Does Mark 13:14 sync best with the Hebrew or Greek of Daniel 9:27?

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Bill Ross
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Joined: August 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

Does Mark 13:14 sync best with the Hebrew or Greek of Daniel 9:27?

Post by Bill Ross »

I posted this question elsewhere but think it might best be answered by those who are most immersed in Koine. Does Mark 13:14 LXX easily serve as the source for Mark 13:14? Or is this more easily aligned with the Hebrew?

https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/ ... daniel-927
What I lack in youth I make up for in immaturity.
S Walch
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Joined: June 13th, 2011, 4:27 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Does Mark 13:14 sync best with the Hebrew or Greek of Daniel 9:27?

Post by S Walch »

Well the only thing of relevance in Mark 13:14 is τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως:

Ὅταν δὲ ἴδητε τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως ἑστηκότα ὅπου οὐ δεῖ, ὁ ἀναγινώσκων νοείτω, τότε οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φευγέτωσαν εἰς τὰ ὄρη

As for whether τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως is better served from either the Hebrew or the LXX, it really accords with both similarly:

Hebrew Daniel 9:27:
וְהִגְבִּ֥יר בְּרִ֛ית לָרַבִּ֖ים שָׁב֣וּעַ אֶחָ֑ד וַחֲצִ֨י הַשָּׁב֜וּעַ יַשְׁבִּ֣ית׀ זֶ֣בַח וּמִנְחָ֗ה וְעַ֨ל כְּנַ֤ף שִׁקּוּצִים֙ מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם וְעַד־כָּלָה֙ וְנֶ֣חֱרָצָ֔ה תִּתַּ֖ךְ עַל־שֹׁמֵֽם

OG Daniel 9:27:
καὶ δυναστεύσει ἡ διαθήκη εἰς πολλούς· καὶ πάλιν ἐπιστρέψει, καὶ ἀνοικοδομηθήσεται εἰς πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ κατὰ συντέλειαν καιρῶν, καὶ μετὰ ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καιροὺς καὶ ξβʹ ἐτῶν ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας πολέμου, καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ ἐρήμωσις ἐν τῷ κατισχῦσαι τὴν διαθήκην ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἑβδομάδας· καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἀρθήσεται ἡ θυσία καὶ ἡ σπονδή, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν βδέλυγμα τῶν ἐρημώσεων ἔσται ἕως συντελείας, καὶ συντέλεια δοθήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν ἐρήμωσιν.

The corresponding Hebrew is שִׁקּוּצִים֙ מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם, meaning (literally) "abominations desolating" = "desolating abominations," which the LXX has as βδέλυγμα τῶν ἐρημώσεων "abomination of desolations," which in turn is somewhat half and half in Mark 13:14 (singular desolation to correspond with the underlying Hebrew singular participle), with שִׁקּוּצִים֙ מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם being taken as a construct.

The issue is with regards to what occurs before שִׁקּוּצִים֙ מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם, namely וְעַ֨ל כְּנַ֤ף which means "and upon the extremity/wing," which is somewhat difficult to interpret in regards to the rest of the verse. The original Greek Daniel either had quite the different underlying Hebrew (τὸ ἱερὸν would usually indicate the Hebrew בַּ֫יִת / house, home, palace, temple, Holy Place etc.), or was edited at quite an early stage.

Another proposal is to read עַל־כַּנּוֹ ("on its place") instead of וְעַ֨ל כְּנַ֤ף, with a suggestion the Hebrew text is also somewhat corrupt in this place in Daniel.

The actual source of Mark 13:14 is Daniel 12:11:

ἀφʼ οὗ ἂν ἀποσταθῇ ἡ θυσία διὰ παντὸς καὶ ἑτοιμασθῇ δοθῆναι τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως, ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἐνενήκοντα.

Which is more likely for whence the phrase found it's origin, rather than Daniel 9:27.
Bill Ross
Posts: 244
Joined: August 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

Re: Does Mark 13:14 sync best with the Hebrew or Greek of Daniel 9:27?

Post by Bill Ross »

I just saw this excellent response. Okay, so I was in the weeds again. Thanks for pointing me to the right verse!
What I lack in youth I make up for in immaturity.
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