9:26 Now after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. 6
As for the city and the sanctuary,
the people of the coming prince will destroy 7 them.
But his end will come speedily 8 like a flood. 9
Until the end of the war that has been decreed
there will be destruction.
1 tn The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל, שֶׂכֶל.
2 tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”
3 tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”
4 tn Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה.
5 tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”
6 sn The expression have nothing is difficult. Presumably it refers to an absence of support or assistance for the anointed one at the time of his “cutting off.” The KJV rendering “but not for himself,” apparently suggesting a vicarious death, cannot be defended.
7 tc Some witnesses (e.g., the Syriac) understand a passive verb and the preposition עִם (’im, “with) rather than the noun עַם (’am, “people”), thus reading “the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed with the coming prince.”
8 tn The words “will come speedily” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
9 sn Flood here is a metaphor for sudden destruction.
10 tn Heb “and he will set his face.” Cf. vv. 18, 19.
11 tc The present translation reads מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim, “alliances”) for the MT וִישָׁרִים (viysharim, “uprightness”).
12 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Heb “the daughter of the women.”
sn The daughter refers to Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy V.