Daniel 12:12 - Is it A) At the 1,335th day or B) after 1,335 days

Question

11And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

Does it mean

1. At 1,335th day
2. After 1,335 days

Answer 1

It is unlikely that it means "After 1,335 days".

The word translated as "arrives at" in your translation is the word יגיע, which is a conjugation of the verb נגע (H5060), which is usually translated as "to reach" or "to touch".

To give a flavor, this word is also used in verses like:

Genesis 3:3 (NASB)

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

Genesis 28:12 (NASB)

He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Ezekiel 7:12 (NASB)

The time has come, the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for wrath is against all their multitude.

Thus it denotes the idea of making contact with something, but definitely not exceeding it, as would be needed to express the concept of "After 1,335 days". If the text had wanted to express the idea of "after", or "following", the word אחר (H310) likely would have been used (but it was not).

Hence, I think a more literal translation here might be "reaches the 1,335 days". In isolation, I think you could interpret this one of two ways:

• upon reaching the beginning of a period of 1,335 days
• upon reaching the end of a period of 1,335 days

If you believe that the start of the period of 1,290 days mentioned in the prior verse is the same as the start of the period of 1,335 days, then the first interpretation makes little sense, because there would be no waiting.

But if you believe the 1,335 days start after the 1,290 days, then either interpretation is plausible.

But in neither case does it mean "After 1,335 days" (some indefinite period surpassing the number of days indicated).