Daniel 8
Chapter 8
8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, a after that which appeared unto me at the first.
(a) After the general vision, he comes to certain particular visions with regard to the destruction of the monarchy of the Persians, and Macedonians: for the ruin of the Babylonians was at hand, and also he had sufficiently spoken of it.8:2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province b of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
(b) That is, of Persia.8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a c ram which had [two] horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] d higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
(c) Which represented the kingdom of the Persians and Medes, which were united together.8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no e beasts might stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
(d) Meaning Cyrus, who after grew greater in power than Darius his uncle and father-in-law.
(e) That is, no kings or nations.8:5 And as I was considering, behold, f an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable g horn between his eyes.
(f) Meaning Alexander that came from Greece with great speed and warlike undertaking.8:7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and h smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
(g) Even though he came in the name of all Greece, yet he bore the title and dignity of the general captain, so that the strength was attributed to him, which is meant by this horn.
(h) Alexander overcame Darius in two different battles, and so had the two kingdoms of the Medes and Persians.8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great i horn was broken; and for it came up four k notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
(i) Alexanders great power was broken: for when he had overcome all the East, he thought to return towards Greece to subdue those that had rebelled, and so died along the way.8:9 And out of one of them came forth a l little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the m south, and toward the n east, and toward the o pleasant [land].
(k) That is, who were famous: for almost in the space of fifteen years there were fifteen different successors before this monarchy was divided to these four, of which Cassander had Macedonia, Seleucus had Syria, Antigonus had Asia the less, and Ptolemeus had Egypt.
(l) Which was Antiochus Epiphanes, who was of a servile and flattering nature, and also there were others between him and the kingdom: and therefore he is here called the little horn, because neither princely conditions, nor any other thing was in him, why he should obtain this kingdom.8:10 And it waxed great, [even] to the p host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
(m) That is, towards Egypt.
(n) By which he means Ptolemais.
(o) That is, Judea.
(p) Antiochus raged against the elect of God, and tread his precious stars underfoot, who are so called because they are separated from the world.8:11 Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the q prince of the host, and by him the r daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
(q) That is, God, who governs and maintains his Church.8:12 And s an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it t cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
(r) He laboured to abolish all religion, and therefore cast Gods service out of his temple, which God had chosen as a little corner from all the rest of the world to have his name there truly called upon.
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