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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Daniel 8:15–27. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here we have,
I.Daniel's earnest desire to have this vision explained to him (Dan 8:15):
I sought the meaning. Note, Those that rightly know the things of God cannot but desire to know more and more of them, and to be led further into the mystery of them; and those that would find the meaning of what they have seen or heard from God must seek it, and seek it diligently. Seek and you shall find. Daniel considered the thing, compared it with the former discoveries, to try if he could understand it; but especially he sought by prayer (as he had done Dan 2:18), and he did not seek in vain.
II.Orders given to the angel Gabriel to inform him concerning this vision.
One in the appearance of a man (who, some think, was Christ himself, for who besides could command angels?) orders Gabriel to make Daniel understand this vision. Sometimes God is pleased to make use of the ministration of angels, not only to protect his children, but to instruct them, to serve the kind intentions, not only of his providence, but of his grace.
III.The consternation that Daniel was in upon the approach of his instructor (Dan 8:17):
When he came near I was afraid. Though Daniel was a man of great prudence and courage, and had been conversant with the visions of the Almighty, yet the approach of an extraordinary messenger from heaven put him into this fright. He fell upon his face, not to worship the angel, but because he could no longer bear the dazzling lustre of his glory. Nay, being prostrate upon the ground, he fell into a deep sleep, (Dan 8:18), which came not from any neglect of the vision, or indifference towards it, but was an effect of his faintness and the oppression of spirit he was under, through the abundance of revelations. The disciples in the garden slept for sorrow; and, as there, so here, the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. Daniel would have kept awake, and could not.
IV.The relief which the angel gave to Daniel, with great encouragement to him to expect a satisfactory discovery of the meaning of this vision.
1.He touched him, and set him upon his feet, Dan 8:18. Thus when John, in a similar case, was in similar consternation, Christ laid his right hand upon him, Rev 1:17. It was a gentle touch that the angel here gave to Daniel, to show that he came not to hurt him, not to plead against him with his great power, or with a hand heavy upon him, but to help him, to put strength into him (Job 23:6), which God can do with a touch. When we are slumbering and grovelling on this earth we are very unfit to hear from God, and to converse with him. But, if God design instruction for us, he will be his grace awaken us out of our slumber, raise us from things below, and set us upright.
2.He promised to inform him: "Understand, O son of man! Dan 8:17. Thou shalt understand, if thou wilt but apply thy mind to understand." He calls him son of man to intimate that he would consider his frame, and would deal tenderly with him, accommodating himself to his capacity as a man. Or thus he preaches humility to him; though he be admitted to converse with angels, he must not be puffed up with it, but must remember that he is a son of man. Or perhaps this title puts honour upon him: the Messiah was lately called the Son of man (Dan 7:13), and Daniel is akin to him, and is a figure of him as a prophet and one greatly beloved. He assures him that he shall be made to know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, Dan 8:19. Let it be laid up for a comfort to those who shall live to see these calamitous times that there shall be an end of them; the indignation shall cease (Isa 10:25); it shall be overpast, Isa 26:20. It may intermit and return again, but the last end shall be glorious; good will follow it, nay, and good will be brought out of it. He tells him (Dan 8:17), "At the time of the end shall be the vision; when the last end of the indignation comes, when the course of this providence is completed, then the vision shall be made plain and intelligible by the event, as the event shall be made plain and intelligible by the vision." Or, "At the time of the end of the Jewish church, in the latter days of it, shall this vision be accomplished, 300 or 400 years hence; understand it therefore, that thou mayest leave it on record for the generations to come." But is he ask more particularly, "When is the time of the end? And how long will it be before it arrive?" let this answer suffice (Dan 8:19): At the time appointed the end shall be; it is fixed in the divine counsel, which cannot be altered and which must not be pried into.
V.The exposition which he gave him of the vision.
1.Concerning the two monarchies of Persia and Greece, Dan 8:20-22. The ram signified the succession of the kings of Media and Persia; the rough goat signified the kings of Greece; the great horn was Alexander; the four horns that rose in his room were the four kingdoms into which his conquests were cantoned, of which before, Dan 8:8. They are said to stand up out of the nations, but not in his power; none of them ever made the figure that Alexander did. Josephus relates that when Alexander had taken Tyre, and subdued Palestine, and was upon his march to Jerusalem, Jaddas, who was them high priest (Nehemiah mentions one of his name, Neh 12:11), fearing his rage, had recourse to God by prayer and sacrifice for the common safety, and was by him warned in a dream that upon Alexander's approach he should throw open the gates of the city, and that he and the rest of the priests should go forth to meet him in their habits, and all the people in white. Alexander, seeing this company at a distance, went himself alone to the high priest, and, having prostrated himself before that God whose name was engraven in the golden plate of his mitre, he first saluted him; and, being asked by one of his own captains why he did so, he said that while he was yet in Macedon, musing on the conquest of Asia, there appeared to him a man like unto this, and thus attired, who invited him into Asia, and assured him of success in the conquest of it. The priests led him to the temple, where he offered sacrifice to the God of Israel as they directed him; and there they showed him this book of the prophet Daniel, that it was there foretold that a Grecian should come and destroy the Persians, which animated him very much in the expedition he was now meditating against Darius. Hereupon he took the Jews and their religion under his protection, promised to be kind to those of their religion in Babylon and Media, whither he was now marching, and in honour of him all the priests that had sons born that year called them Alexander. Joseph. lib. 11.
