Daniel 8:9

out of one of them The history of Seleucus himself and his immediate successors is passed over: and the prophecy proceeds at once to Antiochus Epiphanes (b.c. 175 164), whose reign was fraught with such momentous consequences for the Jews.

a little horn cf. Daniel 7:8. The general sense is, no doubt, given correctly; but the exact meaning of the Heb. (which is very peculiar) is far from clear. The explanation which is least forced is -a horn (arising) out of(being) a small one." It is quite possible, however, that the text is slightly in error: by omitting one letter, we should obtain the ordinary Hebrew for -a little horn"; and by altering two letters, we should get -another horn, a little one" (cf. Daniel 7:8). Probably one of these is the true reading: LXX. Theod. support the former.

toward the south i.e. Egypt, as in ch. 11 (Daniel 8:5, &c.). On the wars of Antiochus against Egypt, see more fully on ch. Daniel 11:21 ff.

toward the east Antiochus led an expedition into Elymais (on the E. of Babylonia) in the last year of his life (see on Daniel 11:40).

and toward the beauteous (land)] lit. the beauty; but the full expression -land of beauty," or -beauteous land," occurs in Daniel 11:16; Daniel 11:41. It is a title of honour for the land of Israel, based upon Jeremiah 3:19, where Canaan is called -the heritage of beauty(i.e. the most beauteous heritage) of the hosts of the nations," and Ezekiel 20:6; Ezekiel 20:9, -the land flowing with milk and honey, which is the beautyof all lands" (or, as we might say, the crown of all lands).