Matthew 24:15-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
15 (A)“When you see the desolating abomination[a] spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those in Judea must flee[b] to the mountains, 17 [c](B)a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, 18 a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. 20 [d]Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the sabbath, 21 [e](C)for at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be.
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- 24:15 The desolating abomination: in 167 B.C. the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the temple by setting up in it a statue of Zeus Olympios (see 1 Mc 1:54). That event is referred to in Dn 12:11 LXX as the “desolating abomination” (NAB “horrible abomination”) and the same Greek term is used here; cf. also Dn 9:27; 11:31. Although the desecration had taken place before Daniel was written, it is presented there as a future event, and Matthew sees that “prophecy” fulfilled in the desecration of the temple by the Romans. In the holy place: the temple; more precise than Mark’s where he should not (Mk 13:14). Let the reader understand: this parenthetical remark, taken from Mk 13:14 invites the reader to realize the meaning of Daniel’s “prophecy.”
- 24:16 The tradition that the Christians of Jerusalem fled from that city to Pella, a city of Transjordan, at the time of the First Jewish Revolt is found in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, 3:5:3), who attributes the flight to “a certain oracle given by revelation before the war.” The tradition is not improbable but the Matthean command, derived from its Marcan source, is vague in respect to the place of flight (to the mountains), although some scholars see it as applicable to the flight to Pella.
- 24:17–19 Haste is essential, and the journey will be particularly difficult for women who are burdened with unborn or infant children.
- 24:20 On the sabbath: this addition to in winter (cf. Mk 13:18) has been understood as an indication that Matthew was addressed to a church still observing the Mosaic law of sabbath rest and the scribal limitations upon the length of journeys that might lawfully be made on that day. That interpretation conflicts with Matthew’s view on sabbath observance (cf. Mt 12:1–14). The meaning of the addition may be that those undertaking on the sabbath a journey such as the one here ordered would be offending the sensibilities of law-observant Jews and would incur their hostility.
- 24:21 For the unparalleled distress of that time, see Dn 12:1.
Mark 13:14-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
The Great Tribulation. 14 (A)“When you see the desolating abomination standing[a] where he should not (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains,(B) 15 [and] a person on a housetop must not go down or enter to get anything out of his house,(C) 16 and a person in a field must not return to get his cloak. 17 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. 18 Pray that this does not happen in winter. 19 For those times will have tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of God’s creation until now, nor ever will be.(D)
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