2.Concerning Antiochus, and his oppression of the Jews. This is said to be in the latter time of the kingdom of the Greeks, when the transgressors are come to the full (Dan 8:23); that is, when the degenerate Jews have filled up the measure of their iniquity, and are ripe for this destruction, so that God cannot in honour bear with them any longer then shall stand up this king, to be flagellum Dei - the rod in God's hand for the chastising of the Jews. Now observe here,
(1.)His character: He shall be a king of fierce countenance, insolent and furious, neither fearing God nor regarding man, understanding dark sentences, or (rather) versed in dark practices, the hidden things of dishonesty; he was master of all the arts of dissimulation and deceit, and knew the depths of Satan as well as any man. He was wise to do evil.
(2.)His success. He shall make dreadful havoc of the nations about him: His power shall be mighty, bear down all before it, but not by his own power (Dan 8:24), but partly by the assistance of his allies, Eumenes and Attalus, partly by the baseness and treachery of many of the Jews, even of the priests that came into his interests, and especially by the divine permission. it was not by his own power, but by a power given him from above, that he destroyed wonderfully, and thought he made himself a great man by being a great destroyer. He destroys wonderfully indeed, for he destroys,
[1.]The mighty people, and they cannot resist him by their power. The princes of Egypt cannot stand before him with all their forces, but he practises against them and prospers. Note, The mighty ones of the earth commonly meet with those at length that are too hard for them, that are more mighty than they. Let not the strong man then glory in his strength, be it ever so great, unless he could be sure that there were none stronger than he.
[2.]He destroys the holy people, or the people of the holy ones; and their sacred character does neither deter him from destroying them nor defend them from being destroyed. All things come alike to all, and there is one event to the mighty and to the holy in this world.
[3.]The methods by which he will gain this success, not by true courage, wisdom, or justice, but by his policy and craft (Dan 8:25), by fraud and deceit, and serpentine subtlety: He shall cause craft to prosper; so cunningly shall he carry on his projects that he shall gain his point by the art of wheedling. By peace he shall destroy many, as others do by war; under the pretence of treaties, leagues, and alliances, with them, he shall encroach on their rights, and trick them into a subjection to him. Thus sometimes what a nation truly brave has gained in a righteous war a nation truly base has regained in a treacherous peace, and craft has been caused to prosper.
[4.]The mischief that he shall do to religion: He shall magnify himself in his heart, and think himself fit to prescribe and give law to every body, so that he shall stand up against the Prince of princes, that is, against God himself. He will profane his temple and altar, prohibit his worship, and persecute his worshippers. See what a height of impudence some men's impiety brings them to; they openly bid defiance to God himself though he is the Kings of kings.
[5.]The ruin that he shall be brought to at last: He shall be broken without hand, that is, without the hand of man. He shall not be slain in war, nor shall he be assassinated, as tyrants commonly were, but he shall fall into the hand of the living God and die by an immediate stroke of his vengeance. He, hearing that the Jews had cast the image of Jupiter Olympius out of the temple, where he had placed it, was so enraged at the Jews that he vowed he would make Jerusalem a common burial-place, and determined to march thither immediately; but no sooner had he spoken these proud words than he was struck with an incurable plague in his bowels; worms bred so fast in his body that whole flakes of flesh sometimes dropped from him; his torments were violent, and the stench of his disease such that none could endure to come near him. He continued in this misery very long. At first he persisted in his menaces against the Jews; but at length, despairing of his recovery, he called his friends together, and acknowledged all those miseries to have fallen upon him for the injuries he had done to the Jews and his profaning the temple at Jerusalem. Then he wrote courteous letters to the Jews, and vowed that if he recovered he would let them have the free exercise of their religion. But, finding his disease grow upon him, when he could no longer endure his own smell, he said, It is meet to submit to God, and for man who is mortal not to set himself in competition with God, and so died miserably in a strange land, on the mountains of Pacata near Babylon: so Ussher's Annals, A.M. 3840, about 160 years before the birth of Christ.
