Charles Ellicott Commentary Daniel 9:27

"And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations [shall come] one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall [wrath] be poured out upon the desolate." — Daniel 9:27 (ASV)

And he shall confirm.— The subject of the sentence is ambiguous. Theodoret interprets it as “one week.” The Septuagint interprets it as “the covenant;” others consider it to be the Antichristian prince spoken of in the last verse, an opinion that derives some support from Daniel 7:25. According to this interpretation, the covenant refers to the agreement that the prince makes with the large number of people who become apostates.

But:

1. The word “covenant” does not apply to any such agreement, but rather to a covenant with God.
2. In Daniel 9:26, the subject of the sentence is the people of the prince, not the prince.

Therefore, it is more appropriate to consider Messiah as the subject. During the final week of the long period mentioned, Messiah, though cut off, shall confirm God’s covenant (Daniel 11:28; Daniel 11:30; Daniel 11:32) with many—that is, with those who receive Him.

In the midst of the week.—Or, during half the week (the latter half of the week, according to the Septuagint), He will cause all the Mosaic sacrifices to cease (possibly those mentioned in Daniel 8:11), whether bloody or unbloody. The verb “cause to cease” is used here as in Jeremiah 36:29.

And for the overspreading...—The Greek versions agree in translating this as follows: καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν βδελυγμα τῶν ἐρημώσεων, which St. Jerome follows: “et erit in templo abominatio desolationis.” However, it is not possible to obtain such a meaning from our present Hebrew text without omitting the last letter and altering the last vowel of the word translated “abominations.” As the text stands, it can be literally translated only as follows: “and upon the wing of abominations is a desolator.” The desolator, of course, is the person who causes the desolations mentioned in Daniel 9:26.

But what is meant by the “wing of abominations”? This language is without parallel in the Old Testament, unless passages such as Psalm 18:10 and Psalm 104:3 are adduced, where, however, the plural “wings,” and not the singular, is used.

If the number is disregarded, these words are explained to mean that “the abomination,” or idolatry, is the power by which the desolator accomplishes his purposes. He comes riding on the wings of abominations, using them as his ministers, just as God uses the winds or the cherubim.

However, since it appears decisive against this interpretation that Daniel has written “wing” and not “wings,” it is better to explain the words as referring to the “sanctuary” spoken of in the last verse. The sense, in that case, is: “and upon the wing—i.e., the pinnacle of the abominations (compare the use of πτερύγιον, Matthew 4:5) is a desolator.” The Temple is so called because of the extent to which it had been desecrated by Israel.

Until the consummation.—These words refer back to Daniel 9:26 and mean that these abominations will continue until the desolation that God has decreed shall be poured upon what is desolated. Although the word “desolate” is active in Daniel 8:13 and Daniel 12:11, it appears in this passage to be used in a passive sense, as it also is in Daniel 9:18.

What Daniel foretells is the complete and final destruction of the same city and temple that evoked the prophet’s prayer. There is no prophecy that the desolator himself is destined for destruction. Nothing is stated here of his doom. The “prince” appears merely as the instrument preordained by God, by whose people both city and sanctuary are to be destroyed.