Δανιήλ

Daniel

Definition

Δανιήλ is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name 'Daniel,' meaning 'God is my judge.' In the New Testament, it refers exclusively to the prophet Daniel from the Old Testament. The name appears in two parallel passages (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14) where Jesus cites 'the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet.' Here, 'Daniel' is not just a person but a reference to his prophetic book and its specific eschatological visions. The term carries the full weight of Daniel's identity as an exiled Jew, a court official, and a recipient of apocalyptic revelations.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in the Gospels' Olivet Discourse. In Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, Jesus authoritatively references 'Daniel the prophet' to interpret a future sign of crisis—the 'abomination of desolation.' The usage is formulaic and citational, invoking Daniel's prophetic authority and the specific content of his book (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) to explain coming tribulation. It appears solely in eschatological teaching contexts.

Etymology

The Greek Δανιήλ (Daniēl) is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Dāniyyē'l). The Hebrew name is a compound: 'dān' (judge) and 'ēl' (God), meaning 'God is my judge.' The Greek form preserves the phonetic sound and meaning of the original, showing how the New Testament directly imports and honors the Hebrew prophetic tradition through its language.

Semantic Range

This name is theologically significant as it connects Jesus's teaching directly to Old Testament prophecy, affirming the continuity of Scripture. By citing 'Daniel the prophet,' Jesus validates Daniel's apocalyptic visions as divine revelation relevant to the end times. Understanding the Greek transliteration highlights how the New Testament authors deliberately linked their message to established Hebrew scripture, using the familiar Greek form of the name to point readers back to the authoritative content of the Book of Daniel for understanding eschatological events.

In a first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman context, 'Daniel' would have been recognized as a major prophetic figure from the Hebrew scriptures. His book was associated with exile, faithfulness under persecution, and mysterious visions of future kingdoms and God's ultimate victory. Citing Daniel by name would immediately evoke these themes for Jesus's audience. The 'abomination of desolation' specifically recalled the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanies in 167 BC, an event described in Daniel and recorded in Maccabean history, making it a powerful symbol of catastrophic sacrilege.

προφήτης (prophētēs, G4396) — A general term for 'prophet'; Daniel is specified as one particular prophet whose writings are cited. Ἰεζεκιήλ (Iezekiēl, G2400) — Another major prophetic book of the Old Testament containing apocalyptic visions, but with different emphases than Daniel.

Word Details

Scripture References