Daniel 8:15-27

Gabriel Gives Angelic Help and Interprets the Vision

15 {And then} when I, Daniel, saw the vision, and I was seeking understanding, there was [one] standing before me with [the] appearance of a man.

16 And I heard [the] voice of a human at [the] Ulai, and he called and said, "Gabriel, [make] this [man] understand the vision."

17 And he came beside {where I was standing}, and {when he came} I became terrified and I fell prostrate on my face. And he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision [is] for [the] time of [the] end."

18 And {when he spoke} with me I fell into a trance with my face to the ground, and he touched me and made me stand on by feet.

19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what will happen in the period of wrath, for [it refers] to [the] appointed time of [the] end.

20 "The ram that you saw {who had two horns} [represents] the kings of Media and Persia.

21 "And the hairy he-goat [is] the {kingdom} of Greece, and the great horn that [is] between his eyes--he [is] the first king.

22 And the [horn] [that] was broken, and [then] there arose four [horns] in place of it--[these are] four kingdoms [that] will arise from [his] nation, but not with his power.

23 And at the end of their kingdom, when the transgressions are completed, a king will arise, fierce in countenance and skilled in riddles.

24 And his power will grow, but not by his [own] power, and he will cause fearful destruction, and he will succeed and {he will act}, and he will destroy [the] mighty and [the] people of [the] holy ones.

25 And by his planning he will make a success of deceit by his hand, and in his {mind} he will {boast}, and in [their] ease he will destroy many, and [even] against [the] prince of princes he will rise up, and he will be broken, [but] not by human hands.

26 And the vision of the evening and the morning that has been {described}, it [is] true; and you, seal [up] the vision, for {it refers to many days to come}."

27 And I, Daniel, was overcome, and I became ill for [some] days, and I {performed} the business of the king, and I was dismayed over the vision and {I did not understand it}.

Daniel 8:15-27 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 "And it happened"
• [b]. Literally "my standing"
• [c]. Literally "at his coming"
• [d]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [e]. Literally "at his speaking"
• [f]. Or "the wrath"
• [g]. Literally "the owner of the two horns"
• [h]. Literally "king"
• [i]. Literally "he will do"
• [j]. Or "saints"
• [k]. Or "cunning"
• [l]. Hebrew "in"
• [m]. Literally "heart"
• [n]. Literally "magnify himself"
• [o]. Literally "told"
• [p]. Literally "for to days many"
• [q]. Literally "did"
• [r]. Literally "there was not understanding"