3.As to the time fixed for the continuance of the cessation of the daily sacrifice, it is not explained here, but only confirmed (Dan 8:26). That vision of the evening and morning is true, in the proper sense of the words, and needs no explication. How unlikely soever it might be that God should suffer his own sanctuary to be thus profaned, yet it is true, it is too true, so it shall be.
VI.Here is the conclusion of this vision, and here,
1.The charge given to Daniel to keep it private for the present: Shut thou up the vision; let it not be publicly know among the Chaldeans, lest the Persians, who were now shortly to possess the kingdom, should be incensed against the Jews by it, because the downfall of their kingdom was foretold by it, which would be unseasonable now that the edict for their release was expected from the king of Persia. Shut it up, for it shall be for many days. It was about 300 years from the time of this vision to the time of the accomplishment of it; therefore he must shut it up for the present, even from the people of the Jews, lest it should amaze and perplex them, but let it be kept safely for the generations to come, that should live about the time of the accomplishment of it, for to them it would be both most intelligible and most serviceable. Note, What we know of the things of God should be carefully laid up, that hereafter, when there is occasion, it may be faithfully laid out; and what we have not now any use for, yet we may have another time. Divine truths should be sealed up among our treasures, that we may find them again after many days.
2.The care he took to keep it private, having received such a charge, Dan 8:27. He fainted, and was sick, with the multitude of his thoughts within him occasioned by this vision, which oppressed and overwhelmed him the more because he was forbidden to publish what he had seen, so that his belly was as wine which has no vent, he was ready to burst like new bottles, Job 32:19. However, he kept it to himself, stifled and smothered the concern he was in; so that those he conversed with could not perceive it, but he did the king's business according to the duty of his place, whatever it was. Note, As long as we live in this world we must have something to do in it; and even those whom God has most dignified with his favours must not think themselves above their business; nor must the pleasure of communion with God take us off from the duties of our particular callings, but still we must in them abide with God. Those especially that are entrusted with public business must see to it that they conscientiously discharge their trust.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
After [Alexander’s] death his empire will be divided into four kingdoms, but though those reigning over them are four, they will not succeed in achieving what he achieved but will be seen to be much inferior to his strength.
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Summary
Daniel 8:22 serves as a precise prophetic interpretation within Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat, elucidating the aftermath of the "great horn" being broken. It foretells the division of a powerful empire into four distinct, successor kingdoms that would emerge from the same "nation" but would collectively lack the singular, unified might of the original ruler, highlighting the transient nature of earthly power and God's sovereign control over historical succession.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is an integral part of the angelic interpretation provided by Gabriel to Daniel concerning the vision recorded in Daniel 8. Immediately preceding Daniel 8:22, Daniel 8:21 explicitly identifies the "rough goat" as the king of Grecia and the "great horn" between its eyes as its first powerful king, widely understood to be Alexander the Great. The preceding verse also describes the "great horn" being "broken" at the height of its power, which is then elaborated upon in Daniel 8:22, explaining the fragmentation of this vast empire into four distinct entities. Thus, Daniel 8:22 directly interprets the symbolic actions seen in Daniel 8:8.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecy in Daniel 8:22 accurately foretold events that transpired centuries later. Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC at the young age of 32, his vast Hellenistic Empire, which stretched from Greece to India, did not pass to a single heir. Instead, after a period of conflict among his generals (the Diadochi), it was eventually divided into four major Hellenistic kingdoms. These were the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt and parts of the Middle East, ruled by Ptolemy), the Seleucid Empire (Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia, ruled by Seleucus), the Kingdom of Lysimachus (Thrace and parts of Asia Minor), and the Kingdom of Cassander (Macedonia and Greece). This historical fulfillment underscores the remarkable precision of biblical prophecy, demonstrating God's foreknowledge of specific geopolitical shifts.
Key Themes
Daniel 8:22 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Daniel. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates Divine Sovereignty over History, showcasing God's meticulous control over the rise and fall of empires, even dictating the specifics of their succession and fragmentation. Secondly, it highlights the Precision and Reliability of Prophecy, as the detailed prediction of four successor kingdoms emerging from Alexander's empire was historically fulfilled with uncanny accuracy. Thirdly, the phrase "but not in his power" emphasizes the Transient and Diminished Nature of Earthly Power when compared to the unified might of the original conqueror. This serves as a stark reminder that all human kingdoms, no matter how vast, are temporary and ultimately subject to God's ultimate authority, a theme consistently reinforced throughout Daniel, such as in Daniel 2:21.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to burst (literally or figuratively); break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), crush, destroy." In this context, it signifies a violent and decisive shattering, not a gradual decline. It emphasizes the sudden and complete end of the great horn's (Alexander's) singular dominance.
A primitive root meaning "to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide, appoint, arise, establish, remain." Here, it denotes the establishment and emergence of new entities, indicating that these four kingdoms would firmly take their place as the new powers following the empire's fragmentation.
