Dànyǐlǐshū 8

1 Bǎi shā sǎ wáng zaì wèi dì sān nián , yǒu yìxiàng xiàn yǔ wǒ Dànyǐlǐ , shì zaì xiānqián suǒ jiàn de yìxiàng zhī hòu .

2 Wǒ jiàn le yìxiàng de shíhou , wǒ yǐwéi zaì Yǐlán shĕng Shūshān chéng ( huò zuò gōng ) zhōng. wǒ jiàn yìxiàng yòu rú zaì wū lái hé bian .

3 Wǒ jǔmù guānkàn , jiàn yǒu shuāng jiǎo de gōng miányáng zhàn zaì hé bian , liǎng jiǎo dōu gāo . zhè jiǎo gāo guō nà jiǎo , gēng gāo de shì hòu zhǎng de .

4 Wǒ jiàn nà gōng miányáng wǎng xī , wǎng bĕi , wǎng nán dǐ chù . shòu zaì tā miànqián dōu zhàn lì bù zhù , yĕ méiyǒu néng jiù hù tuōlí tā shǒu de . dàn tā rènyì ér xíng , zì gāo zì dà .

5 Wǒ zhēng sīxiǎng de shíhou , jiàn yǒu yī zhī gōng shānyáng cóng xī ér lái , biàn xíng quán dì , jiǎo bú zhān chén . zhè shānyáng liǎng yǎn dāngzhōng yǒu yī fēicháng de jiǎo .

6 Tā wǎng wǒ suǒ kànjian , zhàn zaì hé bian yǒu shuāng jiǎo de gōng miányáng nàli qù , dà fā fèn nù , xiàng tā zhí chuǎng .

7 Wǒ jiàn gōng shānyáng jiù jìn gōng miányáng , xiàng tā fā liè nù , dǐ chù tā , zhé duàn tā de liǎng jiǎo . miányáng zaì tā miànqián shān lì bù zhù . tā jiāng miányáng chù dǎo zaì dì , yòng jiǎo jiàntà , méiyǒu néng jiù miányáng tuōlí tā shǒu de .

8 Zhè shānyáng jíqí zì gāo zì dà , zhēng qiángshèng de shíhou , nà dà jiǎo zhé duàn le , yòu zaì jiǎo gēn shang xiàng tiān de sìfāng ( fāng yuánwén zuò fēng ) zhǎng chū sì gè fēicháng de jiǎo lái .

9 Sì jiǎo zhī zhōng yǒu yī jiǎo zhǎng chū yī gè xiǎo jiǎo , xiàng nán , xiàng dōng , xiàng róng mĕi zhī dì , jiànjiàn chéngwéi qiáng dà .

10 Tā jiànjiàn qiáng dà , gāo jí tiān xiàng , jiāng xiē tiān xiàng hé xīng xiǔ pāo luō zaì dì , yòng jiǎo jiàntà .

11 Bìngqiĕ tā zì gāo zì dà , yǐwéi gāo jí tiān xiàng zhī jūn . chúdiào cháng xiàn gĕi jūn de Fánjì , huǐhuaì jūn de shèng suǒ .

12 Yīn zuì guō de yuángù , yǒu jūn lǚ hé cháng xiàn de Fánjì jiāofù tā . tā jiāng zhēnlǐ pāo zaì dì shang , rènyì ér xíng , wú bù shùnlì .

13 Wǒ tīngjian yǒu yī wèi shèng zhĕ shuōhuà , yòu yǒu yī wèi shèng zhĕ wèn nà shuōhuà de shèng zhĕ shuō , zhè chúdiào cháng xiàn de Fánjì hé shīxíng huǐhuaì de zuì guō , jiāng shèng suǒ yǔ jūn lǚ ( huò zuò Yǐsèliè de jūn ) jiàntà de yìxiàng , yào dào jǐshí cái yìngyàn ne .

14 Tā duì wǒ shuō , dào èr qiā sān bǎi rì , shèng suǒ jiù bì jiéjìng .

15 Wǒ Dànyǐlǐ jiàn le zhè yìxiàng , yuànyì míngbai qízhōng de yìsi . hū yǒu yī wèi xíngzhuàng xiàng rén de zhàn zaì wǒ miànqián .

16 Wǒ yòu tīngjian wū lái hé liǎng àn zhōng yǒu rén shēng hūjiào shuō , jiā bǎi liè a , yào shǐ cǐ rén míngbai zhè yìxiàng .

