Daniel 8:1-14

The Vision of a Small Horn that Oppresses Israel and Threatens the Temple

1 In the third year [of] the kingdom of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared {to me, Daniel}, after the one that appeared to me {previously}.

2 And I saw in the vision, {and when I saw}, I [was] in Susa, the citadel that [was] in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and {I myself} was at the stream of Ulai.

3 And I lifted up my eyes and I saw, and look! A ram standing {before} the stream, and {it had} two horns, and the horns [were] long, but the one [was] longer than the second, and the longer [one] came up {after the other one}.

4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward, and {none of the beasts stood before it}, and there was no rescuing from {its power}, and it did {what it wanted} and it became strong.

5 And I was considering [this], and look, a he-goat coming from the west across the face of the whole earth, and [it] was not touching the ground; and the he-goat [had] {a conspicuous horn} between its eyes.

6 Then it came toward the ram {that had the two horns} that I saw standing {before} the stream, and it ran at it with the rage of its power.

7 And I saw it approaching the ram and it was furious at it, and it struck the ram, and it broke its two horns, and {there was not strength in the ram to stand before him}, and he threw it down to the ground and trampled it, {and there was no one who could rescue the ram} from its power.

8 And the he-goat grew {exceedingly great}, and {at the height of its power} the great horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns came up in place of it toward the four winds of heaven.

9 {And from one of them} came forth [a] horn, {a little one}, and it grew exceedingly toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.

10 And it grew up to the host of heaven, and it threw down to the ground some of the host and some of the stars and trampled them.

11 Even against the prince of the hosts it acted arrogantly and took away from him the regular burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.

12 And on account of transgression, [the] host was given over [to the horn] in addition to the regular burnt offering. And it cast down truth to the ground, and it {acted}, and it had success.

13 And I heard a certain holy one speaking, and a certain other holy one said to the specific one {who was speaking}, "{For how long} [is] the vision [concerning] the regular burnt offering, and the transgression [that] makes desolate, and [the] giving over [of the] sanctuary and [the] host to trampling?"

14 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then [the] sanctuary will be restored."

Daniel 8:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 8

This chapter contains the vision of a ram and he goat, and the interpretation of it. It begins with observing the time and place of the vision, Da 8:1,2, then describes the ram seen; by the place of his situation; by his two horns; and by his pushing several ways with so much force and fury, that none could stand before him, or deliver: out of his hands, Da 8:3,4 next the he goat appears, and is described by the part from whence he came; the swiftness of his motion; the notable horn between his eyes; and his running to ram in great fury, smiting him between his horns, casting him to the ground, and trampling upon him, and none to deliver, Da 8:5-7 but, after waxing great and powerful, its horn was broken, and four more rose up in its stead, and out of one of them a little horn, Da 8:8,9 which little horn is described by its power and prevalence to the south and to the east, towards the pleasant land, the host of heaven, and the Prince of the host; and by it the stars were cast down and trampled upon, the daily sacrifice made to cease; the place of the sanctuary cast down, and truth itself, Da 8:9-12, and upon inquiry it appeared that these sacred things were to continue in this desolate condition unto 2300 days, Da 8:13,14. Daniel being desirous of knowing the meaning of this vision, the Angel Gabriel is ordered by Christ to give him an understanding of it; who drew near to him, and awaked him out of his sleep, and gave him the interpretation of it; Da 8:15-19, which is as follows; the ram; with two horns, signifies the kings of Media and Persia; the rough goat, the king of Greece; and the great horn the first king, Alexander the great; and the four horns, four kingdoms which rose up out of the Grecian empire upon his death, Da 8:20-22, and the little horn a king of fierce countenance, Antiochus Epiphanes; who is, described by his craft, and cunning, by his power and might, and by the destruction he should make; Da 8:23-25, this vision the angel assures the prophet was true, and bids him shut it up, since it was for many days, Da 8:26, upon which Daniel fainted, and was sick for a time; but afterwards recovered, so as to be able to do the king's business; but astonished at the vision himself, and which was not understood by others, Da 8:27.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "I Daniel"
• [b]. Literally "in the beginning"
• [c]. Literally "and it was at my seeing"
• [d]. Literally "I, I was"
• [e]. Or "Ulai Canal" (NASB); "stream of the Ulai" (NEB)
• [f]. Hebrew "One ram"
• [g]. Literally "to the face of"
• [h]. Literally "for it"
• [i]. Literally "in the behind of the other"
• [j]. Literally "all [the] beasts not they withstood to the face of him"
• [k]. Literally "its hand"
• [l]. Literally "according to its will"
• [m]. Or "it/he magnified itself/himself"
• [n]. Or "earth," or "land"
• [o]. Literally "a horn of vision"
• [p]. Literally "the owner of the two horns"
• [q]. Literally "to the face of"
• [r]. Or "in"
• [s]. Literally "and not was strength in the ram to withstand to the face of him"
• [t]. Literally "and not he/it was one rescuing"
• [u]. Literally "until much"
• [v]. Literally "and at his being powerful"
• [w]. LXX reads "others" here for "conspicuous." The words in Hebrew can be confused for each other
• [x]. Literally "And from the one from them"
• [y]. Literally "one from little"
• [z]. Or "pre-eminently"
• [aa]. Literally "did"
• [ab]. Literally "the [one] speaking"
• [ac]. Literally "Until when"