And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

DANIEL 9:26KJV
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Daniel 9:26 (KJV)

What does Daniel 9:26 mean?

Daniel 9:26 says that after a set period ("threescore and two weeks"), a figure called the Messiah will be "cut off" (killed or removed), but not for his own sake, and then a coming ruler’s people will destroy the city and the sanctuary, bringing a time of war and devastation that is firmly decided. The verse describes a sequence of troubling events for Jerusalem and its temple after the appearance and death of the Messiah.

In Daniel 9, the angel Gabriel is speaking to Daniel during the Jewish exile in Babylon, explaining a prophecy about the future of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The verse uses symbolic time periods and refers to the Messiah (a Hebrew word for "anointed one"), the destruction of Jerusalem, and a time of great hardship. This is part of a larger prophecy that addresses Daniel’s concerns about the fate of his people and their holy city.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 9:26

  • מָשִׁיחַ (māšîaḥ, "Messiah"): This word means "anointed one" and can refer to a king, priest, or another person set apart for a special role. Here, it points to a significant, expected leader whose fate is central to the prophecy.
  • יִכָּרֵת (yikkāret, "be cut off"): This verb means to be cut off, destroyed, or killed. It emphasizes that the Messiah will face a violent or sudden end, not for his own wrongdoing.
  • נָגִיד (nāgîd, "prince"): This word means "leader" or "ruler." The "prince that shall come" is not the Messiah but a different future leader whose people will destroy the city and sanctuary.
  • שָׁפָךְ (šāfaḵ, "flood"): The word "flood" here is often understood as a metaphor for overwhelming destruction or a sweeping force, not literal water.

Why Daniel 9:26 matters

  • Daniel 9:26 helps clarify that the prophecy is not only about a coming Messiah but also about the fate of Jerusalem and its temple, showing that both hope and hardship are foretold.
  • The verse highlights that the Messiah’s death is not for his own sake, which has led to many interpretations about the purpose of his suffering.
  • This verse connects to the broader context of Daniel 9, where Daniel is seeking understanding about the end of exile and the future of his people, and Gabriel’s message reveals both restoration and future trials.

Where else these words appear

“flood” Hebrew H7858 · used in 6 verses

  • Job 38:25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
  • Psalms 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
  • Daniel 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

“determined” Hebrew H2782 · used in 12 verses

  • Exodus 11:7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
  • 2 Samuel 5:24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.
  • Isaiah 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

“weeks” Hebrew H7620 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
  • Deuteronomy 16:9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
  • Ezekiel 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.

“Messiah” Hebrew H4899 · used in 38 verses

  • Leviticus 4:3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.
  • 1 Samuel 26:11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
  • Psalms 18:50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.