Daniel 9:27 — “The Week, the Half, and the One Week”
Many translations simplify Daniel 9:27 to “in the middle of the week.”
But the Hebrew text reads more intricately:
הַשָּׁבוּעַ חֲצִי הָאֶחָד שָׁבוּעַ
ha-shavua ḥetzi ha-eḥad shavua
Literal order: “the week, the half, and the one week.”
This layered structure suggests not just a single “half-week,” but a week and a half —
a full week plus the midpoint of another.
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Word-by-Word Breakdown
HebrewTransliterationMeaning
הַשָּׁבוּעַha-shavuathe week
חֲצִיḥetzithe half
הָאֶחָדha-eḥadthe one
שָׁבוּעַshavuaweek
Pattern: “the week → the half → the one week.”
That sequence naturally reads as “a week and a half (of one week).”
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Interpretive Sense
“He will cause the many of the covenant to prevail for the week and a half of the one week.”
This keeps every word of the Hebrew and shows a continuous covenant period —
a full week completed, then the half of another week where the covenant breaks
and the sacrifice and offering cease.
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Timeline
Week One → Half of Next Week → TakeAway Sacrifice Ends
This pattern fits the prophetic rhythm of Daniel’s vision —
not merely “half of one week,” but a week and a half in total,
bridging one com
plete period into the opening half of the next.
> My translation:
“Know and understand from the going forth of the word to build and restore Jerusalem for an anointed one and a ruler, seven sevens; 60 weeks, the second; and again it shall be returned and built.”
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1. “Know and understand from the going forth of the word to build and restore Jerusalem”
Hebrew: מִן־מֹצָא דָבָר לִבְנוֹת וְלְהָשִׁיב יְרוּשָׁלִם
Infinitives לִבְנוֹת (to build) and לְהָשִׁיב (to restore) are coordinated with וְ (and) to indicate purpose/result, not ongoing action.
Order: build first, restore second, reflecting structural construction followed by functional restoration.
Keeping these infinitives in one continuous sentence preserves the Hebrew sequence, avoiding fragmentation seen in many standard translations.
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2. “For an anointed one and a ruler, seven sevens”
Hebrew: לְנָגִיד וּמָשִׁיחַ שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעִים
נָגִיד = ruler; מָשִׁיחַ = anointed one.
שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעִים literally = “seven sevens” (7×7 = 49 years).
Singular forms for “seven” (שִׁבְעָה) are used multiplicatively, justifying 7-7s instead of 77. See Genesis 4:24 for parallel usage. This allows for wordplay: the total period from Cyrus to Artaxerxes can be seen as 77 years, while the 7×7 form highlights the 49-year interval actually taken for the rebuilding and restoration. The Hebrew construction permits both readings simultaneously, showing both the full historical span and the structural timing of the restoration.
Historically: anointed one = Cyrus, ruler = Artaxerxes, marking the period required for initial rebuilding and restoration.
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3. “Wordplay on 49 years and 77”
77 years = total from Cyrus to Artaxerxes; 49 years = 7×7, the time actually taken to build and restore.
This reflects a Hebrew literary technique where numbers convey historical and structural significance, not just sequential counting.
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4. “60 weeks, the second”
Hebrew: שִׁשִּׁים הַשֵּׁנִי
שִׁשִּׁים = 60 (cardinal), הַשֵּׁנִי = “the second” (ordinal).
Marks the 60th week in the second 70-week cycle, not the start of the second cycle.
Historical marker: Jerusalem returned and rebuilt under Israeli control in 1967. Counting backward identifies Suleiman (1542) as the ruler who restored the city’s walls.
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5. “And again it shall be returned and built”
Infinitive + imperfect וְשׁוּב יִבָּנֶה וְיָשֻׁב preserves purpose/result.
Refers to the second return/building (1967), aligning with historical Israel.
Full second 70-week cycle concludes in 2032, marking the Righteous Age under Christ’s rule.
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Integration with Daniel 9:24 (dual 70-week cycles):
In Daniel 9:24, the Hebrew חֻלַּק (chullaq) means “divided” or “portioned,” highlighting that the seventy weeks are split into two distinct 70-week cycles, each with its own purpose.
Seventy weeks are **divided out** for your people and your holy city:
Key grammatical points:
1. Infinitives form a single coordinated sequence, not separate sets.
2. Infinitives indicate purpose/result, not ongoing action.
3. Numerical wordplay (7-7s / 49 years) aligns with Hebrew usage.
4. Ordinal “second” marks the 60th week in the second 70-week cycle.
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Interpretive Summary:
Two sequential 70-week cycles:
1. First 70 weeks: Artaxerxes → rebuilding/restoration → Messiah.
2. Second 70 weeks: Suleiman restores walls (1542) → second return under Israeli control (1967) → full cycle concludes 2032 → Righteous Age.
Preserving Hebrew infinitives, numeric wordplay, and ordinal markers allows English readers to follow both the literary structure and historical/eschatological flow.
