The meaning of 'chatak'

Da 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined [Strong’s H2852 'chatak', a primitive root; properly, to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) to decree:—determine ] upon [Strong's H5921, a preposition, 'above', 'over', 'upon'] thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

‘Chatak’ is a verb in the past perfect tense - thus it refers to a completed action.  As can be seen from Strong’s definition above, 'chatak' has two possible fundamental meanings: to ‘cut off’ or to ‘decree’.  Additionally, the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon and Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon both give ‘to divide, determine’ as the fundamental meanings of ‘chatak’.

A primitive root. In Hebrew, the root of a word contains the essence of its meaning, then prefixes and suffixes are added to extend the meaning. 'Chatak’ is a primitive root with the proper meaning: to ‘cut off’/’divide’.

Generally, supporters of the Sanctuary doctrine prefer the root meaning 'cut off', while rejectors prefer ‘determined’.  Thus to decide which understanding is more correct, we must examine how ‘chatak’ is used.

Usage of ‘chatak’. ‘Chatak’ appears only once in Old Testament Hebrew, but in the sense of ‘cut off’ ‘chatak' appears a number of times in Mishnaic Hebrew (post-Babylonian-exile Hebrew, which is influenced by Aramaic).  The Mishnah was compiled from the 2ndC BC.  It contains the Jewish oral tradition in written form, and includes the legal statements of the Rabbis, which specify sacrifices and rites involving, for instance, the ‘cutting off’ of animal parts.

Scholars understand that words have a meaning specific to the context in which they appear, and although Hebrew Lexicons give a basic understanding, words have no 'meaning' outside of their context.

Also, it is held that ‘translations are as reliable as the translators and cannot be presented as the ultimate evidence for a preferred rendition of a word’. Thus the usual translation of ‘chatak’: ‘determined’ or ‘decreed’, reflects the ‘understanding’ of translators / scholars who do not support the Sanctuary doctrine.

In the context of Da 9:24 the 'meaning' of 'chatak' is influenced by the following factors:

1. 'Chatak' is used just the once in the Old Testament;

2. If 'determined' is the intent in Da 9:24, then a different more common Hebrew word

(Strong's H2782 'charats', a primitive root, 'to point sharply') used for 'determined' in two other instances in Daniel 9 (verses 26 and 27), would suffice.

3. The usual rendering of ‘chatak’: ‘determined’, cannot be used as evidence of

correctness.

The first two factors imply that 'chatak' has a special meaning specific to the context of Da 9:24.  The third factor confirms that, in the context of Da 9:24, there is scope for questioning ‘determined’ as the better understanding.

Conclusion. The special meaning of ‘chatak’ in Da 9:24 discounts its usual rendering of ‘determined’ - the only possible alternative meaning is: 'cut off'. Thus 'chatak', in the context of Da 9:24, is indeed better understood as 'cut off'.