(2) The person who first translated the book of Daniel for the Greek Septuagint took liberties in his renderings. He inserted statements that he thought would explain or enhance what was in the Hebrew text. He omitted details that he thought would be unacceptable to readers. When he translated the prophecy concerning the time of Messiah’s appearance, found at Daniel 9:24-27, he falsified the stated time period and added, altered, and transposed words, apparently with a view to making the prophecy seem to support the struggle of the Maccabees.

Distortion of wording in the Septuagint did not prevent the Messiah from coming at the time foretold through the prophet Daniel. Furthermore, even though the Septuagint was in use in the first century, the Jews were evidently accustomed to hearing the Scriptures read in Hebrew in their synagogues. As a result, “the people were in expectation” when the time for fulfillment of the prophecy drew near. (Luke 3:15)