Meaning "vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); ability, might, strength." The negation "not in his power" is crucial, signifying that while the four successor kingdoms would be powerful in their own right, none, nor their combined strength, would possess the same unified, singular, and expansive authority that Alexander the Great wielded. Their power would be fragmented and comparatively diminished.
Verse Breakdown
"Now that being broken"
This clause refers to the "great horn" previously mentioned in the vision, which represents Alexander the Great. The breaking signifies his untimely death and the sudden end of his unified imperial rule.
"whereas four stood up for it"
This indicates that in the place of the single, dominant horn, four distinct entities would arise. This directly prophesies the emergence of four successor kingdoms.
"four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation"
This specifies that these four new powers would not be external invaders but would emerge from within the existing territory or people of the former empire. They are distinct "kingdoms," implying separate, sovereign entities.
"but not in his power"
This critical qualification highlights that while these four kingdoms would be significant, their collective or individual strength would not match the unparalleled, unified dominion and expansive reach of Alexander the Great himself. It forecasts a fragmentation of authority and a reduction in overall imperial might.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. Symbolism is paramount, with the "great horn" symbolizing Alexander the Great and the "four horns" or "four kingdoms" representing his successor generals and their respective Hellenistic empires. This symbolic language allows for the concise communication of complex historical events. The entire passage is an example of Prophecy, specifically Predictive Prophecy, as it foretells future events with remarkable accuracy. Furthermore, there is a clear Contrast established between the singular, overwhelming "power" of the original "great horn" and the fragmented, diminished "power" of the "four kingdoms" that succeed it. This contrast underscores the transient nature of human dominion and sets the stage for the ultimate, eternal kingdom of God.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Daniel 8:22 profoundly underscores the theme of divine sovereignty over human history. It reveals that God is not merely an observer but an active orchestrator of geopolitical events, meticulously detailing the rise and fall of empires, even to the specific number of successor kingdoms and the nature of their power. This precision in prophecy demonstrates God's omniscience and omnipotence, assuring believers that His overarching plan is unfolding, regardless of the apparent chaos or might of earthly rulers. The transient nature of even the most formidable human empires, as contrasted with the eternal kingdom of God, is a central theological message, calling believers to place their ultimate trust not in temporal powers but in the unchanging, sovereign Lord.
Reflection and Application
Daniel 8:22, though a historical prophecy, offers profound spiritual lessons for believers today. In a world often characterized by political upheaval, shifting global powers, and the rise and fall of nations, this verse provides immense comfort and a firm foundation for faith. It reminds us that behind the scenes of human history, a sovereign God is meticulously working out His purposes. We are called to trust in His unchanging character and His ultimate control, rather than being swayed by the temporary triumphs or failures of earthly powers. This understanding frees us from anxiety about the future and encourages us to invest our lives in the eternal kingdom of God, which alone will endure. It challenges us to view current events through the lens of God's overarching plan, recognizing that His kingdom is the only one that truly matters and will ultimately prevail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who were the "four kingdoms" mentioned in Daniel 8:22, and how did they relate to Alexander the Great?
The "four kingdoms" mentioned in Daniel 8:22 refer to the four major Hellenistic empires that emerged after the sudden death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. These kingdoms were established by his leading generals, known as the Diadochi, who divided his vast empire among themselves. They were: the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt, ruled by Ptolemy I Soter), the Seleucid Empire (Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia, ruled by Seleucus I Nicator), the Kingdom of Lysimachus (Thrace and parts of Asia Minor), and the Kingdom of Cassander (Macedonia and Greece). The prophecy highlights that while these four would "stand up," they would not possess the singular, unified "power" of Alexander himself, accurately reflecting the fragmented nature of his successors' rule compared to his initial expansive dominion, as also seen in Daniel 11:4.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Daniel 8:22 specifically details the geopolitical succession of the Hellenistic empires, its ultimate theological trajectory points to the overarching truth of God's sovereignty, which finds its supreme fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The repeated pattern of earthly kingdoms rising and falling, and even the fragmentation of mighty empires like Alexander's, serves as a powerful backdrop for the coming of a different kind of kingdom—one that is not of this world (John 18:36) and whose King is eternal. The "not in his power" clause, signifying the diminished and divided strength of human rulers, foreshadows the ultimate inadequacy of all human authority in comparison to the singular, undivided, and eternal power of Christ. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, establishes a spiritual dominion that transcends all earthly political structures, a kingdom that will ultimately crush all other kingdoms and stand forever (Daniel 2:44). Through His death and resurrection, Christ inaugurated a new covenant and a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28), fulfilling God's sovereign plan for history by establishing an eternal reign where His power is absolute and His dominion has no end (Luke 1:33).