Benjamin E. Reynolds, «The 'One Like a Son of Man' According to the Old Greek of Daniel 7,13-14», Vol. 89 (2008) 70-80
While studies of the Old Greek (OG) of Daniel 7,13-14 are not uncommon, they are often undertaken as part of a broader examination of the 'one like a son of man'. Rarely, if ever, do these studies focus on the description of this figure in the
OG version and what readers of this version might have understood of this character. This study is an examination of the interpretation of OG Daniel 7,13-14, and the argument is made that the OG portrays the 'one like a son of man' as similar to the Ancient of Days and as a messianic figure.
The “One Like a Son of Man†71
This paper is a study of what is possibly the earliest extant interpretation
of the Aramaic text of Daniel 7 and the “one like a son of man†(7). My
contention is first that the OG presents the son of man figure as similar to the
Ancient of Days, while not identifying the two figures. And second, the OG
depicts the “one like a son of man†in a way that suggests that this figure is
messianic.
I. The Similarities between the “one like a son of manâ€
and the Ancient of Days
Four similarities between the “one like a son of man†and the Ancient of
Days can be noted in the OG. First, the son of man figure arrives like the
Ancient of Days. Second, the “one like a son of man†appears on the clouds of
heaven. Third, the Danielic son of man receives service that suggests cultic
worship, and fourth, those standing before the Ancient of Days approach the
“one like a son of man†and appear to stand before him.
1. The “one like a son of man’s†Arrival like the Ancient of Days
The most commonly noted and most significant verse in the OG of Dan 7
is v. 13, particularly line c. The entire verse reads: “I saw in a vision of the
night and behold on the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.
And like the Ancient of Days he arrived, and those standing there came to
him.â€
Papyrus 967 reads(8):
ejqewvroun ejn oJravmati th'" nukto;"
13 a
kai; ijdou; ejpi; tw'n nefelw'n tou' oujranou' h[rceto wJ" uiJo;" ajnqrwvpou,
b
kai; wJ" palaio;" hJmerw'(n) parh'n,
c
ka; oiJ paresthkovte" proshvgagon aujtw'/.
d
kai; ejdovqh aujtw'/ ejxousiva basilikhv,
14 a
kai; pavnta ta; e[qnh th'" gh'" kata; gevnh kai; pa'sa dovxa latreuvousa
b
aujtw'/
c kai; hJ ejxousiva aujtou' ejxousiva aijwvnio", h{ti" ouj mh; ajrqh'/,
d kai; hJ basileiva aujtou', h{ti" ouj mh; fqarh'/
Codex 88, supported by the Syro-Hexaplar, reads(9):
13 a ejqewvroun ejn oJravmati th'" nukto;"
b kai; ijdou; ejpi; tw'n nefelw'n tou' oujranou' wJ" uiJo;" ajnqrwvpou h[rceto,
(7) 4Q246 contains some links to Daniel 7, but the fragmentary nature of the Qumran
text provides less certainty about whether the “Son of God†figure is an interpretation of the
“one like a son of manâ€. For various views, see J.J. COLLINS, “The Son of God Text from
Qumranâ€, From Jesus to John. Essays on Jesus and New Testament Christology in Honour
of Marinus de Jonge (ed. M. DE BOER) (JSNTSS 84; Sheffield 1993) 65-82; J.D.G. DUNN,
“‘Son of God’ as ‘Son of Man’ in the Dead Seas Scrolls? A Response to John Collins on
4Q246â€, The Scrolls and the Scriptures. Qumran Fifty Years After (eds. S.E. PORTER – C.A.
EVANS) (JSPSS 26; Sheffield 1997) 198-210; H.-J. FABRY, “Die frühjüdische Apokalyptik
als Reaktion auf Fremdherrschaft. Zur Funktion von 4Q246â€, Antikes Judentum und Frühes
Christentum. Festschrift für Hartmut Stegemann zum 65. Geburtstag (ed. E. GRÄßER)
(BZNW 97; Berlin 1999) 84-98.
(8) Text of Geissen, Septuaginta-Text, 108-110.
(9) Text of RAHLFS – HANHART, Septuaginta, 913-914.
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