post-exilic prophecy of Isaiah 24-27, viz. Isaiah 26:19 (see Skinner’s note), though, as in Ezek. (Ezekiel 37:11), it is still expressly limited to Israel (it is denied, Ezekiel 37:14, of Israel’s foes): in the present passage, a resurrection of the wicked, as well as of the righteous, is taught for the first time, and the doctrine of a different future reserved for each is also for the first time enunciated. See further the Introd. p. xcii.

many] The resurrection is still limited implicitly to Israel. It is not said who are to compose the ‘many’: perhaps the author thinks in particular of the martyrs, and apostates, respectively, who, on the one side or the other, had been prominent during the reign of Antiochus.

sleep] in death: cf. Jeremiah 51:39; Jeremiah 51:57; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10.

in the dusty ground] lit. the ground of dust. The expression is peculiar, and occurs only here. ‘Dust’ is often said of the grave, as to ‘lie down upon the dust’ (Job 20:11; Job 21:26), and ‘they that go down to the dust’ (Psalm 22:29).

shall awake] cf., in the same sense, Isaiah 26:19; also (where it is denied) Job 14:12, and (of the Babylonians) Jeremiah 51:39; Jeremiah 51:57.

some to everlasting life] The expression occurs only here in the O.T., but it is frequent in post-Biblical Jewish writings: e.g. in Enoch (xxxvii. 4, xl. 9, lviii. 3, lxii. 14); Psalms of Sol. 3:16 (cf. 13:9); 4Ma 15:3 (cf. 2Ma 7:9; 2Ma 7:36); and in the Targums (in which passages of the O.T. relating really to the present life are often interpreted as referring to a future life)[394]. A more common synonym is ‘the life of the age to come’ (חיי העולם הבא), Aboth ii. 7, &c. (Dalman, Die Worte Jesu, p. 129).

[394] See examples in the writer’s Sermons on the O.T. (1892), pp. 83, 88–91; Dalman, Die Worte Jesu, p. 128.

some to reproaches (Psalm 69:9-10 [Heb.]) and everlasting abhorrence] the last word (only once besides) from Isaiah 66:24 ‘And they [the carcases of the transgressors, slain outside Jerusalem] shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.’ Cf. in the N.T., Matthew 25:46; John 5:29.

3. Those who in the time of trial had by example and precept preserved many in righteousness and faith, will then receive their reward.

they that be wise] The words do not mean the ‘wise’ generally, but those mentioned in Daniel 11:33; Daniel 11:35 (the word being the same which is there used), men like Mattathias (1 Maccabees 2), the staunch and firm leaders of the loyal Jews, during Antiochus’ persecutions. These “are distinguished from the rest of the faithful Israelites—they not only live for ever, but are eternally glorified” (Bevan). Cf. Enoch civ. 1 (‘Be hopeful: for aforetime ye were put to shame through ills and affliction; but soon ye will shine as the stars of heaven, ye will shine and ye will be seen, and the portals of heaven will be opened to you’); Matthew 13:43.

as the brightness of the firmament] cf. Exodus 24:10.

and they that make the many righteous] The expression, as Isaiah 53:11, ‘by his knowledge shall my righteous servant make the many righteous.’ In neither case is the verb to be understood in the later technical sense of ‘justify’: the meaning, in both cases, is to lead to righteousness by teaching—in Isaiah 53 by instruction in the ways and will of God (‘by his knowledge’), here by warning, exhortation, and example of constancy (cf. Daniel 11:33 ‘shall make the many to understand’).

3. Daniel 12:5-13. Conclusion. The revelation (Daniel 11:2 to Daniel 12:4) is ended; but nothing has been said about the duration of the troubles foretold in it. And yet, to those living in the midst of them, this was a question of vital interest. Daniel accordingly asks, and receives, specific information on this point (Daniel 12:6 ff.).

4. The closing injunction to Daniel.

shut up, &c.] The injunction is similar to that in Daniel 8:26.

until the time of the end] i.e. (Daniel 8:17) the time of Antiochus’ persecution, regarded from the standpoint of Daniel himself. The words are meant to explain why the visions in the book, though communicated to Daniel, were not made generally known until the time of the persecution. Cf. on Daniel 8:26; and contrast Revelation 22:10.

