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Daniel 8

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The Vision at Shushan 1–2

1
In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. ​
2
And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. ​

The Ram and the Goat 3–8

3
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. ​
4
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself. ​
5
And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ​
6
And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power.
7
And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and 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 trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8
And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven. ​

The Rise of the Little Horn 9–14

9
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. ​
10
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. ​
11
Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. ​
12
And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. ​
13
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. ​

Gabriel Interprets the Vision 15–19

15
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16
And I heard a man’s voice betweenthe banks ofthe Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. ​
17
So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end. ​
18
Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
19
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.

Interpretation: Media-Persia, Greece, and the Little Horn 20–27

20
The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. ​
21
And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ​
22
And as for that which was broken, in the place whereof four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
23
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. ​
24
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. ​
25
And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. ​
26
And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come. ​
27
And I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king’s business: and I wondered at the vision, but none understood it. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Daniel 8

Verse 1

third year of the reign of king Belshazzar — This is two years after the dream of the four beasts, dated to his 'first year' (Dan 7:1). 'Vision' is chazon, a sight seen. Daniel says 'even unto me Daniel', naming himself as the one who saw it.

Verse 2

Shushan in the palace — Shushan (Susa) had its 'palace' (birah, a castle or fortress) 'in the province of Elam'; Elam was a son of Shem (Gen 10:22). A later king sat 'in Shushan the palace' (Esth 1:2). Daniel is there 'in a vision', by the river Ulai.

Verse 3

a ram which had two horns — Gabriel names it: 'the kings of Media and Persia' (v.20). The higher horn 'came up last': Persia rose after Media, as the bear of Dan 7:5 'raised up itself on one side'. 'Ram' is ayil, from a word for strength.

Verse 4

pushing westward, and northward, and southward — Nagach, to butt with horns, here of conquest. None 'could deliver out of his hand'. 'He did according to his will' is the phrase later used of the kings of Dan 11:3, 16, 36. No push eastward is named.

Verse 5

an he goat came from the west — The goat is 'the king of Grecia' (v.21). Tsaphir is a male goat; 'touched not the ground' pictures speed. The 'notable' horn (chazuth, conspicuous) 'between his eyes' is 'the first king'. Compare the leopard with four wings (Dan 7:6).

Verse 8

the great horn was broken — At the height of his strength the horn breaks and 'four notable ones' rise 'toward the four winds of heaven'. Gabriel says four kingdoms stand up 'out of the nation, but not in his power' (v.22); Dan 11:4 adds 'not to his posterity'.

Verse 9

a little horn — From one of the four comes a small horn that grows 'toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land'. 'Pleasant' is tsebi, splendour, the word rendered 'glorious land' in Dan 11:16. It rises from one of four horns, where the little horn of Dan 7:8 comes up among the ten.

Verse 10

the host of heaven… the stars — Tsaba, host or army, and kokab, star. The horn casts some down and 'stamped upon them'. The stars are God's people, whose seed was promised as the stars (Gen 15:5); v.24 names them 'the mighty and the holy people'.

Verse 11

the prince of the host — The horn magnifies himself against the commander of the host; v.25 calls him 'Prince of princes'. 'Daily sacrifice' is tamid, the continual offering of morning and evening (Ex 29:38–39). Dan 11:31 repeats that it is taken away.

Verse 12

by reason of transgression — Pesha, rebellion: the host was given to the horn because of it. 'Cast down the truth' (emeth) recalls Isa 59:14, 'truth is fallen in the street'. 'Practised, and prospered' are the verbs repeated of him in v.24.

Verse 14

two thousand and three hundred days — The Hebrew is 'evenings-mornings' (erev boker), as in v.26. Some read 2,300 days, others 1,150 daily sacrifices. The end is that 'the sanctuary be cleansed' (tsadaq, put right). Dan 12:11 gives a different figure for the same removal of the sacrifice.

Verse 16

Gabriel, make this man to understand — A 'man's voice' between the banks of Ulai commands Gabriel (Gabriel, 'man of God'). He returns in Dan 9:21 and brings the announcement to Mary (Luke 1:26). 'Understand' is bin, the verb repeated in v.17.

Verse 17

Understand, O son of man — Ben adam, a mortal, the address given to Ezekiel (Ezek 2:1). The vision is for 'the time of the end' (qets), which v.19 calls 'the last end of the indignation'. Daniel falls on his face afraid, as John fell 'at his feet as dead' (Rev 1:17).

Verse 20

the kings of Media and Persia — The interpretation is given plainly: two horns for two peoples joined, as in Esth 1:3, 'the power of Persia and Media'. 'Kings' stands for kingdoms, as in Dan 7:17, 'great beasts… are four kings'.

Verse 21

the rough goat — Sa'ir, a shaggy goat, is 'the king of Grecia' (Yavan, Javan, son of Japheth, Gen 10:2). The great horn is 'the first king'. Dan 10:20 names 'the prince of Grecia' as the power that follows Persia.

Verse 23

a king of fierce countenance — Literally hard of face. 'Dark sentences' is chidah, a riddle, the word of Samson's riddle (Judg 14:12). He stands up 'when the transgressors are come to the full', as the Amorites' iniquity was 'not yet full' (Gen 15:16).

Verse 24

not by his own power — His strength (koach) is real but not self-derived, as 'an host was given him' in v.12. He 'shall destroy wonderfully' (pala, extraordinarily) and prosper, and his target is 'the mighty and the holy people'.

Verse 25

broken without hand — 'Policy' is sekel, insight, turned to 'craft' (mirmah, deceit); 'by peace' means in security (shalvah). He stands against 'the Prince of princes' (cf. v.11), and falls by no human hand, as the stone 'cut out without hands' (Dan 2:34).

Verse 26

shut thou up the vision — The 'evening and the morning' (v.14) is declared 'true' (emeth). 'Shut up' is satam, to stop up, keep secret; compare 'shut up the words, and seal the book' (Dan 12:4). It is 'for many days', as in Dan 10:14.

Verse 27

did the king's business — Daniel 'was sick certain days' (chalah), then rose to the 'business' (melakah) of the king, still in royal service. 'Astonished' is shamem, the verb of 'desolation' in v.13; he was stunned by a vision 'none understood'.