Book of Daniel Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Paul L. Redditt

Critical Essay by Paul L. Redditt

SOURCE: Redditt, Paul L. “Daniel 9: Its Structure and Meaning.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 62, no. 2 (April 2000): 236-49.

In the following essay, Redditt offers a close reading of the ninth chapter of The Book of Daniel, arguing that the early verses of the chapter reflect the historical situation of the writers; that the middle portion of the chapter explains why Israel had not yet turned to God, as had been prophesied in the Book of Jeremiah; and that the latter part of the chapter offers a timetable for the deliverance of Jerusalem.

The eponymous hero in Daniel 9 ponders the devastation of Jerusalem, consults certain “books” to determine how long that devastation will last, and learns that its duration will be seventy years (vv. 1-2). Immediately, Daniel turns to God in a prayer of confession (vv. 3-20), whereupon the Archangel Gabriel arrives to tell Daniel the seventy years...
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