many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased] A famous passage, prefixed by Bacon in its Latin form (Multi pertransibunt, et multiplex erit scientia) to the first edition of his Novum Organum, and interpreted by him (1. 93) as signifying that the complete exploration of the world (pertransitus mundi), which seemed to him to be then on the point of accomplishment, would coincide with great discoveries in science (augmenta scientiarum). This explanation of the words is, however, unhappily, too foreign to their context to be probable. But it must be admitted that the words are enigmatic. The verb rendered run to and fro occurs elsewhere, Jeremiah 5:1, Amos 8:12 (of literal movement hither and thither); Zechariah 4:10, 2 Chronicles 16:9 (of Jehovah’s eyes, present in every part of the earth); and the sense generally given to the passage is that many will then run to and fro in the book, i.e. diligently explore and study it, and so the knowledge of God’s providential purposes, to be obtained from it,—how, for instance, He tries, but at the same time rewards, His own faithful servants, and how the course of human history leads ultimately to the establishment of His kingdom,—will be increased.

The text, it must be owned, is open to suspicion. Prof. Bevan making a slight change (הרעת for הדעת), in a sense suggested by the LXX., obtains the rendering ‘many shall run to and fro (viz. in distraction), and evils (calamities) shall be increased,’ i.e. the revelation is to remain concealed, because there is to ensue a long period of commotion and distress. For the thought of the emended clause, he compares 1Ma 1:9 (of the wars and other troubles brought upon the world by the Seleucidae and the Ptolemies) ‘and they multiplied evils in the earth.’

5. other two] i.e. (as we should now say) two others, in addition, viz. to the glorious being, whom Daniel saw (Daniel 10:5-6), and who had been speaking to him since (Daniel 10:11-14; Daniel 10:19, Daniel 10:20 to Daniel 12:4).

river (twice)] Heb. yě’ôr, an Egyptian word, elsewhere in the O.T. the regular name of the Nile (Exodus 2:3, &c.), but here and in Daniel 12:6-7, denoting the Tigris (see Daniel 10:4). The proper force of the word must have been forgotten; and it must be used in the general sense of stream.

6. And one] i.e. one of the angels just mentioned, whom Daniel hears speaking (cf. Daniel 8:13).

the man clothed in linen] The glorious figure described more fully in Daniel 10:5-6.

upon] above, i.e. hovering in the air, above the stream; cf. Daniel 8:16.

the wonders] or extraordinary things, viz. the extraordinary trials and sufferings described in Daniel 11:31-36 (cf. the same expression, with regard to the deeds, or words, of Antiochus, in Daniel 8:24 and Daniel 11:36).

7. The answer to the inquiry, given with solemn emphasis, and overheard by Daniel.

upon] above, as Daniel 12:6.

and he lifted up, &c.] The lifting up of the (right) hand implied an appeal to heaven, and is frequently mentioned as a gesture accompanying an oath: Genesis 14:22; and (with another Heb. word for lift up) Exodus 6:8, Deuteronomy 32:40, Ezekiel 20:5 al. Of an angel, as here, Revelation 10:5.

and his left hand] both hands, as the more complete guarantee of the truth of what is about to be affirmed.

by him that liveth for ever] cf. Revelation 10:6. The usual form of oath in the O.T. is ‘(As) Jehovah liveth’ (e.g. Jdg 8:19), or (in God’s mouth) ‘(As) I live,’—once (Deuteronomy 32:40) ‘(As) I live for ever.’ The formula here used seems to be based upon the last-cited passage: comp. also ‘him that liveth for ever’ in Daniel 4:34.

for a time, times, and a half] i.e. 3½ years, to be reckoned, probably, as was explained on Daniel 7:25 (where the same expression occurs), from the mission of Apollonius in the middle of b.c. 168 to the re-dedication of the Temple in Dec. 165.

and as they finish shattering (Psalm 2:9, Jeremiah 51:20-23 [A.V. ‘dash or break in pieces’]) the power of the holy people] alluding to the persecution of Antiochus.

‘Power’ is lit. hand, figurative of power to act, strength: cf. Deuteronomy 32:36, ‘for he saw that power (lit. hand) was gone’; Isaiah 37:27, ‘their inhabitants were of small power’ (lit. short of hand), &c. To shatter the hand is an obvious figure for reducing to helplessness.

all these things shall be finished] The end of what has been foretold (Isaiah 37:31-36) will coincide with the end of the persecution.

The Heb. of the last clause but one is however unusual: and the definition given of the end of the persecution seems almost tautologous. Hence Bevan and Marti, transposing two words, and changing the punctuation, read, ‘and as the power of the shatterer of the holy people cometh to an end [or, ‘as the hand (cf. Daniel 7:25) … faileth (Psalm 71:9)’], all these things shall be finished,’ i.e. Antiochus is to be the last oppressor of all, when his power has ceased, the sufferings of the holy people will be ended for ever.

