understood. came to an understanding; perceived, or observed. Hebrew. bin, to separate or distinguish. Implying that he had not known this before.
by books. by the writings [of Jeremiah]. Jeremiah 29:1; Jeremiah 29:10, as well as Dan 25:11. Note the definite Article in the Hebrew.
the number of the years. Which were now drawing to an end.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
Jeremiah. The passage was doubtless Dan 25:11-14. Dan 29:10-14.
accomplish. fulfil [within].
seventy years. Note the bearing of this on Daniel 9:24.
the desolations of Jerusalem. From 479 to 409 B.C. See note on 2 Chronicles 36:21. The "desolations" had therefore lasted 42 (6. 7) years, and had yet 28 (4 x 7) years to run before they were "accomplished". We find the same subdivisions of the "servitude"; for from the first year of Nebuchadnezzar (496) to the decree of Artaxerxes (Astyages) (454) was forty-two years; and from the decree to the end of the servitude was twenty-eight years.