Daniel 8:4-14

4 Afterward I saw the ram winnowing with (his) horns against the east, and against the west, and against the north, and against the south; and all beasts might not against-stand it, neither be delivered from the hands of it (and no beast could stand against it, nor could be saved from its power). And it did by his will, and was magnified.

5 And I understood. Lo! forsooth a buck of goats came from the west on the face of all (the) earth, and touched not the earth (and did not touch the ground); forsooth the buck of goats had a noble horn betwixt his eyes;

6 and he came till to that horned ram, which I had seen standing before the gate, and he ran in the fierceness of his strength to that ram. (and he came unto that horned ram, which I had seen standing by the river, and he ran in all the fierceness of his strength at that ram.)

7 And when he had nighed nigh the ram, he hurtled fiercely on him, and he smote the ram, and all-brake (the) twain horns of him, and the ram might not against-stand him. And when he had sent that ram into [the] earth, he defouled [him]; and no man might deliver the ram from his hand. (And when he had come close to the ram, he hurtled fiercely against him, and he struck the ram, and broke its two horns, and the ram could not stand against him. And when he had sent that ram down to the ground, he defiled, or trampled upon, him; and no one could rescue, or could save, the ram from his power.)

8 Forsooth the buck of goats was made full great; and when he had increased, the great horn was broken, and four horns rised (up) under it, by four winds of heaven (by the four winds of the heavens).

9 Forsooth of one of them went out one little horn, and it was made great against the south, and against the east, and against the strength. (And out of one of them grew one little horn, and it was made great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land, or the Promised Land.)

10 And it was magnified till to the strength of heaven, and it casted down of the strength and of (the) stars, and defouled those. (And it was magnified unto the host of heaven, and it threw down some of that army, and some of the stars, and it defiled, or trampled upon, them.)

11 And he was magnified till to the prince of (the) strength, and he took away from him the continual sacrifice, and casted down the place of his hallowing. (And it was magnified unto the Prince of the host, and it took away from him the continual, or the daily, sacrifice, and threw down his sanctuary, or destroyed his Temple.)

12 Forsooth strength was given to him against the continual sacrifice for sins, and truth shall be cast down in (the) earth; and he shall have prosperity, and shall do. (And the heavenly host was delivered unto it, and it raised itself up against the continual, or the daily, sacrifice for sins, and it threw down the truth to the ground; and it prospered, or was successful, in all that it did.)

13 And I heard one of [the] holy angels speaking; and one holy angel said to another, I know not to whom speaking, How long the vision, and the continual sacrifice, and the sin of desolation, [or discomfort,] which is made, and the saintuary, and the host, shall be defouled? (And I heard one of the holy ones speaking; and one holy one said to another, I know not speaking to whom, For how long shall the period of this vision last, concerning the continual, or the daily, sacrifice, and the sin of desolation, or the sin of discomfort, that is done, and the sanctuary shall be defiled, and the host shall be trampled upon?)

14 And he said to him, Till to the eventide and morrowtide, two thousand days and three hundred; and the saintuary shall be cleansed. (And he said to him, Until the evening and the morning, two thousand and three hundred days; and then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.)

Daniel 8:4-14 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.