8. O my lord] Daniel 10:16.

what shall be the closing stage of these things?] i.e. what will be the closing stage of the ‘wonders,’ or extraordinary sufferings, of Daniel 12:6, which may serve as a sign that the actual ‘end’ is not far off? ‘End’ here is in the Heb. אחרית, a different word from ‘end’ in Daniel 12:6 (קץ), and means not the absolute close of a thing, but the closing or latter part of it: see Job 8:7; Job 42:12 (‘latter end’).

8–13. The answer was far from explicit, so that Daniel did not understand it: he accordingly asked for more definite particulars.

9. Go, Daniel, &c.] i.e. do not inquire further: for the words are shut up and sealed (Daniel 12:4) till the time of the end: if Daniel does not understand them, it does not signify; they are not intended for him, but for readers in a distant future, viz. in the age of Antiochus Epiphanes, when they will first be divulged.

10. The ‘time of the end’ characterized: it will be an age of trial and probation, in which many will come out purified and ennobled, while others will only have their wickedness confirmed.

Many shall cleanse themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined] by their sufferings, and their constancy under temptation, their characters will be ennobled and refined (cf. Daniel 11:35). The two reflexives are not to be pressed unduly; but they imply that the martyrs, by their deliberate acceptance of suffering, are, to a certain degree, the agents in the purification of their characters.

but the wicked shall do wickedly] The trial will have no effect upon them, beyond giving them further opportunities of doing wickedly, and so confirming them in their wickedness.

none of the wicked shall understand—i.e. act with understanding—but they that be wise shall understand] shall act with understanding. The wicked act blindly, not perceiving the consequences of their wickedness; the ‘wise,’ the religious teachers of the nation (the same word as in Daniel 12:3, Daniel 11:33; Daniel 11:35), shew insight into the ways and providence of God. For ‘understand,’ cf. Psalm 49:20; Psalm 82:5, Hosea 4:14.

11, 12. The duration of the persecution defined.

that the continual (burnt-offering) shall be taken away] as Daniel 11:31; cf. Daniel 8:11.

and the abomination that appalleth set up] also as Daniel 11:31 (cf. Daniel 8:13, Daniel 9:27): see the notes on these passages.

a thousand two hundred and ninety days] the terminus a quo Isaiah 15 Chisleu [Dec.], b.c. 168 (1Ma 1:54); and 1290 days, reckoned from this date, would end in June—according to Cornill, Siebzig Wochen, p. 29, on June 6—b.c. 164. The death of Antiochus took place in the course of b.c. 164: the exact date of it is not known; but it is not improbable that it is pictured by the writer as synchronizing with the end of the 1290 days.

12. Happy is he that waiteth, and attaineth to a thousand three hundred and five and thirty days] Happy is he who waits (cf. Isaiah 30:18, ‘happy are all they that wait for him,’ Isaiah 64:4), not giving up his trust in Jehovah, for 45 days (= 1½ month) beyond the 1290 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11. Why this further limit is assigned, it is impossible to say with any certainty. All that can be said is that the turning-point (whatever it may have been), marked by the close of the 1290 days, was not pictured by the author as introducing at once the period of complete blessedness—this he did not conceive as beginning for 45 days afterwards. What he imagined as the cause of the postponement must remain matter of speculation: if the 1290 days are rightly interpreted as ending with the death of Antiochus, he may have thought, for instance, that its full effects would not appear at once, and that true rest would not begin for the Jews till after a short interval more.

13. After indicating (Daniel 12:11-12) the duration of the persecution, the angel turns to Daniel; and the book closes with a word of consolation addressed to him personally. He is to await the ‘end’ in the grave, from which, in the resurrection spoken of in Daniel 12:2, he will arise to take his appointed place, beside the other saints.

But thou, go thou to the end] i.e. depart to await the end. (As in Daniel 12:9, there is nothing in the Heb. corresponding to ‘thy way.’)

and thou shalt rest (in the grave, Isaiah 57:2), and stand up to thy lot] to thy appointed portion or place: ‘lot’ being used in a figurative sense, as in Jdg 1:3, Psalm 125:3, and in the N.T. Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:12 (in both which passages ‘inheritance’ is properly ‘lot’ [κλῆρος]’).

at the end of the days] the extreme end of the present period,—i.e., reckoned from Daniel’s standpoint, the period ending with the fall of Antiochus,—when the resurrection of Daniel 12:2 will take place, and the age of never-ending blessedness (Daniel 12:3) will begin.