17 Tā biàn lái dào wǒ suǒ zhàn de dìfang . tā yī lái , wǒ jiù jīnghuāng fǔfú zaì dì . tā duì wǒ shuō , Rénzǐ a , nǐ yào míngbai , yīnwei zhè shì guān hū mòhòu de yìxiàng .

18 Tā yǔ wǒ shuōhuà de shíhou , wǒ miàn fú zaì dì chén shuì . tā jiù mó wǒ , fú wǒ zhàn qǐlai ,

19 Shuō , wǒ yào zhǐshì nǐ nǎonù lín wán bì yǒude shì , yīnwei zhè shì guān hū mòhòu de déng qī .

20 Nǐ suǒ kànjian shuāng jiǎo de gōng miányáng , jiù shì Mǎdaì hé Bōsī wáng .

21 Nà gōng shānyáng jiù shì xī là wáng ( xī là yuánwén zuò Yǎwán xià tóng ) . liǎng yǎn dāngzhōng de dà jiǎo jiù shì tóu yī wáng .

22 Zhìyú nà zhé duàn le de jiǎo , zaì jī gēn shang yòu zhǎng chū sì jiǎo , zhè sì jiǎo jiù shì sì guó , bì cóng zhè guó lǐ xīngqǐ lái , zhǐshì dōu bú jí tā .

23 Zhè sì guó mò shí , fàn fǎ de rén zuìè mǎnyíng , bì yǒu yī wáng xīngqǐ , miànmào xiōngè , néng yòng shuāng guān de zhà yǔ .

24 Tāde quánbǐng bì dà , què bù shì yīn zìjǐ de nénglì . tā bì xíng fēicháng de huǐmiè , shìqing shùnlì , rènyì ér xíng . yòu bì huǐmiè yǒu nénglì de hé shèng mín .

25 Tā yòng quán shù chéngjiù shǒu zhōng de guǐjì , xīnli zì gāo zì dà , zaì rén tǎnrán wú beì de shíhou , huǐmiè duō rén . yòu yào zhàn qǐlai gōngjī wàn jūn zhī jūn , zhì zhōng què fēi yīn rén shǒu ér mièwáng .

26 Suǒ shuō èr qiā sān bǎi rì de yìxiàng shì zhēn de , dàn nǐ yào jiāng zhè yìxiàng fēng zhù , yīnwei guān hū hòulái xǔduō de rìzi .

27 Yúshì wǒ Dànyǐlǐ hūn mí bù xǐng , bìng le shǔ rì , ránhòu qǐlai bànlǐ wáng de shì wù . wǒ yīn zhè yìxiàng jīngqí , què wú rén néng míngbai qízhōng de yìsi .

Dànyǐlǐshū 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

Daniel's vision of the ram and the he-goat. (1-14) The interpretation of it. (15-27)

Verses 1-14 God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of other kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns was the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcome by a he-goat. This was Alexander the Great. Alexander, when about thirty-three years of age, and in his full strength, died, and showed the vanity of worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a man happy. While men dispute, as in the case of Alexander, respecting the death of some prosperous warrior, it is plain that the great First Cause of all had no more of his plan for him to execute, and therefore cut him off. Instead of that one great horn, there came up four notable ones, Alexander's four chief captains. A little horn became a great persecutor of the church and people of God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed out. It prospered, and at one time nearly destroyed the holy religion God's right hand had planted. It is just with God to deprive those of the privileges of his house who despise and profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances by the want of them, who would not know it by the enjoyment of them. Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and determined; but not the time when it should come. If we would know the mind of God, we must apply to Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; not hid from us, but hid for us. There is much difficulty as to the precise time here stated, but the end of it cannot be very distant. God will, for his own glory, see to the cleansing of the church in due time. Christ died to cleanse his church; and he will so cleanse it as to present it blameless to himself.

Verses 15-27 The eternal Son of God stood before the prophet in the appearance of a man, and directed the angel Gabriel to explain the vision. Daniel's fainting and astonishment at the prospect of evils he saw coming on his people and the church, confirm the opinion that long-continued calamities were foretold. The vision being ended, a charge was given to Daniel to keep it private for the present. He kept it to himself, and went on to do the duty of his place. As long as we live in this world we must have something to do in it; and even those whom God has most honoured, must not think themselves above their business. Nor must the pleasure of communion with God take us from the duties of our callings, but we must in them abide with God. All who are intrusted with public business must discharge their trust uprightly; and, amidst all doubts and discouragements, they may, if true believers, look forward to a happy issue. Thus should we endeavour to compose our minds for attending to the duties to which each is appointed, in the church and in the world.

Chapter Summary

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.