Some
commentators say it was the Roman army.
Benson commentary
"The abomination that maketh desolate. By which term is intended the desolating Roman armies with their standards."
Barnes' notes on the Bible
"The abomination of desolation means the Roman army, and is so explained by
Luke 21:20. The Roman army is further called the "abomination" on account of the images of the emperor, and the eagles, carried in front of the legions, and regarded by the Romans with divine honors."
Matthew Poole's commentary
"the abomination of desolation to be meant of the Roman armies, which being made up of idolatrous soldiers, and having with them many abominable images are therefore called the abomination; those words, of desolation are added, because they were to make Jerusalem desolate; and so St. Luke, who hath not these words, possibly gives us in other words the best interpretation of them,
Luke 21:20: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh."
Gill's exposition of the entire Bible
"but the Roman army is designed; see
Luke 21:20 which was the , "the wing", or "army of abominations making desolate",
Daniel 9:27. Armies are called wings,
Isaiah 8:8 and the Roman armies were desolating ones to the Jews, and to whom they were an abomination; not only because they consisted of Heathen men, and uncircumcised persons, but chiefly because of the images of their gods, which were upon their ensigns:"
Bengel's gnomen
"The abomination of profanation was followed by the abomination of desolation. Such was the name given by the Jews to the Roman army, composed of all nations, the standards of which they held in abomination as idols, since the Romans attributed divinity to them."
Expositor's Greek Testament
"Luke gives the clue (
Matthew 24:20). The horror is the Roman army, and the thing to be dreaded and fled from is not any religious outrage it may perpetrate, but the desolation it will inevitably bring."