Daniel 11:31

And armsi.e. forces (Daniel 11:15; Daniel 11:22) (coming) from him shall stand up] or (following the interpunction expressed by the Heb. accents), shall stand up at his instance (Isaiah 30:1, Heb.); -stand up," i.e. be set on foot, organized (cf. in the causative conj. Daniel 11:11). The -arms" are the armed force sent by Antiochus to take possession of Jerusalem (see the next note).

and they shall pollute the sanctuary(even) the stronghold] The Temple at this time was fortified with high walls, which were broken down by the soldiers of Antiochus, but afterwards rebuilt (1Ma 4:60; 1Ma 6:7): hence it is called a -stronghold." For the facts, see 1Ma 1:29 ff. Apollonius (2Ma 5:24), coming with an armed force, but lulling with friendly words the suspicions of the people, fell upon the city suddenly on a sabbath-day; and having obtained possession of it, took women and children prisoners, demolished many of the houses and fortifications, and strengthening the citadel (which overlooked the Temple), established in it a Syrian garrison. Cf. 1Ma 1:34; 1Ma 1:36-37, -And they put there [in the citadel] a sinful nation [the Syrian garrison], transgressors of the law (ἄνδρας παρανόμους), and they strengthened themselves therein.… And it became a place to lie in wait in against the sanctuary (ἔνεδρον τῷ ἁγιάσματι), and an evil adversary unto Israel continually. And they shed innocent blood round about the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary" (comp. Daniel 2:12).

and shall take away the continual (burnt-offering)] cf. Daniel 8:11, where the expression is similar, and the reference is the same. Apollonius had not been long in possession of Jerusalem when Antiochus, wishing to unify his empire, and to assimilate as far as possible its different parts, determined to bring it all under the influence of Hellenic culture; and accordingly issued in Judah instructions to obliterate every trace of the ancient religion. All the Jewish sacrifices were to be abolished in the Temple; sabbaths and other festivals were to be disregarded; ceremonial observances (such as the prohibition to eat unclean food) were to be discontinued; the rite of circumcision was prohibited, under pain of death; books of the law were to be destroyed, and anyone found with them in his possession was to be punished with death. Special commissioners (ἐπίσκοποι) were appointed for the purpose of carrying out these directions. Not only, however, were Jewish institutions to be thrown aside, heathen ones were to take their place; the Temple was to be transformed into a sanctuary of Zeus Olympios (2Ma 6:2), heathen altars and shrines were to be set up, swine's flesh and unclean beasts were to be sacrificed; and officers were appointed to see that all these injunctions were duly carried out (1Ma 1:41-53). The suspension of the Temple services (to which the words of the present verse allude) began in December, b.c. 168, and continued for rather more than three years (see p. 119).

and they shall set up the abomination that causeth appalment] i.e. the heathen altar erected on the altar of burnt-offering. See 1Ma 1:54, -And on the 15th day of Chisleu [December] they builded an abomination of desolation (βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως, the same expression which is used in the LXX. here) upon the altar," and (1Ma 1:59) -on the 25th day of the month they sacrificed upon the (idol-) altar (βωμόν), which was upon the altar (of God) (θυσιαστήριον)": cf. also Daniel 6:7. A statue of Zeus Olympios was most probably associated with the altar [383]. On -causeth appalment," see on Daniel 8:13; and cf. the parallel passages Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:11.

[383] Cf. the tradition in the Mishna (Taanithiv. 6 העמיד צלם בהיכל), Euseb. (ap.Sync. 542, 21 καὶ τὸν ναὸν βεβηλοῖ Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου βδέλυγμα ἀναστηλώσας ἐν αὐτῷ), and Jerome (on Daniel 11:31, -Jovis Olympii simulacrum"), referred to by Grätz, Gesch.11. 2, p. 314 f.

In explanation of the somewhat peculiar expression used, an ingenious and probable suggestion has been made by Nestle (ZATW[384] 1884, p. 248; cf. Bevan, p. 293). The Heb. for -that causeth appalment" is shômçm(Daniel 8:13; Daniel 12:11), or mĕshômçm(Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31); and according to Nestle, the -abomination that causeth appalment" is a contemptuous allusion to בעל שמים Ba-al shâmayim(-Baal of heaven"), a title occurring often in Phœnician, and (with shâmînfor shâmayim) Aramaic inscriptions, and in the Syriac version of 2Ma 6:2 found actually for the Ζεὺς Ὀλύμπιος of the Greek; the altar (with probably the accompanying statue of Zeus) erected by Antiochus upon the altar of burnt offering being termed derisively by the Jews -the abomination that causeth appalment," the -abomination" being the altar (and image?) of Zeus (Baal), and shômçmbeing a punning variation of shâmayim[385].

[384] ATW.Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 1881 ff.

[385] -Abomination of desolation" (Greek versions of Dan., 1Ma 1:54) is not a possible rendering of the Heb. -Abomination that maketh desolate" is possible; and, if correct, must imply that the heathen emblem standing in the court of the Temple was regarded as bringing with it the desertion and desolation of the sanctuary (cf. 1Ma 4:38; and see also above, on Daniel 8:13, and p. 151).