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some of the details, does not include any further prophetic event. With this epilogue we
must conclude the present series on the book of Daniel.
#17.
The epilogue (12: 4-13).
pp. 182 - 185
The epilogue of the prophecy of Daniel occupies Dan. 12: 4-13. Before setting out
the structure of this closing section, attention must be drawn to alternative readings of
verse 4: "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." The word
translated "run to and fro" is the Hebrew shut, which occurs in Amos 8: 12:--
"And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall
run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."
Swete's edition of the LXX reads here: heos an apomanosin, which means: "till
many shall have gone raving mad." The Companion Bible margin says that with the
change of the word from shut to sut (which does not remove any letter of the original text
but only a point added by the Massoretic scribes), the word there means to revolt or
apostatize. Further, in the clause "knowledge shall be increased" Dr. Ginsburg suggests
that hadda'ath should read hara'oth, which changes the word "knowledge" to
"wickedness". The Septuagint translation does not decide the question, for while
Theodosian's version renders the word by gnosis, Swete's edition (A) reads adikias
("wickedness"), showing that from very early times the reading was questioned. The
reading that we have adopted is the one suggested by Ginsburg and by the editions of the
Septuagint mentioned, viz.:--
"Many shall apostatize, and wickedness shall be increased."
With this explanation we now proceed to the structure of the epilogue.
Daniel 12: 4-13.
A | 4. Shut up the words, and seal the book.
B | 4. | a | Many shall apostatize.
b | Wickedness shall be increased.
C | 5-7. The three and half years.
D | 8. What shall be the end?
A | 9. The words are closed and sealed.
B | 10. | a | Many shall be purified.
b | The wicked shall do wickedly.
C | 11, 12. Two periods beyond the three and half years.
D | 13. Thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end.
The first item that demands attention in this epilogue is the double statement
concerning the shutting up and sealing of the book:--