Daniel 8:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I heard a holy individual conversing, and one sacred being spoke to another regarding a speaker. Rather than using another word, which Simmachus rendered as τινί ποτε, Aquila, Theodotion, and the Septuagint employed the Hebrew term γελμονί. By not naming the specific angel, he referred to any of the angels. How long will the vision of the ongoing sacrifice and the sin of desolation last, and for how long will holiness and strength be trampled? One angel inquires of another, ‘For how long will the temple, under Antiochus, the king of Syria, remain in ruins according to God’s decree, and will the statue of Jupiter continue to stand in the temple of the Lord, as it was stated, “and the sanctuary and the power will be trampled upon?”

The Hebrew term ‘felmuni’ translates to ‘someone’ in Greek, a sentiment echoed in the Syriac language, which shares similarities with Hebrew. Consequently, the esteemed Daniel notes that he did not witness any saint questioning another saint. It is clear, then, that he observes angels engaged in dialogue, yearning to understand the duration of the hubris associated with evil and sin, the ruin of the temple, the unauthorized and detestable sacrifices, and the persecution of God’s people.