Daniel 9:27 – Hiphil Causatives, Twin Parentheticals, and Prophetic Judgment Sacrifice

Introduction:

This analysis demonstrates why the instrumental reading of Daniel 9:27—where cessation of abominations occurs even by sacrifice and offering upon wings—is syntactically, accentually, and contextually superior to standard translations. The argument draws on Masoretic accents, Hiphil causatives, Tanakh instrumental precedent, lexical references, and the prophetic "Day of the LORD = judicial slaughter" motif.



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Translation Summary:

"He shall cause to prevail the covenant with the many for week one and a half of the week; he shall then cause to cease (even by sacrifice and offering upon wings) the abominations of desolation, until the consummation of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation."



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Complete Hebrew Syntax Analysis:



וְהִגְבִּיר – shall cause to prevail

Final Rendering: He shall cause to prevail

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Hiphil of גָּבַר – causative dominance; parallels Ps 68:9; 2 Chr 14:11; Gesenius §139c

Verb Balance: PREVAIL (Main #1)



בְּרִית – covenant

Final Rendering: the covenant

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Context definite; cf. Daniel 9:25; Isa 42:6; HALOT 419b

Verb Balance: חתם→גבר balance



לָרַבִּים – to many

Final Rendering: with the many

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: ל + implied definiteness; idiomatic Tanakh usage; Gesenius §90k

Verb Balance: Object continues



שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ – one week and half

Final Rendering: for week one and a half of the week

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Cumulative temporal coordination; Joüon-Muraoka §118; lexical parsing supports half-week as חצי השבע

Verb Balance: PREVAIL duration



יַשְׁבִּית – shall cause to cease

Final Rendering: he shall then cause to cease

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Hiphil of שָׁבַת (H7673); governs result, not immediate noun (Gen 2:17; Num 8:25; Exod 12:15; 2 Kgs 23:5); Gesenius §117f

Verb Balance: CEASE (Main #2)



זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל־כָּנָף – sacrifice and offering upon wings

Final Rendering: even by sacrifice and offering upon wings

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Instrumental accusative; fixed pair precedent Lev 23:13; Num 15:8; zaqef accent separates verb from object; lexical references HALOT 1038–1039

Verb Balance: CEASE method



שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם – abominations desolating

Final Rendering: abominations of desolation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Main clause object; Hiphil governs result; lexical reference שָׁמֵם H7931; cf. Gen 2:17; Num 8:25

Verb Balance: CEASE target



וְעַד כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצֶת – until complete end decreed

Final Rendering: until the consummation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Temporal hendiadys; Hebrew idiomatic construction; lexical references כָּלָה H3605; נֶחֱרָצֶת H5277

Verb Balance: CEASE extent



תִּתַּךְ עַל־שֹׁמֵם – poured out upon desolate

Final Rendering: of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation

Grammatical / Lexical Proof: Niphal passive; result clause; idiom of divine judgment; cf. Dan 8:19; lexical reference תָּךְ H8620

Verb Balance: Climactic result



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Twin Parenthetical Symmetry:



v.26: [MAIN: משיח יכרת] → (ASIDE: עם נגיד הבא) → [RESUME: והגביר ברית]

v.27: [MAIN: והגביר ברית] → (ASIDE: חצי השבע ישבית זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל־כָּנָף שִׁקּוּצִים]) → [RESUME: ועד כלה]



Observation: Double symmetrical parentheticals frame the action. The instrumental phrase "even by sacrifice and offering upon wings" is embedded inside the parenthetical, highlighting method of cessation while preserving discourse symmetry. This explains the link between partial cessation and the final pouring out of judgment.



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Critical Masoretic Accent Evidence:



- Zaqef qaton after זֶבַח: creates prosodic separation between instrumental phrase and direct object (שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם)

- Tiphcha on שִׁקּוּצִים: soft disjunctive; supports object status

- Accentuation enforces reading:

- זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה = instrumental (means, cf. Lev 23:13; Num 15:8)

- שִׁקּוּצִים = direct object (target of cessation)



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Prophetic Judgment Sacrifice Motif:



Day of the LORD = Judicial Slaughter:

- Isaiah 34:6: "LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah..."

- Zephaniah 1:7–8: "Day of LORD’S sacrifice...punish princes"

- Ezekiel 39:17–19: "Eat flesh of mighty...drink blood of princes"

- Revelation 19:17–18: "Supper of great God...flesh of kings"

- Jeremiah 46:10: "LORD GOD hath a sacrifice"



Observation: The phrase "even by sacrifice and offering upon wings" aligns with this pattern: the cessation of abominations is accomplished via the Day of the LORD’s judicial judgment and is tied to the final pouring out.



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Hiphil Causative & Object Assignment:



1. הִגְבִּיר = causative dominance: “cause to prevail”

2. יַשְׁבִּית + Hiphil pattern governs result, not just immediate noun (Gen 2:17; Num 8:25; Exod 12:15; 2 Kgs 23:5)

3. Instrumental Accusative for זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה attested: Lev 23:13; Num 15:8

4. Direct Object = שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם (abominations of desolation)

5. Syntax + zaqef accent + parenthetical structure = instrumental reading syntactically superior



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My Translation:



"He shall cause to prevail the covenant with the many for week one and a half of the week; he shall then cause to cease (even by sacrifice and offering upon wings) the abominations of desolation, until the consummation of that which has been determined is poured out in desolation."



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Verdict:

Double symmetrical parentheticals + Hiphil causatives + Masoretic accent evidence + Tanakh instrumental precedent + Day of the LORD judicial sacrifice motif mandate this reading. Standard parsing fails multiple independent syntactic, accentual, and discourse tests. This reading alone preserves Daniel’s literary and theological design.

RandyPNW said:

I don't see that in most translations, that the AoD is "caused to cease" by the instrumentality of "sacrifice and offering upon wings." And an odd translation does not seem likely, if indeed God put something in his word so beyond understanding that nobody can get it right.

So, I personally view the entity in this passage as pertaining to the "ruler" of the "people to come," namely the Roman ruler, who will bring an end to sacrifice and offering, which is the offering of Christ. Christ is the end of the law of animal sacrifice. And it is the Roman ruler who committed Christ to death, terminating the law of sacrifice.

The "abomination of desolation" is the "people of the ruler," namely the Roman Army, who themselves were a pagan "abomination" in the holy area of Jerusalem, determined to bring "desolation" upon both "the city and the sanctuary."

That's the best I've been able to do with it, which I've done by comparing this passage with Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Luke 21. There, Jesus mentioned the Army encircling Jerusalem, ie the Roman Army, in the same place where the synoptic authors had mentioned the AoD. In other words, Luke understood the AoD to be the Roman Army.

Click to expand...

In the previous verses a do agree that it could be read in reference to the people of the coming ruler (i.e Muhammad, or the Madi) the legions of Rome where all made up of mercenaries from Macedonia, Asia minor, and other regions that are currently Muslim.